TheTimesTribune.com, Corbin, KY

Entertainment

Related Photos

  • The 12th annual re-enactment of the Battle of Barbourville is this Saturday and Sunday, at Minton Hickory Farm. File Photo

    0913 Battle of Barbourville.tif

Discussion

September 13, 2012

Barbourville prepares for battle

Civil war re-enactment unfolds this weekend

The Times-Tribune

CORBIN — By Jeff Noble / Staff Writer

For 11 years, the battle lines have been drawn.

The troops get into position, their guns and cannons blazing over what was once a peaceful and serene Knox County field.

But it’s all a re-enactment — on the 151st anniversary of the first armed conflict with casualties in the state of Kentucky during the Civil War.

And this weekend, the Battle of Barbourville will fire up again.

This Saturday and Sunday’s battle will be the 12th re-enactment of the historic event. The battlefield will be staged at Minton Hickory Farm, located a quarter-mile past Barbourville  on KY 225 South. The gates open at 10 a.m. both days, with Saturday’s battle beginning at 2:30 p.m., and Sunday’s battle starting at 2 p.m.

Over those past years, the experience of going back into a pivotal time in Kentucky and the nation’s history has brought thousands of visitors to the hundred acres along the Cumberland River. Many of those visitors come back — to watch the cavalry, infantry and artillery demonstrations, to see the camps set up by Confederate and Union army troops, or to buy items for sale that’s related to the Civil War.

Ron Bowling of Barbourville, who plays a field commander in the battles, says it’s an experience that’s breathtaking to witness.

“When people come here on the third weekend of September, they come for a lot of sights and sounds. They come to step back into 1861 and see what the armies went through. They come for the Civil War camps, the battles that we portray, and the skits we put on. They come here to see history come alive,” Bowling noted.

While many of the elements that make the weekend a must-see for Civil War buffs and students of history remain in place, he pointed out there will be a remembrance of a person who played a major part in the re-enactment.

“That will be a special memorial service for Ray Adkins, the founder of the Battle of Barbourville, who died on July 5, of this year. It’ll be a Civil War period memorial service, called ‘Drinking From the Same Canteen.’ That will be this Saturday,” said Bowling.

Also this Saturday, the Period Ball will be held at night, as will “Night Fire,” featuring cannon fire during the nighttime, and some different presentations of persons involved in the battle. That includes a Civil War character portrayed by a member of Kentucky Chautauqua, part of the Kentucky Humanities Council.

Bowling said, “That would be Johnny Green. He was in the Orphan Brigade. He’ll be here Saturday at 1 p.m.”

According to the Kentucky Humanities Council’s website, Johnny Green was 19 when the Civil War broke out. He was one of the few soldiers in the Orphan Brigade who was alive when the war ended. Soldiers in that brigade were unable to return to their home state of Kentucky until the war was over because they fought for the Confederacy and could be tried for treason during the Civil War.

Portraying Johnny Green in the presentation “An Orphan’s Survival” will be Ethan Sullivan Smith of Cynthiana.

“So there’s a lot more going on than just the battle. That’s why people come back for the Battle of Barbourville,” reported Bowling.

If you’d like more information on this weekend’s events, call Barbourville Tourism at (606) 545-9674, or go to this website: www.battleofbarbourvilleky.com.

Text Only
Entertainment
  • ‘Mud fest’ kicks off today

    Got mud?  No?  Then you need to get down to Williamsburg for the annual Bog in the Burg “mud fest.”

    May 24, 2013

  • Corbin to host electronic recycling day

    As technology changes, so does the hardware. That means older computers, televisions and other electronic equipment have to find their way out of your home or office, and into the waste bin.

    May 13, 2013

  • 0424 Lions Club Auction.jpg Corbin Lions Club Television/Radio Auction in full swing

    The second night of the annual Corbin Lions Club Television/Radio Auction was in full swing Tuesday inside the Corbin High School Media Center.

    April 24, 2013 1 Photo

  • ‘NIBROC, Just Lose It’ begins Saturday

    While this year’s NIBROC is less than four months away, some of you may be thinking about shedding some extra pounds. If that’s the case, the 3rd annual “NIBROC, Just Lose It” weight loss competition is just around the corner.

    April 17, 2013

  • 0419 Redbuds.jpg Redbud Festival ready for spring

    Almost a decade has passed since the first Redbud Festival welcomed spring to the mountains of southeastern Kentucky.

    April 11, 2013 1 Photo

  • Corbin Gospel Concert date announced

    Three weeks from today, the hill where The Arena in Corbin sits will come alive with the sounds of Gospel music.

    April 5, 2013

  • 0319 Barbourville Webpage.jpg Cookoff competition planned for B’ville

    They don’t have a name for it yet, but the Barbourville Tourism Commission is starting a new event in late May and early June to kick off the summer season.

    March 19, 2013 1 Photo

  • 0227 King Lear.jpg Cumberlands Theatre performs ‘King Lear’

    On Thursday, Feb. 21, the University of the Cumberlands (UC) Theatre department opened up its spring production of “King Lear” in the Kohn Theater in the Grace Crum Rollins Center on the UC campus.

    February 27, 2013 1 Photo

  • DSCN1793.JPG Cumberland Falls staff hosts hike in Beaver Creek Wilderness Cumberland Falls State Resort Park’s staff led a six-mile hike along Beaver Creek in McCreary County Saturday. More than 20 people participated in the hike. On March 1, the park will host a three-day program of hikes to visit the park’s numerous natural arches and waterfalls. Hikes will be easy to moderate and some off trail. Register with Pam at 606-516-1750.

    February 4, 2013

  • Rotary International Dinner is Feb. 16 in London

    It’s given Tri-Countians a taste of the world once a year, by serving up foods, festivities and fun from nations spanning the globe. In return it’s served up life-saving medicine given to children in less-developed nations.

    February 4, 2013