By Ann Marie Byrd, Feature Writer
The New Bern Historical Society will be presenting The Hallowed Ground Lantern Tour on March 21-23 from 6-9 pm in the New Bern Battlefield Park. Now in its third year, the park is the site of the first Battle of New Bern, and the storytelling event includes a lantern-lit walk through the wooded battlefield trails. The participants will engage with real characters, telling their historically accurate and poignant narratives dating from 1862-1865. In addition to the tour, a re-creation of a Civil War Field Hospital will be set up in a tent on the parade ground, involving the 7th and 5th NC Regiments and local performers.
Marissa Moore, Programs Director, says “The Lantern Tour is a fairly new program that emerged during Covid when we needed outdoor events. We chose this event to bring folks into the New Bern Battlefield Park which is an ideal environment for storytelling about the war, and the lives of the people during that time—and not just the combatants. The stories we tell are from everyday people, such as individuals who were enslaved, emancipated, nurses, spies, or widows. The accounts are based on letters, articles, and autobiographies, and are heavily historically researched. The focus is to give people a peek behind the curtain and to see a different viewpoint on the Civil War than what is normally told.”
The Historical Society does a particularly good job of sharing stories that are inclusive and diverse, and they seek out unusual and untold chronicles. “A huge part of our histories are African American stories that focus on people that are not necessarily in the mainstream,” says Marissa. “For example, the story of William Henry Johnson, a freedman who fought for the Union without receiving pay, or MaryAnn Starkey who was a prominent New Bern businesswoman who owned a boarding house, or Aunt Rachel who was a cook for General Burnside. Aunt Rachel was united with her son who was sold into slavery, while she was a slave herself.”
The Lantern Tour has become a very popular event in New Bern, perhaps because the tone is significantly different than the Ghostwalk event. “The Lantern Tour is awe-inspiring,” says Marissa. “It begins by walking through the woods and into the actual Civil War battlefield, onto hallowed ground. The authenticity of the environment creates a vibe that is thought-provoking, compelling, serious, and often heart-wrenching. The stories are real, told in the character’s own words. Audiences often cry, laugh, and make comments like, ‘I’ve lived here all my life, and I’ve never heard that story before.’ The heartbreak, the triumph, and the resilience are very emotional.”
The Lantern Tour event directly supports the arts community, by involving actors, directors, costumers, and lighting designers. “We have an amazing talent pool in New Bern and all of our actors and directors are volunteers,” says Marissa. “Our actors come from all walks of life in New Bern, and some are associated with New Bern Civic Theatre and Rivertowne Players, but others have simply found their niche with the Lantern Tour. It’s different than being on stage in that they are in very close proximity to the audience, so there is an immediacy. Their experience as actors is also different in that they are performing outside in the elements more than 20 times per evening over three days. Some of the people involved are directors Nancy Hitchcock and Heide Lock; costume designer Maryann Murphy; and actors Laura Miller-McLemore, Dick Peebles, and Nelda Coats.”
The process of creating the Lantern Tour event takes a considerable amount of time and planning. First, the staff must meet with all the players and decide on a date for the event, which happens in November of the previous year. Next, a committee discusses what stories they would like to tell during the upcoming year, and they begin to start their research. “The fun part of the process is writing the scripts and beginning to narrow down the research to create a story,” says Marissa. “Auditions begin in January, and then rehearsals begin. Tickets go on sale in February and we are into final dress rehearsals by early March.”
The Lantern Tour is generously sponsored by Trader Construction, a local New Bern business since 1957, providing general construction services and supporting over 200 employees.
The mission of New Bern Historical Society is to celebrate and promote New Bern heritage, and to help support preservation and tourism.
New Bern Historical Society is led by Executive Director, Mickey Millerwho is a retired attorney and Army colonel who spent most of her service in the Army JAG Corps. Mickey has volunteered with the Master Gardener Volunteer Association, Historic Downtown Residents’ Association, and Chamber of Commerce, and has served as a commissioner on New Bern’s Historic Preservation Commission. She is passionate about New Bern and community service and is thrilled to combine the two in her position as Executive Director.
Marissa Moore, Programs Director for the Historical Society, attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD and graduated with a degree in history. Most recently, she was the Marine Corps Base Hawaii Branch Director for the Armed Services YMCA, where she developed and led programming tailored to support military families. With a passion for history and a heart for nonprofit work, she has found her home with the Historical Society and enjoys leading the wonderful programs they offer.