Battle of Aiken Trivia

• At least 500 pounds of black powder will be fired in front of crowd of more than 10,000.
  
  
• The event takes a year to plan and costs more than $25,000 for three days of fighting.
  
  
• More than 100 horses will portray cavalry charges.
  
  
• The weekend event is recognized as one of the largest living history programs in the Southeast.
  
  
• Volunteers will splinter at least 65 truckloads of wood.
  
  
• Reenacting is not a hobby that comes cheap. The reenactor's obsessive eye for detail often carries a hefty price. Cannons start at $25,000. For an average infantryman, the outfitting price is $2,000 to $2,500. Muskets are the biggest expense, costing $300 to $700. Other costs include uniforms, dishes, canteens, powder and tents. All must be authentic.
  
  
• More than 1,000 reenactors are expected to take part in the Battle of Aiken. Many of the men and women, who come from at least 15 states, portray soldiers in feature films such as Gettysburg and Glory.
  
  
• The original Battle of Aiken began Feb. 9, 1865, when Brig. Gen. Hugh J. Kilpatrick's Union cavalrymen entered what is now Aiken County and engaged Confederates near White Pond. Kilpatrick stationed some troops in Montmorenci and made for downtown Aiken with a force of 2,000.
  
  
• Gen. Joseph Wheeler, commanding 4,500 Confederate cavalrymen, battled Blue Coats in Montmorenci and consolidated his forces in Aiken, using buildings to hide his true numbers. Wheeler planned to trap Kilpatrick and charge the main Union column as it entered town.
  
  
• On Feb. 11, 1865, Union troops reached Park Avenue, Richland Avenue and Barnwell Street in what now is the heart of Aiken. An Alabama soldier prematurely fired his gun, tipping off Union troops to the trap. Kilpatrick ordered his Union force to attack anyway. But his plans fell apart in the ensuing fight and the Federals fled back to Montmorenci.
  
  
• Estimates of casualties differed because commanders often exaggerated their opponents' losses and minimized their own. But Union forces never again reached Aiken during the Civil War.
  
  
• Battle profits have bought headstones for Southern veterans, including Pvts. Jesse Morris and Lewis Deadman of Tennessee. They died in the real Battle of Aiken and are buried at St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church amid a small army of Confederates.