On Saturday, we went to a Civil War Re-enactment at Dollinger's Farm. It was the kind of fun hands-on homeschooling that we like best. We haven't studied the Civil War yet, so everything was new to the kids. Actually, it was new to Paul and I, too. For all that I learned in school, I really don't remember alot of it. Maybe because it wasn't very interesting at the time, maybe because it was a little blurp in my history book, maybe because I just used my short term memory to pass the tests... It seems like the public school system makes memorizing names and dates the important part (which it is important), but misses giving children a grasp on the whole picture. The why's and the how's. The deeper meanings of war... What would make people give their lives to free slave men? There was a broader ideal of how our Creator endowed each person, regardless of skin color, with inalienable rights. People fought a war and gave their lives while standing on this truth... "There is no greater love than this, that a man lay his life down for his friend." Now, that's some deep schooling.
The boys really enjoyed watching the battle which ended that day's fighting with a truce between the Confederates and the Yanks. In fact, they liked it so much, they went again today to watch the continuation of the battle.
One of Paul's co-workers played an artillery soldier in the re-enactment. We got a quick tour of the Yankee camp and got to check out this working cannon that is an original from the Civil War.
Great pictures. Looks like a good time.
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