Civil War reenactors visit Black Butte School

Students at Black Butte School experienced the resounding boom of a Civil War-era musket on Friday as five members the Northwest Civil War Council, representing the 69th New York Infantry (the Irish Brigade) visited the school.

A pupil at the school, John Banks, 10, is a junior member of the brigade and served as a "Camp Boy" at two summertime reenactments. In this role, he fetched the Captain's coffee, filled canteens and performed other menial duties that a youngster would have done during the Civil War. These young men were kept far from the front lines but still experienced the brutal realities of war. According to one of the reenactors, Chaplain Donny Cameron, the camp boys were sometimes mustered into duty as stretcher bearers after some of the battles.

These days, a reenactment camp recreates as closely as possible the atmosphere and setting of the battlefields of the Civil War. Participants choose whether to serve in Union or Confederate units, and no court martial occurs should one switch sides occasionally.

The visitors to the school, Captain Earl Bishop and his wife Diane, Sergeant-Major Tom Harper and his wife Catherine, and Chaplain Cameron, spent time with the students explaining their various roles in the brigade. The women talked about their clothing, which they had meticulously crafted themselves, and gave the students a peek into aspects of domestic life. The men explained the differences in their uniforms and what role men of their rank would have played during the conflict. Chaplain Cameron talked about the role of the chaplains and about the very harsh realities of war.

Education plays a large role in what reenactors do. After a battle is waged, the public is welcome to roam through the camp, where they'll find row after row of white field tents, store tents, hospital tents, photographers, telegraph operators, blacksmiths and button-makers, all using equipment of the time. They'll also find groups of civilians dressed in period costume and carrying out camp life as it was then.

"We try to live in the 1860s," said Captain Bishop.

This reality is what struck John Banks and his father, David, when they came upon a reenactment after a fishing trip near Eugene was rained out. John spotted a poster for the event, which they checked out, and he was hooked. He won't be allowed to become an official member of the brigade until he's 14, but until then, he's happy to fetch and carry for the captain.