By Staff
CIVIL WAR ENCAMPMENT – Members of the East Mississippi Living History Association will demonstrate authentic cooking, battle re-enactments and living conditions from the Civil War period on Saturday at a Civil War Encampment at Merrehope in Meridian. Association members, dressed in authentic clothing, are Johnny Smith, left, David Sessums and Carol Sessums. Jonathan Pope stands in front. PHOTO BY PENNY RANDALL / THE MERIDIAN STAR
By Penny Randall / staff writer
Nov. 1, 2002
Meridian residents will be able to experience a day in the life of a Confederate soldier when Meridian's historic Merrehope hosts "A Civil War Soldier's Encampment" on Saturday.
Members of the East Mississippi Living History Association will don authentic Civil War period clothing, demonstrate cooking over an outside fire and exhibit guns and memorabilia from the Civil War area.
Tents will be set up behind Merrehope, with living conditions that resemble those of the 1860s.
Ladies from the living history association will cook apple butter and display handmade needle work on the porch of Merrehope. Barbecue sandwiches and Merrehope T-shirts will be sold.
The event is being hosted by the East Mississippi Living History Association and the Meridian Restorations Foundation, in conjunction with the "Save Merrehope for Me" campaign that began in July.
Funds raised from the event will benefit the campaign to renovate Merrehope.
Anne McKee, president of the Meridian Restorations Foundation, said that "we're putting out an SOS to make the community aware that these homes are still here and are in need help."
Merrehope was built in 1858 by one of the original settlers in Meridian, Richard McLemore, as a three-room cottage.
In 1968, the Meridian Restorations Foundation bought the home for $20,000 and began to restore it to its original beauty. It opened to the public in 1972.