Recommend This StoryReady for battle
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By Amber Marra-amarra@nvdaily.com
MIDDLETOWN -- Battle cries and cannon fire rang out across Cedar Creek Battlefield on Saturday afternoon, with some very young soldiers leading the charge.
The Cedar Creek Battlefield Kids' Civil War History Camp took aim at teaching its enthusiastic recruits about the history of the war and what life was like for soldiers.
Members of the 5th U.S. Artillery, Company D; the 100th Pennsylvania Company A; and the 1st Virginia Cavalry, Company H, all lent a hand in explaining aspects of the war, from marching instruction to combat demonstrations on horseback.
Before they saw any action, recruits had to take an oath of allegiance to "support, protect and defend the Constitution and the government of the United States against all enemies domestic or foreign."
The group then began learning facing movements and how to get into formation by standing elbow to elbow, all with the help of their fearless leader, Sgt. Jeff Pennington, of the 100th Pennsylvania Company A.
"Don't be afraid, you're soldiers," he said.
Fear of battle wasn't a problem for most of the participants, most of whom had been raised with a passion for the Civil War instilled in them by their parents.
John Ortman, who brought his 10-year-old son, J.V., up from Leesburg, said it didn't take much to get the youngster interested in the war.
"When a 10-year-old develops an interest in history, I think you need to feed that," Ortman said. "He's an admirer of General [Robert E.] Lee, so he fancies himself a Confederate, even if he was raised by Yankees."
Though there were some struggles with getting the group to stay in formation, it was no problem getting them to obey the command "bayonet charge," which was always followed by a thunderous battle cry from the soldiers in training, some of whom, like Nicholas Tutwiler, 8, came all the way from North Carolina to participate in the camp.
"Number one, it was really important to me when I was young, and number two, he descended from a lot of folks who fought in the Confederacy in Virginia, so he gets to know his heritage," said Nicholas' father, John Tutwiler.
The campers weren't the only ones benefiting from the experience. The re-enactors teaching them enjoyed the group's genuine curiosity in all aspects of the training.
"The kids have all been great, they're on the ball, they know their stuff," said Logan Metesh, with the 1st Virginia Cavalry, Company H. "You can march around on the ground all you want and the perspective never changes, but you get into that saddle and it's a whole new ballgame."
The recruits weren't learning all of the skills demonstrated by the re-enactors for nothing, as they later had to charge members of the Confederacy to capture a cannon in a final battle.
As the group proceeded across the battlefield toward the cannon, members of the calvary rode forward shouting and firing weapons to no avail, as the campers were an unstoppable force. Though some laid down and acted as though they had been hit by enemy fire, others fell back and picked their comrades up to continue their mission, which was ultimately a success.
"A lot of them are taking classes on the Civil War in school, and this brings it to life and gives them a better understanding rather than just reading it from a book," said Suzanne Chilson, executive director of the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation.
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Sounds like the minor children had a good time learning civil war history. Nothing like a loud cannon to add to reality. Thanks to all of the civil war re creators who give of their time to keep history alive. Oct. 16 & 17 appears to be a major spectator day for the Cedar Creek battleground. Battlefield religious services held Sunday morning, Oct. 17. The horrors of war are not pretty, thank you for helping these youngsters receive a little bit of what "war" is truly about. May God bless America.