2008 Woodie Awards
Man steps into soldier's shoes
Adriene Similton
Issue date: 2/29/08 Section: News
A high school history teacher turned Civil War reenactor visited Kansas Wesleyan University on Tuesday.
Joseph Zellner, of Concord, Mass., told the story of one of the greatest moments in African American history.
Presented from the viewpoint of a soldier during the Civil War, Zellner tells a heartfelt story about a man's journey through one of America's most universally remembered wars.
"When I first started doing this, I thought, 'This is silly. What are you doing?" Zellner said. "'Here you are sleeping on the ground and cold.'"
The decision to press on was clear for Zellner who took a year off from teaching high school students to teach others all across the United States.
"You know, you wear this uniform and people comment: some are inquisitive and others can be just insulting," Zellner said.
The controversy that surrounds Zellner's messages is that of African American service history.
Touching on the issues of slavery and the roles of free African Americans during the Civil War raised some eyebrows.
"Everyone wants their history to be told in social studies," Zellner said. "We are often limited as teachers…but this is the history of blacks that Americans don't know. It is the type of thing that gives people identity."
Posing as Private Solomon Pierce, 44, a farmer in Munson, Mass., Zellner
retraces the creation of the first all-black regiment.
The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was created in 1862.
Led by Col. Robert Shaw, the regiment
marked the initiation of the first congressionally recognized all-black regiment.
Zellner stated that Kansas was proclaimed as having the first federally recognized all-black regiment during the same year.
However, it was only recognized by those fighting in the war west of the Mississippi, not Congress.
The story unfolds as Pierce's oldest son, Harrison, joins the 54th regiment and dies and his second son, James, follow suit and replace Harrison in the 54th regiment.
According to Zellner, over 180,000 blacks would join the north and fight on the lines; none would reach officer status.
Through extensive research, including
census records to historical books titled "Swamp Angel" and "A Brave Black Regiment," Zellner was able to compile enough information to go on tour.
Included in his presentation are highlights on standard issue Union uniforms, even wearing the full uniform himself, authentic weaponry and inside looks on living and social conditions of African American soldiers.
Joseph Zellner, of Concord, Mass., told the story of one of the greatest moments in African American history.
Presented from the viewpoint of a soldier during the Civil War, Zellner tells a heartfelt story about a man's journey through one of America's most universally remembered wars.
"When I first started doing this, I thought, 'This is silly. What are you doing?" Zellner said. "'Here you are sleeping on the ground and cold.'"
The decision to press on was clear for Zellner who took a year off from teaching high school students to teach others all across the United States.
"You know, you wear this uniform and people comment: some are inquisitive and others can be just insulting," Zellner said.
The controversy that surrounds Zellner's messages is that of African American service history.
Touching on the issues of slavery and the roles of free African Americans during the Civil War raised some eyebrows.
"Everyone wants their history to be told in social studies," Zellner said. "We are often limited as teachers…but this is the history of blacks that Americans don't know. It is the type of thing that gives people identity."
Posing as Private Solomon Pierce, 44, a farmer in Munson, Mass., Zellner
retraces the creation of the first all-black regiment.
The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was created in 1862.
Led by Col. Robert Shaw, the regiment
marked the initiation of the first congressionally recognized all-black regiment.
Zellner stated that Kansas was proclaimed as having the first federally recognized all-black regiment during the same year.
However, it was only recognized by those fighting in the war west of the Mississippi, not Congress.
The story unfolds as Pierce's oldest son, Harrison, joins the 54th regiment and dies and his second son, James, follow suit and replace Harrison in the 54th regiment.
According to Zellner, over 180,000 blacks would join the north and fight on the lines; none would reach officer status.
Through extensive research, including
census records to historical books titled "Swamp Angel" and "A Brave Black Regiment," Zellner was able to compile enough information to go on tour.
Included in his presentation are highlights on standard issue Union uniforms, even wearing the full uniform himself, authentic weaponry and inside looks on living and social conditions of African American soldiers.
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