North Judson Civil War Reenactment to Coincide with Bicentennial Torch Relay

A Civil War encampment will make an appearance at the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum next weekend.

A Civil War reenactment may be coming to North Judson this fall, but instead of recreating famous battles from the American South, organizers plan to focus on local soldiers returning home at the end of the war. The North Judson Town Council Monday approved a request from Andy Martin to stage the reenactment on Friday, October 7 and Saturday, October 8 at the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum.

In a written request to council members, Martin said the event will take visitors back 150 years to 1866, to tell the story of the 151st Indiana Regiment. It included soldiers from LaPorte and Pulaski counties, as well as the surrounding areas. The event will cover the period of time in 1866 when returning soldiers were arriving by train, camping at the station, and waiting for connecting trains to take them the rest of the way home.

Reenactors will talk to visitors both about soldiers’ experiences in the war, and about what home life was like in the local area around that time. Martin offered to incorporate some additional North Judson history into the event, as well.

The reenactment with coincide with the passing of the Indiana Bicentennial Torch through North Judson on October 7. In addition to the return of soldiers following the Civil War, 1866 was also the year the Town of North Judson was established.

The proposed event still needs to get approval from the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum Board.