This year (2014) marked the 150th Anniversary of this battle and Pleasant Hill each year has a re-enactment of the battle. According to materials we found on the Internet, it is the only event of its kind that has an annual re-enactment on the exact spot of the original conflict. You can read more about it here if you wish, or here, for more details. Benjamin is very interested in all things involving war and the trip to the site was only a couple hours' away, so we decided to go on an Our Maker's Acres Academy homeschool field trip.
This Battle has some significance to my family as some of my ancestors from my mom's side of the family (Capt. John T. Jordan) lived in Pleasant Hill at the time of the conflict. Captain John T. Jordan was my grandmother's great-grandfather. One really neat story that always intrigues me is that when the fighting was getting close, family members hurriedly evacuated as Union forces were burning crops, destroying structures and confiscating livestock, leaving a wide swath of destruction in their wake. These ancestors put all the silverware into a bucket and dropped it into their water well before leaving their home. After the fighting ended and upon their return home, they had to pull the bodies of dead soldiers out of the well first, but were able to recover the silverware. My mom still has a large serving spoon that was retrieved from the bucket. What a neat family heirloom!
Benjamin invited a home-schooling friend to attend the re-enactment with him and the entire event lasted for two days. They were able to go through the campsites to learn what life was like in the camps during the Civil War. Gentlemen in period clothing explained everything about it and made the War come alive for them. Tricia took some pictures to chronicle the event and I'll briefly explain them below:
In this picture, they are getting a demonstration of the use of canons in the battle.
The boys were taught about the range, aiming, different sizes of shot and different settings used in firing the canons.
The tents weren't exactly spacious or roomy and it is easy to see how it would've been very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter living in the campsites for an extended period of time.
They were taught how to load the rifles and shown pistols, along with explanations of how different artifacts were used. The gentleman in the photo below has an old family Bible that he's showing the boys. He urged them to study and do research to be able to discern fact.
Ah, the surgeon's quarters. This fellow kept everyone's rapt attention as he described the grim facts of the War and the casualties of it. You can see some of the surgeon's instruments below, including a bone saw on the far left hand side of his table. He spoke about how people with significant injuries, if it was available, would be given chloroform or morphine to kill the pain. This was not always available, so the next best thing was whiskey or rum. Rum was available in the area due to the sugar cane grown locally that served as a base for making rum and rum was administered to help with the pain of injury and subsequent surgery. But sometimes rum was not available. In this case, the next best thing was a stick. The patient was given a stick to bite on and sometimes seven men would help hold the patient down as amputation or surgery commenced without anesthesia.
In the Battle of Pleasant Hill, 2,000 Confederate States soldiers lost their lives and 1,100 US soldiers succumbed. William Tecumseh Sherman said, "War is Hell" and in listening to this gentleman speak and evidenced by the young man with his hands on his head, I think that point was clearly made.
 |
| The Camp Surgeon |
Life between battles wasn't always blood and guts. The boys were able to play checkers on a homemade board and enjoy a Sassafras Fizz while passing the time.
Soon the re-enactments began and there were several they watched. The first was on Friday. It is really something to think that 150 years ago on this very spot, a major battle took place as Americans from the North and South stood toe to toe in a vicious engagement.
 |
| Fanning out toward the treeline with artillery support |
There were various cannons on display.
 |
| Cannons facing the battlefield |
The Confederate soldiers marched off to meet...
The Union soldiers for a skirmish in town.
The Confederates faced off against the Union forces and fired as the smoke billowed out of their guns.
After the skirmish in town, the Battle took to the countryside with southern forces loading their weapons and firing upon...
 |
| The Gray |
the Northern forces.
 |
| The Blue |
And the cannons roared. Tricia had earplugs.
 |
| BOOOM!!!! |
I like this photo as it shows the hundreds and hundreds of soldiers and support involved in the reenactment. Just look at all the canvas tents of the Confederates in the pecan orchard!
 |
| The Southern Line |
You can see the General with his arms uplifted about to lead his troops into battle
 |
| Let's go get 'em, men |
And here are the Blue forces marching to collide with the Gray forces.
Ready, Aim, Fire! One Northern Soldier is down.
You can see a few Confederate soldiers who have been 'killed' by Union fire, but they're holding the line.
In the actual Battle of Pleasant Hill, the Union forces drove the Confederates from the field of battle, so it was officially considered a Union victory. While a loss for the South, this was a good homeschool field trip for Benjamin. He came home with some vivid memories that he'll keep for a long time along with a replica of a Civil War bullet.
Oh, one more thing: The ancestor of mine on my mom's side, Captain John T. Jordan, was a member of the 12th Louisiana Infantry and he is buried in a cemetary in Old Pleasant Hill.
Rest in Peace, Captain Jordan and all other men who fought and died at the Battle of Pleasant Hill.
Oh, one more thing: The ancestor of mine on my mom's side, Captain John T. Jordan, was a member of the 12th Louisiana Infantry and he is buried in a cemetary in Old Pleasant Hill.
 |
| Image Credit |
No comments:
Post a Comment