Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, July 31, 1994                   TAG: 9408010052
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MELISSA CURTIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

CARRY ME (WAY) BACK TO OLD VA.

For most people, Saturday's Civil War battle re-enactment at Green Hill Park in Salem was just a day in the sun spent with the family.

But for the Union and Confederate re-enactors, it's a way of life.

Letitia Douthit guesses she has been to about 50 Civil War battle re-enactments in six years. She even met her husband at one.

Jeff and Letitia Douthit met four years ago at a re-enactment in Florida. Now they're faithful members of the 47th Virginia Infantry of the Confederate Army.

The couple had a Civil War wedding, in which the wedding party and almost all the guests dressed in period garb. They sell Civil War prints in their Fredericksburg art shop.

Between the two, they've probably spent dozens of hours reading up on the Civil War period and about $2,000 on clothes, weapons and camping gear.

People who participate in re-enactments must live the Civil War era - sleep in tents, cook over campfires and dress head to toe in period clothing the entire weekend.

``You forget you're in this century,'' Jeff Douthit said.

Men wear reproductions of authentic Confederate or Union woolen uniforms and carry muskets. Women wear pantaloons, cotton stockings, square-toed boots, petticoats, hoop skirts, corsets, bodices, shawls, gloves and bonnets or straw hats.

``A lady [of the period] was always said to be clothed from her head to her toes,'' said Letitia Douthit, who sews much of her clothing. ``We strive to be as close to the period as possible.''

That means no nail polish, no Coke cans and definitely no modern conveniences. And for the re-enactors, that's part of the beauty.

``The world we live in is so fast-paced. You really go back to the slow pace of life - a lot of camaraderie. And no TV, telephones, computers ...,'' said Linda Benson, a five-year veteran of re-enactments who belongs to the same unit as the Douthits.

Benson said her husband got her interested in the Civil War re-enactments.

``We have three children, and they all love to go to re-enactments,'' she said. ``It's a nice family hobby.''

Cindy Wagoner, also a member of the 47th infantry, brought her 6-year-old son, Charlie, to Saturday's re-enactment.

``He loves it. He can run around,'' she said. ``You can depend on the kindness of strangers here, unlike the real world.''

The real world, it definitely is not. With cannons blasting in the background, women strolling around in long, full skirts and sunbonnets, and blue- and gray-clad soldiers marching by, the weekend-long re-enactments are like taking a step back in time.

For the participants and the spectators, the highlight of this weekend is the battle re-enactments. Union and Confederate soldiers march or ride horses onto the field and use real gunpowder in their muskets and cannons as they re-enact the Battle of South Salem.

``For the spectator, watching the battle is a real opportunity to visualize what really happened,'' said Jennifer Benefield, who is also a member of the 47th.

With the two armies camped on either side of a stream, the relationship is kept at the level of a ``friendly rivalry.'' Much to the chagrin of Douthit and the other Confederates, the Yankees won the Battle of South Salem.

Re-enactors spend the day shopping for authentic Civil War items at the old-time flea market or participating in or watching battles, courts martial, and soldier drills. By night, groups of soldiers and women sit around campfires and trade stories about past battle re-enactments.

When the camp shuts down at 3 p.m. today after more Civil War activities sponsored by Roanoke County Parks and Recreation, the 10 members of the 47th Virginia Infantry who attended this year's re-enactment will pack up and return to their homes.

But it all begins again Aug. 19, when they go to Winchester for the Valley Campaign Civil War re-enactment. Having traveled to five states already this year for re-enactments, the 50 men and women of the 47th are well prepared.

``We're dedicated to this thing,'' Jeff Douthit said. ``If we could find a way to do this full time, a lot of us would.''