Reenactment Announced in Bentonville 7-20-2007

BENTONVILLE — The re-enactment may be three months away — and the war over a century past, but two Union soldiers were already casualties Friday.

It was an unexpected victory for the Confederacy on the Square. Unable to withstand the heat while wearing their wool uniforms, the two soldiers passed out from the heat during the announcement of the Peel House Foundation’s fourth bi-annual Civil War Re-enactment, to be held Oct. 27-28 on 130 acres near Price Coffee Road, north of Bentonville.

Local history buff and retired physician Don Cohagan briefly tended to the first soldier as emergency responders with the Bentonville Fire Department headed toward the Square.

Just as the first soldier was walked toward the ambulance, a second man went down. He was immediately taken to receive medical care.

“ That’s the way they did it in the Civil War, ” Cohagan said. “ With water and prayer. They didn’t have anything else. ”

Cohagan went back to promoting the re-enactment, which will mark the 145 th anniversary of the Battle of Pea Ridge. The battle took place March 6-8, 1862.

The purpose of the event is to educate the public on the importance of Civil War history and Benton County’s heritage through historical preservation, reenactment and living-history presentations. More than 2, 000 Civil-War re-enactors are expected for the event.

“ The most important part of this is to teach, … to let us feel and see, ” Cohagan said. “ There is no better way to teach our young people history than to actually have them see where (soldiers ) live, to bring that history alive. ”

“ We are the home of a rich history, not the least of which is the region’s part in the Civil War, ” said Ed Clifford, president and CEO of the Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce. “ Few counties in America participated in that war like Benton County, and we were the site of the largest Civil War battle west of the Mississippi. ”

Organizers anticipate this event to bring 10, 000 spectators and approximately $ 750, 000 in revenue for the city.

For more information, contact Leah Whitehead with the Peel House Foundation at (479 ) 273-9664 or visit www. peelmansion. org.
(Benton County Daily Record - 7/21/2007)