SHS Students and Community Receive Unique Perspective of the Civil War
Seneca High School students had the opportunity on Friday, August 26th, to have a unique Civil War experience courtesy of The Seneca FFA and the W.H.L. Wallace Civil War Reenactment Organization. As a prelude to the Civil War reenactment held at Seneca High School’s Land Lab this weekend, over 200 students attend presentations by Civil War experts who portrayed 1860s surgeons, female spies, and signalmen. The interactive displays gave agriculture, history, and nursing students a different perspective on life during the war instead of just dates, places, and politics.
The Land Lab was converted to a Civil War battlefield, camp, and hospital for Saturday and Sunday’s activities. The scene was a creation of the Battle of Shiloh, a deadly battleground where General W.H.L Wallace of Ottawa lost his life. One of the purposes of the event was to raise money for the restoration of the Dickey cemetery in Ottawa where General Wallace is buried. As in real history, the Confederates were victorious on the first day, but the Union prevailed on Sunday.
Three of Seneca High School’s own where part of the one hundred reenactors who participated in the event. McKenna Coffee, Eve Odum, and Raegan Babcock, in their woolen Civil War uniforms were responsible for one of the Union cannons.
A “night fire” lit up the sky on Saturday as the sound of four cannons boomed throughout the valley. An 1860s preacher led church service for the reenactors and public on Sunday.
A highlight on Sunday was a vintage, 1860s baseball game in the front lawn of the Land Lab. Played without gloves and with many different rules, the game gave another flavor of what life was like in the middle of the 19th century.
The Seneca FFA was responsible for preparing the grounds, pavilion, serving breakfast, and operating the concession stand.