Oklahoma Historical Society to stage Civil War reenactment near Atoka

Portrait of a Federal soldier (Horse artillery). Courtesy: Library of Congress. Approximately 1,200 Civil War reenactors from five states are expected to converge on the

Wednesday, November 1st 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Portrait of a Federal soldier (Horse artillery). Courtesy: Library of Congress.

Approximately 1,200 Civil War reenactors from five states are expected to converge on the Atoka, Oklahoma area for the reenactment of the Civil War battle of Middle Boggy November 4 â€“ 5. Oklahoma Historical Society Education and Programs Director Whit Edwards said, â€œIf that many people show up, the reenactment will more than double the size of the actual battle on February 13, 1864, as well as the first two reenactments in 1994 and 1997.â€ Around 390 Union troops surprised and defeated some 90 Confederates in the 1864 battle.

The Battle of Middle Boggy once again will be staged about seven miles west of Atoka on land owned by Lon and Elaine Fink. The two-day event will feature a generic Civil War battle on November 4, and the reenactment of the Battle of Middle Boggy on November 5.

The Union and Confederate camps will open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on November 4, and from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM on November 5. Admission is $3.00, with proceeds going to the Confederate Memorial Museum just north of the city of Atoka. In addition, a â€œSchool Dayâ€ event will be presented from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on November 3 for school students.

â€œThis will be a day dedicated by reenactors to give students a visual and even a first-hand lesson regarding the Civil War in what is now Oklahoma,â€ Edwards said. â€œStudents will learn to march in formation, and reenactors will present a variety of skills and equipment used by Civil War soldiers for survival and fighting.â€

The students will move from station to station, where they will learn about what the soldiers ate, how they cooked, their cavalry gear, and their music. Reenactors will also demonstrate artillery and other weapons.

The Oklahoma Historical Society produces a series of three major Civil War reenactments which include Middle Boggy, Cabin Creek, and the Battle of Honey Springs. For more information on the historical society and the Civil War reenactment, click here.

Below: A 12-pdr. howitzer gun captured by Butterfield's Brigade near Hanover Court House, May 27, 1862. Courtesy: Library of Congress.