16TH ANNUAL
VAN RAALTE FARM CIVIL WAR MUSTER
September 20-21, 2025
Battle of Petersburg
Holland’s Van Raalte Farm was originally the home of Civil War veteran Ben Van Raalte, the son of Holland’s founder. Eleven acres of the farm, including two barns and the original farmhouse, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, these timeless structures are part of a 160-acre park providing the perfect backdrop for our 16th annual Civil War Muster.
Experience the sights and sounds of these tumultuous years of our nation’s history: smell the powder, hear the boom of cannons, and talk to the famous generals and soldiers as they plan their assaults. Wander through the encampments of Confederate and Union soldiers, visit with civilians cooking over open fires, listen to the 1st Holland Regimental Band, or hang out at the Grey Barn, an authentic Civil War era saloon.
The Battle of Petersburg will be the focus of this year’s muster. Additional featured events include battlefield medical scenarios, cavalry demonstrations, tours of the Van Raalte home, a Civil War era church service on Sunday morning, and performances by professional impressionists. All events are FREE. Bring your camera, snap some photos, and then be sure to submit them to the Muster Photo Contest! For details and the uploader link, visit https://www.holland.org/van-raalte-civil-war-muster-photo-contest/
Proudly Featuring Fritz Klein as President Abraham Lincoln
Proudly Featuring Dr. Curt Fields as General Ulysses S. Grant
General Robert E. Lee
General J.E.B. Stuart
Sojourner Truth
Union, Confederate, and Cavalry soldiers in encampments
Grey Barn Saloon
Battle of Old Men & Young Boys
On June 9, Major General Benjamin Butler dispatched about 4,500 cavalry and infantry against the 2,500 Confederate defenders of Petersburg. While Butler’s infantry demonstrated against the outer line of entrenchments east of Petersburg, Kautz’s cavalry division attempted to enter the city from the south via the Jerusalem Plank Road but wa repulsed by Home Guards. Afterwards, Butler withdrew. This was called the battle of old men and young boys by local residents.
Army of the Potomac
On June 14 through June 17, the Army of the Potomac crossed the James River and began moving towards Petersburg to support and renew Butler’s assaults. Marching from Cold Harbor, Meade’s Army of the Potomac crossed the James River on transports and a 2,200-foot-long pontoon bridge at Windmill Point.
Butler’s leading elements (XVII Corps and Kautz’s cavalry) crossed the Appomattox River at Windmill Point and attacked the Petersburg defenses on June 15. The 5,400 defenders of Petersburg under command of General P.G.T. Beauregard were driven from their first line of entrenchments back to Harrison Creek. After dark the XVII Corps was relieved by the II Corps.
On June 16, the II Corps captured another section of the Confederate line; on the 17th, the IX Corps gained more ground. Beauregard stripped the Howlett Line (Bermuda Hundred) to defend the city, and Lee rushed reinforcements to Petersburg from the Army of Northern Virginia.
The Siege of Petersburg
The II, XI, and V Corps from right to left attacked on June 18 but was repulsed with heavy casualties. By now the Confederate works were heavily manned and the greatest opportunity to capture Petersburg without a siege was lost. The siege of Petersburg began.
Come and enjoy the reenactment and take in the topographical detail with enhancements for realism.
This Year’s Guest Lecturers:
Actor Fritz Klein as President Abraham Lincoln
and
Dr. Curt Fields as General Ulysses S. Grant
FRITZ KLEIN
AS SEN IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE HISTORY CHANNEL, THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL, C-SPAN, AND USA TODAY! WITH OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE AS AN ACTOR, SPEAKER AND ENTERTAINER, KLEIN IS KNOWN INTERNATIONALLY AND ACROSS AMERICA!
Actor Fritz Klein of Springfield, Illinois has been a professional actor and speaker for many years. His portrayal of Lincoln brings this American icon to life. Klein brings striking physical resemblance as well as historical accuracy, acting ability, humor, and relevance to the audience. Productions vary in content and length according to the need and character of the audience, but you will come away with new insight and the sense that you have been with Lincoln himself.
Klein was first asked to portray Lincoln after performing as Lyman Beecher in a local history pageant in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i where he lived at the time. After a number of requests for repeat performances, he decided to begin extensive research in order to write a one-man production on Lincoln. That production has led to many others. He has since performed as Lincoln in 38 states and internationally as well. He and his wife Linda now reside in Springfield, Illinois where he performs at the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, as well as many other venues around the country. In the summer Klein plays Lincoln in a variety of venues in a program called “History Comes Alive.”
In 2011 Klein was featured in the National Park Service’s recreation of Lincoln’s Inaugural Journey, travelling from Springfield to Washington, DC. and performing for some 5,000 people en route. The return trip was also done in 2015 with special programming by the NPS in the various funeral cities.
Klein portrayed Lincoln in a feature entitled “Lost River” and four History Channel Lincoln Bicentennial spots, as well as the award-winning Lincoln film at the Lincoln Home National Park “Journey to Greatness” by Aperture films of Los Angeles. On President Obama’s Inauguration night, Klein was Lincoln in the first American showing of a German film called “Lincoln’s Last Night” produced by VIDICOM of Hamburg and again featured at the Smithsonian for the 2013 Inauguration. Klein was also featured in the 2013 Ford’s Theater exhibit put together by History Channel.
