Battle of Monocacy anniversary a chance to consider Civil War's impact
Jul. 10—During a brief respite in Saturday's rain, artillery men got the chance to fire off two cannon shots at Monocacy National Battlefield. They were part of a weekend celebration of the 158th anniversary of the Battle of Monocacy.
People in period clothing camped out under large tents in the morning while rain poured around them. Portraying infantry members, many had spent the night in their tents. They were smoking through pipes and idly chatting.
Joe Pankey, dressed as a Civil War Union captain, said the battle was a small one but had a large impact on the war. If the battle hadn't happened, Confederate troops might have reached the capital with no one there to defend it, he said.
Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace knew that his small, inexperienced group of troops could not defeat the Confederate soldiers, but slow them down enough to allow more troops to reach Washington.
"That actually ended up with Gen. [Ulysses S.] Grant putting [Gen. Philip] Sheridan in charge and beefing up the Army here," Pankey said.
For Pankey, the most meaningful part of these events is finding things that get young people interested. With each person, Pankey tries to create a connection between their interests and the Civil War.
One person, he recounted, had gone to college for fashion design. She came to an event and talked with Pankey about how current child labor practices can be traced back to the Civil War and the evolution of mass production of clothing, he said.
During the war, artisan tailor work wasn't as popular. Armies needed a lot of clothing quickly, especially since most troops didn't bother doing laundry for the infantry.
Rather than having their children do apprenticeships, parents had to send them to factories to help produce clothing, Pankey said.
Civil War strategies and actions have affected military operations today. Identifications of rank became more subtle than the massive insignias on officers' arms, according to Rolf Madole, with the U.S. Air Force.
"Instead, you'll have a tab that sits on the front [of your uniform]. That's all it is," he said.
Madole said the Civil War was, in a lot of ways, the first modern war. There was a large mobilization of troops. There were drafts and logistical changes, like the evolved use of railroads.
One of the biggest evolutions was in the medical field, he said.
The Civil War marked the beginning of a formal triage system used in hospitals and war zones. The system ensured that those who needed care most got it first, something now used in mass casualty and war situations, Madole said.
He comes to living history events because they give another dimension to things he reads about. He can feel what it's like to load a rifle, smell the smoke, and see the smoke from an infantry, Madole said.
His favorite part is seeing people he can "pal around" with.
"It's the evening afterwards, sitting around the campfire and singing songs, resuscitating old stories, talking about history," he said.
This camaraderie brings some, like Austin Harris, back to the community. Harris started in historical events like Saturday's while in high school.
Life, football and everything in between forced him to stop for a while. This year, at age 31, is his first time back.
Harris, a firefighter, said his job and his hobby have a similar environment. He learns a lot from more experienced people.
The group of reenactors wants to get more young people involved, to appreciate history.
Attendees braved the rain on Saturday and watched cannon fire.
Steven Venezie and three of his children — ages 15, 14 and 11 — stood on the grassy field and watched a demonstration of infantry members loading firearms.
The family recently moved back to Maryland, and Venezie's sons, especially his oldest, find history interesting.
"I enjoy it, but this is definitely more so for them," he said.
