May6

Revolutionary War Weekend

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George Washington's Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, VA

Mount Vernon's serene 12-Acre Field transforms into a battleground as Continentals, Redcoats, and Hessians conduct military drills, perform cavalry demonstrations, and engage in 18th-century tacticals. Meet the soldiers who are encamped at Mount Vernon, discuss military techniques, and greet General Washington. Tour the 18th-century military encampments and see the camp followers go about their daily lives following the army.

Visit with Camp Followers - mostly women and children who traveled with the army, either because of their relationship to a soldier in the army, or displacement because of the war. Like the men enlisted in the army, the camp followers were often “on the strength” of the army and were issued wages and rations for their work. Camp followers supported the army in a variety of ways, including as washerwomen, seamstresses, nurses, and petty sutlers selling their wares to the soldiers.