By Brian Babcock
Gilroy – Drums rumbled as cannon fire erupted, cutting through
the quiet afternoon air.
Gilroy – Drums rumbled as cannon fire erupted, cutting through the quiet afternoon air.
Union and Confederate soldiers traded musket shots back and forth while wounded soldiers fell to the ground, crying out in pain. By the end, the Confederate flag was standing high; but even though the Confederacy had won this battle, they would not win the war.
The nonprofit American Civil War Association of Northern and Central California put on a re-enactment last weekend of Civil War battles at Casa de Fruta, north of Hollister. Hundreds of people, mostly families with younger children, went out to watch history being played out in front of them.
“We’re out here showing the kids what happened because I think a lot of our history is forgotten,” said Hollister resident Rich Westphat, who attended the event with his son Richie.
Some of the crowd said they were there to support friends who are members of the organization. But most said they attended to teach their children a little history while being entertained at the same time, which is exactly what the association was hoping for.
“I would hope that they would understand how the Civil War was fought and why there were 650,000 men that were willing to die during the Civil War to preserve something,” said Kevin Braafladt, who was the acting major for the Union. “The reason why we’re here is to remember (the soldiers) and what they sacrificed for.”
Every member was dressed in authentic 1860s clothing and made sure to keep proper etiquette. Union members wore blue uniforms and kept their hats on when outside, but took them off when walking indoors. The soldiers also talked to their commanding officers with the respect that true Civil War soldiers would have.
The women also illustrated how their counterparts would have lived and what they would have worn. Long-sleeve dresses were worn that covered their entire arms and ankles because any showing of the ankle was considered scandalous.
Association President William Entriken said the group’s main purpose is to educate people on what the Civil War was like and how people lived.
“History is more than just words on a page of paper and a textbook,” he said. “(The Civil War) actually happened (and) it was done by people and these people have their own stories.”
Many of the families on hand took advantage of the participants’ willingness to explain such basics as food the soldiers and women would have eaten to the intricacies of how to load and fire a musket.
The children also sat intently as they watched the battles play out. Although no real battle was re-enacted, the kids didn’t seem to care. They “oohed” and “aahed” at the battle scene as shots were fired and would cup their ears as the canons blasted the enemy’s side.
Even though education was the word of the day there was some politics being played out as well.
Duncan MacFiddis walked along the sidelines of the battlefield taking donations in a tin bucket. At first people find firing muskets fun, but that wore out fast for him, he said, because there’s more to it than just playing army with the big kids.
“I hope (the attendants) pick up the fact that war is useless and that when all the fighting is done somebody sits down and talks about it,” said the former president of the association. “Because people do die; they die for something they believe in.”
The participants said everyone learns something different from the event. After all, each participant has his own reason for taking part in the association, they said.
But Braafladt said there is one aspect of it all that he would like people to go home with.
“(I want them) to remember history, because if we remember the mistakes we made in the past we won’t repeat ourselves,” he said. “I would hope they would be grateful for what those guys died for.”
Brian Babcock is an intern who recently graduated from San Francisco State University.
