[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.91″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row custom_padding=”2px|0px|8px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Featured Image caption” _builder_version=”3.19.17″ text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”12px”]<\/p>\n
The Battle of Aiken features authentic 19th-century military encampments, like the one pictured above.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.92″ custom_padding=”2px|0px|37.9062px|0px” prev_background_color=”#000000″ next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0px|0px|18.9531px|0px” custom_margin=”10px|||” _builder_version=”3.0.92″][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”News Story” _builder_version=”3.20.1″ custom_margin=”0px||0px|”]<\/p>\n
AIKEN, S.C. – \u00a0<\/span>Each year re-enactors come to this charming southern city\u00a0to eat, sleep, live and fight as if\u00a0the Civil War was still raging.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Wearing heavy gray or blue wool coats and hats, with gunpowder staining their hands and dirt smudged on their faces, the Confederates and the Yankees battled as if it were 1865, then retired to their nightly campfires to share stories in the misty rain.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf it gets wet, we get wet, if it gets cold, we get cold, if it gets hot, we get hot, but we try to put it aside even though we\u2019re 21st century guys that are used to cell phones and all the modern convinces of life,” said Will Christman, a high school social studies teacher from Augusta. “And we try to put that away for just three days. If the guys back then could do this for four years, we can do it for three days.”<\/p>\n For this, the re-enactment of the Battle of Aiken, the camps were filled with white tents, neatly stacked guns, and smiles. Around a wide open field, dozens of cannons lined each side, while spectators sat along the field.\u00a0 One side bore a Confederate flag, the other an American flag.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n People jumped as the loud bang of the cannon signified the beginning of the battle. They used real guns and cannons, but no ammo, just gun powder for sound effect. And as history goes, it was a hard fought battle won by the American forces. <\/span>People both young and old come together over their shared love of history, including students at the Citadel.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m named after the Civil War, so I thought it would be cool to maybe try it out once or twice and I actually got into it,” said Shiloh Smiles, a Citadel freshman. “<\/span>You know, camping, meeting all these cool people, getting to work with, well it was actually the first time I touched a real gun. It just was a lot of fun, I got to make a lot of new memories.”<\/p>\n While the battle represents a time of division,\u00a0the re-enactment is a time to bring people together to reflect and bond over their love for the Civil War.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cI love the Civil War, it\u2019s awesome, you can always learn more things and it\u2019s such an American thing, that is really cool to do,\u201d said Christman.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image 2″ show_in_lightbox=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”3.19.17″ custom_margin=”||2px|” custom_padding=”|||” animation_style=”slide” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”4px” box_shadow_vertical=”4px” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” force_fullwidth=”off” src=”http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Photo-2.jpg”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Caption 2″ _builder_version=”3.19.17″ text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.4em” custom_margin=”8px|||2px” custom_padding=”|||” background_layout=”light”]<\/p>\n Re-enactors at the Battle of Aiken spent the weekend camping in tents like these.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image 3″ show_in_lightbox=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”3.19.17″ custom_margin=”||2px|” custom_padding=”|||” animation_style=”slide” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”4px” box_shadow_vertical=”4px” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” force_fullwidth=”off” src=”http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Photo-3.jpg”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Caption 3″ _builder_version=”3.19.17″ text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.4em” custom_margin=”8px|||2px” custom_padding=”|||” background_layout=”light”]<\/p>\n Re-enactors recreate the battle of Aiken using cannons, muskets among other authentic weaponry.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image 4″ show_in_lightbox=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”3.19.17″ custom_margin=”||2px|” custom_padding=”|||” animation_style=”slide” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”4px” box_shadow_vertical=”4px” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” force_fullwidth=”off”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ custom_padding=”55.1562px|0px|0px|0px” prev_background_color=”#000000″ next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”27.5781px|0px|0px|0px”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|55.1562px|0px” prev_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Reenactment enthusiasts gather to celebrate the history of the Civil War and its Battle of 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