Now this sounds like an interesting tour. Might be even better if they included something stronger than water, and perhaps a period condom. Beats having to tote that Enfield around.
“Hard Liquor and Women” – How Off-Duty Soldiers Amused Themselves During the Siege of Petersburg
At 11:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 19, 2008 a living history event will commence from the Petersburg City Visitor Center on Cockade Alley. “Hard Liquor and Women” will follow an 1864 newspaper reporter as he walks the streets of Old Towne Petersburg making observations and conducting interviews to see how Confederate soldiers pass their scarce leisure time away from the boredom, noise and danger of the City’s defense lines.
Accompany the reporter as he encounters a preacher railing against “sins of the flesh”, a tavern keeper plying his trade, and citizens complaining about lawlessness in the city. A provost guard will have his hands full as he apprehends a drunken soldier, and possibly a “lady of the night”. Learn about a side of the Siege of Petersburg rarely written about.
This walking tour is free and requires no registration. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended and participants are encouraged to bring a bottle of water.
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