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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (May 25, 2016)
Wednesday, May 25, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 5 Sisters witnesses Civil War in Camp Sherman By Lynn Woodward Correspondent It’s a comfort to walk into a war camp and see famil- iar faces. Although every- one at last weekend’s Civil War reenactment in Camp Sherman was friendly and eager to share their knowl- edge of the Civil War, greet- ings from Janna and Jirka Novotny of Sisters made a stranger from another era walking the path between fires, tents and guns more at ease. The Novotnys’ son, David, as a Boy Scout, helped with parking at a previous Northwest Civil War Council reenactment at House on Metolius, but he wanted in on the action. The family decided to join the Confederate Zouaves unit from Louisiana. They also participated as musicians. Janna, with her fiddle, and John Feller of Longview, Washington, with his guitar, even crossed the line to play music with a Yankee. Bo Vigoten, a young man also of Longview, came to this event with Feller. This was Vigoten’s first reenact- ment, and he was finding his first attempts to produce a tune from a bugle amusing. Joseph Bernhard, who cur- rently resides in Portland, is part of the 4th Virginia unit of the Confederate battalion. He was enthusiastically leading Vigoten through bugle basics. Bernhard explained that the bugle is “the voice of command.” Obviously louder than the shouts from a man, the commander would tell his orders to the bugler, who then played the melody that matched that order to the unit. Bernhard said that the bugle orders were very similar amongst all units of both the Union and the Confederacy. However, bugle orders of the Civil War era he’s learn- ing now from recordings on his iPod are different from the orders he learned in his bugling while serving in the Mexican Army — a real-life job from his past. The camps were com- prised of dozens of basic white canvas tents. Cots, wool blankets, wood fires, cast iron, oil lanterns and other period-appropriate tools are encouraged. All genera- tions shared in this weekend event, and many youngsters played along, too, running with boundless energy, shoot- ing cap guns and mock-dying in the fields Lisa Bloodgood, an expe- rienced reenactor, showed Trisha Rose, a first-timer, her slat bonnet, promising to email her the pattern later in the week. Handmade and manufactured clothing and accessories were available in the tent store for anyone to purchase. A blacksmith, a tinsmith and other tradesmen showed and explained methods from the era with some antique tools and some replicas. A doctor and a dentist had their tools and potions on display. There was a multitude of pre- sentations about the arma- ments, fashion and life at home away from battles. A church service in 19th-cen- tury style was well-attended, and real prayers were offered for the current day’s concerns. Of course, the main attrac- tion was the action and noise of the battles. The command- ers meet prior to each battle to decide the reenactment’s outcome and some general maneuvers. However, those decisions were not shared with the troops, so the orders and how they might play out were not scripted. Cavalry charges, pis- tol and musket fire — with blank black powder charges — ensued. Women may dress as men and fight, too. The cannons thundered mightily. photo by Lynn WoodWard Confederate troops battled on the meadow at House on Metolius. Completely In-Canal Helps your ear work the way it’s supposed to! — Stay Active — 541-317-1265 | 1625 NE 2nd St. | Bend, OR SISTERS LES SCHWAB REDMOND PRINEVILLE 600 W. HOOD AVE. • 541-549-1560 541-548-4011 541-447-5686 845 NW 6th 1250 East 3rd MADRAS La PINE BEND-SOUTH BEND-FRANKLIN BEND-NORTH 1412 SW Hwy. 97 52596 N. Hwy. 97 61085 S. Hwy. 97 541-475-3834 541-536-3009 541-385-4702 105 NE Franklin 63590 Hunnell Rd. 541-382-3551 541-318-0281
