Inside Our Military Encampment, Having Fun is an Order!

Summer isn’t over yet and we want to get the news out to parents and kids that our Military Encampment plans to end this season with a bang!

For those of you who don’t know, our Military Encampment is representative of camps established in and around the city of Williamsburg during the American Revolution. According to Manager of Military Programs John Hill, the site focuses on the Virginia State Garrison Regiment which was raised by an act of the Virginia Assembly meeting in the Capitol in 1778. “The regiment’s primary purpose was to provide soldiers for the internal defense of the new Commonwealth of Virginia,” says John. And as kids enter through the gate, they quickly become new recruits!

We stopped by the site in late July and it was alive with activity. There was the music from the Fifes and Drums, a sergeant yelling out orders, and of course—the (always startling) boom of the cannon! There are roughly a dozen kid-friendly stations set up around camp and almost every one features an interactive element geared toward children of all ages.

LIGHT INFANTRY OBSTACLE COURSE!

From firing “muskets” behind strategic lookout points to throwing tomahawks at a British officer—it’s easy to see why this brand new obstacle course has been the biggest hit of all. Upon entering camp, each recruit gets musket training following the 1764 Manual of Arms which has been approved for all Virginia troops.

Then the boys and girls put their weapons (wooden sticks and rubber tomahawks) to use. Of course the weight of their “weapons” is a far cry from the 10-pound musket with a bayonet infantrymen would have typically carried in the 18th century. That was in addition to their leather cartridge box, tin canteen, and haversack to hold their rations and other supplies.

By the end of the course, each recruit should have the training and skills he or she needs to be become light infantrymen in the State Garrison Regiment—enough to send the Redcoats retreating!

CANNON FIRING

As part of preparation for war, the kids also get to join the artillery company to practice shooting a three-pounder grasshopper cannon. On select days, volunteers are chosen from the audience to step up and fire the cannon themselves!

The recruit must be a certain age, be able to lift a certain weight, and his or her parent must sign a special waiver from Colonial Williamsburg. The day we were there, two lucky boys were chosen from the audience. This isn’t the only site where children are selected for this honor. One kid is chosen daily to fire the cannon at our On to Yorktown and Victory program beside the Courthouse.

HANDS-ON MUSIC LESSON

The final station we visited is designed for aspiring field musicians! The kids line up to learn drum signals from our Fifers and Drummers. In addition to musical skills, the kids also learn about different uniforms. For example, members of the regiment wore black military hats along with white breeches and a waistcoat with a blue wool coat that was faced or lined with red. The Fifers and Drummers, on the other hand, wore a coat of reversed colors. They sported red coats lined with blue so they could be easily identified.

Events inside the camp rotate throughout the year. At times children can also build tents (which is happening right now!), do laundry, stand guard duty, practice with swords, and bake food in a brick oven!

If you’re planning a trip to see us in the next coupe of weeks, be sure to stop by. The site is open daily from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., weather permitting. The schedule will move to Friday-Saturday after Labor Day and will stay stay that way through mid-November when it closes for winter.

Be sure to take pictures of your recruit and upload to our Instagram page with #Huzzah and #ColonialWilliamsburg!