An American Civil War re-enactment has taken place as a living history day for the general public to observe what the Civil War was like.
The re-enactment was organised by Lockeford Historical Society at the Old Lockeford School in California.
The re-enactment set up a camp to show where troops would have lived and trained before and during battle. Around 30 war enthusiasts gathered at the school to recreate the Civil War experience for visitors over the weekend. The school is now being used by the Lockeford Historical Society and is converting the building into a local history museum.
The living history experience has been an annual event for the past five years and has always been aimed at families and as an educational opportunity to teach younger generations about the Civil War.
The chairwoman of the historical society is a sixth generation descendant of Civil War fighters and many of the re-enactors are also direct descendants of American citizens who were involved in the Civil War.
The event’s Sergeant Major, Mike McPherson, can trace his roots back to the Revolutionary War. He says that he enjoys honoring and commemorating the sacrifice his ancestors made, as well as helping to educate and entertain people.
Confederate soldiers would carry around 60 rounds of ammunition, using a .58-caliber lead ball rifle which was loaded and fired one at a time, the Recordnet.com reports.
Re-enactor First Sergeant Jon Blasingame is a descendant of a Civil War captain through his great-grandfather who died in 1871 and served throughout the Civil War.
All the re-enactors believe that future generations can learn from history and none more so than the surrender of General Robert E. Lee to General Ulysses S. Grant in 1865 at Appomattox.