Abstract:
Many individuals in North Carolina participate in recreating the Civil War period with historical accuracy in dress and battles. Members of Battery B are typical reenactors, but in one way are very different. The Wilmington-based unit's full name is Battery B, 2nd Regiment, United States Colored Troops (USCT). The crew is the only African-American artillery reenactment unit on the East Coast. Battery B attends over a dozen events a year, from parades to battles like Averaboro and Bentonville. The participants are drawn to reenacting through a love of history, camaraderie, family participation, and the spiritual aspect of being where family members fought or died.