Civil War Days come to Tres Pinos
History will come to life this weekend at the San Benito County
Historical Park as The National Civil War Association and the San
Benito County Historical Society host the fourth annual Civil War
Days.
Civil War Days come to Tres Pinos
History will come to life this weekend at the San Benito County Historical Park as The National Civil War Association and the San Benito County Historical Society host the fourth annual Civil War Days.
The park, located on Hwy. 25 south of Tres Pinos, this Saturday and Sunday will feature battle reenactments, living history demonstrations, and Civil War buffs playing the roles of all participants in the conflict – from Confederates and Union soldiers to preachers, spies and children. On Friday, Sept. 26, the Historical Society is sponsoring School Days, during which more than 400 local children are expected to visit the park to experience interpretive programs related to the Civil War and San Benito County History.
Also on display throughout the weekend will be a replica of the H.L. Hunley, a Confederate vessel credited with being the first submarine to engage and sink a warship.
Hollister resident Teresa Thompson and her husband, Jim, help organize the event on behalf of the Civil War Association.
“The idea behind the reenactments is that the Civil War was very devastating to the entire country,” said Thompson, a 20-year member of the association. “Veterans didn’t want our country to ever fall into those circumstances again.” Through events like Civil War Days, “we’re carrying on that tradition of education.”
Thompson portrayed a Confederate nurse for seven years and in recent years has played the role of a spy.
“It was easy for women to spy at that time because they weren’t considered smart enough,” she said. “They wore smugglers’ petticoats to smuggle medicine, money, documents, and newspapers” from one side to the other.
The Civil War buffs who play the various roles in these reenactments take their work seriously.
“We try to be as close to authentic as possible,” Thompson said. “You research like crazy, checking journals, diaries, biographies – not just relying on what’s written in the history books.”
Thompson, like most Civil War Association members, uses 19th century clothing patterns to make her own clothes and shoes, such as Brogans, footwear that has a horseshoe on the heel and hog nails on the ball of the foot.
“In the reenactments, the Confederates, Yankees and civilians are portrayed,” Thompson said. “We’ll have preachers, moms with kids, a female doctor, a medical corps.” Some participants bring their own canons to add to the authenticity.
People who attend “will be stepping back in time,” Thompson said. “They’ll be walking into a living-history scenario in which they can visit camps and ask questions” of the “re-enactors,” as they are called. “You might see a child being taught manners or someone getting medical attention.”
Last year’s event featured prisoners of war locked in jail.
Thompson’s husband, Jim, recommends that visitors pick a group of people to approach – such as a Confederate battalion – and go ask questions.
“They’ll tell you things you never knew,” Jim said.
Peter Sonne, president of the San Benito County Historical Society, said the Thompsons approached him about holding Civil War Days at the historical park because of its rural setting and abundance of old-fashioned buildings.
“We’re always striving to educate the public, not just about local history but about national history,” Sonne said. “If we can make a little bit of money while doing it, it helps us buy supplies and materials to keep our museum functioning and to keep the buildings at the park in repair.”
While the Civil War was waged on the other side of the country, Sonne noted that veterans of the war lived in San Benito County and a guard post was established here.
Several hundred re-enactors are expected to participate in Civil War Days along with vendors that will sell supplies such as uniforms, dresses and hats both to the participants and guests.
Area businesses and others help out with the event, Sonne said, which helps offset costs to the Historical Society.
David Grimsley, who owns property south of the Historical Park, allows one of his fields to be used for parking and a local Boy Scout troop helps direct the cars to spots. In previous years, the scouts have camped under oak trees on Grimsley’s land and spent time in the Civil War Days encampments interacting with the costumed history buffs.
Rain on last year’s opening day kept attendance down, but Sonne is hopeful that seasonal weather will bring back the crowds.
“We hope to have a good turnout and that everyone enjoys themselves,” he said.
Civil War Days will feature battle reenactments on Saturday, Sept. 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Park gates open at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and close at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $5 per person, with children under 10 free. Parking is $3 per vehicle. For more information about the event, go to www.ncwa.org.
