By Sara Gregory
sgregory@salisburypost.com
CONCORD ó Both of Richard Liles Jr.’s great-grandfathers fought in the Civil War for the Confederacy.
One of them, a colonel, led a command in Manteo until they were forced to surrender to Union forces.
“I never did like that idea,” he says of the surrender, adding, “That’s neither here nor there.”
Now, his interests lie in Civil War history and learning more about the war. A member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Liles came from his home in Albemarle for the group’s annual reunion.
The Pride of the South will be at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center until Saturday and features relics and antiques from the time period as well as a life-size model of the Hunley submarine.
John Dangerfield recreated the Hunley submarine to bring history alive.
“You can touch it and come right up to it,” he says.
Dangerfield worked in the Charleston Navy shipyard, where his interest in the Civil War submarine grew. After the sunken sub was found in 2000, Dangerfield became involved with the Friends of the Hunley in preserving the original.
Now he tours the model around the country.
“It’s a neat part of Southern history,” he says. “I love it.”
The Hunley exhibit is just the beginning of Southern history on display at the convention.
Vendors have early photographs of Civil War-era men and women, as well as coins and money and other memorabilia from the war.
Yvonne Brown got started making period dresses and bonnets after her husband, a Civil War re-enactor, took her along one time.
Called the “Bonnet Lady” by some of her fans, Brown now makes her own patterns for the dresses, modeling them after popular styles of the 1860s. Her dresses were worn in the movie “Gettysburg.”
Brown says she can remember her favorite dresses, and who she sold them to. The dresses are “like children.”
“I never know where the clothes are going to turn up,” she says.
She’ll display them today in a fashion show.
Other events at the convention include re-enactment, educational history talks and a banquet. For a complete schedule, visit www.jonascookcamp.com.