The bugle rang through the early morning. Soldiers, clad in Civil War uniforms, emerged from their tents and huddled around the campsite, trying to stay warm.
As 1st Sgt. Walter Cook took out a list of names, the men stood at attention next to their tents and tried to wipe the sleep off their faces.
Cook, 23, of Webster, Fla., called roll, and shouts of “here” or “sergeant” echoed down the line.
Drumsticks pattered against stretched cowhide as morning songs were played in preparation for the day.
The men joked and laughed as they gathered wood and filled up canteens.
These are the soldiers of the 7th Florida Infantry.
Thirty-five re-enactors brought history to life by participating in Dudley Farm Historic State Park’s 7th Florida Infantry Regiment Muster this weekend.
The three-day-long re-enactment event depicted an April 1862 gathering when North Florida citizens formed a unit under P.B.H. Dudley Sr., a captain with the Confederate Army.
Kaleb Williams, 20, of Yulee, Fla., has been re-enacting for six years. Portraying a musician for the infantry, he played the fife and snare drum during the event.
“The skills you possess might not necessarily go to another individual or person,” he said. “Every person has their own unique talents to bring to the hobby.”
David Riker, a 54-year-old Dudley Farm park ranger from Bell, Fla., has been participating in re-enactments for 28 years.
He said he enjoys interacting and participating with the re-enactors.
“It’s not a fake history,” he said. “It’s making sure that every detail about it is true, accurate and portrayed in a proper way.”
Riker portrays Col. David Riker, a senior medical officer for Hardy’s Brigade, Tennessee Army.
As a park ranger at Dudley, Riker oversees the day-to-day tasks at the farm. He said he looks forward to re-enactments.
“[Dudley Farm] has the potential to be one of the best living history sites in the state of Florida,” he said. “We have the land, we have the buildings, and we have the volunteers and staff that are interested in doing it right.”
The weekend featured musket and cannon firing demonstrations as well as saber and bayonet drills. Women wore cotton dresses as they sewed medical bandages, created lint for injuries as well as for fire starters and made clothing kits, which would have been sent to soldiers on the battlefield.
Brian “Biscuit” Butler, 32, of Yulee, Fla., has been re-enacting historical battles and visiting Civil
War battlefields since he was 13 years old. His love for history continues to draw him back to the frontlines.
“It’s not a hobby for me,” he said. “It’s a lifestyle.”
Contact Elise Giordano at egiordano@alligator.org.
Civil War Reenactment from Elise Giordano on Vimeo.
Maj. Thomas Sanders takes a break with fellow Civil War re-enactors at the 7th Florida Infantry Regiment Muster at Dudley Farm Historic State Park on Friday morning.
