Civil War sesquicentennial to be observed Saturday

Contributed photo: The Kingdom of Callaway Civil War Heritage's fourth annual Civil War Living History Day will be observed from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday with an event for children at the Callaway County Public Library. The event, which is geared toward families and youngsters from ages 5 to 13, will feature living history re-enactors, period music and food. Pictured is Jim Harrison (seated) at the 2009 event.
Contributed photo: The Kingdom of Callaway Civil War Heritage's fourth annual Civil War Living History Day will be observed from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday with an event for children at the Callaway County Public Library. The event, which is geared toward families and youngsters from ages 5 to 13, will feature living history re-enactors, period music and food. Pictured is Jim Harrison (seated) at the 2009 event.

The 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War will be observed Saturday with an event for children at the Callaway County Public Library.

The Kingdom of Callaway Civil War Heritage's fourth annual Civil War Living History Day is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the library.

"Because of this 150th anniversary, our program this year will put special emphasis on the events in Missouri during 1861," said Martin Northway, chairman of the heritage group.

Sponsoring the event are the Callaway County Public Library, the Callaway Civil War Heritage, and the Elijah Gates Camp No. 570 Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Greg Reeves, manager of the Callaway County Public Library, said there will be a month-long display outside the library's Friends Room featuring a selection of Civil War books that will be available to borrow.

The event is geared toward families and youngsters from ages 5 to 13.

"Most people do not realize that 40 percent of the battles and engagements during the first year of the war occurred right here in Missouri," Northway said.

The Elijah Gates Camp No. 570 Sons of Confederate Veterans will provide military re-enactors for the event. They will be dressed in military uniforms used during the Civil War.

Northway said the event will feature both civilian and military living history re-enactors in an indoor "encampment."

Period music and food will be part of the re-enactment event at the library.

For the first time this year there will be door prize drawings at the event.

Prizes will include books and two handmade dolls created by Betty McAtee, a local teacher.

The Kingdom of Callaway Civil War Heritage is the local affiliate of Missouri's Civil War Heritage Foundation. The foundation is the sponsor of the Gray Ghosts Trail driving tour of historical informational panels.

So far three panels have been erected in Callaway County. Four more are scheduled to be dedicated this year along the trail through Callaway County. The first of these historical panels, Northway said, will be erected at Westminster College on April 16.