Fairfield Civil War Celebration Kick Off Friday, April 22, 2011

The Historic Fairfield Inn is very excited to be a part of The 150th Commemoration of the Civil War and we are honored to be participating in this celebration.  Please join us as we take part in telling some of  the diverse stories of the many individuals who contributed to shape the Civil War in our area;  soldiers from the North and South, civilians, slaves and free men, those who opposed the War and those who supported it, as well as the untold numbers of  men and women who sacrificed so much for our Nation.  All of these people, whether we are consciously aware or not, have touched us in some way with their powerful legacies.  The Civil War did not just occur on battlefields, but in towns, farms and villages. 

You are cordially invited to join us at the Inn to mark this historic occasion. 

Friday, April 22
8PM		Period Worship St John's Historic Church
		Candlelight Vigil Role Call
		Street Luminary all evening, TAPS Program
Saturday, April 23
All Day		Historic House Tours
10 AM		Speaker/Medical Demonstration
11 AM		Tim Smith Historian
12 Noon		Speaker Confederate General
1 PM		Civil War Trail Marker Dedication
2 PM		Cavalry Skirmish/Ladies Aid Society Tea
3 PM		Stuart Kidnap Postmaster Reenactment
4 PM		Closing TAPS ceremony

Today is Stonewall Jackson's Birthday-A Good Reason to Celebrate!

For those of you that are familiar with the Inn, you know that J.E.B. Stuart graced this stately home with his presence on more than one occasion.  He and Jackson were quite close. There is quite an amusing story shared about the two men just before the Battle of Fredericksburg.

"When Lee decided to invade the North in the Maryland Campaign, Jackson took Harpers Ferry, then hastened to join the rest of the army at Sharpsburg, Maryland, where they fought McClellan in the Battle of Antietam. Antietam was primarily a defensive battle fought against superior odds, although McClellan failed to exploit his advantage. Jackson's men bore the brunt of the initial attacks on the northern end of the battlefield and, at the end of the day, successfully resisted a breakthrough on the southern end when Jackson's subordinate, Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill, arrived at the last minute from Harpers Ferry. The Confederate forces held their position, but the battle was extremely bloody for both sides, and Lee withdrew the Army of Northern Virginia back across the Potomac River, ending the invasion. Jackson was promoted to lieutenant general. On October 10 his command was redesignated the Second Corps.

Before the armies camped for winter, Jackson's Second Corps held off a strong Union assault against the right flank of the Confederate line at the Battle of Fredericksburg, in what became a decisive Confederate victory. Just before the battle, Jackson was delighted to receive a letter about the birth of his daughter, Julia Laura Jackson, on November 23. Also before the battle, Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, Lee's dashing and well-dressed cavalry commander, presented to Jackson a fine general's frock that he had ordered from one of the best tailors in Richmond. Jackson's previous coat was threadbare and colorless from exposure to the elements, its buttons removed by admiring ladies. Jackson asked his staff to thank Stuart, saying that although the coat was too handsome for him, he would cherish it as a souvenir. His staff insisted that he wear it to dinner, which caused scores of soldiers to rush to see him in uncharacteristic garb. So embarrassed was Jackson with the attention that he did not wear the new uniform for months."

Why don't you grab your best frock and come on over for an Irish Coffee and sit by the fire?  We promise you're among good friends here; we won't ever embarrass you!

And, you never know what other stories you just might hear....

Haunting & History Weekends Are Coming!

Spend a spirited weekend investigating the area's oldest, most haunted and historic landmark dating back to 1757!
Only three weekends left in 2011: January 28th & 29, February 4th & 5th, and March 25th & 26th.

Sleep in the Oldest Haunted Inn in the Gettysburg area and participate in a paranormal tour, ghost stories and folk lore while re-tracing the Ghost Lab team's investigation.

Call us today for details, (717) 642-5410.

Did You Know...

During the Civil War, snowball fights were a pastime of many children and also many soldiers. Snowball fights sometimes just occurred between members of the same company but occasionally one or more companies would fight each other. Soldier letters and memoirs tell us that snowball fights were sometimes just as dangerous as real battle, many men suffered from broken teeth and bones from snowballs filled with ice or stones.

Two back-to-back snowstorms in February of 1863 provided the ammunition for a friendly snowball battle amongst rival divisions of Confederate troops near Fredericksburg, Virginia. On February 19, eight inches of snow fell on the region. Two days later, nine inches of snow fell. On February 25, sunny skies and mild temperatures softened the deep snow cover, providing ideal conditions for making snowballs.

During this time, the Confederate Army was camped near Fredericksburg. Some of the Divisions of the army had been reorganized, which had created friendly rivalries between the Confederate brigades and regiments. This helped spark a huge snowball battle near Rappahannock Academy in which approximately 10,000 Confederate soldiers participated. One soldier who participated in the snowball battle described it as one of the most memorable combats of the war.”

The battle started on the morning of February 25, 1863, when General Hoke’s North Carolina soldiers marched towards Colonel Stiles’ camp of Georgians, with the intent of capturing the camp using only snowballs. The attacking force, composed of infantry, cavalry and skirmishers, moved in swiftly. Battle lines formed and the fight began with “severe pelting” of snowballs. Reinforcements arrived from all sides to assist the brigade under attack. Even the employees of the commissary joined the snowball battle. Soon, the attacking soldiers were pushed back.

