The 3rd Annual Corbit’s Charge Civil War Ball will take place this year on March 27, in the gymnasium of the old Longwell Armory (known today as the Westminster Family Center), 11 Longwell Avenue, in Downtown Westminster, Maryland, from 8:00 pm. until 11:00 p.m.
The annual event is hosted by the Corbit’s Charge Commemoration Committee and the City of Westminster’s Department of Recreation and Parks.
Proceeds will benefit the Corbit’s Charge Commemoration Committee, which is a not-for-profit organization affiliated with the Community Foundation of Carroll County.
The commemoration committee is dedicated to educating the public on Corbit’s Charge, which is also known by some historians as “The Battle of Westminster,” and other Civil War events that occurred in Westminster.
The annual ball particularly helps fund the commemoration committee’s sponsorship of Corbit’s Charge Commemorative Weekend held annually the last weekend of June.
According to a release by the city and the commemoration committee, attending the ball allows a person to “Experience a sense of what life was like more than 145 years ago … for an evening of 1860s period dancing, dance instruction, light refreshments, door prizes, and fun in Historic Downtown Westminster.
“Noted dance instructors and callers Briant and Karin Bohleke of the Gettysburg area will serve as the dance master and mistress. Live period dance music will be performed by Peg Shutes and Bruce Young of Smash the Windows from State College, Pennsylvania.”
“The ball is for the experienced and beginner alike and a partner is not required. Well-behaved children may attend; however, they need to be able to follow the calls to participate in the group formation dances.
“Your best 19th Century period attire is requested but not required; appropriate modern semi-formal attire is acceptable. Shoes with flexible leather soles are recommended for all dancing. Sandals, slides and rubber-soled athletic shoes are not desirable footwear for dancing. Please remember that spurs, swords, heel plates, and firearms are prohibited in the gym and on the building grounds.”
For those who did not attend the original conflict that inspired events such as the ball or the annual weekend in June, Corbit’s Charge took place on June 29, 1863 in Westminster.
At that time, according to the release, “90 men of Companies C & D of the Union First Delaware Cavalry engaged the vanguard of Major General J.E.B. Stuart’s 5,000-man cavalry division of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.”
“The brisk cavalry fight at the corner of Main Street and Washington Road became known as Corbit’s Charge, named after the commander, Capt. Charles Corbit, of the brave union troops. While it was a confederate victory, the battle helped to impede Stuart’s ability to link up with Confederate infantry in Pennsylvania and was a contributing factor in the defeat of Lee at Gettysburg.”
Tickets for the ball are $20 per person. Free parking is available in the Longwell parking deck or on the Longwell surface lot. If you are arriving by horse and buggy, please bring your own hay and horse feed.
For more information call Thomas B. Beyard, the City of Westminster at 410-848-9002 or Susan Harry at (410) 848-9161
sharry@westgov.com; or Kim Prehn at (410) 876-5390
ujltd@msn.com.
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