Star Gazette News Extra

The Leader
It's War At Newtown!
8/29/04

The Daily & Sunday Review
Re-enactment portrays sacrifice
Gordon Cooper  8/28/04
CHEMUNG - He creates quite an imposing site - a coat of scarlet festooned with a glistening gold gorget and epaulets rests upon his shoulders.

Sayre Evening Times
Reliving history means living it at Newtown
LISA R. HOWELER  8/28/04

WENY 36 News
225th Battle of Newtown
Renata Stiehl  8/27/04

The Ithaca Journal
Elmira preps for 225th Newtown Battle anniversary
JEFF MURRAY  Gannett News Service

Corning Leader
Friendly Fire
8/26/04

Daily and Sunday Review
Newtown Battlefield revisited: To mark of the 225th anniversary of Sullivan's Campaign
By: Gordon Cooper 08/24/2004
NEWTOWN, N.Y. - With only a few - well ... OK, maybe more than a few - potholes to slow the vehicles that cruise down the blacktop of old Route 17 and the stretch of I-86 between Athens and Lowman, it is hard to imagine anyone would boast of covering 40 miles in 24 hours.

PRWEB
American Forces Invade Brits & Iroquois at Newtown 225th Anniversary Reenactment in Elmira, NY

Battle of Newtown Site in Lowman
Star Gazette Photos

Family has deep roots at Newtown battlefield site
- Lowman farm was site of Revolutionary War battle in 1779.
August 18, 2004
By Molly McCarthy
Star-Gazette
mmccarthy@stargazette.com

Battle re-enactment to boost economy
Hotels filling, restaurants hopeful for Aug. 27-29 Newtown anniversary.
August 1, 2004
By Molly McCarthy
Star-Gazette
mmccarthy@stargazette.com

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Group to mark anniversary of 1779 battle
History center seeks volunteers, donations for 2004 re-enactment.

By JEFF MURRAY
Star-Gazette
jmurray@stargazette.com

One of the decisive battles of the American Revolution was fought just east of Elmira, and plans are in the works to mark the 225th anniversary of that event next summer.

Today, Newtown Battlefield Reservation sits on a hill overlooking the valley where the Battle of Newtown raged.

The Chemung Valley Living History Center, a group dedicated to preserving Newtown Battlefield park and staging historic re-enactments, plans to bring the sound and fury of that historic battle back to life in August.

"We're trying to keep the troops as close to the original numbers as possible, trying to really bring the history back to life," said Pam Newton, who is helping organize the 225th anniversary celebration. "We want to honor those who died, the natives and the Americans and the British who all died there. It's the only Revolutionary War battle this far west in New York state, so it's pretty exciting."

On Aug. 22, 1779, soldiers of the Continental Army led by generals John Sullivan and James Clinton clashed with British regulars, Loyalist rangers and 1,000 Iroquois Indian warriors near the banks of the Chemung River in what was then known as Newtown.

The victorious American troops proceeded to rout the Iroquois -- loyal supporters of the British -- from much of the Finger Lakes region.

The Chemung Valley Living History Center is working with area historical societies and museums to organize the commemoration of the battle, Newton said.

The anniversary event will be on Aug. 27 to 29, at two locations -- Newtown Battlefield and the Daniels farm in Lowman, where most of the actual battle took place.

Organizers are looking for volunteers to help stage the event and for donations. Total cost is estimated at $150,000, Newton said.

A 200th anniversary celebration in 1979 attracted 25,000 visitors, she said, and anything similar this time will be a boost to tourism and the Newtown Battlefield itself.

The park, owned by the state but operated by Chemung County, already saw some staff cutbacks in 2003, and county officials say attendance has to increase if the park is going to stay open.

The Battle of Newtown 225th anniversary commemoration will be a good way to expose the park to more people, said Tom Cornwell, president of the Chemung Valley Living History Center.

"We can certainly tap into those guests and let them know what our plans are when they attend the event next year," Cornwell said. "It will be a wonderful opportunity that I would hate to miss."

 

Battle of Newtown

- Who: The Chemung Valley Living History Center.

- What: The 225th anniversary of the Battle of Newtown.

- Why: To mark the anniversary of one of the decisive battles of the American Revolution.

- When: Aug. 27 to 29.

- Where: Newtown Battlefield Reservation and the Daniels farm in Lowman.

- How to help: Organizers need volunteers and donations. Contributions can be sent to Chemung Valley Living History, P.O. Box 475, Wellsburg, NY 14894, Attention: 225th anniversary event. Checks should be made out to Chemung Valley Living History Center, a nonprofit organization.