Kent State University Press author Bradley Keefer gets the last word in this New York Times article regarding the uncertain future of Civil War re-enactors.

Interest in the battlefield experiences of Civil War soldiers was fueled by cinematic hits, like the 1989 Oscar-winning film “Glory” and “Gettysburg,” a 1993 release that ran over four hours long. (Hundreds of re-enactors were cast as extras.)

But in the last decade or so, the crowds at large scale re-enactments have dwindled. Longtime hobbyists are aging out and retiring — soldiers in their 50s and 60s filled much of the camp at Gettysburg — and younger people aren’t marching onto mock battlefields in nearly the same numbers.

Read more about The Decline of the Civil War Re-enactor.