By Ann Mary Quarandillo

When the cannon roars, and you hear the gunfire, it’s hard not to feel for a moment that it’s 1862, and the land under your feet is not a modern neighborhood, but part of one of the major Civil War battles in Kentucky. If it weren’t for the neat modern houses on the edges of the battlefield, the soldiers, the merchants (or sutlers, as they’re called here), the horses and infantry could be the same ones from the original Battle of Richmond.

On April 8, 2001, over 100 uniformed men, armed with cannons and cavalry, participated in the first reenactment of the Battle of Richmond, one of the few victories for the Confederacy during its invasion of Kentucky. Kenny Rowlette, ’73, working with landowner Jerry Fritz, directed the reenactment. Reenactors came from eight states, and over 900 paying spectators learned about a Civil War soldier’s life, both on and off the battlefield.

The Rowlette family (L-R) Karen, Ann (Edwards), Kenny and Delanie, participate in reenactments throughout the region."It’s a great opportunity to do something as a family," says Ann."How many families do you know where their 19 and 22 year old kids actually want to spend the weekend traveling with their parents!"

Kenny Rowlette’s fascination with the Civil War began when he was growing up in Berea in the 1960’s. In 1965, his grandfather, Howard Goodell Payne, wanted to interest the community in local history, so he joined Berea College history professor Dean Warren Lambert, ’48 in forming a Civil War reenactment group. Rowlette went along when he could, although he was too young to participate in reenactments.

Now, for one weekend per month through spring, summer and fall, Rowlette joins the 11th Virginia Company G for reenactments through-out the region. Since 1993, he has headed the reenactment of the Battle of Lynchburg in Virginia, and has headed several smaller skirmishes throughout Virginia and North and South Carolina.

The Battle of Richmond was his first reenactment in Kentucky. One of the main reasons Rowlette returned to Kentucky now is in tribute to Professor Lambert, who retired from Berea in 1999, and whose history of the Battle of Richmond, When the Ripe Pears Fell, recounts one of the few definitive Confederate victories in the Civil War. The Battle of Richmond began in Big Hill, just a few miles from Berea, and was fought over two days all the way to Richmond.

"I thought it was time to commemorate this battle for Dr. Lambert and in memory of my grandfather as well," he says. "My great-great grandfather fought for the Union, and my great-great uncle for the Confederacy, so there’s a lot of history in my family to pass along."

Kenny’s daughter Delanie Rowlette, a recent history graduate from Liberty University, has traveled with her father since she was 12 years old, and has won several awards and scholarships for her participation and writings. The experience has paid off in her current work with Visitor Services at Pamplin Historical Park and The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier near Petersburg, Va. As a female reenactor, she takes part in different activities from the soldiers. Some women reenactors are nurses who go out onto the field, others cook period food, make bandages, uniforms, and quilts, or participate in ladies’ activities.

Part of the benefit of reenacting is getting to meet famous historical characters. Karen and Kenny Rowlette spoke at length with Robert E. Lee

"Women don’t actually fight, but they were an important part of these battles, which were often fought in their own yards," she says. "But the best part about reenacting is taking on a persona for the weekend "being able to participate in living history."

Rowlette’s wife Ann (Edwards) Rowlette, ’73, and daughter Karen, 19, a sophomore at Liberty,also participate. Ann’s great-great grand-father was a preacher from Dickenson County, Va., who fought for the Confederacy. "I am a very visual learner," says Ann, who teaches information technology at Liberty, "so I don’t get nearly as much out of lectures as out of a reenactment. History is much more understandable when you’re experiencing the things people really went through."

The educational value of reenactments has been Rowlette’s main focus since he started partici-pating. An English major at Berea, he credits Dr. Lambert and his labor assignment as a teaching assistant to Dr. Jerome Hughes with inspiring him to teach. He is an associate professor of English at Liberty University in Lynchburg, and teaches a course on Civil War-related literature, as well as organizing an annual Civil War seminar. "I enjoy talking to the spectators, especially the kids," he says. Organizers are working to involve more school-children in the reenactment, including a "School Day" where children can visit different stations of the camps.

In 2002, reenactors will commemorate the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Richmond. "Richmond/Madison County is one of the few places there was a decisive Confederate victory during the war, yet Berea, an abolitionist school, started there," adds Rowlette. "People in this area should know that part of their history. We’ve traveled from North Carolina to Pennsylvania, and I’m always proud to say I’m from Berea because of that unique heritage."