Raid on Township #1

On September 18th and 19th, 2021, the Bidwell House Museum was very excited to present Raid on Township #1, a weekend-long Revolutionary War Living History event on the Museum grounds.

Visitors experienced a recreation of raids conducted by British Regular Forces along with Native and Loyalist allies in the Mohawk Valley after the Saratoga Campaign. From 1778-1783, battles were fought all over upstate New York and the “frontier” over control of land that had long been in dispute between the Native Americans and Colonial Settlers.

Reenactors put on two public battle demonstrations to show how the raids were conducted. Throughout the weekend, visitors were able to walk through both the American and British/Allied camps and learned how both Soldiers and Followers lived while on campaign. Cooking and sewing projects as well as fatigue duty brought to life a camp during the American Revolution. Visitors also learned about the weapons during the American Revolution with musket and artillery demonstrations, how the military forces made use of Sutlers (vendors), and the roles played by women and children who either followed the Army or struggled on the home front. There were also lectures on war medicine, midwifery, and clothing.

The Bidwell House Museum is set on 192 acres of forests and trails in the former Township #1 (today’s Monterey and Tyringham), a perfect location to travel back in time to the 18th century.

Learn about our 2023 living history event HERE