Sudbury Colonial Faire - Sudbury, Mass.

Sudbury Faire

This Saturday (September 27) the Sudbury Companies of Militia and Minutemen and the Sudbury Ancient Fyfe and Drum Companies are hosting the Colonial Faire & Muster of Fyfe and Drums at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Mass. Fife and Drum Corps from all over the country will be attending this annual muster. British and American Revolutionary War reenactors, including the 4th Kings Own, will be joining the Sudbury militia on the field.

The Sudbury Militia will be taking the opportunity of the Faire to have a change of command ceremony welcoming in a new Colonel. (There is a chance this ceremony may be interrupted by the untimely arrival of the Kings troops). As always, there will be a number of food vendors and Sutlers at the Faire.

Yankee Doodle Homecoming - Billerica, Mass.

Spirit of '76
by Archibald Willard

Starting today and continuing through the weekend (Sept. 12-14) Billerica, Mass. is celebrating its 17th annual Yankee Doodle Homecoming. This event, held every September, commemorates the role Billerica's Colonial Militia and the townspeople of Billerica played in America's War of Independence. The Billerica Minute Men took part in the fighting at Meriam's Corner in Concord on April 19, 1775 and the Battle of Bunker Hill.

As part of the weekends events the recreated Billerica Colonial Minute Men will have a weekend long Revolutionary War encampment and on Saturday members of the 4th Kings Own Light Company will "Tar and Feather" a member of the militia. This event is a recreation of the actual tar and feathering of Thomas Ditson Jr. (Billerica's Yankee Doodle) in Boston in 1775.

Seeking to arm himself in order to join the local militia, Ditson traveled into Boston and attempted to buy a musket from a Serjeant of the 47th Regiment of Foot. The Serjeant took him prisoner and the next day Ditson was "tarred and feathered" and paraded in public by members of the 47th. Ditson survived this brutal treatment and later fought with Billerica's Minute Men Company at Meriam's corner in Concord. A fuller account of this story is told here.

Also this weekend, on Saturday (Sept. 13), the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in Danvers and the Danvers Alarm List Company is hosting a Colonial Muster Day. In addition to having its muster the Colonial militia will skirmish with British Revolutionary War reenactors from the area, to include members of the 4th Kings Own.

The British Army returns to Boston

British Officers in war council

This weekend (August 15-17) the British Army returns to Boston. The last time the British were here, back in March of 1776, relations between Britain and America were somewhat strained. Things have improved since then and today the relationship between the United States and Great Britain has never been better.

The City of Boston and the Freedom Trail Foundation working together with the Parks Department, are allowing Revolutionary War reenactors to recreate something that hasn't been seen since 1776: a British military encampment on Boston Common. The recreated British units participating include: the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, the 5th Regiment of Foot, His Majesty's 10th Regiment, the 9th Regiment, the 21st Foot RNBF and the 24th. Members of the 4th Regiment of Foot, the King's Own, will also be on hand this weekend.

A full schedule has been planned to include musket firing and drill, a mock skirmish with Colonial Militia and a evening march through the city to the Union Oyster House restaurant. An 11:00 a.m. color ceremony, that will involve both local and British dignitaries, will take place on Saturday to mark this event.

Redcoats to Rebels

Old Sturbridge Village
One Old Sturbridge Village Road
Sturbridge, Mass.

This Saturday and Sunday (August 2 -3) Old Sturbridge Village is offering a weekend program called "Redcoats to Rebels". Revolutionary War reenactors from New England, New York and Pennsylvania, will be recreating camp life as well as offering a glimpse of the military drill and infantry tactics of that period. Musket and cannon firing demonstrations will be offered, as well some skirmishing between the Colonial forces and the Redcoats. (Always a crowd pleaser.)

Over forty different Rev War reenacting groups, representing actual historic French, American, British and Hessian military units, will be at OSV this weekend, making it much larger than last years Revolutionary War event. Just like last year, the 4th or the King's Own Light Company will be there, but with even more members. Additionally, there will be some 18th century music and song provided by the Roaring Lions. (They are primarily a Loyalist group, but you don't have to be loyal to King George to join in on the fun).

The Wayside Inn

The Wayside Inn
72 Wayside Road
Sudbury, Mass.

Located on the Old Boston Post Road "Howes Tavern" was well situated to receive drovers and other travelers on the road between Worcester and Boston. Established by David Howe in 1716, the tavern and inn remained open and in the family until 1861. David's son, Ezekiel, a Lt. Colonel in the Sudbury militia, first inherited the inn and increased its prosperity. It was Ezekiel Howe who led the men of Sudbury on their march to the North bridge in Concord on April 19, 1775.

In 1863 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published his famous poem "Tales of the Wayside Inn". Longfellow used the setting of the inn for his poem and its fictitious characters. The Inn was renamed in honor of the poem. Henry Ford later acquired the property and its surrounding grounds in the 1920's. It is thought that Ford originally planned on creating an historical village - he went so far as to build a chapel, a granary mill and move an old school house on to the property - but that did not come to fruition. He did establish the non-profit organization that owns and operates the Wayside Inn today.

The Wayside Inn continues to offer its guests fine New England style dining, overnight accommodations, a gift shop and a small museum. Function rooms for weddings and parties are also available. As an added bonus, it is quite common to see living historians, in period dress, roaming about the Inn and its grounds. During the winter the 4th King's Own conducts its drills every other Sunday on the grounds of the Wayside Inn. Feel free to ask a member of the 4th for a musket demonstration or just say hello, as they relax in the tavern after their exertions in the cold.