It's the weekend of Jackson's Civil War Muster. Each year in late August reenactors Gather at Cascades Park to recreate the Union and Confederate armies. During the afternoons on Saturday and Sunday they stage a battle for the crowds of visitors.

This year the numbers were down. It may be a fading pastime as the average age keeps going up and younger people become fascinated with other things.

I didn't want to endure the heat and humidity of the afternoon battle so I walked the camps this morning and took a bunch of portraits. Since we're going back in time, I decided to give them a sepia treatment. Here's twenty. And I really did leave out way more than I included.

Drill

This young man was coordinating the drummers.

He was proudly part of General Hood's troops flying the Bonnie Blue Texas State flag from the era.

General George E. Pickett

A Colored Regiment from Michigan participated too.

Mr. President

General Robert E. Lee

General Custer

Tavern Keeper

Since time only runs forward, this is as close as most of us will get to life in the early 1860's. It's a nice place to visit, but I sure wouldn't want to live there.