A large turnout of residents attended the Living Civil War Encampment on Saturday, Sept. 24. The Westborough Historical Commission and Westborough Historical Society hosted the event at Westborough High School to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

The day was filled with activities for all ages. Members of the 13th Massachusetts Infantry set up a Civil War encampment and reenacted an infantry drill with musket firing demonstrations and a children's marching drill.

The Women's Soldiers Sewing Society read letters from Union soldiers as they reenacted making the soldiers' supplies. Several other readings included an account of a young soldier's heroism during battle and the description of Westborough local William Sibley's war experience. Singer/songwriter Luanne Crosby performed popular songs from the Civil War Era.

Ed Welch, a 13th Infantry member, carried a 149-year-old sword that had been used in the Civil War. "When the war broke out, every town had a quota of men they had to recruit. One of my ancestors was a sergeant and lieutenant and somehow made it through the war without getting a scratch on him. I have a lot of his original gear and have collected more than 400 original items from the Civil War," noted Welch, who provided a wealth of information regarding Civil War soldiers.

"There are currently 74 members in the 13th Massachusetts Infantry, including civilians and musicians," said reenactor Bob Collins.

Reenactor Steve Gardner added, "We currently do about nine reenactments a year, including parades. We used to do more, but things have slowed down as the economy has slowed. But this should be a more active year with the 150th anniversary."

Both adults and children walked through the encampment in wonder, closely studying the replica war encampment tents and listening as both reenactment soldiers and civilians provided a glimpse into this significant event in our nation's history. Visit the 13th Massachusetts Infantry website for more information about upcoming events. 

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