ECW Symposium Bonus Tour: Payne’s Farm

Is anyone else out there ready for a symposium? It has been far too long since we’ve been able to gather and enjoy a fun-filled weekend of history and camaraderie. This year marks not only our seventh annual symposium but the ten-year anniversary of Emerging Civil War. As such, we wanted to make this year special for our symposium attendees, and to that end we’ve lined up an outstanding bonus for all of you.

Emerging Civil War is thrilled to announce that our longtime ECW friend and colleague, Ted Savas, will be on hand to offer a tour of the November 1863 Payne’s Farm battlefield. While many of us know Ted as Managing Director of Savas Beatie, a leader in military and general history publishing, Ted also accurately located the Payne’s Farm battlefield in the early 1990s. Believing that published articles and books had long incorrectly located the fighting area, Ted was determined to test his theory. Armed with extensive primary sources and battle reports, he and colleague Paul Sacra located what they believed was the battlefield and, with the permission from several landowners, used metal detectors to prove it.

Within days Savas and Sacra had unearthed hundreds of artifacts, including bullets, a ramrod, bayonet socket, a partial harmonica, belt buckles, buttons, and much more. Savas drew maps of the field and the general location of the artifacts and delivered them to The Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites (or APCWS), and its director, A. Wilson Greene, in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Greene, who had no idea the field was in such pristine condition, was excited by the find and affirmed its importance. Today, The American Battlefield Trust and its partners have acquired and preserved 690 acres of the battlefield. The battlefield features a wooded, 1.5-mile interpretive trail with historical wayside markers.

Ted’s tour will step off at 10AM on Friday, August 6, from the battlefield parking lot, located across the road from the Zoar Baptist Church (31334 Zoar Road, Locust Grove, VA).  The tour will run approximately 2 hours and will cover 1.5 miles on the Mine Run Battlefield Interpretive Trail. The trail does have uneven terrain, and tour attendees are advised to wear proper footwear and bring your own water. Maps will be provided.

Watch for additional symposium announcements in the coming weeks!

More information on our Seventh annual Emerging Civil War Symposium is available here. We look forward to seeing everyone on the field!