Echos of the Past

Taking the Field at Red Bluff Civil War Days…

Flash back to the early 1860s when men rode horses, carried muskets and charged each other with bayonets wearing hot wool laden uniforms on American soil all in the name of abolishing slavery. The Union – aka The North – ultimately beat the Confederate south, with more than 620,000 soldiers losing their lives in the Civil War.

To preserve this important time in American history, the Civil War Days-Red Bluff Reenactor Group will host Civil War Days at Cone Grove Park in Red Bluff on April 26-27. Two battles on Saturday and one on Sunday will feature multitudes of reenactors sharing a glimpse of what life was like during that time.
Civil War Days started in Red Bluff in 2005, but the reenactment club itself has been around for more than 30 years. The founders lived in Chico, but members hail from Sacramento up to Southern Oregon. The club takes part in five or six events per year, having held reenactments in Red Bluff, Yreka, Graeagle and Corning in the past.

The Reenactor Group generally has around 75 soldiers out on the battlefield, and maybe another 100 civilian actors. To prepare for Civil War Days, the club practices drills, with people playing the parts of the Union, Confederate, infantry and artillery. The battle scenarios take place at the actual event, and a lot of new soldiers/reenactors are recruited there, too.

The commanders discuss who is positioned on the battlefield, then they go out and play it by ear. “We have it planned out to go one way and have safety things in place, but there is some improv,” says Civil War Days Event Organizer Rick Barram. “The reenactments are made up of individuals…you take your man and tell him to go in one direction, and then the side you thought was going to win found themselves in a position to lose,” he says with a smile. “I’m a captain with the Union infantry; we go out there with our muskets and there’ve been plenty of times when we lost battles.”

With “We Want You”-style recruitment posters around the camps and loaner uniforms, people are welcome to show up and participate or just stay and watch. Everyone who goes out on the field learns how to load and fire a weapon, only using black powder (no projectiles) and keeping 30 feet from other soldiers.

“We’re especially cognizant of distances to maintain around the cannons, and making sure no one is putting bayonets in the field,” Barram explains. While the young guys tend to like to fire weapons (one Red Bluff reenactor said the club was like “Boy Scouts with guns”), Barram says, “I like to think we have something for everybody in the roles they can play. How early one shows up determines how much training they can get. Maybe they’ll carry a flag instead of a musket or be a part of the civilian crew if they don’t want to be on the field.”

The battles are the main attractions of Civil War Days, but attendees are welcome to go into the camps afterwards to talk to the soldiers and 1863 civilians. They demonstrate loading and firing cannons, and they’ll have a woman who is a sutler, selling uniforms and equipment to the actors as well as little books and pop guns to the attendees.

When asked about some of the interesting questions he’s gotten, Barram says people ask things that show a lack of understanding of the Civil War, like, “Which side were the British on?” Or, “is it hot in that uniform?” But most of the time, people don’t know what to ask, so Barram prompts them with, “Want to see how to load a musket?” And all of a sudden six people will be watching the demonstration.

“We grab people and start a conversation, and that puts them at ease. It’s so different from what you’re used to. It’s kind of intense and overwhelming, so we make it as easy and welcoming as we can,” Barram says.

The end of a battle normally involves acknowledging the sponsors and asking for donations for the American Battlefield Trust to preserve sites for future generations. •

Red Bluff Civil War Days
Battles: Noon and 3 pm April 26, 1 pm April 27
Camps open April 26 and 27 from 9 am to 5 pm
Cone Grove Park, Red Bluff
Free parking onsite
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