If you haven’t been hiding under a rock this year, you’re surely aware that 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War. Other than reading a book about Gettysburg for Book Club, I haven’t been involved in any of the commemorative events, so I decided to attend the Remembrance Ceremony at the Brookfield Common this morning. The Brookfield Historical and Cemetery Commissions and the Merrick Public Library sponsored this program which began yesterday evening and continues until 4 pm this afternoon.
At 10 am, the 15th Massachusetts re-enactors mustered at the Civil War monument, the Reverend Eleanor Kraner gave the invocation, then a memorial wreath was prepared for the procession. The soldiers fired their muskets in tribute, then we all walked behind the troops to the Brookfield Cemetery. There, the flag was lowered, and all in attendance who had relatives who served in any war were invited to recite their names (my father, Minoru Ikehara, served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, European Theater, World War II). The Master of Ceremonies then read the names of Brookfield men who died in the Civil War, and State Senator Stephen Brewer spoke briefly. Reverend Kraner gave the benediction, then the muskets were fired once more in honor of the veterans who fought to preserve the Union.
I was reminded again of the war’s staggering carnage: 600,000 lives lost. The official start and end dates for the War are April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1865, which is almost exactly four years. The program which was prepared for this event lists the names of all Brookfield men who served in the Grand Army of the Republic; I counted 37 who died, which means that every 5 weeks or so, there was a funeral in Brookfield. I remember that many years ago, my local PBS station aired the Ken Burns documentary on the Civil War over the course of a weekend, and I sat for hours in front of my TV and watched every episode. I’m sure the series deserves the awards it garnered, yet I don’t think the filmmaker ever captured the essence of why men fought. Of course there was conscription, and in the beginning, I’m sure there was idealism and perhaps even romanticism, but at the end? It’s hard for me to believe that most Northerners cared one bit for the plight of slaves. Maybe the ideas of “the Union” or of “local control” were more powerful then than I can imagine today.
Army tents are set up on the Brookfield Common.
Reverend Kraner of Brookfield Congregational Church reads a prayer.
Flags and placards commemorate the soldiers and battles they fought in.
The flag is lowered to half-mast.
The memorial wreath is placed in front of the Civil War monument.
The Massachusetts 15th re-enactors bring Civil War history alive.
Please tell me sincerely why you continue to do re-enactments of battles of the Civil War when so many Americans died so brutally. I don’t oppose them. I just need to know in my heart why this bloody time of war and slaughter within our own country is continually revitalized by such re-enactments and other events. What pride is there in celebrating such a terrible period of domestic turmoil? My great,great, great, great grandfather was in the 15th Massachusetts. I find no pride in the fact that he killed fellow Americans. Are these re-enactments to remind us of the foolishness of man’s refusal to treat one another with equality,respect and fairness in the hope that they will help to stop such a thing from ever happening again? After all, we were not invaded or attacked as in Pearl Harbor where the loss of our freedom and the freedom of millions of people worldwide was at stake.So, when a re-enactment takes place, clarify for me exactly why we hold them. I love our country with all me heart. I just need someone to explain to me , as you would explain to a child who doesn’t understand an idea or concept of life, why do we re-enact bloody, terrible battles of brothers against brothers, friends against friends, neighbors against neighbors?Is it simply the abolition of slavery that we celebrate or is it much more complex than that? I have considered joining in the re-enactments, becoming a part of the pride that I have difficulty understanding. I would so appreciate your help. Thanks for reading this inquiry.
With All My Respect ,
Tom Martin Sr
I’m the author of this blog post and would like to respond to Mr Tom Martin’s comment. I don’t participate in re-enactments and personally am not interested in doing so. I can only speculate on the reasons for the relative popularity of this activity — perhaps people feel that immersion in the era will deepen their understanding of the conflict. (Participation might even turn them against war as a solution to problems. We can only hope.) I’ve now added a link in the post to the 15th Massachusetts Re-enactors website, and I’m sure any of the participants would be glad to discuss the rationale for the group’s existence. I’d also like to add that American pacifism has a long and respected history, beginning with the haven provided on our shores for Quakers persecuted in England. The free-thinker Henry David Thoreau, an American Transcendentalist, commented that “Slavery could be abolished by a ‘peaceable revolution,’ if people refused to pay their taxes and clogged the system by going to jail” (full disclosure: Thoreau later supported John Brown’s violent insurrection). Many of the Northern abolitionists helped slaves escape (not necessarily in lieu of fighting), and the provisions for Conscientious Objectors allowed pacifists like Quakers to care for the sick or perform other noncombatant duties.