COEUR d'ALENE — Reel dancing was a fine way to spend time in 1800s America.

It was popular again Monday during an American Civil War reenactment and demonstration at Lakes Middle School. Students lined up on the lawn, faced each other and galloped two-by-two along the rows, dipping and diving through arm arches and clapping as they gave the Boston Tea Party dance a whirl.

“I love the hands-on," eighth grader Jonathan Mohr said. "It’s a lot more educational in my opinion."

Eighth grade U.S. history teachers Tanya Lilley and Stacey Doerr invited the nonprofit Washington Civil War Association to bring history to life for their students, who are in the midst of studying the Civil War and what life was like for Americans in that era.

“It wasn’t just fighting all the time,” Lilley said. “Sometimes you had children back home or camp followers, sometimes bringing their children, so you get to see the whole story.”

The Washington Civil War Association honors Northern and Southern ancestors who fought in or lived during the Civil War through living history encampments, battle reenactments, school programs and recruiting drives. Members portray different Civil War units and organizations, including civilians, infantry, cavalry, artillery and more.

“You get to experience it and not just read about it in a textbook,” said Sonja Sisco, an officer with the Washington Civil War Association who lead students on short marches atop her quarter horse, Trooper.

“I am all about that with teaching kids — allowing them to experience something, see it," she said. "You’ll remember it because you’re using all your senses.” 

First held in 2018, the Civil War demonstration at Lakes is an annual event to bring together classroom education and live action. Every year is a little different, Lilley said.

“Every time a new reenactor comes out, we get to hear different perspectives and information,” she said.

One of this year's reenactors provided information about Civil War-era ironclad ships, which the students will be learning about later this week, Lilley said.

“It’s perfect that they’re actually getting an introduction to this new Navy technology and later in our class, when we go to teach it, we can go, ‘Do you remember when the reenactor talked about it?’” she said.

A new participant this year was Washington Civil War Association Chair Lisa Tharp, who portrayed Union Maj. Floyd Hecky and discussed the role of women who fought in the war.

"On Thursday, we’re doing a women of the war lesson, talking about how they were spies, they were soldiers, they would hang clothes on a line to relay messages,” Lilley said.

Another new aspect of this year's event was the presentation of an officer's box, a cabinet that officers kept with them to stay organized on military campaigns.

“Officers would take meticulous notes,” Lilley said. “It’s really fascinating; when students think about the Civil War, they don’t think about documenting things, roll call, sending letters, taking notes. You see this portable box and kind of get an insight into the role of officer.”

Eighth grader Anika Edwards said she enjoyed learning about Civil War uniforms and the lives of active military, but she was also interested to know more about people who weren’t fighting in the war.

“It’s great to see how it actually happened and actually have a visual to put with all the learning that we’ve been doing,” she said.

Logan Creighton, with the Washington Civil War Association, portrayed a soldier with the 14th Virginia Cavalry.

He said the association tries to give today's youth a sense of who they are.

"They don’t know where they’re going unless they understand who they are," Creighton said. "This is part of their history. Teaching them, building them up, giving them that pride in the history — yes, our country has made mistakes, but as we learn of it, we can see the improvement.

"They are the next chapter in history," he continued. "They get to write it. We want them to write it well. We want them to have that desire to not be easily manipulated by people saying, ‘This, that or the other thing,’ but rather they go in, they study it and make educated decisions, because again, that’s our future.”

    Washington Civil War Association Chair Lisa Tharp as Maj. Floyd Hecky leads eighth graders on a charge Monday at Lakes Middle School during a Civil War reenactment.
  

    Eighth graders Mason Smith, right, and Mason Sheckler help Civil War reenactor James Teague clear a canon Monday at Lakes Middle School.
  

    Sonja Sisco, an officer with the Washington Civil War Association, rides her quarter horse Trooper as she leads students on a short march Monday during a Civil War reenactment and demonstration day at Lakes Middle School.