Civil War 150th begins commemoration in Richmond region

The Civil War spotlight has shifted to Chesterfield County for the 150th anniversary of the battle that saved Richmond on May 15, 1862.
At the county's Central Library on Wednesday, visitors found re-enactors, Civil War music, games, historic-document scanning and the chance to visit the Civil War 150th HistoryMobile museum on wheels. All will continue through Saturday.
Home-schoolers Rebecca, 12; Emily, 9; Natalee , 10; and Melanie, 4, joined the "Ladies Aid Society" in stuffing ditty bags for soldiers with a Bible, candle, matches and soap, all of which would have been hard to find in camp.
Soldiers would have appreciated the bags too, said a hoop-skirted Wendy Alvis of Chesterfield, because without something to separate items in their haversacks, "your bar of soap might get mixed up with your beans for dinner or your tobacco."
Songs such as "Shenandoah," "Oh, Susanna," and "Jine the Cavalry" helped soldiers to pass the time in an era before electronics, said banjoist Jeff Beatman of the "Press Gang," who performed with singer John McCall.
Items from the library's Traveling Trunk illustrated the soldiers' daily life and gear. Bryan Truzzie, wearing a Union uniform of light blue pants and dark blue jacket, described how to make coffee in the field
Richmond National Battlefield Park will offer living history, exhibits and interpretation Saturday and Sunday at Drewry's Bluff, where Confederates in a hastily constructed fort held off five Union ships, including the ironclad USS Monitor, on Tuesday.
Dave Ruth, superintendent of Richmond National Battlefield Park, said the anniversary could lead to increased interpretation at the Drewry's Bluff unit, which does not have a visitors center or regular staffing. Two new exhibit panels will be dedicated Saturday, he said.
Sarah Snead, deputy county administrator, said the anniversary is an opportunity for Chesterfield to tell the story of Drewry's Bluff and other Civil War sites.
"They may be lesser known than other partner sites (in the Civil War commemoration), but it all is coming together to complete the package of the region."