Nathaniel Puente 
Edinburg- On April 9, 1865, the U.S. Civil War came to a close. Over 154 years later, the Rio Grande Valley Civil War trail continues to commemorate the events of that war.
“The Civil War is one of the most important events in American history,” said Union Soldier reenactor Rob Raymaker.
The CHAPS program, which created the Rio Grande Valley Civil War Trail, hosted a community event to celebrate public history Attendees were greeted with lectures from historians such as Samantha Bernard, who made the trip from North Carolina for the occasion.
“I think it’s really important to remember this multi-cultural area and how much it comes to play in the history of Texas,” said Bernard.
Confederate and Union troops set up camp to display weapons used during the Civil War. While the two sides remained peaceful during the event, tensions were high for a few loyal reenactors.
“What we’re here to do is to educate the public,” said Confederate soldier reenactor Bruce Kidd. “There were two sides,” he commented.
The event concluded with the documentary “Just a Ferry Ride to Freedom.”
The “War and Peace on the Rio Grande” exhibit will be on display in the UTRGV Edinburg visitor’s center until June 19th.
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