Civil War Comes to Life at Fort Totten

April 12 marks 150 years to the day that South Carolina artillery bombarded Fort Sumter in Charleston Bay and began the Civil War. In Bayside, history buffs got the news from the personification of Confederate General A. P. Hill.

In fact it was actor/reenactor Patrick Falci of Rosedale, whose fascination with America’s bloodiest conflict began when his parents gave him “The Golden Book of the Civil War” when he was a lad of eight.

“I was captivated,” Falci said. So much so that he became a reenactor with the 14^th Tennessee Regiment in 1979.

Years later, his knowledge of certain aspects of the Civil War was so honed that he spent five years working with the producers of the film “Gettysburg,” and in addition to being a historical consultant on the film, portrayed A.P. Hill.

Rather than a lecture on the broad sweep of history Sunday’s presentation at the Bayside Historical Society’s landmark headquarters in Fort Totten focused more on the daily life of the individual soldier.

He explained that depending on where you lived or studied, it was The Civil War, the War Between the States, The War of Northern Aggression, The War of the Rebellion, or the War of the Insurrection.

Falci/Hill displayed what soldiers wore in the early days of the war, and how confusing it was – because the men on both sides were often brothers, either by service or blood. Likewise their flags could easily be confused in the smoke and confusion of battle.

But perhaps the most poignant part of the presentation was when the general called forth a young boy – seven-year-old Augie DiBenedetto, to don the gray blouse and “kepi” of a Confederate Soldier.

With his face beaming, the lad stood at attention, holding a replica of a civil war rifle that stood taller than he was.

It was then that Falci/Hill informed the audience – which up until that time had been merely fascinated – that in fact, boys no older than “Private DiBenedetto” had fought, and died on the battlefields 125 years ago.

A.P. Hill did not survive the war; he was killed in the days before Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. He was 39 years old.

The major commemoration this year will be from July 21-25 at Manassas, Virginia, commemorating the first Battle of Bull Run. Some 15,000 re-enactors will be involved, Falci said.

For more information, visit www.baysidehistorical.org.