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BATTLE OF LEATHERWOOD
Cornettsville
,
Kentucky
— A reenactment of the 146th
anniversary of the Battle of Leatherwood will take place on
October 24-26, 2008. The
event will feature Civil War re-enactors, a battle both Saturday
and Sunday. We will also feature period music, a living history
village, a Heritage Ball and more. Friday is reserved as a
special day for school children.
The events are all free and open to the public. The kick off
will be on Saturday at 9
a.m.
when the camps open to the public. There will be demonstrations
throughout the day, an opportunity to ‘Meet the Generals’ at 10 a.m., ladies tea at 11 a.m., followed by a Presidential Debate at noon. The main event takes center
stage at 2 p.m.
with the re-enactment of the Battle of Leatherwood.
The Battle will be followed by
a Heritage Ball at historic Stuart Robinson Campus in Letcher,
Ky at 7 p.m. Civil War music will be
performed by Mary and Frank James of
Tennessee. All are invited to
participate in the dances of the period.
The action wraps up on Sunday, October 26, with the camps
opening at
9 a.m.
A church service will be held at
10 a.m.
The public can hear a presidential debate at 12:00. The Battle of Leatherwood will be held at 2 p.m.
The reenactment will take place across the creek from
Leatherwood Blackey Health Clinic. Sutlers (merchants selling
period provisions), food booths and other merchants will be on
site. Attendees can visit the ‘welcome booth’ near the outdoor
pavilion for more information. Also on site is the beginning of
an 1860’s era village known as Brashearsville. Buildings have
been donated to the site and the creation of a working village
is on the horizon.
Activities on Friday, October 24, are reserved for school
children. This will include special Education Day events
beginning at 9 a.m. Teachers can get more information about the
activities or reserve a space for their class by calling
Education Day Coordinator, John Peck at 606-675-6741 or email
him at
johnpeck@setel.com. For information regarding the
reenactment contact Chairman Gary Begley at 606-438-0494 (cell)
or 606-476-8338 (home) or
garynbegley@yahoo.com.
The Battle of Leatherwood Reenactment is located on Rt. 699 at
Cornettsville. From Hazard, Ky please take Hwy 15 S, travel 6
miles and exit on Rt. 7 South for 11 miles to Cornettsville,
turn right on Rt. 699. Travel ½ mile to the Battlefield on your
right.
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"BRASHEARSVILLE" THE FUTURE
The first settlers arrived in this area in the 1790’s.
The location of the confluence of the North Fork of the Kentucky River, the Leatherwood Creek and Little
Leatherwood Creek took on significance. A working post
office was established at Brashearsville in 1829. The
Brashear salt works started in the 1830’s and the area
became an important trading center for the area.
Brashearsville was recognized as a village on one of the
first maps of Kentucky published in 1834.
The Brashear salt works was one of the first industries
in Eastern Kentucky.
People came long distances to buy the salt which
was produced by slave and local workers.
It is written that as much as 7000 bushels of
salt were produced in one year. The village and salt
works were raided by Union forces in the Battle of
Leatherwood in 1862. The
Civil War, travel, cultural and political attitudes and
the later arrival of the railroad lead to the demise of
the village.
In recent years the history of the area and the upheaval
of the Civil War and its effect on the region brought
renewed interests.
The interests in family genealogy, history, and
preservation of the Appalachian culture along with the
potential of tourism have stimulated thought toward
serious preservation.
With the reenactment of the Battle of Leatherwood at its
largely undisturbed site there came an added interest in
preservation of structures of the period.
The site became the property of Perry County
in 2005.
Since 2005 several log structures have been made
available for the restoration of a village to be called
Brashearsville at the Civil War site.
The village plans include an 1860’s general store,
cabins, smokehouse, barns, and blacksmith’s shop along
with structures as they become available.
The plans also include a bridge from highway 699
to accommodate buses and other vehicles. A working
village of the period is the goal. The annual event of
the reenactment of the Battle of Leatherwood will be a
part of the village. The surrounding acreage can
accommodate the expansion of the village, hiking, horse
back riding, primitive camping, nature trails, and
wildlife observation along with wildlife restoration as
lands become available.
Very few places in Eastern Kentucky have the history that this site presents.
The location is largely undisturbed, and the area
was one of the first to be settled in the 1790’s. There
is a need for extensive planning and public funding.
Local volunteers have made a great start in
moving some local log structures and old buildings to
the present location.
This movement and restoration requires a great
deal of time and funding. The preservation of our
history is becoming more important and the future of
this project depends on public support.
Be a part of history by supporting this project.
The story of our ancestors and their struggles
are too important to ignore.
Brashearsville is preservation at it best.
Be a part of this project with your time and
support. Our legacy is important to future generations.
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