THE CIVIL WAR, 1861-1865--

A Confederate artillery squad returns cannon fire across Home Road against the Union Army in the 33rd annual Ohio Civil War Collector's Show and reenactment held recently at the Richland County Fairgrounds.

Union and Confederate officers and soldiers preserved the memory of horrors like Chancellorsville and Harpers Ferry and Charleston Harbor and Gettysburg and Vicksburg and Antietam....

They reminded us more than 678,000 men and women died in this conflict where sometimes fathers fought sons and brothers fought brothers in an epic series of battles that would determine the future of our then young nation. 

Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of them all with 51,116 deaths while Chancellorsville claimed 29,609 lives and another 22,726 died at Antietam. 

That's the young lawyer from Illinois named Lincoln in the top hat and beard above who guided the nation through that time just 140 some years ago when that free nation was in the process of tearing its dreams asunder. 

Fogeyisms salutes all the folks around our land who participate in the reenactment process and preserve the memory of just how fragile a nation like ours can be.

Live displays of infantry and artillery drills kept the crowd's attention throughout the weekend show while a little touch of humor below concludes our story with a couple of soldiers (left) taking a time out from battle--for a root beer float--and another of their fellow soldiers enjoys the diversion of a pretty young lady.

Speaking of a little humor; an assistant "surgeon" at the field hospital was displaying some period surgical instruments to the crowd of onlookers when a fellow was repulsed at the thought of someone using that instrument on him.  The "surgeon" added a little encouragement by explaining, "...but, today sir, we will accept your Blue Cross Card."