The Old Lyme Historical Society invites the public to “Light Up the Night”, a bi-centennial commemoration of the British raid on Connecticut River shipping during the War of 1812. This free event takes place on Tuesday, April 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Old Lyme dinghy dock along the Connecticut River, near the DEEP Marine Headquarters on Ferry Road. There will be a bonfire and on-site storytellers.
“Light Up the Night” takes place 200 years to the day after the evening in April 8, 1814 when the British forces made their escape downriver from Essex harbor where they had burned 27 vessels earlier that day. In 1814, as darkness fell, local militia and citizens set bonfires on both sides of the river in an effort to locate the boats carrying the retreating sailors and marines.
“Light Up the Night” is sponsored by the Connecticut River Museum and co-sponsored by the historical societies of Old Saybrook, Old Lyme, and Essex. The event is one of a series of activities coordinated by the 1814 Bicentennial Committee.
Bonfires are planned to take place at Gardiner’s Landing in Old Saybrook, at the dinghy dock in Old Lyme, and on the water-side green at the Connecticut River Museum in Essex. On-site storytellers will relate how the British Squadron blockading the Sound targeted River privateers and merchant shipping for destruction in a daring nighttime raid on an undefended and unprepared citizenry.
These evocative events will inspire area resident to imagine the emotions of fear, frustration, and desperation experienced by the people who lived here in 1814.
For more information, visit www.ctrivermuseum.org or www.battlesiteessex.org. “Light Up the Night” has a theme song! To help you get into the spirit of the event, view the music video “The Privateers of Pettipaug” at www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9UCGK6Ww4c.
If you enjoy these types of events, consider becoming a member of the Old Lyme Historical Society. For more information about membership and the Society’s activities and publications, explore the web site www.oldlymehistoricalsociety.org or stop by the office in the Genealogy Room at The Old Lyme–Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library. Hours are Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.
To volunteer with the Old Lyme Historical Society, look for opportunities on the Old Lyme-Lyme Volunteer Connection website http://volunteer.truist.com/ollvolunteer/volunteer/.