Suddenly there was an explosion, a cloud of smoke and a shock wave from a blast. Children screamed and car alarms blared. But it was only a re-enactment.
Cannons were fired at the 13th Civil War Encampment Friday and Saturday on the Ohio Statehouse’s lawn, where hundreds of people gathered to see “living history” in action.
“This is living history for educational purposes,” said Joe Patchen, an artilleryman in the 1st Ohio Statehouse Light Artillery, Battery A. “We try to teach people not just about the cannons but everything we can about Ohio’s participation in the Civil War.”
No projectiles were loaded into the cannons, which were fired for effect.
The artillerymen demonstrated the specific duties involved in firing the gun. In addition to following the official procedure of firing, volunteers are responsible for knowing and understanding the everyday life of a Civil War soldier, according to the Battery A official website.
Battery A, a nonprofit organization of American Civil War reenactors, fired cannons that were originally cast in 1864 for the defense of the Ohio Statehouse, seven times throughout the day. The elaborate procedure of firing the cannon is historically accurate down to the most minute details to create an educational experience and spark interest in Ohio’s history, Patchen said.
“We’re always Union. By Ohio law, we’re not allowed to play with the guns and dress up as the Confederates. But there doesn’t ever seem to be a shortage of Confederates to shoot at. They seem to die a lot,” said Patchen, wearing a full Civil War artilleryman uniform.
The sound of the cannons visibly startled those who watched the demonstrations and caused some of the children to yelp. Many were intrigued by the cannon blasts and were at the encampment just to see what was going on.
“There was a noise every 15 minutes after the hour. We had to come out and see what it was. We’re actually playing hooky from the office right now,” said Kim Simon, who wandered onto the lawn of the Statehouse from one of the office buildings nearby.
Abraham Lincoln, portrayed by Robert Brugler, said, “I’m hearing some of the car alarms still going off.”
Brugler said he has been studying America’s 16th president for more than 40 years, and after retiring from 35 years of teaching science at Gahanna Lincoln High School, decided to become part of the Civil War re-enactment scene.
Many stations were arranged throughout the encampment: an artillery camp, a music tent, an infantry tent and a medical hospital station. Many of the volunteers who participate in Civil War re-enactments study actual historical figures to enhance the experience.
Michael Rupert portrayed a Civil War medic named Benjamin Pittman.
“If you were hit by a bullet, we would examine your wound with the first probe that we have at hand,” he said, raising his index finger. “And if we’re lucky, we wash our hands maybe twice a day.”
Another cannon blast reverberated between the high-rise buildings of downtown Columbus.
“War is pretty gruesome. That’s why I am pleased to talk about this because I don’t want people to think war is all glory and just a big adventure,” Rupert said.
As a communication specialist on the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board at the Ohio Statehouse, he helped organize the encampment this year and has been a member of Battery A since 2000.
There were people portraying politicians of the time walking around the encampment with an array of knowledge about their figures. They included Ulysses S. Grant, portrayed by Luke Stedke; Gov. William Dennison, portrayed by Bob Davis; Maj. Gen. David Stanley, portrayed by Bill Comisford; and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon Chase, portrayed by Lesley Cornathan.
A few civilians who had pivotal roles during the Civil War were also portrayed. Valerie Hamill, as founder of the Red Cross Clara Barton, explained what it was like to be a member of a Civil War re-enactment group.
“There’s no pay, it’s a passion. You have to be dedicated to do it; it’s teaching really. It’s like we’re possessed. Once you get hit by the bug, there’s no cure,” Hamill said, while wearing a dress with more than seven layers in 83-degree weather Friday.
The American Civil War (1861-1865) was fought between the Union of the North and the 11 Confederate states of the South. Social, political, economic and racial differences divided the U.S.
“This is really interesting, I think, because the issues between the two political parties that inspired the war weren’t nearly as extreme as they are even today,” said Jonathan Lehman, an English major at Columbus State Community College.
Next year will be 150 years since the American Civil War, and it will be a busy time for Battery A and other re-enactment groups across the country. Battery A volunteers purchase their own costumes, and the artillerymen all chip in on the price of the gun powder and cannon transportation, Patchen said.
The Big Walnut Civil War Re-enactment and Living History Pageant is a weekend-long event May 14-16 where the re-enactors will live as the civilians and soldiers of the time did in Sunbury, Ohio, Hamill said. Similar events happen throughout the year all over America, bringing people together to learn about the historical importance of the Civil War.
“They asked me, ‘What are you going to do when you retire?'” Brugler said. “Well, I could do this, or I could do that, or I could go around and be Abraham Lincoln.”
