By Misty DUPLESSIS

On Thursday, May 26 Rosemont Middle School’s eighth grade students participated in the school’s first annual Civil War Night.

After in-class lessons on the 19th Century U.S. war, students along with their parents were invited to participate in the hands-on Civil War instruction.

The eighth grade history department put on the event for students to gain an in depth knowledge of what really went on in the War Between the States, said eighth grade history teacher Margie Billings. As students made their way to each station, they were able to get a closer look at what life would have been like for soldiers including medicine, soldiering and training camp life.

Students were also able to get a closer look into Lincoln’s assassination and hear music of the Civil War played by fellow students. Retired teacher Lynn McGinnis donated his time at the Battlefield Medical Station where he discussed severity of wounds and the fatality that came along with a change in weapons during the era. Glendale resident and amateur Civil War enthusiast Jeff Lawson was stationed at the Civil War soldier base where he was decked out in Civil War attire from head to toe.

Lawson is a self-taught historian and said he has learned a lot from reading about soldier accounts and a reenactment group he belongs to.

Eighth grade students volunteered to be part of an educational soldier boot camp at the training camp where they learned some important facts about what life was like for a soldier. Some of the students took their parts seriously and sported costumes they purchased outside of school.

Eighth grade history teacher and Civil War event organizer Stacy Fox said that this was the first time the school put something like this together in this form.

Fox was pleased at the amount of parents who came to share in a piece of history with their children.

“I did not imagine there would be this many people,” Fox said adding that she was glad to see that families could participate together in an event of this type.

  CIVIL WAR, JUNE 02, MISTY DUPLESSIS, YOUITH