The Battle of Lakewatch

No actual Civil War battles were fought in Franklin County, but a Civil War reenactment took place this weekend at Lakewatch Plantation (which was not what the farm was called in the 1860s; for one thing, the lake didn't even exist until over a hundred years later).

My husband and I went to see what was going on. Turns out my cousins Gloria and Joyce were there. Joyce's son Anthony was a reenactor, so we ended up watching the battle from the camp.

My favorite part, of course, was seeing the horses. I took a look at them while they were tied to the picket line. They were incredibly well-behaved.

Soon they were saddled and ready for action.

I especially liked the gray horse in the foreground. (More about him later.)

The gunfire and cannon fire didn't bother these horses a bit.

When his rider was "killed," the gray horse took off for the woods. I was worried the gelding was going to run away.

"That's Garth," said a woman near me. "He'll go right back to the picket line and wait. He always does."

I turned around to see Garth making his way through the camp. He looked like he knew where he was going.

The woman invited me to go with her to see him. Sure enough, he was waiting at the line.

Meanwhile, another gray horse was at the reenactment. Looks like General Lee and Traveler made it to the battle.

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