In 1863, Scott Lawalin’s uncle died on a battlefield in Nashville, far from his Indiana home.
In 2024, Lawalin, too, will don a Union uniform, preserving the legacy of his uncle and many other soldiers as just a few days from now, cannon fire will ring out over Hartford City for the Civil War Days event.
Taking place from Oct. 4–6, the Hartford City Civil War Days will feature re-enactors who, for a few short days, live, fight, cook and sleep like soldiers from the time period.
This year’s performance will showcase the Battle of New Hope Church, as well as the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain and the Battle of Atlanta. It will also feature bayonet drills and presentations for visitors, detailing the historical context of several of the weekend’s events.
Of course, that’s not all that’s available at the event.
“It’s not all just about the guns and cannons,” Sean Cavanaugh, president of the Hartford City Civil War Days organization, said. “It's not just about the war. It's about life, the struggles, about the food. We have a lot of great period food vendors that will be there. We have a lot of great things to buy…. We have a lot of just something for everybody there. So if you don't like the guns and the battling music, we have presentations to listen to. We have the sights and sounds.”
This year’s celebration will also host two guests: a seasoned actor who will play Abraham Lincoln, and the 2nd Cavalry Brigade Band who will provide music. In addition, there will be period games, wagon rides and, at 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 5, a Civil War Grande Ball, complete with a fashion show and ball gown competition.
Still, the event isn’t just about introducing an audience to the past. For Lawalin, captain of the 49th Indiana re-enactment unit and colonel of the army of the Wabash, the experience is also personal.
As a direct descendant of multiple Civil War soldiers, he’s had the opportunity to visit relatives’ graves from the time period, but even as he wears a uniform created to mirror their own, he’s reminded of the small scope re-enactments provide, even in large-scale events like Hartford City.
“It is my way of honoring their (Civil War soldiers’) service, and to kind of get a taste of how they (lived),” Lawalin said. “It was a harsh life in a lot of ways, but it is interesting to kind of wear the same type of clothing they did, and see echoes of the same thing.”
Lawalin’s favorite part of the event has nothing to do with the clothing or artillery, however. As an IT worker in his day-to-day life, the chance to unplug is what makes re-enacting so worth it. It also invites a sense of wonder for him, allowing him to remember how large the world is outside all the technology and devices.
Remembering one’s place in history is part of the importance of learning about it, junior Kiera Martin, a public history student with experience in history engagement, said.
“It’s … easier to forget that it’s real,” Martin said. “I think that (re-enactment) offers a lot of reality and gravity in humanity to some things that people hear about or sleep through.”
She noted how quickly people forget that even the buildings around them are part of a grander narrative. Yet there is inspiration and passion that can be gained from being curious about the stories history offers.
There’s also a sense of responsibility to be gleaned from its pages, Lawalin said.
“It's not just my history, it's not just your history, it's the country's history,” he said.
And for him, re-enactment is one way he gets to be part of it all.
The Hartford City Civil War Days will run Oct. 4–6 at 304 County Rd 75 E, Hartford City, IN 47348. More information, including a full schedule of the weekend’s events, can be found at https://www.hartfordcitycwdays.com/.
