The third annual Civil War Days return to San Benito County this
weekend, with re-enactors depicting Confederate and Union soldiers
battling and displaying everyday activities during the 19th
century.
Hollister – The air in Tres Pinos this weekend will be thick with the smoke left from cannon and rifle fire.
The third annual Civil War Days return to San Benito County this weekend, with re-enactors depicting Confederate and Union soldiers battling and displaying everyday activities during the 19th century.
“They’re going to see a living history demonstration pertaining to the way life was, as it was during the Civil War,” said Peter Sonne, president of the county historical society.
The event, at the San Benito County Historical and Recreational Park, is put on by the National Civil War Association and raises money for the San Benito County Historical Society.
A few hundred participants are expected to participate, Sonne said. These people, portraying soldiers and townspeople, come from throughout California to take part in the Civil War re-enactment.
“A lot of the re-enactors are real good and real knowledgeable,” Sonne said.
Hollister resident Teresa Thompson, serving as the site coordinator, is playing a Confederate spy in the re-enactment. She said in creating her character, she did a lot of research reading diaries and first-person accounts.
“Our basic role is to educate the public on what it was like back then from a culture standpoint,” Thompson said.
The event serves as an opportunity for history buffs and families to come out and experience life of a century-and-a-half ago.
It is free for children under age 12, so students learning about the Civil War era of American history have a chance to see a three-dimensional representation of what they’ve read in history books.
“I think a lot gets lost in time. I think a lot of kids don’t know about the Civil War,” Sonne said. “It’s something that needs to be remembered for a lot of reasons.”
While re-enactments of the American Civil War are more popular in the South, and the states directly involved with the war, Sonne said the events like San Benito County’s Civil War Days are common throughout the U.S.
At Civil War Days, those coming out for the event will see realistic battle scenes, townspeople doing everyday chores, a field hospital and vendors, Sonne said.
