A good Civil War soldier fired at least three rounds a minute.

While that sounds like a small number in today’s terms, it was the standard in 1864.

Most of the re-enactors at the Fifth Annual Mid-Michigan Civil War Muster easily popped two shots in that time period, but only a few were doing the ‘good soldier’ standard of three.

The weekend-long reenactment was held in Deerfield Nature Park, 2425 W. Remus Road.

The Sunday battle reenactment was based on a Nov. 23, 1864, skirmish in Mount Pleasant, Tenn., in which a refugee camp was found by Confederate and Union army detachments. Both forces fought over the ground and ended with a temporary truce.

The Muster was organized by the Tenth Michigan Infantry, a group dedicated to advancing knowledge and appreciation of U.S. history.

The way it was

Re-enactor Michele Petrie portrayed Susie King Taylor, the first black woman to serve with the 33rd Colored Troop of South Carolina. Petrie assisted the surgeon in the field hospital, removed bullets, assisted with amputations, dressed wounds and wrote letters for soldiers, she said.

Petrie and her husband have been active in the Tenth Michigan Infantry for four years. They were encouraged to join by a co-worker of Petrie’s, and enlisted after they saw a reenactment in Shepherd.

“We actually do things the way they did back then,” Petrie said. “We cook on open fires.”

The Infantry also has a generational influence.

“My dad started the group in 1976, so I’ve been doing this 33 years. I started as a bugler and am now the colonel,” said re-enactor Dave Rowley.

Rowley’s children also are active in the Tenth Michigan Infantry.

Rowley challenged some of the re-enactors to a speed-shooting contest and taught a few basic Civil War-era drills to those in the crowd who wanted to join in, such as teaching them to march.

Tom Plachta of Mount Pleasant came with his wife, Laura, and children, Tommy and Dominic.

“This is a good way to see what went on, and it’s a good way to spend a sunny day and learn something.
And what boy doesn’t want to watch gun shooting?” Plachta said.

In addition to the steadfast re-enactors, some made the annual pilgrimage to the Muster.

“I have come here for four years. The most interesting thing was the dialogue during the battle instead of just actions,” said Mount Pleasant West Intermediate School eighth grader Allie Strong. “It’s first hand experience on how it was then and how they have camps set up and the way they are dressed, too.”

E-mail the author: Blake Showers