In 1863, 15,000 Yankee soldiers made an epic, 35-mile march to the Battle of Gettysburg. In just 18 hours, the soldiers of the VI Corps arrived at what turned out to be the battle with the largest number of causalities in the American Civil War.
To commemorate their march and celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, Lone Star College-Montgomery is hosting a live memorial march and battle reenactment with more than 300 participants on Saturday, November 10, 2012, at 9 a.m. Community members are welcome to participate or watch the event.
Participants will muster by the campus parking garage (located on West Campus Drive) at 8:30 a.m., form into units, and make a 3.5-mile trek around campus to represent 1/10 of the mileage covered in the war. At the end of the march, groups will deploy into battle formation on the baseball field, and when the order is given, make a mock bayonet charge.
“The Civil War is too important to go unnoticed,” said Craig Livingston, professor of history at LSC-Montgomery and chair of the college’s Civil War 150th Anniversary Commission. “The war and what it meant to the U.S. needs to be memorialized.”
The Civil War Commission has planned an entire campaign of events scheduled at LSC-Montgomery throughout the fall and spring semesters. Events include monthly lectures, toy soldier combats, dinner/movie nights, discussion groups, readings of Abraham Lincoln’s famous speeches, an essay contest, fife lessons, and more. However, the high-point, said Livingston, is this memorial march.
“The VI Corp memorial march is a show of solidarity with the American past,” he said. “The whole event will be filmed and become part of a 150th anniversary documentary I’m producing.”
Those wishing to participate should bring water in packs for rest breaks and a broom stick for the battle reenactment. Music will be provided to keep the marching spirits high, and free bandanas will be givens to all.
Community members are also welcome to watch the event at the college’s baseball field.
For more information about the live memorial march and battle reenactment or any of the Civil War anniversary events, visit https://sites.google.com/site/livingstonhomepage/civil-war-150th-anniversary, or contact Craig Livingston at Craig.Livingston@LoneStar.edu or 936.273.7329
LSC-Montgomery is located at 3200 College Park Drive, one-half mile west of Interstate 45, between Conroe and The Woodlands. For more information about the college, call 936.273.7000, or visit www.LoneStar.edu/montgomery.
With 78,000 students in credit classes, and a total enrollment of more than 90,000, Lone Star College System is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and the fastest-growing community college system in the nation. Dr. Richard Carpenter is the chancellor of LSCS, which consists of six colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, LSC-Tomball and LSC-University Park, five centers, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.