Reenactors bring Battle of Kennesaw Mountain to life for 162nd anniversary

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park was transported 162 years into the past this weekend to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.

The battle took place on June 27, 1864, during the American Civil War as General William Tecumseh Sherman made his way south toward Atlanta, according to the National Park Service.

Confederate forces fought the Union in hopes of keeping Sherman out of the city, which served as a major railroad hub bringing food, supplies and other goods.

The battle lasted about two weeks with Confederate forces winning, but they failed to keep Sherman out of Atlanta, eventually resulting in Sherman capturing the city.

To commemorate the anniversary, reenactors in period dress educated visitors about everything from weapons and uniforms to food and communication devices that were used at the time of the battle.

For some of the reenactors, donning the uniform is a way to learn about their own ancestors. Gary Plescher, a reenactor who dresses as a Union soldier, is originally from Ohio and said he had ancestors who fought for the Union during the Civil War.

He moved to Georgia five years ago, and said this is his first year being part of the anniversary of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. He came with a group of other reenactors he joined about three years ago.

"I just happened upon them at an event I went to," Plescher said. "I liked the camaraderie, how patient they are with new people."

Plescher said he and many other reenactors take pains to make sure every detail of their performance is accurate. Their uniforms are made entirely of wool, just as real Civil War-era uniforms would have been, and the muskets they use are replicas of what soldiers carried more than 160 years ago.

Other reenactors have been going to the park for years.

John McMahan, a reenactor who attended the event as a Union soldier, was born and raised in the Atlanta area and has visited the park since he was a teenager.

He was drawn to the park by his love of history, and got into reenactments with some friends as a young adult in the 1980s. Since then, he's done various events, including at Kennesaw Mountain, as both a Confederate and a Union soldier. It's become a major part of his life, with his wife and daughter joining him sometimes.

"My wife reenacted with me, and then my daughter went to her first event at two weeks old," McMahan said.

Some reenactors said participating in events like this are a chance for them to learn new things, too.

Fred Purmort, a reenactor who dresses as Sherman, said he's been playing the general for about four years at various events around the Atlanta area. To prepare for each appearance, he researches Sherman's role in that specific battle or event, even after years of playing the famed general, and often learns things he didn't already know.

"There's certain things at every battle that I didn't know about Sherman," Purmort said. "It's just very interesting when you tie all those little pieces together that were instrumental in the war."

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