In 1861, with the shelling of Federal troops at Ft. Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, there came a call for the Federal army to quickly march on Richmond to put down the rebellion. As the untested army marched from Washington City toward Manassas, Virginia on July 21st, many civilians turned out in carriages with picnic lunches to follow the soldiers and watch the battle at Bull Run. An afternoon counter attack by the rebel forces sent the Federal Army into a rout as they scrambled past the panicked picnickers in a disorderly retreat back to Washington. The Federals sustained 2,800 casualties; killed, wounded, captured or missing. It was apparent by sundown in Manassas that it was going to be a longer, bloodier conflict than most had imagined.
And so, with the Battle of Bull Run in mind, armed with an invitation by our good friend Kirby McCord* to come out to watch his artillery unit in action at a Civil War Re-enactment, we penciled in a fine Saturday in mid-April to pack some picnic chairs and go watch the Civil War. We headed an hour-and-a-half's drive south of Dallas to Mexia (pronounced Mah-HAY-uh) where the forces were bivouacked at the Historic Confederate Reunion Ground. The area was originally a composition of lots purchased by Confederate veterans in the 1890's as a place to build family cabins and camp next to other veterans and their families and share old war stories on the banks of the Navarro River. The reunions grounds hosted several thousand people in the earliest decade of the 20th Century, but as the old veterans answered the bugle call and retired to Valhalla, the place fell into disuse and was eventually turned into a State Park.
Kirby's unit is normally the Confederate Valverde Battery, using the actual historical howitzer that was fired in the Mexican-American War and again in the Civil War.
The other Union troops are usually Boy Scouts that get paid to be Yankees, while the Confederate re-enacters are mostly men in their 40's & 50's. Besides, folding canvas chairs, I also packed by old infantry uniform from the 140th New York Regulars from my Civil War Re-enacting days back in the late 1970's.
We paid the $5 entry fee (a bill with Lincoln's portrait - not Confederate script) to enter the Confederate Reunion Grounds. After we parked I then put on my Federal blue wool sack coat and kepi. As we walked past the guy who had just taken my parking money, he shouted at me, "Hey! Billy Yank, if I had known you were..." (I suspect he was only half-kidding).
I replied, "You Rebs can't have a war unless you have two sides." He grinned, but to this day many folks still feel there are two sides in the "War of Northern Aggression". I, for one, have never warmed up to the confederate cause, but can appreciate the historical aspect, especially since my own ancestors fought for the Army of Northern Virgina; but I can not condone firing on the American flag and those serving under it. It seems like high treason to me.
The Confederate band played a number of Civil War era tunes as the crowd gathered prior to the 2:00 PM battle.
One gentleman talked of Dixie in a loud voice behind where I was seated, and then appended his comments with, "Excepting this fella here in blue [meaning me]". I then turned toward him and told him, "Dixie, it's great tune. I admire it." He knew I was quoting Lincoln, and went on to tell me Lincoln's priority was not the abolition of slavery but preserving the Union; then acknowledged that I already probably knew that. The band played Dixie as the final tune in there set before the anticipated report of the Confederate artillery across the grassy opening, some 80 yards distance.
With a muzzle flash, reverberating thunder shattering the afternoon calm, followed by a wafting cloud of gray smoke from the black powder charge now obscuring the battery, the dismounted cavalry then advanced.
The mounted cavalry charged before the line of spectators with the Texas flag flying. Union troops advanced, knelt and fired at the rebel ranks. The rebels retreated and gathered with reinforcements, then mounted a counter attacked with cavalry support. The artillery continued to fire in the distance. The Confederates kept advancing with orders to volley fire; they reloaded, stood and advanced and then were ordered to fired in quick succession from the left of the formation. Reload and advance. The command was issued, "Fire at will!" and with a rebel yell they drove the Union army from the field and over ran Kirby's Chicago Mercantile battery. The battle lasted for about 30 minutes. However, unlike the Battle of Bull Run, for us spectators the results were never in doubt - The South always wins these battles down here in Texas.
And so, with the Battle of Bull Run in mind, armed with an invitation by our good friend Kirby McCord* to come out to watch his artillery unit in action at a Civil War Re-enactment, we penciled in a fine Saturday in mid-April to pack some picnic chairs and go watch the Civil War. We headed an hour-and-a-half's drive south of Dallas to Mexia (pronounced Mah-HAY-uh) where the forces were bivouacked at the Historic Confederate Reunion Ground. The area was originally a composition of lots purchased by Confederate veterans in the 1890's as a place to build family cabins and camp next to other veterans and their families and share old war stories on the banks of the Navarro River. The reunions grounds hosted several thousand people in the earliest decade of the 20th Century, but as the old veterans answered the bugle call and retired to Valhalla, the place fell into disuse and was eventually turned into a State Park.
