' I think it should be done every year': Reenactor to organize 157th Civil War reenactment

'... my passion is Gettysburg and the soldiers who fought and died there and preserving their memory," Civil War Reenactor Dustin Heisey said.

The Evening Sun

Longtime reenactor Dustin Heisey, of Manheim, Lancaster County, has volunteered to plan the Gettysburg Civil War Reenactment for 2020.

Dustin Heisey, right, and his daughter Dakota Heisey pose together at his July 2019 wedding in Gettysburg.

Heisey, who said he has been reenacting since he was 14, wants to keep the tradition of honoring the soldiers alive.

"My primary focus is lets bring honor back into our hobby and, we're portraying these men who sacrificed so much for their country, I want them to be remembered and I think it should be done every year," Heisey said.

On Sept. 3, the Gettysburg Anniversary Committee announced on their Facebook page that they do not "anticipate organizing or hosting a 157th Anniversary Reenactment" citing a declining interest from the public and reenactors.

More:Gettysburg Anniversary Committee doesn't plan on hosting civil war reenactment in 2020

More:Gettysburg reenactors share historical insight on 156th anniversary

The next day, after showing interest in taking on the event, Heisey posted on the Gettysburg Past & Present Facebook group that he was "excited to accent this challenge."

Heisey hopes to change up some things in his approach to the reenactment. Those changes include:

A flat rate for reenactors to participate, although he hopes to ultimately make it free.
No VIP seating in the grandstand, something that Heisey said is seen as a "horrible eyesore."
No stage tent area.
Settlers Row where reenactors can sell Civil War paraphernalia.
A food and vending area.

"Ultimately, I want to keep the atmosphere feeling as 1860s as much as possible," Heisey said.

More:Behind the scenes of a Gettysburg re-enactment

As for funding, Heisey said it's still too soon to determine how they will pay for the reenactment, but some ideas that have come up include a T-shirt campaign and sponsorships.

This is also not his first time organizing a reenactment. Back in his hometown of Maytown, Heisey helped organize a reenactment that saved the estate-turned-Inn of Simon Cameron, President Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of War, he said.

"I just wanted to do something to help them and I thought, 'What do I know, what can I do?," Heisey said. "I just thought I can put on a civil war reenactment and, in all honesty, that event saved that place and they're still going strong."

As for the issues that the Gettysburg Anniversary Committee faced, Heisey said he is not concerned.

Union Calvary reenactors sit on their horses at the Battle of New Market reenactment in June 2019.

"I think the response that I've received since putting myself out there 24 hours ago has been overwhelming and it's from reactors and spectators alike and residents of Gettysburg," Heisey said "People really want to see this thing happened, and they really want it to happen differently then what the GAC has been doing."

Heisey, who is also an Army veteran, said that his main goal with the reenactment is to honor those that fought in the Civil War.

"It's not my intention to take away anything from the GAC and the hard work and the dedication that they've shown for the past 25 years," Heisey said. "But really, truly my passion is Gettysburg and the soldiers who fought and died there and preserving their memory."

Heisey is also thinking of creating an LLC organization to help with the coordination of the reenactment.

Those interested in getting involved can join Heisey's Facebook page.