By Matthew Avitabile
SCHOHARIE — The team at the Old Stone Fort has seen significant progress toward public access regarding all of Schoharie County’s history in recent months, with Site Administrator and Lead Interpreter Clay Edmunds’ interest in the Civil War allowing for a more immersive experience.
Edmunds worked with the staff and volunteers at the Fort to bring about an expansion of online offerings for the public. He credits longtime Curator Dan Beams for helping fact-check different items in the collection.
This has been a goal since December 2023, Edmunds said. He has been going through individual items to create the virtual exhibits, which he calls “Cabinets of Curiosity.”
The virtual exhibits help expand on the background information at the Fort, as only so much can be printed on individual placards, Edmunds said. This allows a relatively simple process of transferring data and photos online and adding to them. However, verifying information is time-consuming, he said, and right now there are a number of items in the process of being added to the virtual exhibits.
Edmunds hopes to be able to digitize the entire upstairs collection at the Fort, but this will take “a lot longer than I had thought.”
In particular, Edmunds’ personal interest in the Civil War has helped extensively, including his time reenacting in the 125th NY Infantry, formed out of Rensselaer County alongside Schoharie County Historical Society Board members Ted Shuart and Jim Wolford.
The experience gave Edmunds a “whole new appreciation about how things were done back then.” This includes experience practicing drill and allowing Edmunds and the other reenactors to “live the history” of the Civil War period.
The reenactors sleep in period-appropriate tents on the ground “eaten up by bugs,” Edmunds said.
While the reenactors have ample food and water, there is an effort to make camping “as authentic as possible.”
Edmunds has learned a lot since expanding his Civil War research. Officers had to purchase their own equipment, he said. Cursive was the standard, even on printed documents, he added. He said that the letter J was often excluded from alphabetical lists because it looks too similar to the letter I. Edmunds also cited the importance of musicians on the battlefield to help direct orders to the troops, including special notes for the bugler.
When asked about a favorite item, Edmunds (who sends interesting items for display to this newspaper each week) said that relics from the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The relics were placed together into artwork, coming from “all over” the battlefield.
“Each item tells a story, but we don’t know what the story is,” he said. He also cited “witness trees,” his bear scars from the battle. An example of a branch that was passed through by a bullet is in the collection upstairs.
Photographed is a mortar shell in poor shape— but he is unsure whether the damage occurred during the battle or since.
“We probably will never know,” he said.
The experience at the Fort has made Edmunds a better reenactor, he said. He learned about the importance of topping off a canteen at all times and carrying items in a haversack. Edmunds also cited the transition between flintlock and percussion cap rifles.
In his research, he discovered a circa 1820 flintlock that was adapted into a percussion cap rifle. This was donated by the wife of a descendant of Private Eli Chesebro, who served in the National Guard unit stationed at the Fort during its time as an armory. The Fort served that purpose between 1857 and 1873 and the 108th New York National Guard Company B was stationed there between 1865 and 1868.
Edmunds believes that the experience makes him a better interpreter. This is especially the case since he receives a number of questions about reenactment during his time at the Fort.
This is our second interview with Edmunds, who has been with the Fort since May 2023. In March he moved up to his current edition, having previously been part-time. He uses his experience with a Master’s in Public History from SUNY Albany and diploma from Middleburgh to help broaden his expertise.
The new position gives Edmunds more responsibilities, including in the Gift Shop. He gives a lot of credit to new Director Mary Johnson for help and the ability to learn about the business side of operations.
Edmunds works closely with the existing team and has been able to expand the educational program at the Fort, which he now heads. He creates lesson plans for group tours. He cites a recent successful day at the Schoharie Public Library teaching local history.
We also interviewed Mr. Edmunds about the Fort’s efforts surrounding the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, including a number of items and research. We’ll be publishing the results in coming editions.
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