Isn't it wonderful how certain ordinary life experiences can suddenly change your homeschool life in extraordinary ways? One such "ordinary-to-extraordinary" event happened to me in October 1991. Allow me to tell you my story.

The month progressed very much like any previous month for our homeschooling family and Lifetime Books and Gifts, our traveling bookstore and mail order business. The homeschool convention season was behind us, and we were scheduled to speak and display our books at several support groups until early spring. At one of these events, my host invited me to a War Between the States re-enactment in Jonesboro, Georgia, the next weekend.

Upon arriving in Jonesboro, I discovered that I would attend the re-enactment alone. I began to explore the areas to be used later that day as a battlefield. The Union and Confederate campsites were tucked back into the woods out of sight, so I started to critique their activities. I was, of course, a homeschool dad doing research. I found nearly two hundred families dressed in period clothing and living life like they did back in 1864. They were eating, sleeping, talking, and pretending to be soldiers and civilians during a very emotionally charged time in America's history.

It was intriguing to see some men eating beside their campfires while others were boiling their uniforms in iron cauldrons to "kill" lice. Some drank coffee and played cards. Some played their violins and washboards.

It was almost eerie to see the campfire smoke drifting between the trees and watching the exact actions and antics of soldiers who would have been there 127 years before. As I sauntered between the tight rows of white canvas field tents, I began feeling the excitement in the air. These men knew that shortly they would re-enact the Battle of Jonesboro, near Atlanta. Hopefully they would capture the passion and heroism of the men who had actually fought and died on this same field.

From one of the tents stepped Robert, a 12-year-old drummer boy. He summoned the men through "the roll of the drum", signaling the soldiers to rush to their tents, dress in their uniforms and equipment, form ranks, and march to the parade ground for inspection. For a quick moment, I was transported back in time. I realized I was watching exactly what would have happened in the very same way just prior to battle.

I followed these Confederate re-enactors until they formed ranks on the parade ground. While walking the parade ground perimeter, I encountered a Union captain kneeling behind one of the sutlers' tents. (Sutlers were traveling merchants who followed the armies, providing supplies to the troops.) He seemed a little suspicious, so I asked him if he were spying on the Confederates. He replied that he was not, but when he walked into the woods, I followed him. That decision would change my life and our home education adventure forever!

As the captain walked down a wooded path, he disappeared behind an old, overgrown rock wall. When I came around it, there he stood with a smile on his face, with over 100 blue-coated soldiers with their rifles aimed at me! Now that got my undivided attention!

Since I was dressed in 1991 clothing, I knew the Union troops were not going to shoot me, but I realized that I had walked right into an impromptu ambush. They were waiting for the Confederates to walk down the path on their way to the battlefield and were planning a bit of a surprise for them.

I stepped off the trail, kneeling beside a tree and pretending to be a mushroom, when suddenly the Union troops opened fire on the unsuspecting Confederates. The sounds of battle were tremendous as the Union captain rushed to the tree where I was kneeling. He fired his pistol six times right over my head! Men screamed commands while others were crying for help as they lay wounded and dying all around me.

I watched the troops maneuver back and forth until they made their way to the official battlefield. Later I even saw Robert, the drummer boy, pretend to be shot in the chest, falling at my feet. Even now I can close my eyes and see his straw hat and drum roll down the hill before me. As I looked at him, tears were streaming down my face. The realization that 12-year-old boys died on this very battleground struck me in a powerful way.

The battle lasted nearly two hours. The bodies of hundreds of troops, both Union and Confederate, littered the field. Then the announcer shouted, "Resurrection!" All the bodies arose and removed their slouch hats or kepies as "Taps" was played over the loudspeaker. Then, amidst cheering, were shouts of "God bless America!"

After the battle, a group of re-enactors from Orlando invited me for coffee and conversation. The next morning, though I planned to borrow a camera to shoot photographs, they invited me to join them on the battlefield to shoot a musket dressed in Confederate uniform. Of course, I accepted.

During the battle I pretended to die, and when I resurrected, I knew we were going to study the War Between the States the moment I got home! After returning my uniform and musket, I stopped at a small tent where the Sons of the Confederacy were raising money to preserve the Jonesboro battlefield. I donated five dollars, and they gave me five coupons that proved to be raffle tickets. Then, two months later, they notified me that I had won the raffle, a $500 .58-caliber Springfield musket!

