nbsp; A group of Civil War re-enactors will pitch tents and demonstrate drills Saturday in Village Park.
By: Lacey Korevec
Muskets will fire this weekend at Village Park.
A group of Civil War re-enactors will pitch tents and demonstrate drills Saturday, providing Cranbury residents with a chance to see what life was like in 1862 for the 14th Regiment New Jersey Volunteer Infantry as they prepared to fight.
The group, 14th Regiment New Jersey Volunteers Company H, is being brought to Cranbury by the New Jersey Civil War History Association, a nonprofit organization that uses re-enactments for public education and historical preservation.
Ten to 20 historians will take on the roles of specific soldiers who died or survived the war from Company H, many of whom were from Cranbury and were buried at Brainerd Cemetery.
"It will be a great chance for people from the community to get out and get educated on the people who were from Cranbury before they left for the war," said Drew Gruber, vice president of The New Jersey Civil War History Association.
Jerry Pevahouse, a member of the Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society and the co-curator of The Cranbury Museum, said the group has come to Cranbury before and is always very accurate in its re-enactment of the time, from the language used to the period clothing.
"Everything they do, they consider authenticity to an extreme," he said. "They sleep in their tents and use the old Civil War period equipment. They cook on the campfire. So, if someone wants to see what it was like during the Civil War period for soldiers, it’s a very interesting event."
The 14th Regiment was made up of a number of young men who lived in Cranbury, including Lt. Marcus and Capt. Symmes H. Stultz, Mr. Pevahouse said. The infantry even camped at the same spot in Village Park in 1864 and fought in a number of famous battles.
"We’re glad they’re doing this because it keeps alive a part of our history that’s very important," he said. "It helps people remember that Cranbury made its contributions and sacrifices during the Civil War."
Mr. Pevahouse said this type of an event is a new and exciting way for locals to learn about history.
"It’s all about people from Cranbury and these people became heroes really," he said. "That’s what the re-enactment is about really. It’s the history behind it. It may seem somewhat irrelevant, but it’s not. It’s very relevant to national history and local history."
Residents are invited to stop by the park between Saturday at 10 a.m. and Sunday at 12 p.m. to meet with the re-enactors. Admission is free.

