Civil War history program planned for April 26
Published 2:39 pm Thursday, April 4, 2013
Civil War enthusiast and site director for the Alabama Historical Commission’s Confederate Memorial Park Bill Rambo hopes to educate those willing to learn about the Civil War.
Rambo and others have organized a Civil War Living History Program scheduled for April 26 with a morning session from 9-11:30 a.m. and an afternoon session from 12:30-3 p.m. to immerse all ages in an up-close and personal view of the Civil War.
“The crux of the program is to allow someone who might have seen a movie or read a magazine article and wonder how someone during that time period would have done something a certain way,” Rambo said. “This program allows them to not only get the answers to their questions, but to be able to see it.”
Rambo said the living history portion of the program allows participants to view and handle clothing and equipment that has been reproduced to replicate items used during the Civil War. There will also be a musician station to have group participation with music being played and demonstrations from trained Civil War actors.
“We hope through the different stations we will have such as infantry, cavalry, artillery, infantry drills, Civil War barracks, medical, commissary wagon and music, people will be able to gain a better understanding of the Civil War,” Rambo said. “Especially for children who can get outside of the classroom and be able to visualize things they are learning about at school.”
The actors wear authentic clothing and must be historically correct while on site to answer questions from groups touring the park.
“We screen our living historians because we want everything to be as it would have been during the Civil War,” Rambo said. “Our actors are not allowed to wear anything they want to; they have to wear authentic costumes and uniforms we have purchased from artisans who construct these outfits across the country.”
Rambo said the event was scheduled on a school day so that school groups would be able to attend, but the event is also open to adults who want to participate.
The event is free and schools that want to participate can pay a group admission rate of $2 per person to the museum that is located in the park.
Rambo said participants to the museum are limited to 10 groups in the morning and 10 in the afternoon. One adult must accompany each group of 10 students throughout the museum.
“We hope everyone will come out and have a good time while learning something about the Civil War,” Rambo said. “This is the fourth year we have done this and the kids just love it.”
For more information about the event or to make a reservation, call 755-1990.
Confederate Memorial Park is located at 437 County Road 63 in Marbury.