“I’m going to a re-enactment in Carthage, Missouri not long from now.” Matt told me. I was working across from him in the side panels area at work. He’s talking about a battle re-enactment from the Civil War. He plays the part of a Confederate soldier. He is usually involved in about 4 every year. It’s fun to know when he participates in one of these. They’re interesting and bring history to life. They always have them in a place where an actual battle was fought. He had another at Fort Gibson, Oklahoma.

For most of Matt’s life he has loved history. When he was 13, his mother took him to see a friend. The man also loved history and was the leader of a Civil War Re-enactment group from Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Matt said his house was like a museum and that was when he decided to get involved. Matt has been fighting mock battles since he was 14. (That was half his life ago!) He said he’s currently the youngest in his regiment.
When he started out he couldn’t use a gun because the rules said he was too young. So his mother bought him a drum. He learned to play and would tap out a drum beat during the fight. When he turned 16, he got a modern made replica of a gun from the Civil War and was finally allowed to use it in battle. Matt has a few uniforms. They’re made from a wool and denim. Brenna, a lady who works in the front frame work area made Matt one of his jackets.
I once asked Matt if he had any books he recommended that would be easy to read books in which my children could learn about the Civil War. Here’s the list:
Civil War Company Aytch by Sam Watkins
Rebel Private: Front and Rear by William A Fletcher
Hard Tack and Coffee by John D. Billings
The Confederacy’s Last Hurrah by Wiley Sword