Saturday afternoon I drove my little fuel efficient car into a cut-down corn field and step back in time. My assignment: cover a Civil War reenactment that never actually happened here in Temple. "The Battle of Temple Junction" part of a three-day event showcasing the tactics of the war, the medical treatment of the time and living conditions.
I spent some time weaving between Confederate and Union lines before joining the crowd gathered to watch the Battle begin. As the smoke filled the field of battle, some bystanders started joking that with all that gun fire no one was hit. All I kept thinking was, "Wow, the Union forces here are few and far between." No surprise. The Confederate forces won this demonstration. As the smoke cleared, some of the reenactors stumbled off the field to a field hospital set up to show the 100 or so event spectators how the wounded and dying were treated.
During the battle and following medical demonstrations, you would hear onlookers discussing the Civil War (mostly bashing the Union army and Lincoln). I know I shouldn't be, but I found myself surprised at the resentment so many years after the end of the conflict. I guess that's how it is after any war.
It was a weird way to spend an afternoon, however it was fun to cover!
