Winchester - The Old Courthouse Civil War Museum was transported back to 1867 this weekend, and there to greet visitors were the living legends of the past.
The event was called “A Gathering of Eagles,” but for many, it may have been the definitive history lesson on the whys and hows of America’s Civil War.
On hand was a roll call of Civil War legends, ranging from Abraham Lincoln to Jefferson Davis. >
High-ranking officers abounded; on the Confederate side were Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, Jubal Early, Lewis Armistead, Isaac Trimble, John B. Hood, George Pickett, Montgomery Corse, John Hunt Morgan and Ebenezer Farrand.
Union top brass included U.S. Grant, William Sherman, Winfield Scott Hancock, John Buford, John Rawlins, William Averell, and George Thomas.
Rounding out the cast was historic photographer Mathew Brady, and a correspondent from Harper’s Weekly.
While anyone can put on a uniform and reenact a famous battle, these participants, each inherently blessed with characteristics resembling their personas, were also as historically accurate as possible, and knowledgeable about every aspect of the historic figure they portray.
The idea was to give the audience a unique perspective into history, and to flavor it in a way that left almost all hungering for more.
While the official event ended at 5 p.m. Saturday, few in the audience left, continuing to grill the participants with, at times, devastatingly difficult questions.
>It was, for the casual visitor, impossible not to interact with the character, forgetting about the modern day man doing the portrayal.
The audience, sparse in numbers at 9 a.m., grew as the day went on, fueled by occasional breaks that featured the participants strolling along the Loudoun Pedestrian Mall, embracing walkers with their magnetic presence.
The only thing the audience was really asked to do was accept one glaring historical inaccuracy — in 1867, of course, Lincoln was already dead, felled by assassin John Wilkes Booth’s bullet in 1865, as were several of the generals, who fell on battlefields in the latter part of the war.
But when Lincoln (ably portrayed by Fred Priebe) and Davis (superbly rendered by Cliff Howard) debated the reasons and Constitutional issues leading up to the Civil War, they did so by limiting themselves to documents and speeches each of their characters originated in their lifetimes.
>The characters intermingled, and occasionally challenged each other; generals were heard to cry “hear, hear” upon a relevant point, and Davis interrupted a Lincoln monologue to challenge his contemporary to a debate.
Many of the characters were accompanied by era-correct costumed women, in many cases, their own wives.
While much of the presentation was “moderated” by the Harper’s correspondent (portrayed by Kendall Wilson), members of the audience frequently placed themselves squarely in the performance.
When asked by an audience member why his Emancipation Proclamation freed only the slaves of the South, and about legal aspects of secession, Lincoln didn’t miss a beat, even though he found himself debating with a real-life lawyer.
Vito Mussomeli, of Winchester, scrummed repeatedly with Lincoln, proclaiming that the entire conflict could have been avoided if Lincoln “had only met with our commissioners.”
“Had I met with your commissioners,” Lincoln replied, “it would have been a recognition of the Confederacy, and that I was not willing to do.”
Later Mussomeli proclaimed the presentation “a wonderful educational experience. They’re very good at what they do.”
Priebe said he welcomed the audience participation.
“I love it when it happens,” he said. “That’s what makes this such a wonderful experience, when somebody forces you to view an issue a little differently.”
The audience also let the performers know where their sympathies lay, even after 142 years, and that the performance was indeed in Virginia.
William Tecumsah Sherman (portrayed by Dean Cass) received a chilly reception after pointedly expressing that “yes, I am the man who burned Atlanta — supposedly.”
>While the audience was kind in its applause to Lincoln, members repeatedly granted Davis standing ovations.
“This was simply fantastic,” said Gary Engebretson, who, along with wife, Lara, drove from Shepherdstown, W.Va. for the performance. “The details here are just exceptional.”
Museum Manager Carol Miller said she was overwhelmed by the turnout and audience participation.
Best of all, because all of the performers volunteered their time, all of the proceeds were able to stay with museum.
“We will certainly be talking with them about doing this again next year,” Miller said. “We would very much like to make this an annual event.”
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