By DEBRA HAIGHT

Special to Leader Publications

 

The Apple Festival Grande Parade is not the only event in downtown Niles this Saturday.

People can also step back in time to learn more about the Civil War in the Niles History Center’s first Annual Civil War Day on the lawn of the Chapin Mansion, at 508 E. Main St..

Civil War Day will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday with visitors having the chance to interact with living history re-enactors and learn more about life in the 1860s. Author and Civil War historian John Urschel will speak about “Niles in the 12th Michigan” at noon inside the mansion.

Niles History Center Director Christina Arseneau said her goal is to get people interested in learning more about Civil War history and expand activities and offerings in future years.

“It will all be interactive. People can come and stay as long as they want,” Arseneau said.

She said re-enactors will be on hand, portraying Civil War life from a variety of standpoints including medical and Military impressions, period dancing, spinning and playing children’s games like “graces,” which is played with hoops and sticks.

“People will learn everything, from what soldiers ate and the uniforms they wore to what life was like back then,” Arseneau said.

The day will also give people the chance to tour the Fort St. Joseph Museum behind the mansion and learn more about Niles’ role in the Civil War. As Arseneau noted, an exhibit case in the museum has information about Niles’ role in the war, including about Camp Barker, a recruiting camp located on S 11th St. across from Silverbrook Cemetery.

Living History re-enactors Ted and Faye Chamberlain, of St. Joseph, have helped Arseneau organize Saturday’s activities. They are members of the Civil War Roundtable of Southwest Michigan and portray Gen. Joshua Chamberlain and his wife, Fannie, at re-enactments throughout the year. The Roundtable meets monthly in St. Joseph.

Gen. Chamberlain, a college professor from Maine, was a general in the Civil War and the recipient of the Medal of Honor for his heroism at Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863. He is also known for his salute of Confederate soldiers at Appomattox.

Ted Chamberlain began portraying him after discovering that the general was a distant relative.

“We are Michigan people portraying Maine people,” Chamberlain said. “He’s an ancestor. Re-enactors often pick someone to portray from their area or their family history.”

He said he first became interested in the Civil War in the early 1990s when the Ken Burns Civil War documentary first aired.

“The documentary came out in 1991, and, in 1992, I found out that I was related to General Chamberlain,” he said. “I’ve been doing it for 25 years.”

While Faye had been doing genealogy since the 1980s, she only started portraying the general’s wife five years ago.

“Ted asked me why not come out and portray the general’s wife,” Faye said. “I’ve been doing it for five years and having so much fun. I never liked history, but I like this. We do this because we want to get kids interested in history.”

The couple said rekindling people’s interest in history has made it all worthwhile.

“We had an 11-year-old come and say that he was interested in history and was going to do a report on General Chamberlain,” Faye said. “Now he’s 16 and a re-enactor.”

They have seen a lot over the years. Faye said the most fun question she ever got was from a little girl at Gettysburg, who asked her if she was the queen. Another time, children brought her flowers.

Ted said his most memorable time as a re-enactor came when he and other re-enactors were welcoming Medal of Honor recipients to a 150th anniversary event at Gettysburg in 2013.

“We saluted all the veterans, it was very heartwarming,” Chamberlain said.