Civil War re-enactment moves

Arizona's small but passionate re-enacting community has moved the annual Civil War in the Southwest event from Picacho Peak State Park to the Phoenix area after the cash-strapped park canceled this year's show.

The state's largest Civil War re-enactment now will be held the same weekend, March 14 and 15, at Pioneer Living History Village, about 30 minutes north of Phoenix.

Park officials announced earlier this month the state's budget woes had forced them to cancel the re-enactment, which had been held at Picacho Peak for 20 years.

But rather than surrender, the re-enactors at the heart of the event decided they'd march to a different battlefield before they laid down their arms.

"We have a unique thing out here. A lot of people don't do Southwest re-enacting," said Walt Nichols, whose Tucson-based 1st Texas Light Artillery unit of re-enactors has been a regular at the Picacho Peak event.

"I've been trying to get a- hold of everyone to let them know we're still going to do something," said Nichols, who is coordinating artillery for the event. "It's not going to be the exact thing we would have done at Picacho, but it's going to be close."

Nichols and his colleagues will still perform the same three battles re-enacted every year at the park — Valverde, Glorieta Pass and, of course, Picacho Peak, the westernmost engagement of the Civil War.

The Battle of Picacho Peak itself was little more than a skirmish between Union cavalry and an advance guard of Confederate soldiers who were occupying Tucson at the time. All told, fewer than 25 soldiers fought in the engagement, which took place on April 15, 1862. Three soldiers died and three were wounded.

Valverde and Glorieta Pass were much larger battles fought in New Mexico during the Confederacy's campaign to gain control of the Western territories.

While Picacho Peak may not be Gettysburg, it's Arizona's best claim to Civil War glory, and the state's re-enactors were loathe to give that up.

"It was just a skirmish but it showed how far-reaching the Confederacy's plans were," said Joe Spikes, who is helping plan the event with the Southwest Civil War Association, which is made up of re-enacting groups throughout the state.

"We figured, 'Let's burn our powder and have a good weekend rather than just let our gear sit in a closet,' " Spikes said.

The Picacho Peak re-enactment typically drew more than 3,000 spectators, said Ellen Bilbrey, a state parks spokeswoman. The event was relatively cheap at about $3,500, but that doesn't include the salaries of the 30 staffers who would have been needed at the event this year, including law enforcement and medical personnel, Bilbrey said.

Arizona State Parks officials decided they couldn't afford to pay the salaries of the additional staff. Picacho Peak usually has only three or four employees working, she said.

State parks have been struggling with staffing difficulties in part because the state is diverting admission fees normally used to pay salaries into the general fund to help ease the state's budget crisis, Bilbrey said.

And while the Picacho Peak event is nice, it's not essential, she said.

"We just need to keep the parks open right now," she said.

The state's budget woes have threatened Civil War and living-history events at other state parks. A Civil War event planned for April at the Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park also may have to be canceled, Spikes said.

"Everybody's hurting. There aren't going to be as many fun things to do as there were in years previous," he said.

But Pioneer Village, which is run by a non-profit foundation that leases land from the state, is ready to fill the void, said Rod Timanus, a re-enactor and historian who works in the village.

"The state's loss is Phoenix's gain," he said.

Organizers expect at least 200 re-enactors to come out for Civil War Weekend at Pioneer Village, as well as many of the vendors who sold Civil War-themed souvenirs at Picacho Peak yearly.

Timanus said he had no idea how many people would come to see the battles, but Civil War events are always a big draw, especially the one at Picacho Peak.

"People look forward to this event every year," he said.

Still, Civil War fans are hoping the fix is only temporary. Re-enacting the Battle of Picacho Peak isn't the same without, well, Picacho Peak, re-enactors said.

"There's nothing like doing a re-enactment on a historical site," Spikes said. "I think there is something romantic about the fact there were actual battles fought out here."

If You Go

What: Civil War Weekend

When: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March 14 and 15.

Where: Pioneer Living History Village, 3901 W. Pioneer Road, about 30 minutes north of Downtown Phoenix off of Interstate 17.

Admission: $7 for adults; $6 for seniors 60 and older; $5 for veterans and children ages 6-17; children ages 5 and younger get in free.

For more information: Call Pioneer Village at 1-623-465-1052.