Around 9:30 a.m., on the Sunday of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse (last week), participants gathered to sing spiritual songs as they prepared for battle. They tried to keep even the religious service authentic to the 18th century. Hearing the lovely voices down by the lake, when the park was calm and the lake still, was hauntingly beautiful. Re-enacters of many religions came together for a few minutes of considering a force greater than themselves.

When the singing ended, one re-enacter commented, “Well, I guess I can get out my tobacco now that the service has ended, so I won’t feel like a heathen.”  Surrounded by the persistent smoke of the campfires, church-goers would not likely have noticed the extra smoke. But then again, respect is a good thing, and has been well before the 18th century. While the above service is not meant to be part of the re-enactment “show”, spectators and photographers were not turned away.