Kirby's unit is normally the Confederate Valverde Battery, using the actual historical howitzer that was fired in the Mexican-American War and again in the Civil War.
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| Valverde Battery encamped on the banks of the Navarro River Confederate Reunion Grounds, Mexia, Texas |
But, since Valverde Battery was host for this event, they were obliged to "go blue" - nobody in Texas wants to be the Yankees (like I said, down south it is still a longer conflict than most would have imagined). When Valverde Battery dons Federal uniforms, they become the Chicago Mercantile Battery, using authentic guns Valverde Battery captured from the Union during battle. The other Union troops are usually Boy Scouts that get paid to be Yankees, while the Confederate re-enacters are mostly men in their 40's & 50's. Besides, folding canvas chairs, I also packed by old infantry uniform from the 140th New York Regulars from my Civil War Re-enacting days back in the late 1970's.
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| Federal Chicago Mercantile Battery with 3-Inch ordinance rife [Normally this unit portrays the Confederate Valverde Battery] |
We paid the $5 entry fee (a bill with Lincoln's portrait - not Confederate script) to enter the Confederate Reunion Grounds. After we parked I then put on my Federal blue wool sack coat and kepi. As we walked past the guy who had just taken my parking money, he shouted at me, "Hey! Billy Yank, if I had known you were..." (I suspect he was only half-kidding).
I replied, "You Rebs can't have a war unless you have two sides." He grinned, but to this day many folks still feel there are two sides in the "War of Northern Aggression". I, for one, have never warmed up to the confederate cause, but can appreciate the historical aspect, especially since my own ancestors fought for the Army of Northern Virgina; but I can not condone firing on the American flag and those serving under it. It seems like high treason to me.
The Confederate band played a number of Civil War era tunes as the crowd gathered prior to the 2:00 PM battle.
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| The Rebel Band Strikes up Dixie before the Artillery signal the start of battle |
With a muzzle flash, reverberating thunder shattering the afternoon calm, followed by a wafting cloud of gray smoke from the black powder charge now obscuring the battery, the dismounted cavalry then advanced.
 |
| Confederate dismounted cavalry reload and prepare to advance after artillery barrage |
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| Confederate line - Fire at will! |
The mounted cavalry charged before the line of spectators with the Texas flag flying. Union troops advanced, knelt and fired at the rebel ranks. The rebels retreated and gathered with reinforcements, then mounted a counter attacked with cavalry support. The artillery continued to fire in the distance. The Confederates kept advancing with orders to volley fire; they reloaded, stood and advanced and then were ordered to fired in quick succession from the left of the formation. Reload and advance. The command was issued, "Fire at will!" and with a rebel yell they drove the Union army from the field and over ran Kirby's Chicago Mercantile battery. The battle lasted for about 30 minutes. However, unlike the Battle of Bull Run, for us spectators the results were never in doubt - The South always wins these battles down here in Texas.
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| Texas boys! Follow your colors! |
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| Texas Flag flying leads the Confederate forces into battle |
Following the battle, all the soldiers then form up and fall in behind their colors and march in review past the spectators, led by the victorious Confederates. As the Stars and Stripes marched past, I give three loud shouts of Huzzah! Huzzah for the Stars and Stripes! Huzzah! The Union captain in command looks at me with surprise and a quizzical grin, as the Yankees never get a cheer. The captain tries to get his troops to return a cheer, but the effort falls flat from apparent lack of experience.
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| Kirby McCord Union Artilleryman (for this day only) |
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| Two very unpopular old (Yankee) soldiers Kirby and Mark Confederate Reunion Grounds, Mexia, Texas |
We linger in the pleasant sunshine and fill our nostrils with the acrid scent of black powder drifting through the oaks. We spend some time talking history and our families with Kirby before we drive North to Dallas.
The whole weekend was devoted to "Living History Days", and the camp area had sutlers selling old fashioned root beer, barbecue and Civil War trinkets as well as fancy hoop-skirts for the ladies. The history aspect also featured a camel from the Camel Corps, an army unit conceived of by then Secretary of the Army, Jefferson Davis, as way of patrolling the American Southwest in the 1850's.
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| Secretary of the Army, Jefferson Davis' Camel Corps |
On the way home, we follow a tradition held since the Civil War and stop at the famous Collins Street Bakery in Corsicana to choose one of their specialty fruit cakes to take home to our 40 acres along with our mule, rifle. We select the pecan and apricot variety of fruit cake.
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| Sue makes the acquaintance of a 6-day old calf at Living History Days Confederate Reunion Grounds |
* Kirby McCord has written and had published a fine work of historical fiction, Cemetery Ridge. In Chapter 33, I am given a footnote in fictional history as a reserve cavalry commander. I therefore recommend you buy and read Kirby's book.
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