My family and I soon joined the 7th Florida, Company F, and have since enjoyed this incredible hobby and the study of history together. We love learning about the art, science, music, and medicine of the 1860s. We love to visit historic sites and re-enactments as we travel the country speaking and sharing great books with homeschoolers.

Another life-changing experience for me was being an extra in the movie Gettysburg, taken from Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Killer Angels. The movie was the first one ever filmed on the historic Gettysburg battlefield. In fact, I later wrote a script called Gettysburg, the Second Day: A Living History Dramatization for a one-man play for myself to portray a Confederate soldier. Many times each year I perform this living history dramatization for homeschool state conventions and support groups, college campuses, civic clubs, history clubs, and museums. My goal is to provide accurate history for families, inspiring future generations of history lovers to keep the flame of truth burning.

Ashoken Farewell - "My Favorite Memory"
My favorite memory as a re-enactor came when my then 10-year-old daughter Elizabeth asked to borrow $30 at a re-enactment. At a sutler's tent, she had discovered a period dress for sale. When she stepped out of the dressing area donning a gorgeous red satin hoop ballgown, white gloves to her elbows, her hair in a snood, and fanning herself with a white-feathered fan she just had to have it! I didn't care if it cost $300 instead of $30! It was going to be hers!

When we strolled arm in arm into the ball that evening (she, adorned in her new apparel and I in my Confederate private's uniform) soldiers parted, allowing us to pass. We danced to many period songs played by the Regimental String Band, but our favorite was the haunting Ashoken Farewell, played by guitar and violin. We grew to love that song and the memory of the red satin dress. In fact, each time we heard the song, whether on CD or at a restaurant, we would touch one another's outstretched forefinger remembering her special dress and our dance.

Elizabeth was married on her nineteenth birthday. As a special surprise for me, Ashoken Farewell was the tune she chose for the dance with the father of the bride. That wonderful evening I danced with my beautiful daughter in yet another special gown I bought for her, a white wedding gown!

Resources
Gettysburg, the Second Day: A Living History Dramatization video by Bob Farewell.
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Gettysburg, the movie by Turner Broadcasting

Recommended Living History Resources

Most books and some videos are available from www.LifetimeBooksandGifts.com.

Especially for Children
Two Little Confederates and Among the Camps: Thomas Nelson Page
The Confederate Trilogy: Lee, Stuart, and Jackson: Mary Williamson
The World of Abraham Lincoln: Genevieve Foster

Especially for Teens and Adults
Gods and Generals, The Killer Angels, and The Last Full Measure: Michael and Jeff Shaara
Stonewall and Robert E. Lee: John J. Dwyer
The Illustrated Confederate Reader: Rod Gragg
The Facts Historians Leave Out: John Tilley
TruthQuest History Guide: Michelle Miller

Living History Videos and Audios
Gettysburg, the Second Day: A Living History Dramatization audio or video: Bob Farewell
Gods and Generals (based on Gods and Generals)
Gettysburg (based on Killer Angels)
The Great Civil War Debate: Between the Rev. Steve Wilkins and the Rev. Peter Marshall
The Civil War: PBS
The South Speaks Out: A response to the PBS series
America: The First 350 Years (audio): Steve Wilkins
Jeff Shaara's book Gods and Generals is now an incredible epic movie, as is his father's Pulitzer Prize-winning book Killer Angels, retitled Gettysburg. Your purchase of these movies will encourage Turner Broadcasting to produce the third of the Shaara trilogy, The Last Full Measure.

War Between the States Websites
For more information about the movies Gods and Generals and Gettysburg, and for an interview with recommended author John Dwyer, visit our website www.LifetimeBooksandGifts.com and click on Encouraging Articles: History. For re-enacting information, visit www.CampChase.com or www.sutler.net/eventlist.asp.

Bob and Tina Farewell married in 1979 and began home educating with the birth of the first of their five children in 1983. In 2005, they founded Bringing Dads Home!, a business and ministry designed to help families succeed in their entrepreneurial adventures. You can visit their websites at www.BobandTinaFarewell.com and www.BringingDadsHome.com or you can email them at BobandTina@aol.com.