Saturday, August 11, 2007

Civil War Dispatch Ride Freedomland

The final three slides are from the Civil War Dispatch ride in the South section of Freedomland. The premise of the ride was that you were a reporter in the 1860's and out riding in your wagon to get news stories. The ride as you can see was horse powered and you would ride by several camp scenes and then ride across the battlefield as cannons were firing. I think the last image (unfortunately blurry) is of the start of the battle and the cannon is firing.

3 comments:

Major Pepperidge said...

More great stuff! I am anxiously awaiting the photos from Satellite City....?!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Love this stuff! If I remember the ride correctly (I was quite young), I think that final scene shows a destroyed cannon and the battle aftermath. Thanks for these!

Anonymous said...

It was great to see those photos of the CW ride. In my recollection you first rode through a hospital scene, then to the campsite and then to a post battle scene with dead soldiers slumped over walls,fire burning the scene very reminiscent of Bradys photos of battle aftermath. As the 3rd photo illustrates the road twisted and turned and as the wagon came around one bend you encountered a sniper up in a tree who fired upon the wagon causing the driver to speed up to escape. The battle scene was 2 forts, one perched higher than the other reminiscent of the Petersburg seige of 1864. The cannonfire was triggered by the wagons approach and would flash. There was a pond below the lower fort and small geysers of water would indicate where "cannonballs" had landed. After exiting the battlefield you came upon Appomattox Court House on the left with Grant and Lee.Is anyone aware that Sonny Fox a NY based kids show host did 2 shows on Freedomland but I have never been able to find any videotape of these programs. I saw them at age 11. Does anyone have any other recollections.