Olustee Reenactment
On February 15, 1997, more than twenty members and guests of MAAC visited Olustee State Park for a reenactment of the Olustee Battle that occurred on February 20, 1864. Volunteers from all over the United States participated in this event, including a cavalry unit from Ohio.  

Each year hundreds of men, women and children from the four corners and beyond leave the modern world for a week and travel back in time to relive the glory, the courage, the hardship and the heartache that was Civil War America. Tents line the grassy fields of Olustee Park, every detail authentic from the wooden stakes to the canvas material. The smell of campfire smoke and fresh coffee fill the air. The clanking of iron pots and pans and the voices of children laughing are carried on the wind.
But wait ... if you listen carefully the sound of cannon fire can be heard. The smell of the gunsmoke begins to fill the air. The shouts of the men in battle can be heard now. The cavalry thunders by the spectators. The foot soldiers hold their position waiting for the order to attack. Cannon fire rips through the air ringing the ears of those too close. The men are shouting - "Stay in formation!" "Forward!" "Draw your swords and attack!" Suddenly, the words of war go silent. The battle is over. The "soldiers", dead and alive, leave the field. Now you see these "soldiers" are actors in a drama of remembrance. They have put their lives on hold for one week to remember the thousands who gave their lives more than a hundred years ago. They remind us of what we were and what we have become. They open the door for us to see the faces of war and the faces of our ancestors who died long ago, on February 20, 1864 and whom we should remember always.