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ALL THINGS OKLAHOMA
Portraying a Vicious War ABOVE: RE-ENACTMENT SOLDIERS FIRE A VOLLEY AT THE BATTLE OF ROUND MOUNTAIN NEAR YALE. BELOW: SOLDIERS PREPARE FOR THE BATTLE OF ROUND MOUNTAIN TO BEGIN. PHOTOS BY CURTIS PAYNE
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klahoma’s living history interpreters know much about Civil War battles in what was then Indian Territory. They especially want to honor the sacrifices of the men who slept in canvas tents. “The deprivation of the soldier is not usually taught in any history class,” says Rick Harding, a battlefield reenactor and living history interpreter in Bartlesville. “The common soldier had to march hundreds of miles at a time, sleep in all kinds of weather and eat salt pork or dried beef or nothing at all for days and weeks at a time.” Re-enactors portray engagements on designated weekends at the Honey Springs Battlefield in
Across Oklahoma, living history exhibits and battle re-enactments bring lessons of the past to new generations.
Checotah, near Yale for the Battle of Round Mountain and outside Durant for the Battle of Middle Boggy. The gatherings usually begin with a student day on Friday. The public may come the other days to walk through the camps, talk to living history interpreters and shop at vendor booths. “Re-enactments are incredible,” says Steve Hawkins, director of marketing at the Oklahoma History Center. “The uniforms are as close to accurate as they can get. They go to great lengths, do hundreds of hours of study on the history of the event.” Thousands travel annually 4 miles west of Yale to the Round Mountain re-enactment, Feb. 16-17 this year, says Mike Cavenah, vice president of the Round Mountain Trust. The Grand Ball that Saturday night features dance lessons, period music and refreshments that would have been served in the 1860s. “We are celebrating … the lives of the people who fought in that struggle on both sides,” says Cavenah, who coaches and teaches history at Mounds High School. “If you don’t know your country’s history, it’s hard to take pride in your history.” Students of the war often say their interest began when they were young. Erick McBroom, an antiques dealer FEBRUARY 2019 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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