Bringing History to Life
Brad Craver, accompanied by his son Andrew, gave a Civil War presentation at an outdoor meeting of the Lewisville Historical Society in Lewisville, North Carolina.
A Civil War Family
In 2002 Brad Craver and his sons, Austin and Andrew, decided to take up a hobby that has kept them close as a family and has brought history to life for them. As amateur Civil War historians, the Cravers spend six or seven weekends each year participating in Civil War re-enactments in North Carolina, Virginia and as far north as Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
On the evening of September 14, 2009, Brad and his sons met with members of the Lewisville Historical Society under the oak trees at Shallowford Square. Their Civil War presentation included relics of that era — a sword, a pistol, and a rifle that was loaded and fired by both Austin and Andrew.
Dressed in full Civil War garb, the Cravers also brought with them items that a typical Civil War soldier might have carried in his haversack (backpack): a “housewife” (a sewing kit), military handbook, Christian tract, playing cards, bed cap, eating utensils and a supply of hardtack (hard biscuits).
Whenever the Cravers share with groups of various ages or are involved in Civil War re-enactments, they typically represent two particular regiments: the Federal Army’s 83rd Pennsylvania Regiment and the Confederate States Army’s 24th Virginia Regiment. They’re part of the approximately 50,000 Civil War re-enactors from nearly every state in the USA, as well as from other countries, including England and Belgium.
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