Reflections on Yesterday — Cecil County History
Sitting on a hilltop in Lewisville is a fine old house of worship, St. John’s United Methodist Church. Located yards south of the Mason-Dixon Line in Maryland, the church has a historic past. And next to it is the cemetery where ten Civil War Veterans, members of GAR Post 10, are buried. On this bright day with a beautiful blue sky filled with white puffy cumulus clouds, St. John’s looked attractive atop that hill on the state line.
Elkton, Dec. 1, 2012 — On this busy Saturday in December, one crammed with plenty of special holiday events, things were hopping at the Historical Society of Cecil County as a number of activities were underway. Our research volunteers, Darlene McCall and Beth Boulden-Moore, aided about a half-dozen patrons looking for information on auto dealerships, land records, and genealogy.
When it appeared that things were winding down for our history detectives in the library, a Civil War Soldier showed up to talk to another crowd assembled in the gallery. It was Private James Elbert of the United States Colored Troops (USCT), and he talked about the burdens for African-American soldiers during the Civil War. The 24-year old Polktown farmer enlisted with C Company of the 8th United States Colored Troops in September 1863. After leaving his home just outside Delaware City, he trained at Camp William Penn and fought in many battles during the conflict.
The attentive audience listening to this hour-long program felt as if they’d been transported back through time as the old soldier followed orders from his sergeant-major to carry out a mission. His narrative included comments about the fears, the courage, and the extraordinary achievement of the soldiers.
After the performance, a group gathered around Private Elbert peppering the military man with lots of questions about his amazing tales. This outstanding dramatic portrayal was presented by Willis Phelps, Jr. It’s an excellent program and we thank Mr. Phelps for sharing a powerful performance about the USCT with the crowd. Mr. Phelps works as a historical interpreter at Fort Delaware and presents his programs in many venues including colleges and universities. Presented for the first time in Cecil County, this program is part of the Society’s annual speaker’s series.
Next month’s talk will be about the Mason Dixon Line.
The Historical Society of Cecil County’s 2012-13 speakers series continues on Dec. 1 with a Civil War living history program. Private James H. Elbert of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) will share stories about African-Americans rallying to the colors to fight for freedom. The free program takes place at the Society’s Genealogy and local history library at 135 E. Main Street in Elkton at 2 p.m.
Accounts of the war and the struggles of the USCT will be told through the eyes of the 24-year-old who enlisted in Sept. 1863. The soldier fought in many battles before being wounded at Petersburg, VA and he lost 300 comrades in the Battle of Olustee, Florida.
Willis Phelps, Jr. , a living history interpreter at Fort Delaware, portrays the soldier, a member of Co. C 8th, USCT. If you haven’t seen the performance before, you won’t want to miss this lively engagement that is coming to Cecil County for the first time. In addition to his popular work at Fort Delaware, Phelps does programs for the Delaware Humanities Forum and has lectured at local universities.
Eric Mease, a scholar-practitioner, will facilitate a question and answer session following the performance. As a graduate student at the University of Delaware, he launched a two year investigation for his master’s thesis that pieced together the story of UCT troops in Cecil County.
Beginning in the middle of fall and stretching through the cold months of winter, the Society hosts lively, engaging speakers on topics ranging from practical research methods to fresh lectures that have broad appeal. The programs take place on the first Saturday of each month at 2:00 p.m. at the Society’s library at 135 E. Main Street in Elkton. All talks are designed to be informative and enjoyable while concentrating on new, broadly engaging topics.
Celebrate the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War through unique programs and learning opportunities this year the Cecil County Public Library! From September 2011 through May 2012, all CCPL branches will feature events and activities centered around the greatest conflict in our nation’s history. From reenactments to special programs on the role of women and local African Americans in the war, not to mention children’s activities and book discussions with local authors, there’s something for everyone—and everywhere!
Upcoming events for January 2012:
Children’s Program: “The Life of a Civil War Soldier.” Learn what life was like for a soldier during the Civil War. Explore the time period through clothing, music, and every day activities that were common-place during the Civil War. For students in grades 3-6; registration is required.
Wednesday, January 11th at 3pm at the Chesapeake City Branch Library
Saturday, January 14th at 1pm at the Perryville Branch Library
Thursday, January 19th at 6:30pm at the Elkton Central Library
Saturday, January 21st at 2pm at the Cecilton Branch Library
Book Discussion: “Crossroads of Freedom” with David Healey, Wednesday, January 11th at 7pm at the Elkton Central Library
Robert E. Lee with Christy Reynolds, Monday, January 23rd at 6:30pm at the Chesapeake City Branch Library
Book Discussion: “Sharpshooters” with author David Healey, Tuesday, January 24th at 6:30pm at the Cecilton Branch Library
For more information on this series, please check with your local library or visit our website at www.cecil.ebranch.info.