Mill Springs to expand annual service

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May 21, 2008

By TRICIA NEAL, CJ Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Wed May 21, 2008, 08:55 PM EDT

The Mill Springs Battlefield Association is expanding its traditional Memorial Day schedule this year in the hopes that the community will become more involved — the way it used to be.

“We’re attempting to go back to an earlier time, when people got together and not only honored their deceased relatives and their service men and women, but they also interacted with each other and had picnics,” says MSBA Administrator Norrie Wake.

“We’re trying to create something like that — a day-long event that can be a special occasion for the whole community.”

Here is Monday’s schedule of events:

• 9 a.m. — Confederate memorial ceremony at Zollicoffer Park.

This ceremony, to honor the Confederate troops killed during the Battle of Mill Springs, is normally held on the afternoon of Memorial Day. However, this year, the event has been moved to an earlier time to allow room for other festivities. The short ceremony will include a flag ceremony, a rifle salute, and the reading of the names of many of the Confederate soldiers who died in the January 1862 battle.

Parking is available at Zollicoffer Park.

The park is located on Ky. 235, approximately one mile south of Nancy.

• 11 a.m. — Memorial Day ceremony at Mill Springs National Cemetery.

Expected to last less than an hour, this ceremony, which has been a tradition in Pulaski County for generations, will feature special guest speaker 1st Sgt. Alan L. Mayfield of the local National Guard.

“We’re trying to get some fresh blood into the program by allowing some younger veterans to participate,” Wake says.

“This will also allow the community to express appreciation to the (local National Guard) for its service.”

Other distinguished guests will be present, and Cub Scout Pack #727 of Nancy will participate in some of the activities. There will be a parade of veterans, singing of the National Anthem, a wreath laying ceremony, a flag ceremony, a rifle salute, and the playing of TAPS.

“It is always a very moving moment when that is done,” Wake said of the traditional TAPS trumpet solo, which will be performed this year by Dr. Roger Lane.

Visitors are welcome to park at the nearby Mill Springs Museum and Visitors Center, which is located immediately east of the cemetery on West Ky. 80 in Nancy.

• 11:45 a.m. — Picnic on the Patio.

Following the Memorial Day ceremony at the cemetery, the community is encouraged to walk to the nearby Mill Springs Museum and Visitors Center for a picnic lunch.

Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and drinks will be available for $5 per plate — or families can bring their own picnic lunches and share in the fellowship free of charge.

• 1 p.m. — “Combat on the Cumberland” grand opening at Mill Springs Museum and Visitors Center.

Visitors are welcome to walk inside the Mill Springs Museum at any time throughout the day. However, at 1 p.m., the organization’s newest exhibit, “Combat on the Cumberland,” will officially be unveiled.

The exhibit centers around the Battle of Mill Springs, and will feature artifacts found on the battlefield as well as those that have been donated by local residents through the years.

“We’ve been working on this exhibit since the first of the year,” Wake says.

“We’re very anxious for people to see it.”

There is a small charge to view the exhibit, however, Wake explains, visitors may purchase a “passport” for $4 which will allow them to return to the museum or to any other MSBA attraction free of charge for the rest of 2008.

• 2 p.m. — “Reenactment of 2007” DVD premiere at Mill Springs Museum and Visitors Center.

Those who are already at the museum might want to linger till 2 p.m. to catch the first showing of the Mill Springs Battlefield’s 2007 battle reenactment video.

The entire piece was filmed at the Mill Springs Battlefield in Nancy during the extravagant reenactment event last September. The program has been edited by videographer Ernie Martin.

There is no charge for this event.

• All day Sunday, May 25, and Monday, May 26 — “Kentucky’s Abraham Lincoln” exhibit at Mill Springs Museum and Visitors Center.

The Kentucky Historical Society’s “Kentucky’s Abraham Lincoln” exhibit will be available for public viewing outside the Mill Springs Museum. The exhibit, as its name implies, features the life of Kentucky’s own Abraham Lincoln. Admission to the exhibit is free.

•••

The Mill Springs Battlefield Association is gearing up for another celebration next weekend, Wake says.

The West-Metcalfe House will be officially opened to the public on Friday, May 30, at 11 a.m.

The recently restored home served as a hospital for retreating Confederate Army soldiers during the Civil War, and it was also Gen. Felix Zollicoffer’s headquarters when he first arrived in the area.

The structure was restored with state funds.

The house is located in Wayne County, one mile south of Mill Springs on Old Mill Springs Road.

“This is another piece of the total battlefield corridor,” which spans western Pulaski County and part of Wayne County, Wake says.

Following the dedication of the home, a reception will be held at the Brown-Lanier House in Mill Springs, also in Wayne County. The Brown-Lanier House also played a role in Civil War history.

This event is also free of charge.

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