The flames of war will ignite when two cultures clash during the annual Raid at Martin’s Station, scheduled for May 10-12, 2013 at Wilderness Road State Park. More than 450 re-enactors, merchants, artists and artisans bring history to life during this three day special event which is highlighted by two frontier battles.

The always popular frontier battles are slated for 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, and at 8:30 p.m. that evening when the musket fire and cannon blasts light up the night.

Musket Fire lights up the popular nighttime Frontier Battle

A special Cherokee Mother’s Day program has been added to the event’s already popular slate of activities. This marks the very first time a program based on the Cherokee woman and her duties of raising a family and maintaining their home will be offered at the Raid.

In keeping with the Cherokee theme, Nadia Dean will present a powerful program about the Cherokee War of 1776 based on her recently released book, A Demand of Blood. David Preston, Professor of History at The Citadel Military College says Dean, “gracefully conveys a visceral sense of 18^th century people and places and vibrantly recaptures the gritty realities of everyday life among Cherokees and Colonists.”

A Cherokee Warrior re-enactor stalks the settlers of Martin's Station

A popular 18^th century surveying program also returns to the Raid schedule led by noted historian Tony Holbrook.  Before computer-aided drafting and 3D images, surveyors of the 18th century figured out boundaries and drew maps the hard way. They trudged through the wilderness, living off the land and sometimes risking their lives.

Holbrook will use authentic style equipment to showcase how colonial-era surveyors mapped out the vast wilderness. Of course, one of the most well known surveyors of all time is Daniel Boone, who used the very same type of equipment Holbrook will be interpreting.

Daily activities set for Friday and Saturday include: open hearth cooking, militia drills, blacksmithing, long hunter’s camp, Native camp, spinning and weaving, hide tanning, woodworking, artillery firing, 18^th century music, candle-making and more.

Woodworking is one of many demonstrations scheduled for the Raid

In addition to these activities, Saturday’s events include a Sons of the American Revolution Observance at 10 a.m., Attakullakulla – Cherokee Peace Chief program at 12 noon, a Frontier Medicine program at 1:30 p.m., a colonial era fishing program at 3 p.m., a seminar about the Battle of Point Pleasant at 4:30 p.m., and a demonstration of various tools of the colonial era at 5:30 p.m.

Sunday’s events will feature an 18^th century Church Service at 10 a.m., a program on the European Scythe at 11 a.m., and the special tribute to Mother’s Day at 12 noon entitled The Role of the Cherokee Woman by Denise Adkins.

Historic Martin's Station is the re-creation of Captain Joseph Martin's Fort originally built in 1775 near present day Rose Hill, Virginia. The station played a key role in the settlement of the American frontier and Westward expansion during the Revolutionary War.

The event is sponsored by the Friends of Wilderness Road State Park. For more information, please contact Wilderness Road State Park at 276-445-3065, email us at wildernessroad@dcr.virginia.gov or visit us online.

For more information about Virginia State Parks’ activities and amenities or to make reservations in one of the more than 1,800 campsites or 300 climate-controlled cabins, call the Virginia State Parks Reservation Center at 800-933-PARK or visit our website here.