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Civil War era comes to life in Burton

Union riflemen prepare to fire during a battle at the Civil War re-enactment, which is part of the encampment event. There also is crafts, food, music and open houses at several of the village buildings.

BURTON — Visitors were taken back in time to the Civil War with an encampment and a battle re-enactment Saturday at the Century Village Museum.

At a battle near an encampment organized by the Geauga County Historical Society, groups of Union and Confederate infantry exchanged musket fire as they took turns advancing and retreating as Union cannons occasionally fired a volley. Throughout the battle, men were intermittently “shot” and attended to by a priest or someone else such as an “ice angel” carrying a sack of ice.

A Confederate rifleman in the 5th Texas Regiment, John Rys, 56, of Streetsboro, said he began performing 11 years ago because a friend of his was a re-enactor. Since then, Rys has portrayed a civilian and a soldier, although the drills and roughly $1,200 worth of era-appropriate gear make re-enacting something more than a hobby.

“I like sharing history with the young people,” Rys said. “This may be them in five to 10 years.”

A Union rifleman with the 25th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Jared Schiele, 22, of Aurora, said a lifelong interest in history is what led him to re-enacting for both the Civil War and World War II. However, his favorite part of re-enacting is talking to people and seeing young kids get excited about attending.

“We try to get people to not forget it. You have to keep the memory alive,” Schiele said.

Ultimately, after retreating into the encampment, the Confederate forces surrendered to the Union and everyone returned to their tents. President Abraham Lincoln, portrayed by Gerald Payn, 84, of Wooster, looked on throughout the battle with the stoic expression often seen in photographs of the late president.

Having performed the role of Lincoln for 17 years, Payn, who has the height and whiskers to accurately portray Lincoln, said the most difficult part in researching the role is reading about the battles and horrors people experienced during the Civil War, which he said illustrate the compassion and humility Lincoln possessed in leading the Union through such tumultuous years.

“I do not think any other human could have stuck it out those four years,” Payn said of Lincoln.

One re-enactor was not a soldier, but one of the many women who supported the soldiers by performing the necessary tasks. Lydia Fielding, 17, of Willoughby, with the 7th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, has been re-enacting for three years and helps with cooking and washing dishes or uniforms. The hardest part, both on the battlefield or in the tents, is the heat, which makes it important for everyone involved to stay hydrated, though she still enjoys being able to wear dresses from the era.

“My favorite events are the balls, where you dress up and men have to ask you to dance,” Fielding said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Not everything at the encampment revolved around the battle however, as visitors could see houses and buildings as they were in the 1800’s, watch blacksmiths, see how the soldiers lived or get something to eat or drink.

To provide some era-appropriate music, a volunteer group named the Geauga Sweet Strings was present to play songs such as “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” and “You Are My Sunshine” using instruments such as three Appalachian dulcimers, a Hammer dulcimer and a Woodrow.

“We usually have T-shirts, but since this is a Civil War event we tried to dress appropriately,” member Pat Urquhart said.

Even for people who aren’t Civil War buffs, the event drew a massive crowd as people both young and old enjoyed the event. Alexis Fuerst, 71, of Kirtland, loved the old style houses and architecture with the rooms arranged as they were when people lived in them, as well as the overall historical nature of the event.

“It’s fun and it’s a perfect day today,” Fuerst said. “It really makes you slow down.”

Fuerst’s two granddaughter, Elle, 7, and Madeline Dejulius, 6, of Broadview Heights, were less excited about the battle and more excited for a miniature train ride and the crafts that were available, such as being able to burn a heart and a butterfly into two blocks of wood at the blacksmith.

“My favorite was when we went in the houses,” Elle said.

ddye@tribtoday.com

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