MILTON -- Standing there in her tank top and pink shorts, holding a lanyard attached to a Howitzer, 14-year-old Camille Kreisher looked nothing like a Civil War soldier.
But the "BOOM" and plume of gray smoke produced by the small cannon after she yanked on the lanyard were pretty authentic.
"That was so cool," said 15-year-old Mary Challman after she took her hands away from her ears.
Lying in the grass in Rick Benshoff's backyard, the force of her pull having knocked her to the ground, Camille looked up and smiled.
"Some groups are up there in years," said Benshoff, first lieutenant of the Davison Flying Artillery unit. "But once you pull that lanyard, it kind of sucks you in."
With four teenagers manning the gun during Sunday's artillery drill, and Benshoff's 9-year-old son Reece serving as the unit's "powder monkey" (a young boy who carried the gunpowder to the soldiers), the Davison unit is one of the youngest around.
"I always had an interest in history. I've always been interested in the Civil War," said Mary, who's only been a member for two weeks. "I felt like definitely reliving it could help me realize how they felt, the soldiers."
Benshoff said the drills are practice for when the unit attends a re-enactment. Everyone needs to know what they're doing, since they never know who's going to show up.
"We've got to stay on top of our game," he said. "Because for some re-enactments, you have to go through a drill before you can even go on the battlefield."
Benshoff bought the Howitzer for $5,000 from a Missouri company that makes replica artillery and firearms after Jim Davison, the unit's eponymous captain, moved in across the street a couple years ago and got Benshoff's family into re-enacting.
"The one thing I love about this hobby is it takes you away from everything," Davison said. "When you're out there, nothing else is on your mind."
The gathering at Benshoff's Poplar Avenue home Sunday was informal. Benshoff -- dressed in a Civil War-era hat, a cutoff T-shirt and plaid shorts --grilled hot dogs for everyone after the drill. But the members of Davison Flying Artillery are serious about what they do.
Davison said the group is about more than just playing a part. They try to teach the younger members values like honor and responsibility, as well as a healthy knowledge of Civil War history.
"The kids that come with us are starving for history," he said.
The education also serves as a defense mechanism. The unit usually represents the Confederacy and, when they fly the controversial flag at re-enactments, they sometimes get flak from people who don't understand the history behind it.
"People see that as being anti-black, and that's such a misconception," said Davison.
"We've already run into that. Just this year alone," Benshoff said. "We want them to be able, if they're confronted, to give a proper answer."
n E-mail comments to rscott@dailyitem.com.
News
Related Photos
-
Seth Hoover
-
Seth Hoover/The Daily Item
-
Seth Hoover/The Daily Item
Discussion
Ka-boom
Civil War artillery unit prepares for re-enactments
- News
-
-
Lewisburg schools face cuts in personnel, programs
Superintendent Mark DiRocco told the Lewisburg school board Thursday night that a proposed block grant system of school budget funding will run the district short of cash that will have to be made up through personnel and program cuts.
-
Mom: Keller's response left her cold
Like many people, Elise Nicol is concerned about Marcellus Shale and the industry's effects on Pennsylvania's environment. The Lewisburg mother of two cares about it enough that she sent an email to state Rep. Fred Keller, R-85 of Kreamer, asking him to oppose House Bill 1950, which passed the General Assembly on Wednesday.
-
Point Township authority concerned by sewer plant violations
Point Township Sewer Authority members Thursday night expressed concerns about a Feb. 3 letter sent to the Northumberland Sewer Authority by the state's Department of Environmental Protection saying that the borough authority has violated the Clean Streams Act.
-
Persing truck fee idea stalls
While Pennsylvania has passed legislation allowing communities to collect impact fees in 35 counties, Northumberland County is not one of them, and business leaders and lawmakers do not think Sunbury Mayor David Persing's plan to try to do his own version of an impact fee will pass muster.
-
Barber draws a crowd
The talk can be spirited at times, ranging from hunting to sports to home repairs. "You hear all kinds of stories," Gene Koehler, of Riverside, said Thursday as he waited for a haircut at The Masters barbershop, 209 Mill St.
-
State board approves table games at Valley Forge casino
VALLEY FORGE — A casino resort scheduled to open this spring in the Philadelphia suburb of Valley Forge has been approved for table games.
-
Doctors telling more adults: Get out and exercise
ATLANTA — A new study shows more and more U.S. adults are being told by their doctor to get off their duffs and exercise. A government survey found nearly 33 percent of adults who saw a doctor in the previous year said they were told to exercise. That was up from about 23 percent in 2000.
-
Former Northumberland County judge and three others die in Florida crash
EVERGLADES CITY, Fla. -- A former Northumberland County judge was one of four people killed Wednesday afternoon when their car collided with a van at an intersection, according to the Naples News. The victims were identified as James J. Rosini, 66, William J. Rosini, 68, Patricia C. Rosini, 65, all of Coal Township, Pa., and Deborah A. Korbich, 59, of Elysburg, Pa.
-
Warden demotes four bosses
SUNBURY -- Northumberland County Prison Warden Roy Johnson was able to trim about $135,000 in expenses by demoting four supervisors. He said Wednesday that he found a way to cut costs without laying off any staff. "I cut out 120 hours of supervisors' pay each week, but I need to fill the correction officer positions," Johnson said.
-
DJ pumps up audience
Every Tuesday evening, Richard Grogg can be found spinning tunes at possibly the most well-attended dance in Snyder County. A resident at the Selinsgrove Center since 1988, the 57-year-old said the thing he likes most about selecting and playing music is "making people happy." "Some people come up and ask for requests," he said.
-
Agency closes adult center
PENNS CREEK -- Union and Snyder County caregivers have had to look farther and wider for another program that can offer respite because the Agency on Aging can no longer afford to provide the service. The adult daily living center at the Penns Creek Adult Resource Center was a helpful program each week to about eight adults from the area dealing with Alzheimer's and dementia. But it closed Dec. 30.
-
New Berlin pushes to acquire school
NEW BERLIN -- The Borough Council sold the property where the New Berlin Elementary School is to the precursor of the Mifflinburg Area School District for $1 back in 1950. It was deeded to the district for construction of a school.
- More News Headlines
-
Lewisburg schools face cuts in personnel, programs
