The Civil War Returns to Sidney, Ohio

By Mike Barhorst · Originally published December 2018 · p. 35

Sidney, Ohio’s, Civil War Living History Weekend returned to the community’s 220 acre Tawawa Park the weekend of Sept. 15-16. The heavily wooded park, complete with a covered bridge crossing Tawawa Creek, two small lakes, a canal, hills, and bluffs provides a natural setting for the biennial event. “As we proved in our inaugural effort, the park’s 220 acres are ideal for this event,” said J.R. Sharp, a Confederate reenactor whose Company B, 1st Tennessee Infantry encamped in the park for spring drill the past several years. Sharp, who commands Company B, has been reenacting for two decades and is on the committee that helped organize both the 2016 and the 2018 events. “There is no question that the park’s unique terrain features, including Tawawa Creek, Amos Lake, the valley, and the overlooking bluffs again provided both reenactors and spectators with a unique experience,” said Sidney Mayor Mike Barhorst. Barhorst has chaired the organizing committee since its inception. “Both in 2016 and again this year, a handful of reenactors came as scouts for their respective units,” Barhorst said. “I can’t tell you how often individual visitors, some from several states away, commented on the natural beauty of the park. Some came from cities five, six, and seven times larger than Sidney, whose population is just over 21,000. They couldn’t believe that a city our size could have such a wonderful park when their own communities didn’t.” “I heard the same comments,” said Parks and Recreation Director Duane Gaier, who also serves as a member of the organizing committee. “When I told them that the advertisements all detailed the wooded terrain, water features, and hills, and valleys, their response was nearly always the same: ‘Do you have any idea how many communities have told us their event was going to be held in their wonderful city park with all the features you claimed to have and when we arrived, we found a concrete slab with a couple of basketball hoops and not a tree or stream in sight?’” “An event like the Civil War Living History Weekend is one that I had discussed for nearly two decades with reenactors like Doug Slagel and Doug Benson,” Shelby County Historical Society Executive Director Tilda Phlipot said. “Both have been active members of our organization, and both have extensive reenacting experience. Such programs are a great way for us to teach the community an important part of our history and make it come alive.” “Events like this could not be accomplished without the strong partnerships we have within the community,” Phlipot added. “To ensure the success, we use dozens of volunteers. They help to ensure the success of each of our events.” Slagel, a Union reenactor for more than two decades, also served as a member of the planning committee. He has extensive experience helping to organize national events. “Many reenactors were involved in major events leading up to the Civil War’s Sesquicentennial (2011–2015), and there simply wasn’t a good way to move into that crowded field. With the Civil War’s 150th anniversary behind us, reenactors are looking for something that requires less travel and expense than the big national events and are now open to new experiences.” Slagel said. “When we began planning for 2016, we were looking at a biennial reenactment, one that would fit in the off-years with the event held at Zoar Village. Reenactors like to be able to schedule their time, and this would provide them the opportunity to schedule a vacation at the same time each year, heading to Shelby County one year and to Tuscarawas County the next. That seems to have worked well,” Sharp noted. “Our intent this year was to double the participation of 2016,” Barhorst stated. “We came close, both with the numbers of participants and the sutlers who attended.” Sutlers who attended this year included Amazon Dry Goods, K&K Mercantile, New Lisbon Sutlery, Rocking Horse Toys & Games, and tintype photographer Michael Rhodes. “We made a concerted effort to get sutlers and merchants who would complement each other,” Barhorst stated. “It was our strong belief that if we had quality folks and they had a good experience, they would want to return. Based on my exit conversations with them, I think they had a good weekend this year, and each expressed an interest in returning in 2020.” The event also hosts a series of speakers who talk about various facets of the war. This year, presenters included teaching artist and Ohio History Connection’s Manager of Local History Services Anthony Gibbs, whose presentation was “The Story of the United States Colored Troops;” David Walker, who provided a first-person impression of Confederate States of America President Jefferson Davis, and Cincinnati area author David Mowery, who spoke about “Morgan’s Great Raid” on Saturday and returned on Sunday to talk about a topic near to his heart, the story of his great, greatgreat-great grandfather, Sidney native Private Samuel Churchill, who fought with the 20th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

David Walker appeared as Jefferson Davis to provide attendees an overview of the Southern Cause, and answered questions from the audience in the first person during his presentation. Also speaking were Urbana, Ohio, Mayor Bill Bean, who spoke about his research into Champaign County’s forgotten Black Civil War soldiers, Stillwater Civil War Roundtable President and Ohio’s 2005 Gilder-Lehrman American History Teacher of the Year Joe Bellas, who spoke on Saturday about Ohio’s Confederate Prison Camps and on Sunday about Civil War ghosts, and Dana Gagnon, who portrayed author Harriet Beecher Stowe on Saturday and Helen Peabody, the first president of Western College on Sunday. The 73rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regimental Band played an evening concert both years. This year, the group also played a Saturday morning concert in downtown Sidney’s Courthouse Square. The band also played music following the period Catholic Mass on Sunday morning, and during the period Methodist service that followed. Also playing a major role in planning both the 2106 and 2018 events is Tim Bills, who served as commander of the Union forces. Bills, who hails from Rochester, N.Y., has been a mainstay in reenacting events for decades. “Tim brings a tremendous amount of knowledge to our event,” Barhorst said. “His experiences, as well as those of JR (Sharp), have been responsible for our success.” “Although no battles were fought anywhere near Shelby County,” Barhorst stated, “at least 1,000 Shelby County boys enlisted, and more than 326 gave their lives in that epic struggle. So far as we know today, all but one fought on the side of the Union.” “The Monumental Building was constructed to permanently commemorate those who died in the war. It was the first of 14 buildings erected throughout Ohio to commemorate Civil War dead. Inside the building are marble tablets that contain the names of those who died during the war. The building was open on Saturday so that those who wished to go inside to see the tablets could do so. “The City of Sidney will celebrate her bicentennial in 2020,” Barhorst noted, “and for those who like to plan ahead, the next Civil War Living History Weekend is scheduled for Sept. 19-20, 2020. I certainly invite those who want to learn more about the Civil War to attend. Information is available on the web (www.sidneycivilwar.org).”