Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Fight for the Backcountry

On May 6, 1771, 2,000 backcountry farmers calling themselves Regulators stood in opposition against 1,000 militia under the command of Royal Governor William Tryon. The ensuing battle left several dead, scores wounded, and signaled a high water mark of the Regulator movement in North Carolina.
The site where this happened is now Alamance Battleground, an NC Historic Site. I was lucky enough to spend my weekend there, under the shade of the pines.
Thanks Taylor at Dames a aa Mode for the picture! 


My dear friend & I had done quiet a bit of research on vegetable sellers and went to sell our crop.  She was able to score a nice pack basket and I had a good friend make one to carry on my head.  ( As a side note, good 18th century baskets are hard to find.) DH was there as well, portraying the Vicar (but he really is one!) 
We spent most of our day near the militia camp, selling cabbages, radishes, and beets. Fresh produce is hard to acquire this time of year (although, radishes are coming out of the garden now.) 
It was a nice laid back weekend that I really enjoyed. There was a battle scenario both days, DH served on one of the cannon crews during the Sunday Battle "defending his flock" as he said. 


Petty Sutlers
"Get yir cabbages!"
Sunday's lunch. 
Tryon's Militia forming before battle. 
Sunday's battle, DH serving on the gun crew. 



The weekend served as a perfect, formal introduction into the 18th century. It was nice to get to spend quality time with old friends, and make new ones. 
Thanks to the hard work put in by the staff at Alamance, I'm already looking forward to next year.