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Photograph courtesy of The King's Academy

Attention: Students from The King's Academy do a real-life re-enactment of the Civil War at Angel Island.

Re-enactment brings Civil War to life King's Academy kids report for active duty

By Erin Hussey

In 1863, the federal government established Camp Reynolds on Angel Island to protect the Bay Area from Confederate sympathizers and naval forces. On Nov. 8, 33 sixth-grade students from The King's Academy in Sunnyvale enlisted in the Battery B, 3rd Artillery Regiment of the U.S. Army and traveled back in time, becoming Civil War soldiers.

"The hardest part was staying in character the whole [30 hours] and doing all of those push-ups," student Mckenna Kleinmaier said. The moment the students passed a health inspection by the parent-played military doctor, they were the property of Sgt. Crabs.

"Attention company!" he would yell at the corporals and the lower-ranking privates, demanding push-ups if they cracked a smile. After taking a bus to Tiburon, the troops loaded a ferry to Angel Island and began an arduous march to Camp Reynolds.

Each solider, wearing an authentic uniform was required to carry his or her 20-pound bag of gear to the bunkhouse. Shortly after the colors were raised, the troops began their rotations through drilling practice with real 15-pound guns, flag signaling, baking bread from scratch, reading compasses and hiking to an overlook point. Each soldier also had to sign up for night watch.

"I think they get an authentic experience of what life was like as a soldier in the Civil War, but it's more than the academics of it; it's physical and emotional, and they learn from rising about the hardships," King's Academy ancient studies teacher AnnaLisa Cochran said.

This is the ninth year she has taken students to the Angel Island Living History Program. "This is what I was born to do," she said. "It is the joy of my life."

In addition to screening nearly 80 student applications for the event, she also had the task of choosing the parent volunteers.

"It is always a fierce competition between parents," Cochran said. "This year I made them make up a story about why there were there." The parent-played characters that were selected included a doctor, nurse, baker, photojournalist and chaplain. But the most important character is always the drill sergeant.

"I guess I have a loud voice and am fairly vocal," said parent Peter Kockelman, who played Sgt. Crabs. This is the second year in a row that Cochran selected Kockelman for the role. While he said he's always had a good sense of humor and enjoys spinning a good yarn, the real reason he comes out is to spend time with his sons and the other children. "We are interested in bringing them up in a good and healthy way and being a good influence during this important point in their lives," he said.

For both students and parents alike, the experience teaches them what textbooks can't about life in the Civil War.

"It's one thing to read about it, but it's another thing to live it," Kockelman said. "When you are baking everything from scratch and using only hurricane lanterns at night and always being called to attention, you realize how regimented the military is." Ironically, Kockelman's favorite memories of his two trips don't involve military moments.

"We had one kid vomit on the way there," he said. "And as sergeant, you are supposed to give kids names like Eagle Eye for something they did. Now, you could give this kid an awful name like Barf-head, but instead I think a good teacher or mentor looks for something good in the bad and tries to turn it into to something positive. So I gave him the name Speedy, because he was smart enough to throw up into his hat."

After the troops returned the following evening, most were tired and sore but said they would do it again if they could.

"I think it depleted everything," Kockelman said, admitting he fell asleep the moment he got home. "I didn't realize how much it would take out of me, but it was just a ball. The whole thing was great."

For more information on Angel Island Living History Program, visit www.angelisland.org/calendar/living_history.htm or call 415.435.5390.