The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Century Village hosts Civil War Encampment
About 300 re-enactors attend semi-annual event
The Maddox family has a unique Memorial Day weekend tradition.
Each year, the Huntsburg Township family participates in a local Civil War reenactment.
Family matriarch Sue Maddox dresses up in her best 1860s garb and keeps camp — cooking by fire and washing dishes by hand.
Her husband, David, helps out on the cannon crew.
Their three daughters are also involved in various capacities.
Megan, 17, entertains onlookers by walking on stilts in character. Laura, 21, often plays down on the battlefield with the pipe and drums. Jessica, 27, also attends.
The family was among hundreds who took part in the semi-annual, two-day Century Village Museum’s Civil War Encampment event, which featured authentic re-enactors including Honest Abe Lincoln himself.
An estimated 300 reenactors representing the Union and Confederate armies were on hand to demonstrate skirmishes, battles, artillery fire and other military exercises. Re-enactors also came prepared to answer questions from attendees about the problems faced by soldiers at the time, their uniforms and weaponry, camp life, forced marches, the major
“It’s important to remember the people who were lost fighting for our country.”
conflicts between combatants, diseases and suffering and war-time prisons.
The encampment is held every other year at Century Village in Burton Township, switching off years with the Lake County History Center in Painesville Township.
“I’ve been coming here for 17 years,” Megan Maddox said while perched atop her stilts. “It’s just fun to do. It’s important to remember the people who were lost fighting for our country.”
Megan’s father said although
he was never in the military himself, he has great respect for those who served.
“I just love all history,” he said. “We switch back and forth between (portraying) Yankee and Confederate. I have Confederate blood in the family. I also have Yankee blood in the family.”
Fred Green, a Chardon lawyer who is president of the Geauga County Historical Society’s Board of Directors, said the Civil War had a huge impact locally.
“We had more men in service than in any other war,” said Green. “It directly affected more people than any other war in history. Even though there were no battles
here, it is one of the most significant events in Geauga County history. Memorial Day started from the Civil War to commemorate the end of the Civil War. There was no Memorial Day before the Civil War.”
The 2017 Civil War Encampment will take place again May 28 at Century Village Museum on Burton Square from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with battles expected to begin around 1:30 p.m.
Century Village is located at 14653 E. Park St. in Burton.
The cost of the event is $8 for adults, $5 for ages 6 to 12, and free for those younger than 6.