Hoke’s beaten soldiers retreated back to their camp. Colonel Stiles then held a Council of War on how best to attack the retreating force. He decided to organize his men and march directly into their camp, with snowballs in hand. When Stile’s forces finally arrived in Hoke’s camp, they were quite surprised to find that their adversaries had rallied and filled their haversacks to the top with snowballs. This allowed Hoke’s soldiers to provide an endless barrage of snowballs “without the need to reload.” The attacking force was quickly overwhelmed and many of their soldiers were captured and “whitewashed” with snow. The snowball battle came to an end and both brigades settled back into their respective camps. The captured prisoners were quickly paroled and returned to their camp, to much heckling from fellow soldiers. It was noted that General Stonewall Jackson had witnessed the snowball battle. One soldier remarked that he had wished Jackson and staff had joined the fight so he could have thrown a snowball at “the old faded uniforms.”

The weather turned mild and rainy in the following days. Other snowball battles were documented during the Civil War – including a snowball fight at Dalton, Georgia – but The Snowball Battle of Rappahannock Academy was unique in size, strategy and ample snow cover. The depth of the snow cover on the day of the battle was documented in a soldier’s diary to be 12 inches.

Eating and Sleeping Your Way Through History

As I sit here waiting for our guests to come down for breakfast, I look around me and can't help but think about all those who have been here before me. I am honored to say I am the innkeeper.  I think the current owner of this incredibly historic property says it best when he and his lovely wife greet the throngs of visitors who make the trek weekly to see what the Historic Fairfield Inn is all about: "Now each of you can count yourselves as part of the history here," he says warmly.    

"I consider myself not an owner, but a humble steward of this fine building,who has been entrusted with the care of this lovely house for a time," he shares.

Being a person with high expectations,  I can tell you that service plays a key role here-in addition, someone very dear to me always said it is very important to appeal to one's senses when entertaining; This means taste, smell, sight, hearing and touch.   As you enter the Inn, you will most definitely be guaranteed a delightful experience which encompasses all of these things and MORE during your time here.  There is a wonderful feeling of cheer and warmth which emanates from every corner of this place.  Even the ghosts seem happy!  Come join us for a meal, or for an overnight stay in one our beautifully appointed rooms. 

Become part of the history here at the Historic Fairfield Inn.

Another Rave Review

Lately we have been receiving lots of national press due to the airing on the Discovery Channel's "Ghost Lab".  While this has been wonderful for business, the true test of how well we are doing is always best taken straight from our number one,most important  resource of all, our guests!   We deeply value any feedback regarding our operation, from our top of the line service we constantly strive to give, to our beautifully appointed guest suites and rooms, as well as the wonderful cuisine we serve.  We are always looking for ways to make all of our guest's experiences the most memorable and enjoyable that they can possibly be.   

One of our most recent reviews comes from Michael, 14, who stayed with us in the 1757 suite with his dad on a father/son getaway.  He writes (and very eloquently, we might add):

12/4/10

"We spent one night here in the 1757 suite and it was a very nice experience.  Staying in the original room felt weird at times but it did not bother me.  The food and service in this Inn was great.  I liked sitting on the bed and listening to the Christmas music at night.  I wish to come back to this Inn because it is historic and beautiful on the inside.  If you are visiting this Inn for the ghosts, then stay in the original 1757 room alone at night and see how you feel.  I felt like I constantly had to get up from bed and look around and I also felt tense.  Also, look in the big mirror from in the doorway upon entering the room.

Thank you very much, Fairfield Inn!"

How Quickly The Time Flies!

Well, friends, I can't believe how quickly the time has passed and how quickly the end of the 2010 is  approaching! It's been a wonderful whirlwind of experiences meeting and making friends both near and far.

In September, there was "Pippinfest" which celebrates the arrival of Fall and honors a very special heirloom apple aptly named the "Pippin."   The caramel apple parfaits were a huge hit -Yum!

Then of course, who can resist a good scary ghost story, especially in October, and  eloquently delivered by none other than the Discovery Channel's "Ghost Lab" brothers Brad and Barry Klinge?  Chef Sal is still deciding what culinary creation to add to the menu in honor of Private John Riley who has become quite an overnight sensation. I bet he never imagined in his wildest dreams he would ever be a celebrity.

November swept in with some gorgeous fall weather and marked another "Remembrance Day" hallmarked with some of our very favorite guests, Jesse and Bob and their beautiful wives staying with us here at the Inn and taking part in the local festivities in Gettysburg.



Also, we were lucky enough to have a young lady named Kristin from Baltimore grace us with her lovely presence  as well.....she was quite the seamstress and had sewn all her own dresses and was also a historian.

Our delectable Thanksgiving Day Dinner was a huge hit!  All told, it was said we served close to 300 guests .  We prepared over 20 gallons of butternut squash and apple bisque, 100 pounds of turkey, 500 oysters, 60 pounds of ham, 35 pounds of red skin mashed potatoes, and 30 homemade pies.  It was one of our busiest holiday celebrations to date.  John S., from Ocean Conservatory, Toms River, NJ sent us a wonderful note about his experience celebrating this very special day with us:  "My family was visiting Gettysburg over Thanksgiving and we ate Thanksgiving Dinner at your Inn.  I must say it was the most pleasurable expereince I have had.  You wer great!  Your Inn was fabulous and, your staff was beyond friendly!  What a great dinner and time at such a beautiful place!  You both and all your staff are to be complimented for giving up your day to make ours so very enjoyable!  Thank you again and all the very best to you all!"

It's hard to believe the holidays are in full swing here -the Inn has been beautifully decorated by little elves named Joan, Sal, Alexandra and Olga.  The tree is absolutely magnificent and at least twelve feet, if not more.  Why don't you plan on taking some time in the next few weeks to come over for a  visit?  Take in all the sights, smells and sounds of this glorious time of year and don't forget there's a nice comfy chair by the fire just  waiting for you to relax in!