FAIRFIELD, Maine — Surrounded by Confederate soldiers with leveled bayonets, Union infantrymen Ben Custer and Ryan Middleton made a wise decision Saturday during a Civil War re-enactment held at Good Will Hinckley School in Fairfield: They surrendered.
Custer, from Palermo, and Middleton, from Oromocto, New Brunswick, were among more than 60 Civil War re-enactors who participated in “We Are Coming, Father Abraham,” a two-day event sponsored by the Maine Living History Association. Re-enactors traveled from as far away as Delaware and New York to portray civilians and soldiers.
Middleton and his father Troy, and several other Canadian re-enactors represented Co. I, 20th Maine Infantry Regiment. According to Troy Middleton, more than 3,000 Canadians joined Maine combat units during the Civil War; 128 Canadian soldiers served with the 20th Maine, he said.
Throughout the weekend, a Maine Public Broadcasting Network film crew worked with re-enactors to stage scenes for an MPBN documentary, “Maine at Gettysburg,” which will be aired next summer. The film will profile the 16th Maine Infantry Regiment, said Producer Dan Lambert, and the fields and woods around the Bates Museum at Good Will Hinckley School provided an excellent place to shoot footage.
Ben Custer and Ryan Middleton portrayed 16th Maine soldiers captured by Confederate troops at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. The MPBN film crew shot the scene a few times while using a smoke machine to create a smoky battlefield atmosphere; when a menacing Confederate soldier shouted, “Ground your arms!,” Custer and Middleton knelt, placed their rifled muskets on the ground, and raised their hands.
Later in the afternoon, Confederate and Union troops staged a raucous battle that involved artillery fire, a sword-slashing and pistol-firing cavalry fight, and infantrymen blasting away at each other as soldiers pitched either “killed” or “wounded” into the field grass. The scripted battle saw Confederate troops force their Union counterparts to retreat.
The encampment took its name from a Civil War song made popular after President Abraham Lincoln called for the loyal states to send another 300,000 men to fight the Confederacy in summer 1862. According to Miss Christabell Rose, a civilian re-enactor with the Maine Living History Association, Maine raised five infantry regiments; late on Saturday afternoon, organizers restaged the swearing-in of all five regiments into Union service.
Civilian re-enactors created a civilian town named Harmony. Author Thomas William Tear of New Castle, Del. came as a merchant who sold hair jewelry, a popular fashion accessory in the mid-19th century.
“From 1840 to 1900, hair was more valuable per ounce than sterling silver” and was used in hair pieces and intricate jewelry, Tear said.
Calais author Katherine Smutz portrayed a stylish matron from the 1860s.
A Georgia native, she grew up hearing about the Civil War from her relatives. “I grew up with it,” she said. “Yankees had horns and tails: I thought my daddy was exaggerating” when he told her that popular Southern rumor.
Smutz has published two war-related e-books for HistoryinanHour.com: “Slavery in an Hour” and “The American Civil War in an Hour.” Each e-book is designed to be read in an hour, she explained, and her Civil War e-book has at different times been the top-selling ebook in the United States, Canada, and Greece.
really shouldnt mention the word Confederate , the liberals will be upset, they think all the Confederates were racist..
No way, Jose, most liberals are much better informed than that. Spoken like on uniformed on history as well as the reenactment movement. However, talk to many Southerners nowadays and they will often refer to the “War of Northern Aggression” and you’ll often hear “DamYankee”, of course as one word.
Close Gopher but it was Damn Yankee . I did go yesterday and was happy to see many friends in the 15th AL and 20th Maine CoB . I was told there were no more handicapped spaces and I would have to park about 300 yds away. I found it difficult, however managed to wander about , even with the map places were hard to find. No signage for what camp was where. “Over the Hill and through the woods ” was a little vague. Re -enactors 10, Logistics 4
Sorry to hear of your difficulties and those of others. I wasn’t able to make it and would have liked to. I was at the 135th anniversary of Gettysburg outside Gettysburg and it was priceless even with some logistic problems.
The Civil War soldiers had to have had tremendous courage, fortitude. It was a war similiar in some respects as WW2, we out manufactured the enemy, out produced them, something the GOP had better remember while they continue to send our jobs oversees.
GOP shipping jobs overseas? Huh? What’s in your well water?
Perhaps you should watch the PBS (yes, Public Broadcasting) series hosted by Yul Kwon–“America Revealed” for a fascinating look at the real status of manufacturing in America and a factual explanation as to precisely what went overseas, why it went and what is manufactured here (and how and where it is now manufactured).
You’ll learn something that I bet you didn’t know and that I bet the Democratic Party has no interest in anyone finding out, preferring instead to dispense patently erroneous disinformation and lies to party adherents in an attempt to race-bait and class-bait votes in November.
If you don’t believe me, educate yourself: http://www.pbs.org/america-revealed/episode/4/
Now look here Wilford Brimley, this aging vietnam veteran is not sure what or how you think, but, I remember ping pong dipomacy, that only got us in billions in debt, GOP, Reagan ecomonomics, GOP, the unfunded ridulous Iraq war, GOP, out sourceing to make money for stock holders, mostly GOP, I must remind you MR. Brimley,when I say something I believe it, and, I really do not care if you or anyone else agrees, I earned my right to free speech, and there is hardly a GOP’er, and some DEM’s to, that I feel rightly, truly represent America, and the reason I say DEM, is I do not think Truman should have fired MacArthur, I think we would be a better country today if MacArthur had been allowed to cross the Yalu River.
Sorry to hear of the logistical/organizational problems…photographs I’ve seen of the even seem to indicate relatively light attendance..but hopefully this helped mitigate the organizational shortcomings. ..arguing with attendees over parking is not a great way to welcome people to one’s event. Let’s hope this doesn’t sour people’s interest in attending other reenactments held in Maine during the summer such as Washburn, Windham and Fort Knox Historic Site
What a great, living history lesson. Most younger people only have a very vague notion of the Civil War. Lest we forget, Civil War battles were murder, plain and simple. The bloodiest single day in American history happened during the Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg) in Maryland, with well over 17,000 casualties in one day. The Civil War is also accessible history, with many sites preserved around the country. Maine played a not insignificant role in the Civil War, providing many leaders and excellent troops.
Chamberlain, joshua, come on Joshua Chamberlain, how did you leave that out.
Can’t wait for the Documentary.
My daughters and I attended the event as volunteers. This was our first experience with a Civil War reenactment. The reenactors there were top notch and we really enjoyed meeting and talking to all the reenactors and vendors. The weather was lovely, the battle and execution were awesome and people’s devotion to getting it all historically correct was amazing. Our favorite part was the mustering in of new “recruits”. There were a few logistical snafus – I’ve not yet worked at a large event that didn’t hit some snags along the way – but there was nothing that ruined the weekend. Over all, I would say it was a great success. I only wish more folks had attended to enjoy it!