Celebrate the holiday season with the Herkimer County Historical Society
The Herkimer County Historical Society welcomes residents, visitors and historians to the Suiter Mansion for two December events. All decorated and ready for the season, the historic mansion is the perfect setting to get into the holiday spirit.
On December 13, at 6pm, hear the story of how soldiers in the midst of the intense battle of World War I, laying down their weapons.
A letter (edited) by Captain Robert Miles who would die in action less than a week later recounted:
The Illustrated London News illustration of the Christmas Truce: “British and German Soldiers Arm-in-Arm Exchanging Headgear: A Christmas Truce between Opposing Trenches”
Friday (Christmas Day). We are having the most extraordinary Christmas Day imaginable. A sort of unarranged and quite unauthorized but perfectly understood and scrupulously observed truce exists between us and our friends in front. The funny thing is it only seems to exist in this part of the battle line – on our right and left we can all hear them firing away as cheerfully as ever. The thing started last night – a bitter cold night, with white frost – soon after dusk when the Germans started shouting ‘Merry Christmas, Englishmen’ to us. Of course our fellows shouted back and presently large numbers of both sides had left their trenches, unarmed, and met in the debatable, shot-riddled, no man’s land between the lines. Here the agreement – all on their own – came to be made that we should not fire at each other until after midnight tonight. The men were all fraternizing in the middle (we naturally did not allow them too close to our line) and swapped cigarettes and lies in the utmost good fellowship. Not a shot was fired all night. – Wikipedia
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear presenter, Joe Schmidt, share the story of this historic Christmas in 1914.
December 16 beginning at 10am, visit the historic Suiter Mansion all dressed up for the holidays!
Treat yourself to the Historical Society’s annual Cookie Sale! Proceeds support the ongoing work of the Herkimer County Historical Society. This is the perfect opportunity to enjoy time with friends and family. Kids are welcome to create a free craft.
About the Herkimer County Historical Society
The object of the Society shall be the discovery, collection, preservation and publication of those history, historical records and data of and relating to the portion of the State of New York formerly known as Tryon and later Herkimer County; the collection and preservation of books, newspapers, pamphlets, maps, genealogies, portraits, paintings, relics, manuscripts, letters, journals, surveys, field books and any and all other materials, which may establish or illustrate such history or the growth and progress of population, wealth, education, agriculture, arts, manufactures and commerce in Herkimer County. The Society may maintain a museum for the display and storage of historical artifacts.
