Battle of Galveston Weekend

Posted in Memory by Andy Hall on January 6, 2011

This weekend Galveston will be holding a commemoration of the January 1, 1863 Battle of Galveston, which recaptured the city and island from Federal forces. Galveston remained in Confederate hands — though closely blockaded — through the end of the war, setting the stage for its reoccupation the formal emancipation of slaves in Texas (Juneteenth) in 1865. This weekend:

Living history encampments will be established by the 19th- Century Living History Association, Inc. and the 1st Texas Infantry. The public is invited free of charge to visit the encampments from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The Union encampment will be located on Postoffice Street at 19th Street. The Confederate encampment will be located on Santa Fe Place and 26th Street. Reenactors participating in the event are required to pre-register before January 3, 2011. For reenactor registration, click here.

Also free to the public, a reenactment of the battle will occur on Strand Street, between 23rd and 20th streets, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 8 and 1 p.m. Sunday, January 9.

Photographer Bruce Schultz will demonstrate wet-plate collodian photography. Using the same chemicals and methods utilized by 19th-century photographers, Schultz will offer visitors the rare opportunity to preserve their image on a tin-type photograph. For more information on this historic method of photography, click here. If you would like assistance ordering your tickets please call (888)305-7627.

Galveston Historical Foundation’s series of commemorative tours will offer full details and descriptions of many aspects of the battle by several experts in the field.

Civil War walking tours will be led by noted author and Civil War historian Edward T. Cotham, Jr., visiting the sites of the battle. Cotham’s books, including “Battle on the Bay: The Civil War Struggle for Galveston,” will be available for purchase and signing. The tour begins at the Peanut Butter Warehouse and ends at Custom House, where Cotham’s books will be on sale. Cotham will be available to sign copies.

More details here. The photography demonstration sounds great — I think if I had a decent period costume I’d pose myself, just for the fun of it.

I’d particularly like to recommend Ed’s walking tour. He’s an indefatigable researcher, a fine writer, and a helluva good guy.