Chatsworth History Buff Recreates History at Gettysburg

While Fourth of July revelers gazed up at the night sky to enjoy fireworks, Steve Columbus took a trip back in time and fought alongside rifle-wielding Union soldiers at the Battle of Gettysburg.

The Chatsworth history buff was among 12,000 others that spent July 1-4 in Pennsylvania at the site of the historic battle on its 150th anniversary, recreating a turning point for the North during the Civil War.

Much like the actual war, roles are divvied out based on what you're good at doing. As a 22-year veteran of recreations that knows his way around a horse, Columbus signed up as a member of the 7th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry.

"You have to know how to ride, we're doing some formations, we're at a gallop often times, we have to know the drill very well," he said. "Next to you the horse is the most important thing. If you have a horse that's not trained for this, not trained to handle cannon fire, infantry fire, it could become very dangerous."

Of course, the gunfire isn't dangerous at Civil War recreations, but soldiers still pack their replica rifles--or in some cases armaments from the actual war--with gunpowder to make the loud boom sounds.

"One thing we don't use of course is a red ball, it would be a very short hobby," Columbus said.

As a part of the cavalrymen, Columbus yielded a saber and referred charging into the field with his fellow soldiers nothing short of exhilarating. 

To simulate the three-day battle as much as possible, soldiers went to bed each night with whatever remaining supplies and had to make do the next day.

The only thing that obviously cannot be recreated is the massive amount of casualties, so participants try to play by the rules of the honor system if they were fatally "shot," Columbus said.

"That's one of the things, nobody likes to die early in the battle," he said, but added jokingly that once someone get's worn out and tired, playing dead is good excuse to lie down on the grass and relax.

A 15-year Chatsworth resident and an underwriting manager for a major bank when he's not wielding a saber, Columbus said he'll keep doing recreations but probably won't be heading back to Gettysburg.

"It's probably my last," he said. "It's the 150 anniversary [of Gettysburg] . . . there probably in my lifetime won't be one that's larger than this."