A lecture, the first in a series of special 50th anniversary programs, will take place at the Museum on Saturday, 8 February 2014 at 2pm. Irving Moy, President, 14th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, Company F, will present, “Chinese Born Combatants in the Civil War; The Life of Corporal Joseph Pierce.” Joseph Pierce (the name given to him upon arrival in the United States), pictured right, was taken to the US in 1852 from Guangzhou, China by American sea Captain Amos Peck of Berlin, Connecticut. Corporal Pierce participated in the Battle of Gettysburg, and later married and settled in Portland, Connecticut.

Reservations are required for this special lecture. Call the Museum office at 617.696.1815 or e-mail us at info@forbeshousemuseum.org to reserve your space. Seating is limited and space is available on a first come first serve basis. Suggested donation is $5 per family.

A portion of the proceeds will go to the Civil War Trust for battlefield preservation, a charitable cause supported by the 14th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry.

After the lecture, the FHM will have special tours of the Lincoln Cabin and cider, hot chocolate and donuts will be served, a tradition begun by Mary Bowditch Forbes in 1924.

The Forbes family were great supporters of the Union cause during the Civil War. They assisted in the finance and building of ships, and both Captain Robert Bennet Forbes (1804-1889) and his brother, John Murray Forbes (1813- 1898), were abolitionists. Mary Bowditch Forbes (1878–1962), granddaughter of the Captain, collected President Lincoln and Civil War memorabilia and had a replica of Lincoln’s birth cabin built on the grounds of the Milton estate.
Looking for the re-enactor activities- they are yet to come! Later in the year, on 10 August, re-enactors will descend on Forbes House Museum to perform drills and demonstrations in conjunction with the 4th annual Civil War Concert with Dixon’s Gold. Highlights will include a Victorian lawn party and exhibits from the U.S. Sanitation Commission, the ladies branch of the Massachusetts 22nd Volunteer Infantry Company D, among others.

The Forbes House Museum is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014 with new and expanded programs, events and exhibits.

The Museum was founded in 1964 by Henry Ashton Crosby Forbes Ph.D. (1925-2012), curator and pioneer researcher/collector in the field of Chinese export art. He was the great grandson of Captain Robert Bennet Forbes, China trade merchant, philanthropist and civic leader in Boston.

For more information on programs, events and exhibits in commemoration of the Museum’s 50th anniversary celebration, call the office at 617.696.1815 or visit the website.

About the 14th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Company F:
The 14th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Company F was first established in 1862, participating in the Battle of Antietam, its first engagement during the Civil War. Today, Company F is “an educational, living history, preservation, not-for-profit, American Civil War reenactment organization , which strives to promote and preserve the original regiment’s history, to honor its sacrifices while serving its country between 1862 and 1865 and educate the public of the contributions of both the military and civilian home front to the Northern war effort.”
For more information about the 14th Connecticut, visit the website.