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It’s Friday evening in Williamsburg, Virginia, the old Colonial capital. Standing on Duke of Gloucester Street, a wide-eyed Confederate soldier sounds lost and scared as he tells about the battle that took place there. The “soldier” is an actor-interpreter, one of three such performers that visitors encounter on the new Civil War walking tour, which chronicles the May 5, 1862, Battle of Williamsburg. The tour explores several themes, including the impact of war on civilians and slaves, the transformation of homes into hospitals and the notion of loyalty to town and country.
Williamsburg was situated on the sole thoroughfare connecting Richmond and Fort Monroe during the war. Tour participants learn how Union General George B. McClellan aimed to take Richmond by moving up the Virginia Peninsula through Williamsburg, which had been fortified by a line of 14 redoubts. The ensuing battle resulted in about 4,000 casualties.
Most of the fighting took place east of the city, just beyond Colonial Williamsburg’s boundaries, so visitors are challenged to imagine how it played out. Then they’re introduced to the scared Rebel soldier, a riveting performance that left more than a few in our tour group visibly moved.
Our guide then told us the story of Rebel Captain John Willis Lea, who was wounded during the battle and ended up having George Custer as the best man at his wedding. Next we encountered “Eliza Baker,” an emancipated slave. According to Carson Hudson, who developed this tour and wrote the book Civil War Williamsburg, some tours feature Eliza, while others include Eliza’s mistress, Cynthia Coleman.
An interpreter in Union garb ends our tour by reading the General Order issued in 1863, requiring Williamsburg citizens to pledge allegiance to the U.S. Though informative, that segment wasn’t as interesting as the others.
Colonial Williamsburg has always been a must-see for all American history buffs. But now Civil War enthusiasts have an even better reason to plan a visit there.
Originally published in the October 2011 issue of Civil War Times. To subscribe, click here.
