Marching into history

They may not have been sure about all their Civil War facts at the beginning of the day but by the end, participants, ages 9-12, in the Hunter Dawson State Historic Site's Civil War Boot Camp knew a soldier's life wasn't just about guts and glory. (Photos by Jill Bock, Staff)

A participant enlists in the (mock) Union Army.

After participants were mustered in and took their oath of allegiance to the Union, Michael Comer, commanding officer and site administrator, issued their gear.

Annemarie Brown checks out fellow soldier Michael Angel as the new recruits learn to stand at attention ... er... sort of.

The soldiers drilled, learned the manual of arms and practiced maneuvers. There were demonstrations in how to fire their wooden rifles with Comer and 1st Sgt. Chris Warren assisting in the instruction process.

During a skirmish, the young recruits, including R.J. Jackson, foreground, and William Brister, successfully captured the barn on the Hunter-Dawson grounds in New Madrid.

As the session came to an end, Brett Buchanan and others tasted the soldier's staple: hard tack.

Following a hard day in the Union Army, the young soldiers were given their discharge papers and offered their commander a final salute.