Longstreet Society bivouac this weekend

The Gainesville, Ga.-based Longstreet Society's annual spring bivouac this Saturday (April 28), features tours, music, lunch and the groundbreaking of a new walkway.

And if you're not too squeamish, stick around to look for ghosts.

The event is being held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Piedmont Hotel, where Confederate Gen. James Longstreet lived his last years. The building serves as the society's headquarters.

There is no admission, but donations are accepted for helping to pay down a loan on the property. The society has done extensive renovations at the site.

The 30th Georgia Infantry also will make a visit Saturday.

A brick and granite walkway will replace the present concrete pavers connecting the front steps to the gravel parking lot, with a leg going to the front gate. Bricks for engraving are still available.

"We are trying to get the general public to visit the historic restored section of the old Piedmont Hotel," said society treasurer Joe Whitaker. "The portion remaining has a lot of pictures, prints, documents and other items of interest."

At 9 p.m., Night Life Paranormal Investigations, a Georgia organization, will use sound and motion detectors and other devices to detect any activity.

"There has been some success in the past at discovering some activity," Whitaker said.

For more information on the event, call the society at 770-539-9005 or e-mail old_pete@bellsouth.net. The society is at 827 Maple St., Gainesville, Ga.

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