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A lesson on the Civil War in Lincoln |
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Sunday, 13 September 2009 |
By JON BAKER
LINCOLN — It’s rather humorous how Mike Hiltner, son Jacob and mother Norma chose to attend the Civil War Re-Enactment at Chase Farm Park on Sunday afternoon.
“On Friday, I was driving on Great Road and saw a sign out front,” said Hiltner, an Albion resident. “That kind of put it in my head, and then, on Friday night, we were all watching (the cable TV show) ‘Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?’ One of the questions that came up was ‘Name the President of the Confederate (States).
“Turns out, nobody knew the answer except my mom, who’s been up here from Viera, Fla. for a few weeks,” Hiltner added with a chuckle. “I figured, ‘OK, we need a history lesson, so we’re going to check out the re-rnactment.’
“Seriously, Jacob is really into history, and so is my mom. I thought it was great to see how the Union and Confederate forces battled, and I had a lot of interest in the horse (cavalry) movements.”
Stated Jacob, a Northern Elementary School student: “I learned a lot here, like how the cannons were fired, and how the Union Army had better weapons and more soldiers than the South did.”
The Hiltners weren’t alone in expressing their appreciation for those who acted out historical accounts of the Valley Campaigns of 1864, operations and battles in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley between May and October.
Seconds after the final cannon and single-shot, muzzle-loading rifles had fired, hundreds in attendance applauded the precision and know-how of the actors, those representing the New England Brigade (a 500-plus strong contingent of Union soldier and civilian re-creators) and the Liberty Greys (a New England-based living history organization dedicated to the preservation of the Civil War).
“At the beginning of 1864, Ulysses S. Grant had been promoted t o lieutenant general and given command of all Union armies,” the event program stated.
“He chose to make his headquarters with the Army of the Potomac, although Maj. Gen. George G. Meade remained the actual commander of that army. (Meade) left Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman in command of most of the western armies.
“Grant understood the concept of total war and believed, along with Sherman and President Abraham Lincoln, that only the utter defeat of Confederate forces and their economic base would bring an end to the war,” it added. “He devised a strategy to strike at the heart of the Confederacy from multiple directions: Grant, Meade and Maj. Gen Benjamin Butler against Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia near Richmond, (with) Maj. Gen. Franz Sigel to invade the Shenandoah Valley and destroy Lee’s supply lines; (and) Sherman to invade Georgia and capture Atlanta.”
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What made this re-enactment so special to approximate ly 700 attendees on Sunday were not just the booms of artillery and cannon fire, but also the era-dressed civilians who made up the town of Unity – merchants (a.k.a. sutlers), journalists, social reformers, a sheriff, social reformers and a number of refugees feeling the devastation of passing armies.
Those re-enactors were there to speak with interested parties as to their specific roles in the war, and did.
“I found it really interesting,” said Cory Mann, a Lincoln Middle School seventh grader, who rode his bicycle to the event with classmate Adam Luther. “I like learning about the Civil War, and see what actually happened. I thought it looked pretty real, the way everyone was dressed. What surprised me the most was how loud the cannons were.
“I saw this a couple of years ago, when I was 11, and my parents brought me,” he continued. “This time, I wanted to come here with my friend.”
Piped up Luther: “I think (Cory’s) mom wanted to get us out of the house, but – when we heard all the guns going off – we figured we’d come u p and check it out. I loved it; it was fun, seeing the soldiers (laying) shot in the field.”
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Jim Mathews, a Gales Ferry, Conn. resident and veteran New England Brigade member, sat on a crate near the battle site and matter-of-factly why he takes part.
“I’ve been doing this for 27 years now, as I’m also in the 42nd Royal Highlanders (organization) which re-creates the Revolutionary War,” said Mathews, for real a native Californian who spent over 20 years in the U.S. Navy. “In this, I’m a (Union) chief engineer, though I actually have four ranks: When Gen. Grant is here, I’m a Brigadier General, and – when he’s not – I’m a lieutenant colonel of engineering by brevet, which means we’re selected for one of three reasons: political influence, bravery in the field or needs of service.
“When I’m working with the Corps of Typographical Engineers, I’m a major by brevet, and my rank during peace time would be captain of engineering,” he added. “Actually, that wasn’t an unusual thing in the Civil War. A man had more than one rank.”
When queried as to why he performs, he said simply, “I’m a historian, and I want to make it come to life, inform others. People will ask me why I do it, so I ask them, ‘How many people are hear to see authenticity?’ Several will raise their hands. Then I point at myself, and say, ‘I’m authentic.’”
For sure, Mathews was one of the more popular re-creators at this event, for no other reason than his jocularity. During the final battle scene, where opposing troops on horseback fought with swords, the bearded man said to the crowd, “I’m overworked, underpaid and under-appreciated. I am too educated to put up with a woman asking me questions, those who don’t have nearly the education or intelligence I have, so please tell your wives to shut up.”
Naturally, the comment drew boos from the ladies, chuckles from the men. Mathews then asked those women to give their husbands queries they may have for him, as the men could phrase it properly.
More booing ensued, and that’s when he laughed, “If you don’t like what I said, be glad you’re living in 2009, because I’m living in 1864. And, just like the rest of you dogs, I do what my wife tells me on Monday morning!”
Cheers galore.
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It was supposed to be like this on “Opening Day” Saturday, but the rainy conditions kept some folks away, said Kathy Hartley, President/Founder of Friends of Hearthside, Inc., which co-sponsored the re-enactment with the Town of Lincoln/Chase Farm Park.
“We were worried about attendance because of the storms, and it was lighter than usual, but we had some hearty souls who came out,D stated Hartley, also dressed in 1860s garb, “The rain and muck actually helped with the authenticity of the battle. It was exactly what the armies had to fight in. They couldn’t fire one of the cannons because it got stuck in the mud; there were some things we couldn’t do.
“As for the Candlelight Tour, we didn’t believe people would venture out into the nasty fields, but they did,” she added, “even though we had to use lanterns to watch our steps. We had to change our plans a little bit, but it all worked out. I don’t have the numbers yet, but I think we had over 1,000 people who watched. That’s great!”
When told several students were seen carrying notebooks and pens, Hartley knew why.
“There were two middle-school teachers here who said they offered extra credit to the kids who checked this out,” she noted. “They may have to write a report or do a presentation, I don’t know, but you have to love that initiative.
“We also had 50 high-school kids who volunteered to work as part of their community service r equirement,” she continued. “I mean, this helps them, and it helps us, too. I think they all had a lot of fun, and that includes the re-enactors.”
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 18 October 2009 )
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