Rusty Dicks-Civil War Surgeon

CITIZENS OF BLAIR COUNTY, PA AND BEYOND! CIVIL WAR LIVING HISTORY IS RETURNING TO THE BAKER MANSION THIS YEAR! MAKE PREPARATIONS IMMEDIATELY!

After a great showing last year, we are thrilled to announce that our A Mansion Divided: The Baker Family and Blair County in the Civil War living history event is coming back for the 2026 season! And for this year, we are going bigger and better all around!

Like last year, this Civil War living history event will feature a variety of dedicated reenactors and living historians who will bring the Civil War era to life. Guests will be able to interact with local soldiers, members of the Baker family, and others who lived during this tumultuous time in our nation's history. Firing demonstrations and pop-up exhibits featuring rare Civil War artifacts will also be on display across the event.

We have some new additions this season as well! For this year's event, we are pleased to welcome the talents of Keystone Tintype, a traveling tintype photography studio that will be onsite for demonstrations and photo opportunities for guests! Additionally, visitors may just encounter some new pieces of artillery here at the mansion this year... 💥

Couple all of this with a Civil War-era musical performance by the 46th PA Regiment Band and some food/drinks from The Dirty Soda Shack and Royer Barbecue Company, and we have a great experience lined up for later this season!

This Civil War living history event will take place on Saturday, August 29 and Sunday, August 30 from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and admission to all of the outdoor experiences is FREE and open to the public. However, tours of the mansion and the indoor exhibits will still require payment (standard tour rates apply). A complete schedule of events for the day will be released closer to the event.

Reenacting is a ridiculous concept

When you get right down to it, it’s a weird hobby. Leaving the comforts and security of our 21st century lives to wear clothes that went out of fashion over 100 years ago, eat food that’s repetitive and often tasteless, and sleeping on the ground are all things that an average person would label as crazy. However, we believe there’s three motivating factors that keep us going and encourage us to expand our experiences.

1. It helps us honor the original cast and keep their story alive.
‘Nuff said. We are the ones that make history tangible and more enjoyable to the public that watches the reenactments, visit us in camp, and ask questions. History books in school are boring. Seeing, hearing, and smelling even just a sliver of history helps people realize what life was like for the original cast.

2. It helps us understand the original cast better
As our friends over at the 11th OVC keep reiterating, experimental archeology is king. There aren’t many (if any) letters, diaries, or documents that explain the difference between cotton or wool socks, lined or unlined coats, how to deal with a misbehaving musket in the thick of battle, or so much more. These were the daily experiences of so many of these people that we can also experience firsthand, though sometimes not to the degree that the original cast did.

3. Reenacting is hard
If it were easy, everyone would do it. In a world of instant gratification, there is something to be said about doing hard things and things that take time. You want a cup of coffee? Make sure you gather the firewood, start the fire, boil the water, make the coffee, and make sure it cools down enough where you don’t burn your entire mouth. That’s a much different experience than popping a pod in a Keurig and getting the perfect cup of coffee every time. By taking on these challenges you prove most importantly to yourself that you can do it. That builds confidence and can make you a better person because of it.

So next time you’re in the field, take some time to reflect on why we do this crazy hobby and cherish the friendships, memories, and the history that you’re living.

📸: Joel F. Carberry

Ludwig Kohn, a private in Company I of the 214th Pennsylvania Volunteers was 26 years old when he was admitted to Harewood U.S.A. General Hospital on August 15. 1865, suffering from a gunshot wound of the chest on the right side. A bullet fractured his third rib, transfixing his chest and exiting below the scapula on the same side.

Kohn was wounded July 1, 1863, at the Battle of Gettysburg. On admission to the Hospital, the parts had nearly healed; but Kohn reported that the wound soon after the injury became gangrenous with considerable sloughing of soft parts; spit blood at times, and that the wound was “so painful as to deprive him of his night's rest.” He could not lie on his back, but was obliged to sit up day and night. There was still a slight opening at his admission but otherwise the wound was entirely healed. Kohn was reported “in very good constitutional state,” and awaiting his discharge from U.S, service.

In 1862, Surgeon General William Hammond requested officers of the Army Medical Corps to submit case records which would later be included in a publication called “Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion.”The Civil War Surgical Card Collection at the National Library of Medicine represents part of this monumental effort to capture and disseminate medical knowledge accumulated during the war. The NLM’s cards are unique in being annotated with red ink indicating the trajectory of the bullets that caused the wounds being documented.

For more about Civil War Medicine, visit the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, Md. Plan your visit: https://www.civilwarmed.org/visit/

Photo: Photographed by Dr. R.B. Bontecou, courtesy of the National Library of Medicine

If you are going to be in the Gettysburg area for the battle anniversary, check out some of the programming offered by the Ridge.