Civil War Reenactment

A while ago I found a book called 101 Things You Gotta Do Before You're 12. I gave it to Brian's sister's family for Christmas last year because their kids are the perfect ages to actually remember some of the things. Although it's geared toward a specific age group, many of the activities and adventures are ones that all ages will enjoy, and ones that I haven't yet experienced.

So, with #53 in mind, as well as my love for history and wanting to enjoy the 70-degree February weather, I decided we should head to nearby Aiken to experience The Battle of Aiken. My parents were visiting for the weekend, so it seemed an appropriate activity considering my dad's love for battlefields and war literature, documentaries, etc. During this 3-day Civil War festival, reenactors eat, sleep, live, and fight in a recreated version of the world in 1865. In addition to the reenactment, there are authentic camps, crafts, presentations, and people in costume.

There were people in period costumes everywhere, and not just military outfits.

We were not dressed in costumes. However, my children and I were not appropriately dressed for 70+ degrees because the original forecast was mid-60s, which to me means lightweight long sleeves.

Zack shed a layer and enjoyed playing in the sunshine.

Following the lead of a little boy next to us, Breeley started saying "Pow, pow!" and shooting her stick.

My best pictures were at the end, but the actual reenactment featured all types of combat troops: sharpshooters, infantry, cavalry (on horses), and artillery (cannons).  

Amid the shooting, you can see some of the "dead" on the battlefield.

The actual battle seemed a little chaotic to me, but I'm sure without modern forms of communication and other technology, they were very organized for the time. Everyone had a specific role, they listened to superiors, and everyone did his part. I can't emphasize enough how "into it" these reenactors were. Just as most of us are about our own hobbies, they were very passionate! I'm pretty sure some of them thought they were actually in battle in 1865. At one point, one of the Union leaders on a horse said to his troops, "Grab your guns and get over here!"

Notice the young guy in front center is barefoot. Reenacting seems to be a family affair because there were many women in costumes and younger kids too. It was obvious many of them had actually spent the night in the tents at the camps. Neat way to learn history. 

Breeley liked the horses. It was over at this point, but notice the guy standing in back is saluting.

The smoke is from the cannon fire. This is a little demo they did at the end, not part of the reenactment.

They also had a "military through time" area that displayed different artifacts and replicas from major American wars, including Vietnam, Korean, WWII, WWI, and the War of 1812! The men were in authentic uniforms from that time and were presenting and doing demonstrations. 

There were also a lot of food and merchandise vendors, but we had a picnic lunch at the van so we didn't look at much of that. We stopped outside one tent long enough to buy a pink umbrella/parasol for Breeley, which she loves! (See separate post.) The food was not authentic for 1865 (unless they had funnel cakes back then), but the non-food vendors had period tents and sold merchandise geared toward that era.

It was kind of like a living museum, and I love museums! The kids were too young to recognize the historical significance, but they enjoyed the warm weather and people-watching. We'll cross #53 off our list for now, but perhaps revisit it when the kids study the Civil War. The nerd in me is really looking foward to that day!