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"School Of The Solder"

A program for school age children. Students will be able to “enlist,” drill as a Civil War soldier, and then receive their “discharge” papers.

About the Speakers:

Bruce Butgereit & Marcia Butgereit

In 1968, Walter E. Norris took his grandson, Bruce B. Butgereit, to visit the Battlefield of Antietam, just outside of Hagerstown, MD where the boy lived. Shortly after this trip, Bruce read his first book, Rifles for Watie, a historical fiction book of the Civil War. In 1975, Bruce gave his first “presentation” (a slide show of battlefields and two original 1863 newspapers) on the Civil War to his high school history class.

After close to 30 years of sharing the history of the Civil War at schools, Bruce teamed up in 1998 with Marcia Bruin and other Civil War re-enactors to create Bruce B. Butgereit & Company – Civil War Presentations, an organization to present professional living history programs. They decided that; given the considerable research, expense, and time involved in putting together a program, that such a professional effort deserved professional treatment. Also, given that while re-enactors call themselves “living historians,” they believe that a true living historian needs to perform to a higher standard than a dedicated hobbyist. Therefore, they decided to “go a step beyond” and develop their skills to specifically meet the needs of the general public and educational professionals.

Always looking for new and interesting ideas, Bruce and Marcia created a project for schools, teachers and students. This effort includes their condensed living history program, Bedrolls & Bonnets. Students and the public often perceive history as dull. The fact is, however, that actual history is often more unbelievable than a novel. Bruce discovered this personally when the genealogy bug bit him! He found Civil War ancestors who fought in Indiana regiments. Paying tribute to those men played a part in the decision to share history in a unique way to help others realize how much fun history can be!

They knew that the public responded enthusiastically to good living history presentations, and that this presentation could compete with other forms of education. Living history provides the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and many of the experiences of the past. Handling reproduction items and actual artifacts lets people feel they are touching the past, instead of just looking at it through a glass case. A good living historian is "interactive", unlike any computerized display or stationary museum.

In July of 2002 Bruce and Marcia gave their first presentation on Civil War weddings when they were legally married at a Civil War re-enactment following the customs and ceremony of the Civil War-era.

Bruce is the Commander of the Michigan Commandery, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, National Patriotic Instructor of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, a Past Department Commander of the Michigan SUVCW, and a member of the General John A. Logan Camp No. 1 in Grand Rapids.  Marcia is a member of the Dames of the Loyal Legion, National Chaplain of the Woman's Relief Corps, and President of the WRC Chaplain Corps No. 41 in Grand Rapids.

As members of numerous Civil War-related organizations, they take the term volunteer to new heights.  They spend hundreds of hours researching Michigan's involvement in the Civil War and specifically, the history of many Civil War monuments and memorials.  But their work doesn't stop with just finding out the history of these historic treasures, they then spend even more time trying to raise public awareness, raise funds for restoration, and then to conduct a rededication service following the original dedication as closely as possible.  The results of their efforts over the last three years can be seen in nine memorials in West Michigan, and most recently, the Michigan Monument at the Andersonville National Historic site in Andersonville, GA. The Year 2005 marks the 30th year that Bruce has shared his knowledge (and those two 1863 newspapers) of the Civil War with others.

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