“Out There…Somewhere”: Fired Up About History

Aiken, SC—They love their Civil War history, and they’re not kidding.

“There’s a kid in a lot of us, out here, we love coming out we love putting on the uniform,” said Eddie Rodgers, of Aiken, a first time reenactor.

And they are donning the uniforms of the Blue and the Gray, at the 15th annual Battle of Aiken.

It’s history in the re-making…

“Our job here is to re-create, as authentically as we can, a piece of history and a piece of our heritage that our young people can carry forward,” said author David Chaltas, nationally known for his portrayal of General Robert E. Lee. He was in full uniform for the occasion.

And how do you hook people on history? With a bang. 

On hand for the Battle of Aiken…real cannons that fired were in anger during the great conflict. What a rush to see and hear these big guns go off.

“The kids, the hollering and screaming is magnificent. Of course, we tell them to put their fingers over their ears,” said Gregory Craven, of Charleston.

Of course, it’s not just the young who like the cannon fire, it is also the young at heart.

“I’m having a ball,” Craven added.

They do have fun telling the story of the Battle of Aiken because when it comes to learning history, they do take some liberties. For one, there’s a lot more cannons here than at the real Battle of Aiken. There’s 17, but the crowd doesn’t mind.

And unless I missed something on the History Channel, General Lee wasn’t in Aiken, that day.

“You are absolutely right about that,” said the General.

So they do go a little Hollywood at the Battle of Aiken, but that’s because they’re all fired up about the past.

“You can’t tell where you’re going until you know where you’ve been,“ said Rodgers.

And that’s not just whistling Dixie.

The public is invited out to get a taste of the times, this weekend.

Tickets are available at the gate.

For more information, click here.