Battle of Newtown: Popular American Revolution battle reenactment returns to Elmira area
It's been 244 years since a small skirmish just southeast of what is now Elmira ignited what historians view as a turning point in the American Revolution, and hundreds of reenactors and history buffs will soon gather to relive that event.
The Chemung County Living History Center will once again present its re-creation of the Battle of Newtown on Aug. 26 and 27 at Newtown Battlefield State Park, just off Interstate 86 in Lowman.
The park is on a hilltop that overlooks the fields where the actual battle took place, and the weekend will feature battle reenactments and other activities. It's expected to draw reenactors and spectators from all across the Northeast.
A major change to this year's event
There will be many returning features, but one aspect of the weekend will be different this year, according to event Chairman Paul Perine.
It will be free to get in.
"There's no admission charge this year. We had issues with the past (park) administration. But there's different park management," Perine said. "They believe it's important to have as much as possible about history and education."
Park management will cover some of the expenses of putting on the reenactment, and the Chemung Valley Living Center is absorbing some of the costs, Perine said.
In addition, The British Brigade, an organization that portrays the British, American Indians, and other units that served with the Crown Forces during the American Revolutionary War, is partially sponsoring the event.
Chemung County and the Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes also provided grants to support the event, Perine said.
A history-altering battle in Chemung County
It was August of 1779 — at the height of the American Revolution — when the Continental Army launched the Sullivan-Clinton campaign, an effort to punish several tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy that sided with the British during the war.
While marching up through the Chemung Valley from what is now Athens, Pennsylvania, the troops encountered and defeated a contingent of British regulars, Loyalist rangers and 1,000 Iroquois warriors in the Lowman area southeast of Elmira.
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The Sullivan-Clinton forces went on to sweep through western New York, destroying numerous native villages along the way and significantly weakening the alliance between the Iroquois Confederacy and the British.
New state law almost derailed battle reenactments
When New York lawmakers passed restrictive new gun laws last year, there was concern the legislation would prohibit the use of replica muskets in historical reenactments.
As it turns out, those fears were justified, Perine said, but after some heavy lobbying, legislators later rescinded the provisions that would have affected battle reenactments and other historical demonstrations, he said.
As a result, the sound of musket fire will once again reverberate through the hills during the weekend.
What spectators can expect to see
The biannual event will include a full slate of activities both days, with hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Repeat visitors will see several familiar returning features.
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"It's going to be a similar format, including our famous woods walk Saturday, an interactive stroll through the woods," Perine said. "They'll be attacked from all sides and be able to witness 18th century warfare in the woods."
Spectators can also enjoy daily battle reenactments, recreations and demonstrations of colonial life, all carried out by hundreds of reenactors dressed in period garb.
For more information on the Battle of Newtown Weekend, go to facebook.com/groups/BattleofNewtown2014.
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Newtown Battlefield near Elmira will host popular battle reenactment
