Join us on December 14th and 15th, 2024
Fort Constitution Historic Site
Strawbery Banke
Prescott Park
25 Wentworth Rd, New Castle, New Hampshire 03854
Parking – Pierce Island
Event Schedule (subject to change)
December 14, 2024 SAT- DAY 1
Strawbery Banke (Portsmouth)
08:00 – Reenactors arrive at Strawbery Banke. Entrance to SB at the gate by the Puddle Dock restaurant.
NOTE – Puddle Dock restaurant to be reenactor warming center.
09:00 – SB Historic building area open to public. Entrance to SB at the gate by the Puddle Dock restaurant. Role players, and interpretive stations, programs open.
10:00 – Paul Revere rides up to Portsmouth – Puddle Dock Restaurant (Stoodley Tavern), he interacts with Samuel Cutts and Torey in the street.
Langdon, Cutts, Sons of Liberty, civilians spreading word of British ship arrival throughout the town.
10:15 to 10:30 – Drummers and Sons of Liberty parade the streets of Strawbery Banke, towns people and public are rallied, and are led to Prescott Park.
Prescott Park (Portsmouth)
11:00 – Gate to SB Village closed, Liberty Rally on Prescott Park flagpole, with vignettes of officials trying to break up the rally.
Col. Atkinson and others attempt to disperse the crowd and are taunted. Vignette of officials trying to disperse crowd. Capt Dennet and others attempt to raise the local militia after the crowd has left.
12:00 – Drive to the fort begins.
NOTE: After scenario ends, some participants and public drive, carpool to New Castle (Fort Constitution) via Route 1B – Parking TBD.
Portsmouth and Newcastle citizens march on the fort from Great Island Common.
Fort Constitution (New Castle)
08:00 – Reenactors arrive at Fort Constitution. Fort Guard drill (no spectators in FC) at the fort through the day.
09:00 – New Castle Fort grounds (grassy hill) open to public.
NOTE: Public and reenactors will form on grassy hill outside Fort Constitution.
The women and non-combatants, if used as “in the crowd” interpreters (as at Boston Massacre) could take part in a realistic way as though following along with the spectator crowd. Having the women and the spectators take the role/position of townspeople who are onlookers from the grassy hill, moving in at
a cautious distance from the militia.
01:00 to 01:30 – Marchers arrive and form up with others at Ft Wm Mary (maximum 200 reenactors, no public in the Fort). A group tries to subvert the fort and is sent to confer with Cochran .
NOTE: While the reenactors surround the fort and before the main reenactor group descend on the fort, a small vignette could be done to show the three or more men who infiltrated the fort, attempting to subvert the guard, who were then expelled by Cochran.
A group of towns people leaders walk/march up in regular order demanding to enter and from which Langdon and White meet with Cochran. All are expelled from the fort. Crowds (reenactors) have surrounded the fort while the meeting takes place, spreading out around the gate.
02:00 – Assault on the Fort, confronting Capt Cochran. Cochran prepares the defense, issues orders.
Another small vignette with Cochran’s original words, and orders to load muskets, position and load cannon and take posts along the fort.
Reenactors breach and enter the Fort. The cannons are fired, combatants (reenactors) storm through the gate, the Fort guard retreating into the center firing muskets (into the air) as they do.
Script, rehearsed ‘hand-to-hand’ between selected combatants and the Guard. Vignettes as guards are each overpowered according to details in the participant depositions.
The Guards overwhelmed and captured.
Pvt Seavey knocked down and pistol snapped at him. Told to get on his knees but quips back. Forced to his knees. Beaten.
Private Hall threatened by Abendingo Bell.
Thomas Pickering seized Cochran by the throat and declared him a prisoner.
Sarah Cochran fends off the men with a bayonet and frees her husband until overpowered.
NOTE: Some of the vignettes in the fort before and during the raid could be filmed/broadcast on a screen or streamed online (easy use of YouTube channel with info pre-distributed on fliers, schedules) which spectators could view on phones and/or a large screen.
02:15 – King’s colors hauled down and three cheers given.
Steven Batson breaks open the powder house.
02:30 – Powder Barrels removed from the Fort and taken out the front gate to a – location – TBD.
All but one barrel left. Cochran taunted and freed. Vignette as Guard is released and combatants leave
03:00 – Day 1 event over. The public and reenactors disperse to the cars and begin trip home and back to SB.
December 15, 2024 SUN – DAY 2
Strawbery Banke (Portsmouth)
08:00 – Reenactors arrive at Strawbery Banke. Puddle Dock restaurant is a reenactor warming center.
09:00 – SB Historic building area open to public. Entrance to SB at the gate by the Puddle Dock restaurant. Role players, and interpretive stations, programs open.
Militia marching into Portsmouth (SB), leaders demanding word from Governor Wentworth.
The Sheriff and others attempt to disperse the militia. Refusing to disperse stating they were “subjects of King George, not King James”
Militia march through Strawbery Banke
10:00 – Reenactors (militia and role players) disperse to their cars and drive to New Castle / Fort Constitution.
11:00 – Gate to SB Village closed.
Prescott Park (Portsmouth) – N/A
Fort Constitution (New Castle)
08:00 – Reenactors arrive at Fort Constitution. Fort Guard drill (no spectators in FC) at the fort through the morning.
NOTE: Some of the vignettes in the Fort before and during the raid could be filmed/broadcast on a screen or streamed online (easy use of YouTube channel with info pre-distributed on fliers, schedules) which spectators could view on phones and/or a large screen.
09:00 – New Castle Fort grounds (grassy hill) open to public.
NOTE: Public and reenactors will form on grassy hill outside Fort Constitution.
The women and non-combatants, if used as “in the crowd” interpreters (as at Boston Massacre) could take part in a realistic way as though following along with the spectator crowd. Having the women and the spectators take the role/position of townspeople who are onlookers from the grassy hill, moving in at
a cautious distance from the militia.
10:30 – Militia assembles (place TBD in New Castle) for the march to the Fort.
11:00 – Militia arrives at the Fort. Sullivan and others talk with Cochran
11:30 – Militia enters the Fort and captures and removes the King’s cannon and muskets through the front gate and to a location – TBD.
12:00 – Day 2 event is over. The public and reenactors disperse to the cars and begin trip home and back to SB
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