Note: The Civil War Reenactors will not be at the 2009 Peach Festival.

10th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Company C
They marched off to war in June 1861.  They were the 10th Massachusetts Volunteers, a regiment of farm boys and shop keepers from Western Massachusetts.  Their three year enlistments gave them more than enough time to end the rebellion in the South.  But when the Veterans of the 10th returned home in 1864 the war was not over.  The original enlistment suffered 20% losses – stricken down at places now marked by the 10th Regiment’s shredded flag: Fair Oaks Wilderness, Fredricksburg, Antietam, Gettysburg, Petersburg.  Despite the casualties, a few reenlisted and served in the ranks of other units until the end of the war.

The 10th Mass Lives on Today
Recreated in 1961, the 10th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry is a group of living historians who participate in activities throughout the year.  The volunteers are dressed and equipped with exact replicas (and sometimes the actual) clothes and equipment of a Union soldier of 1861.  They participate in battle reenactments, encampments, living history, school programs, and parades. 

Members are from diverse backgrounds, but all share an interest in the American Civil War.  Some may focus on battlefield tactics, others on the music or clothes, but all enjoy the hands-on experience that reenacting offers.  To become a member, one does not need to be an expert on the Civil War, just have an interest in exploring our history by living it!