A Civil War Reenactment open for viewing to Pierce students will take place in the Pierce Farm Center at De Soto Avenue and Victory Boulevard on April 28-29, event coordinators said.
The event will include reenactments of important Civil War battles, historical impersonators giving speeches and exhibitions of Victorian dance and skills of the period.
In addition, William Peck, a Southern California resident who plays Abraham Lincoln at many reenactments, will give the Gettysburg Address.
Ken Serfass, a Ramona resident, will undertake the role of Union General Ulysses S. Grant, while Phil Spangenberger, a firearms and historical consultant, will portray Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
Serfass, a former Marine, has played Ulysses S. Grant on the History Channel. Spangenberger has written articles for Guns & Ammo Magazine, and has worked on several movies and TV shows, such as Romeo + Juliet and Wild Wild West, as a consultant.
Anyone will be able to attend and watch the festivities after paying an admission fee. Students are encouraged to come to the event and learn more about the nation’s history.
Ed Mann, who heads a Civil War reenactment artillery battalion is in charge of coordinating the event, explained why reenacting the Civil War is important.
“Because of the Civil War, a union of states became a nation,” said Mann.
“It’s the most important event in our history since the Revolution,” he said. “Nothing has affected the country more deeply… every family lost someone or knew people who lost someone,” said Mann.
Mann described the conflict as a “nightmare of violence,” in which a huge percentage of the population lost their lives.
Students will have an opportunity to learn more about the Civil War during the Civil War Reenactment come April.