In August 1997, reenactors gathered at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield to commemorate the 136th anniversary of the Civil War battle fought on the same ground more than a century earlier. The ceremony brought together living historians, visitors, and military interpreters who sought to honor the participants of the 1861 engagement and preserve the traditions surrounding its remembrance.
The color guard, shown standing at attention during the observance, included Jeff Patrick, Chris Strodtman, Danny Short, Tim Wilkinson, John Wolfe, John Rutherford, Jim Gallion, Michael Price, Todd Wilkinson and Zach Lechner.
Speakers at the ceremony included U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, who delivered the keynote speech. Similar images, by staff photographer Andy Lavalley,
were published in the News-Leader on Aug. 11, 1997.
This image is part of a much larger collection of historically rich photographs from the News-Leader’s photo archive. Each week, the Springfield-Greene County Library will tap into this vast collection and present an interesting image “from the darkroom" and share its history. This image is presented in partnership between the Springfield-Greene County Library District and the Springfield News-Leader. For more historical images of the Ozarks, visit: thelibrary.org/fromthedarkroom.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: From the Darkroom: Civil War reenactors gather at Wilson’s Creek site
