Living history

Jeff Say
Published: February 13, 2008

BRANDY STATION -Charlie Nicholson stared intently at the wall in front of him. The questions were apparent in his 14-year-old mind. Who did the signatures belong to- What was it like when they signed the wall- And does history get much cooler than this-

Nicholson and two of his friends -C.J. Zinn and Jack Post - traveled all the way from El Segundo, Calif. to the Graffiti House in Brandy Station last Saturday to learn about the Civil War.

Nicholson's mother, Lori Waterman, suggested the trip along with her longtime friend Barb Vorndick. Vorndick, who lives on land that was part of the Wilderness Battlefield, had a longstanding offer to Waterman - whenever Charlie was old enough to learn about the Civil War why not come learn about it on the land it was fought-

"I wanted to teach the boys about the Civil War because they're getting ready to do it in eighth grade history," Lori Waterman said. "I thought if I could bring them here and they could see everything it would be more of an impact than looking at a book."

Waterman and Vorndick had been friends for years, meeting through their Navy husbands and had moved together from California, to Florida and finally to Virginia. But while Vorndick and her husband stayed in the East, Waterman moved back West. But her friend always had the offer to come and visit and learn about the Civil War.

So when Nicholson and his friends started to learn about the Civil War in eighth grade, Waterman made the call to bring the boys to Virginia to gain some hands-on opportunities.

And getting a chance to experience what they've only read in textbooks was a "cool" experience for the three boys.

Nicholson was enthralled especially with the Graffiti House and the preservation of the graffiti on the walls.

"It's amazing how they can restore it, and how it's all been here since the Civil War," Nicholson said.

The experience of getting to see artifacts of the Civil War and to actually walk on the land where the battle was fought hit home with Nicholson.

"I've always thought the Civil War was interesting, how our nation kind of divided," Nicholson said, "but this made it even more interesting to me."

With the Little Fork Rangers set up on the Brandy Station Battlefield outside of the Graffiti House, one could also feel as if they were transported back in time.

"I think the most amazing thing was when we drove up and the re-enactors were out there, they all were just kind of in shock," Waterman said.

Vorndick had placed a call to Brandy Station Publicity Volunteer Della Edrington earlier, hoping that Edrington could supply one re-enactor for the boys to see. Instead Vorndick and the Waterman group got a whole division.

But Brandy Station wasn't the only stop on the Civil War tour for the boys. Vorndick, a former teacher in Spotsylvania County and now an educational diagnostics worker for the county, put together a lesson plan detailing what the boys would experience and what skirmishes were fought at the battlefields they were visiting. After touring Brandy Station the group was going to the Chancellorsville Battlefield and then later to the Wilderness Battlefield and Ellwood Plantation - where Stonewall Jackson's arm is buried.

"We thought the teenage boys would like that," Vorndick said of visiting the resting place of Stonewall's appendage. "First we're going to the site of the wounding and then we'll travel to the ruins at Wilderness Tavern where the amputation was. Then we'll go to Ellwood to see where the arm was buried."

Vorndick's ancestors fought in the Civil War and now that she lives on a piece of land that was used as a battlefield, she is ever cognizant of the history around her.

"I think it makes it ever present," Vorndick said. "I feel like I'm part of history."

And now, so too do the boys from California.

Jeff Say can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 115 or at .

Re-enactors keeping it accurate

Life on the Brandy Station battlefield Feb. 9, 2008 was eerily similar to life in the winter of 1863.

The weather was mild. Smoke curled from a campfire while a soldier strummed away on a banjo. Women-folk, possibly visiting their husbands and boyfriends during the winter, milled around the campsite. Sounds of cavalry drilling in the background echoed through the campsite.

It was a little slice of the Civil War, brought to life by the re-enactors of the Little Fork Rangers.

1st Lt. Steven B. Dunn, Fourth Virginia Calvary, Co. D, of the Little Fork Rangers first started the hobby about 10 years ago as a way to impart the history of Virginia.

Now the Little Fork Rangers total 15 members and are one of the few re-enacting groups that is actually from the same locale as the unit they portray.

"These are all hometown boys and local fellows, which is pretty close to what you would have seen in '63," Dunn said.

And the winter encampment portrayed last Saturday was pretty standard through the Confederate and the Federal cavalry services, Dunn explained. The camp would be set up with big tents and furniture the troops would have procured to stay comfortable during the winter.

"The winter of '63, was pretty much a normal Virginia winter," Dunn said. "It might have been a little colder than this, but it would have still been fair and pleasant."

However, the winter of 1864 was bitterly cold during the Federal encampment in Culpeper.

The only difference in the portrayal was that the Rangers had a special guest on hand - Col. Joshua Chamberlin, commander of the 20th Maine.

Chamberlain, portrayed by Culpeper resident Chris Norrell, was famous for his feats in the battle of Gettysburg, but wasn't in Brandy Station in 1864.

"Even though I wasn't here in this battle, I'm here to just promote interest in history and in the hobby," Norrell said.

We're looking for more people to join and get interested in it. If we don't learn from history we're doomed to repeat it."

Norrell, who is originally from Alabama, became interested in re-enactments after visiting Gettysburg for the first time. While there he purchased prints of Chamberlain, and several people commented on his resemblance to the Federal colonel.

"I thought it was kind of odd that I bought three prints of the same guy," Norrel said. "So for fun I grew a mustache and I started to learn about who this person was."

And learning is at the heart of being a re-enactor. It's a way to help people touch history and get them interested in something that took place almost 150 years ago.

"It's very important the history doesn't get lost," Dunn said. "It's an area we all love to do, that we're proud of our heritage as Virginians."