By: The Review
EAST LIVERPOOL – The Friends of Beaver Creek State Park will host their Civil War reenactment this weekend after a two-year hiatus due to COVID. The public is invited to visit the soldiers’ encampments, watch the battle at Gaston’s Mill, see a cannon being fired, listen to informative talks and have breakfast with the soldiers on Sunday morning. There will even be a fictionalized debate between Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis.
The festivities begin at 9 a.m. Saturday when the soldiers’ camps open to the public. From 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Ken Meek will present Talk With a Soldier and a musket firing demonstration between the blacksmith shop and the covered bridge in Pioneer Village.
At 10:45 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, the 19th Ohio Light Artillery will demonstrate cannon loading and firing. This will be best seen from the creek side bank of the mill pond in Pioneer Village.
From 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, local historian Tim Brookes will discuss the history of the 115th Ohio Volunteer Infantry with an emphasis on its Columbiana County servicemen. This will be held on the top floor of the red barn.
From 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday the Lincoln-Davis Debate will be held in the upper floor of the red barn. President Abraham Lincoln will be portrayed by John King and Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, will be portrayed by David Walker. The two men never actually met in real life but their fictionalized debate promises to be very interesting.
The Battle of Gaston’s Mill will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday and again at 1 p.m. Sunday.
From 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, there will be an informal Civil War Dance with music by Ryan Stovall for the reenactors, sutlers and vendors only. It is not open to the public. The public is invited to a special breakfast with the soldiers from 7 to 10 a.m. Sunday. The menu consists of homemade sausage gravy and biscuits, orange juice and coffee. The cost is $6.
From 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Jim Crowl of the Sons of Confederate Veterans will give a talk on William Clarke Quantrill, an Ohio native who fought with the Confederacy. This will be held in the top floor of the red barn.
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