<p>John Williams fires his Coehoorn mortar at Fort Stevens while Larry McGinnis and a young park visitor register their approval of the effect.</p>

Seven score and 10 years ago, on April 12, 1861, our republic was tested as never before or since, when shots were fired on Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor, S.C., in the first engagement of the American Civil War. This weekend, you can immerse yourself in that distant time and place, in the sound of battle and the smell of black powder, in the camps and cooking fires of battles fought 150 years ago.

For more than two decades, Fort Stevens State Park has been the scene of Civil War reenactments held on Labor Day Weekend, and some 3,000 people come to watch five battles over three days, to walk through the Army camps (correct in every detail) and to mingle with men and women soldiers of long ago.

“It’s so real you think that you’re back in that time,” says David Lindstrom of Friends of Old Fort Stevens, “and what’s cool to me is that so many families take part as reenactors.”

Two experienced reenactors are John Williams and Larry McGinnis, both of Warrenton. Both are also volunteers at Fort Stevens, and also take their authentic uniforms and equipment to schools to educate children about American history. In fact, the Civil War Reenactment itself is primarily a living history program.

“We’re trying to teach people about the worst part of our history,” says Williams. “We don’t sugar coat it. We don’t want to glorify the Civil War, but to show the horrors of war, and how tough life was back then.”

The officers, who know which side is going to win, plan the reenacted battle. The troops follow orders, not knowing the outcome, until an officer says something like “Fire 15 rounds and then take a hit.”

Of course, as in real battle, things don’t always go according to plan. In reenactments, the main reason for departing from the script is safety. Some soldier makes a wrong turn, for example, and finds himself in the “cone of fire” of a cannon. In a real war, of course, the cannon would fire, but in a reenactment the only possibility is a change of plan. This is because although no cannon balls, shot or bullets are used, real black powder is. And the blast alone can injure a person up to 75 feet in front of a cannon, 25 feet in front of a rifle.

Becoming a reenactor can be an expensive business, or not; it depends on how you go about it. The historic name for those who followed an army and sold provisions is “sutler,” and today there are sutlers to provide for the needs of reenactors. Do you need a uniform sewn? A local sutler will do it in authentic, and very warm, wool for $140. Do you want a good reproduction of a Sharps rifle? That can cost $1,500. If you’re in the artillery, you might own a cannon with several friends or, like John Williams, have a reproduction of a Civil War Coehoorn mortar made for your own personal use on the battlefield. If you’re short of funds but want to try out reenacting, you might find someone to loan you some duds, or you could join the Confederate Army. Toward the end of the war, they were wearing just about anything they could find, so wear some overalls. Denim (18th century) is acceptable, but please no zippers (invented in 1851, but not marketed until long after the Civil War).

“To make reenacting work,” says Williams, “you spend more time studying the Civil War than you do in the field.” Still, reenactors aren’t in it just for the history. There is often some comedy worked into the battles, and as Williams says, “One of the great things is the camaraderie between the Union and the Confederacy after the battle.”

It’s also a lot of fun. “The public all comes out,” says McGinnis, “and I love to fire the cannon. They get a kick out of it.”

So get a kick out of the Civil War this weekend. It doesn’t cost much. The entry fee is per car, not per person, so find a large car and a lot of friends to split the $20. It’s one of the best entertainment/education deals around – and includes the day use fee for all Oregon state parks.

The Civil War Reenactment opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 3 and 4, with battles at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. There is one battle at noon Monday, and the event ends after the battle. In between battles, there are period medical demonstrations, cavalry demonstrations, fashion shows, a brass band and more. You can find details at www.nwcwc.org/fortstevens.html