Who was the Cleopatra of the Confederacy? Her name was Belle Boyd, and she was a Confederate spy and hero. Did you know that September 17, 1863 (Antietam Creek) was the single bloodiest day of the Civil War? Learning about history doesn't have to be a chore. In fact, if you can combine good story telling with a bit of entertainment, you may actually teach the next generation something. When was the camera first used in history? Alexander Garnder's famous photo journals of the Civil War helped change the way people viewed war. Learn about the history of the film industry or the computer history at our site. If you want to know what's going to happen in the future, the best place to look is the past.

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March 13, 2003

Ellerbe, NC Civil War buff in movie

By John Myers, Internet Photojournalist

The commander of the Tar Heel Rangers is Sgt. Bert McKenzie of Ellerbe, NC, shown in N.C. Cavalry uniform.

26th N.C. Troops photo
The commander of the Tar Heel Rangers, the 5th N.C. Cavalry, is Sgt. Bert McKenzie of Ellerbe, NC, in Confederate uniform.

If you go to see the Civil War epic "Gods and Generals" watch carefully and you can see an Ellerbe, NC man sitting on his horse listening to Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson speak.
Bert McKenzie, 50, of 1350 Grassy Island Road, was "just in the right place at the right time" and jumped at the chance to be an extra in one of the movie's large-crowd scenes.
Actor Stephen Lang plays the famous Confederate general Jackson saying farewell to the Stonewall Brigade, the 1st Virginia, when he took command of the 1st Corps in mid-1862.
In the scene with Jackson speaking to his troops, there are five horses in the background of the standing soldiers. The flag bearer is on the left, and McKenzie is next in line, visible for about six or seven minutes during the emotional speech by the departing general.
McKenzie was involved in a re-enactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia on Oct. 15, 2001, when he and other members of the 26th N.C. Troops were asked to take part in the filming of "Gods and Generals" going on in the same area.
He has been a member of the 26th Regiment N.C. Troops for five years, the largest battle re-enactment group in the country, with about 400 members. He participates annually in four or five battle re-enactments and a similar number of living history exhibits in North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Combining the best of three loves

"I've always been a Civil War nut," McKenzie said. "I love the outdoors and horses and camping. With re-enactments, I can combine all three of these."
Usually, McKenzie portrays his great-great grandfather on his mother's side of the family, Archibald Buie Nicholson of Moon Cone in the N.C. mountains. He was a sergeant in the 2nd N.C. Cavalry during the Civil War and fought in the Battle of Gettysburg.
But McKenzie also has a blue uniform he wears when battle re-enactments need Federal cavalry, and he is ready to "fight" on either side. "I don't mind dressing up as a Federal, but some of the guys refuse to do it. It doesn't bother me a bit which side I'm portraying."
McKenzie's troop is called the Tar Heel Partisan Rangers, in honor of an actual Confederate unit. The 26th N.C. Troops also includes artillery and infantry units and a fife and drum corps, all Confederate, unless they are called upon to portray Federal troops.
For more information on the 26th N.C. Troops, see their Website at www.26nc.org.

26th N.C. Troops photo
Members of the 5th N.C. Cavalry at Chancellorsville. Sgt. Bert McKenzie is in the center.

N.C. Troops in many other movies

"Gods and Generals" is McKenzie's first movie, but other 26th N.C. Troops' members have been involved in the filming of "Blue and Gray," "North and South" and "Gettysburg."
"Gods and Generals" covers the first three years of the Civil War, events leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg, and is a prequel to the movie "Gettysburg," about the battle.
"It's hard to put three years into three hours, but it's a good movie," McKenzie said.
The Civil War is the bloodiest of all American wars. McKenzie notes American deaths in the war exceeded combined U.S. losses in World War I, WWII, Korean and Vietnam wars. But "Gods and Generals" in remarkably free of gory scenes, he adds. "There's no sex and very little blood. It's a good movie that tells the story of the war from the Southern side."
McKenzie said he sees his role with the 26th N.C. Troops as important for history.

26th N.C. Troops photo
Actor Robert Duvall portrayed Gen. Robert E. Lee in 'Gods and Generals.' Here he chats with members of the 26th N.C. Troops.

"I just like to put on the uniform and talk to people. I like the living history exhibits even better than the battle re-enactments, because you get a better chance to talk to people.
"If we don't tell the young people who are interested in our Southern heritage, we'll lose it completely. We see people from all walks of life at re-enactments and living history exhibits. You'd be surprised at the turnout, the amount of people who still give a hoot."
And aside from keeping the Southern heritage alive, McKenzie said he gets a lot of personal satisfaction from "taking a step back in time" portraying a Civil War soldier.
"You get up early in the morning and smell the campfires and listen to the soldiers talking. Just riding along with troops ahead of you and behind you as far as you can see, the clanking of the gear and the noise of an army on the move -- it gives me goose bumps.
"That's why we do it, to honor what those men went through. It's bad if we forget it."