And with few people willing to lie on the ground to simulate the dead and wounded, even the simulation of casualties is gone from this reenactment.
Pivotal battle
In July 1861, more than 60,000 troops fought at Manassas. Nearly 5,000 died in this first major land battle of the war, which resulted in a Confederate victory.
“It is often referred to as the end of innocence,” says Ed Clark, superintendant of Manassas National Battlefield Park.
Although re-enactors work hard to be authentic to the period, there are some things, like electric wires, that they cannot control.
“Manassas really changed the way the country looked at what was in front of them. Prior to first Manassas, both sides thought it would be quick and relatively bloodless, and what occurred down here on the plains of Manassas really woke the country up.”
For the re-enactment, more than 6500 people took part, even though it meant braving searing heat. While Clark understands that a lot of people connect to Civil War history through re-enactments, he fears they don’t get a complete picture of the war.
“They really don’t show the horrors of warfare. Also, re-enactments portray a one-dimensional view of what is going on. There is so much more going on at the time of the Civil War, way beyond the battlefield, the home front, experiences of different immigrant groups and African Americans that aren’t played out in reenactments.”
最新
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27