Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2016)
2 // COASTWEEKEND.COM Experience living history at annual Civil War re-enactment WARRENTON — The Northwest Civil War Council will present a full re-enactment at Fort Stevens State Park from Saturday to Monday, Sept. 3 to 5. This is one of the largest events of the year for the NCWC and will include as many as 800 Civil War re-enactors from all over the West Coast, including Washington, Or- egon, California, Nevada, Idaho and Canada. The event is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday. The event offers more than seven acres of living history at Fort Steven State Park’s historic area with re-enac- tors in period clothing and uniforms, campsites and characters. Re-enactors presenting living condi- tions and circumstances of early 1863 as well as battle re-enactments each day with artillery, infantry and cavalry. Battles are scheduled at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Satur- day and Sunday, and one battle beginning at noon Monday. There will also be demonstrations presenting period medical practices each day, music demonstra- tions, artillery and cavalry demonstrations, a fashion show and hundreds of peri- od tents showing a variety of activities that would be found at an 1863 military and civilian campsite. There will also be a Civil War era church service at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Admission is $20 per carload and a $5 day-use fee to the Oregon State Parks service, and $5 per person at the bike gate. The Northwest Civil War Council is a nonproit living history organization dedi- cated to educating the pub- lic and its members about FILE PHOTO The staged battle re-enactments at the event will include infantry, cavalry and artillery. the American Civil War. Through membership in the NCWC, one has the oppor- tunity to recreate portions of the past in educational drama at re-enactments through which the spectator as well as the participant discover and learn more about their history and the people who lived during the year 1863 in Virginia and Pennsylvania. A re-enactment is a gathering of period person- alities living and working within the event portraying their particular impression. Members wear authenti- cally reproduced clothing, use black powder weap- ons, cook over open ires and sleep in canvas tents while participating in battle re-enactments and military or civilian life. Re-enactors speak in the manner and use the etiquette of the mid-19th century, they write in jour- nals of their experiences and work in irst person at events — all in the name of living history. Specta- tors are welcome to walk through the camp areas and discuss history with re-en- actors, some of whom may talk in irst person. Skits and impressions will go on all day, including period cooking, daily soldier activ- ities, civilian businesses and more. The NCWC is an um- brella organization that rep- resents the re-enacting units making up its membership. The active membership is just over 1,100 people from all over the Northwest, and the organization sponsors events throughout Oregon and the Northwest. Members also partici- pated in over 100 school presentations this year fea- turing anywhere from one or two re-enactors to 10 full “stations” demonstrating several aspects of the period including medical, artillery, infantry, cavalry, the sani- tary commission and more. The club also marches in parades and provides honor guards and salutes at funer- als and memorial services. Members also research, locate and document un- marked Civil War veterans’ gravesites, then acquire period headstones from the federal government, prepare the foundation for the headstones and have a period memorial service while marking those sites in cooperation with the Sons of Union Veterans. For more information, go to www.nwcwc.org
