14 DAY TRIAL // The Gettysburg National Military Park is currently hosting its annual Civil War reenactment, and this year it has drawn thousands.
The celebration marks the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg battle in the Civil War. According to the Inquisitr, 51,000 soldiers died within three days of battle in July 1863.
The reenactment will be watched by crowds of 200,000 to 300,000 people over the next week. It will culminate in the illustration of the Pickett’s Charge battle, on July 3.
"It's extremely accurate and feels real - the noise, conditions, and spectacle - but you're not confronting the likelihood of you or your friends being killed," describes Jon Sirlin, of Center City.
Sirlin portrays a Union officer and chief of staff and he tells Philly.com that he has taken part in a lengthy training session.
"We train in individual units of maybe 30, 40, or 50 guys. […] Then, we get together with a unit of 100, and a larger unit of 500," he says.
However, when he steps out on the battlefield, Sirlin is in charge of 10,000 people. Sticking to a plan is essential for the operation.
"But nobody gets together with 10,000 guys. […] We really do give orders on the field and have to follow a plan.
"You have to respond to what happens. […] Mistakes happen, just like they do during the real thing. . . . You get a better feeling for how things go wrong," he notes.
The reenactment is costing the Gettysburg Anniversary Committee roughly $1 million (€768,000) every year.
"I’m just in awe, when I saw the cavalry go by. Where we’re from, we have a lot of cavalry at the Moore Park event, which is the largest in California, but it’s nothing compared to this, " details spectator Pamela Yates of California.