Klein has also done numerous documentary and feature films for National Geographic, Discovery and History Channel including “Stealing Lincoln’s Body”, “Lincoln’s Secret Killer”, and “American Mastermind”. In 2013 the Smithsonian film, “Lincoln’s Washington War” aired in 2013, on the Smithsonian Channel, and he appeared on National television with “Larry the Cable Guy”.
In 2015 “Lincoln’s Last Day” aired on the Smithsonian Channel. In the spring 2018 he was featured in the national Fox station Television series “Legends and Lies – Season three – The Civil War”. In 2020 He starred in Curiosity Stream’s “Electing Lincoln” series by Wide Awake Films.
More recent plays include a 2012 role in the Pulitzer – Prize nominated production “The Heavens Are Hung in Black” by James Still, and a 2014 appearance with actor Carlo Garcia in “Of Mutual Interest – Lincoln and Mexico” before Illinois Governor and delegates from Mexico. 2014 – 2016 a Ken Bradbury play about Lincoln’s assassination called “Last Full Measure”. 2017 saw “To Bind up the Nation’s Wounds” and in 2018 Klein has several plays on the docket, one about Lincoln’s assassination called “The Last Full Measure”, a Christmas play about the Lincolns and Grant, and two special Illinois Bicentennial play, one about old Illinois and one titled Lincoln and Shakespeare.
Dr. Curt Fields
Dr. Fields has portrayed General and President Grant in 22 states as he travels the nation presenting his portrayal of General and President Ulysses S. Grant.
As a Living Historian, Dr. Fields portrayed General Grant at the 150th Sesquicentennial observations of: Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court House, VA.
- He portrays General Grant in the Visitor Center film that is shown at Appomattox Court House National Historic Park.
- He was featured as General Grant, and as a Grant authority, in the Discovery Channel three-part documentary series “How Booze Built America” (With Mike Rowe)
- Dr. Fields portrays General Grant, giving his life story, on the Civil War Trust website in the 1in4 series of biographies and significant places and events the distinguished Civil War Trust has established. (This may be seen at Civilwar.org and select 1in4 at the top of the page.)
- He was honored to have been elected to life Membership in the American Civil War Round Table-Queensland, Australia, and is an occasional contributor to their newsletter: “The Bugle”.
- He is also a frequent contributor to The Civil War News (monthly Civil War newspaper)
- Was the recipient of the 2015 Grady McWhiney Award of Merit (for significant contributions to the scholarship and preservation of Civil War History
- appeared as General Grant on the National Geographic Television series “Diggers”
- featured as General Grant in the Visitors Center films shown at Appomattox National Historic Park
- and the Dover Hotel in Fort Donelson National Battlefield
- featured on four national magazine covers
- being the only Living Historian to be featured on two national magazine covers at the same time and for the same event: the Appomattox 150th in 2015 (pictured: “The Banner” and “The Camp Chase Gazette”)
- being selected as the official Grant for the U. S. Grant Boyhood Home Association in Georgetown, Ohio
- portraying President Grant for the opening and dedication of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library at Mississippi State University on November 30th, 2017
- portraying General Grant at West Point (at the USMA request) in January of 2019, to kick off their ‘semester of Grant’ celebration prior to erecting a statue of him on the plain, April 25th, 2019
- as of June 25th, 2019, his Facebook posts had received more than half a million (520,000) ‘likes’!
- Portrayed President Grant for the incoming Freshman class orientation at Mississippi State University, August 2019
- Portrays President Grant in the film shown at Grant’s Tomb in New York city (to premier in December, 2021)
- He served as a Memphis, TN, Police Officer and was an MPD Hostage negotiator
- He received the Life-Saving medal from the City of Memphis for actions in the line of duty.
Dr. Fields researches and reads extensively about General Grant in order to deliver an accurate persona of the General. His presentations are in first person, quoting from General Grant’s Memoirs; articles and letters the General wrote, statements he made in interviews or wrote himself, and first-person accounts of people who knew the General or were with him and witnessed him during events. He is the same height and body style as General Grant and, therefore, presents a convincing, true-to-life image of the man as he really looked.
Please E-telegraph General Grant for orders or information at: curtfields@generalgrantbyhimself.com
VAN RAALTE FARM CIVIL WAR MUSTER GRANTED “THE ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERSHIPS PRESIDENTIAL INITIATIVE OF HOPE COLLEGE AND HOLLAND, MICHIGAN”
The Holland Van Raalte Farm Civil War Muster Community Education Initiative is funded with a two-year $51,000 grant. It will support the annual Civil War Muster, held in September at Van Raalte Farm on east 16th Street, to focus on themes of the Underground Railroad in 2021 and the end of the Civil War and Reconstruction in 2022. With re-enactors sharing, for example, the political outlook of Abraham Lincoln, the fiery calls for socioeconomic justice by Frederick Douglass, or the demands for gender equality and suffrage rights by Susan B. Anthony and Elizbeth Cady Stanton, the Holland Van Raalte Farm Civil War Muster presents opportunities for its audience, especially local 5th grade classes on field trips, to engage with some of the most urgent issues of the 19th century.
With updated versions of those challenges dividing contemporary Americans, the program is intended to provide a compelling opportunity to increase people’s knowledge of their historical origins.
Click here to enter the Van Raalte Farm Civil War Muster Photo Contest!
For questions, please email us at vanraaltemuster@gmail.com
@HollandCivilWarMuster
#Vanmuster2025 #HollandCWmuster
2024 Van Raalte Farm Civil War Muster Contest Winners!
A special thanks to our sponsors who make this event Possible!
