LYNCHBURG The federal commander in blue gave his troops a stern warning as they watched about 100 Confederate soldiers march toward them.
"I want your eyes front. I don't want you looking right or left. And stop talking!"
Perhaps it was a sign of wry respect for the Southern soldiers, who were about to surrender their weapons in a re-enactment ceremony at Appomattox Court House National Historic Park on Saturday.
Once in place, the Confederate commander slowly waved the flag of the 26th North Carolina Infantry over his men so they could have one last touch, one last kiss, of their colors before it was rolled up and stacked on top of the guns.
It was an emotional moment for the re-enactors and tourists there to watch the program, which was part of the events marking the 145th anniversary of the surrender at Appomattox. For a few, it even brought tears.
The stacking of the arms "was the surrender for your average soldier," park ranger Ernie Price said. "They weren't in the room with Lee and Grant."
About 200 re-enactors from throughout the East Coast arrived Friday night and set up two camps on the park grounds. The North was portrayed by Vincent's Brigade, a re-enacting group with units based in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. The South was portrayed by the 26th North Carolina Infantry, which draws members from throughout North Carolina.
On April 12, 1865, tens of thousands of Confederate troops marched on Stage Road, unit by unit, to surrender their guns and ammunition. Union troops took those arms and laid them along the road, park ranger Bert Dunkerly said. One account described the piles as waist-high, stacked like firewood, he said.
On Saturday, the scent of wood smoke from campfires filled the air at the park. Placid scenes of re-enactors portraying all aspects of battle life were scattered throughout, with boys practicing drum beats to women preparing meals. Visitors mingled, with children wearing Confederate caps running around pretending they were soldiers with branches as guns.
Many people think there was no battle at Appomattox, that it was just the surrender, Dunkerly said. But in fact, there was an intense fight on the morning of April 9, 1865. The battlefield stretched from the village at Appomattox Court House to where U.S. 460 now stretches, Dunkerly said.
On Saturday, those portraying Union soldiers stood in a line in a verdant field. They were called to the ready and told to fire. The blast of synchronized shots punctured the cool air. A cannon, fired from those portraying the Confederate troops, punched in response.
The rebel yell went up, and the federals were ordered to fire again. Then silence.
An onlooker quipped: "That shut them up."
While re-enactors were firing guns and cannons, they weren't allowed to aim at the other side while on national park property. They were only allowed to give the impression they were fighting, Dunkerly said.
"We don't want them to play soldier, play war, where the men actually fell."
Sarah Watson is a staff writer for the News & Advance of Lynchburg.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement