Civil War Living History Reinactment July 3, 2009

1st Annual Civil War Reenactment.....July 4th & 5th, 2009- Battle for Turkeyville,

Sponsored by Cornwell's Turkeyville USA Restaurant and General Store of Marshall, Michigan.

Hosted by the 17th South Carolina Infantry... a non-profit living history reenactment unit based in Michigan. Free for the public to attend!

Civil War reenactors will live life for a weekend in an 1860's period camp: cooking, sleeping, chopping firewood, and then will battle for the high ground on Saturday and Sunday. There will be soldiers, nurses, civilians, canons, horses, and tents; as well as period vendors and displays present.

Throughout the weekend, the Federal and Confederate soldiers will drill, conduct weapon inspections, muster for battle, will conduct a period Army Court Martial and a Prisoner of War Exchange Ceremony. Using their 3-banded black powder muskets, along with artillery support, the troops will then battle for the the railroad cut and wheatfield at Turkeyville....land that will give one side or the other a distinct advantage in this Civil War.

The Ladies will show off their finest period-correct dresses, complete with bonnets and hoop-skirts, during Saturday's Fashion Show, and then will host a Ladie's Tea Social on Sunday. Children's period correct games such as rounders (baseball), mule shoes (horseshoes), bocci ball, and croquet will be played throughout the weekend as well. Saturday evening, the soldiers will hold a Speed-Shoot and 3-legged race, come see which side wins!

Civil War Music and political speeches will be performed on site. Also attending, will be Harry McNeer, a Civil War Historical author, who will have his new book "The Letters of John and Susan Morgan: A Story of Everyday Life, Love, and Loss in the Civil War Years" available for sale on Saturday and Sunday.

Civil War vendors, called Sutlers, will be at Turkeyville, selling Civil War clothing, furniture, knick-knacks, and other trinkets. Richard Heinicke (pronounced Hi-knee-key), a Civil War Blacksmith, will revive the lost art of blacksmithing as he uses hot coals and a mallet to pound out cast iron into useful Civil War style tools, kitchen gear, and firepit grates. There will be several reproduction, hand-made blacksmithed items for sale to the public and reenactors.

A Civil War Cartographer will have Civil War photography, known as ambertypes and tin-types, on display for the public to view; as well as a Civil War Medical Scenario and Field Hospital performed by the 18th Michigan Infantry. Also on display will be a tribute to Lewis & Clark's 1803 to 1806 Westward Expedition of the Lousiana Purchase that brought new states both into the Union and into the Confederacy. The Sons of Union Veterans and the Sons of Confederate Veterans will also be present to help with questions about the Civil War as well as those interested in researching geneology and their Civil War heritage!

The battles will take place at 2pm on both Saturday and Sunday and are free to the public to view. Around Dusk on Saturday, there will be a Night Battle, a Night-firing of the Canons, and a 4th of July Sparkler Lighting Ceremony. The public is welcome to bring sparklers and participate in the ceremony, but please leave all other fireworks at home, as per Michigan state law.

We hope you will join us for this history and fun-filled weekend as we celebrate America's birth as a nation! Any questions can be directed to Sarah Slaninka, Event Coordinator, at: 269-449-2545, and more information can be found at the event website: http://turkeyvillereenactment.tripod.com

Official Website: http://www.turkeyville.com