The names of the politicians and generals who squared off in the War Between the States are remembered far more often the ordinary foot soldiers &045; except, perhaps,

by their descendants &045; who were in the trenches.

The Battle of Selma would not be possible without the foot soldiers who play their roles in the battles they re-enact and members of their families who frequently accompany them on as many as a dozen re-enactments a year.

John Brewer, a salesman from Mobile, enlisted as a re-enactor four years ago. His first re-enactment

&045; and his most recent &045; was the Battle of Selma. Brewer, who had two Confederate grandfathers, said he fights as much for the North as for the South, if not more. A member of the 21st Alabama Infantry, he has four uniforms and has spent quite a bit of time researching Civil War history. Lately, he was one of 23 re-enactors who went to Charleston, S.C., to participate in the honorary burial of the crew of the Confederate submarine Hunley which went down after a successful sinking of a Union warship. The leader of the crew, Lt. George E. Dixon, also of Mobile, was a member of the 21st Alabama Infantry.

Brewer said that Dixon was wounded at Shiloh and thereafter moved into special forces work.

John Brewer’s wife, Ellen, also dressed in period costume, said that the family of four which also includes daughters Ashley, 12, and Sylvia, 9, attends

8-10 events a year – in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee so far. The girls enjoy the trips. Ashley, who attended the ball at Sturdivant Hall with her parents and sister, said, &uot;I think it is fun to dress up and to go to the dances.&uot; Sylvia, smiling and nodding, said that she likes the trips, too. Her mother said, &uot;She enjoys getting period toys from her parents and grandparents.&uot;

Ellen Brewer noted that in wartime, there were often wives and children in the vicinity of battles, refugees who had been driven from their homes.

David Corbett, a native of Illinois who is a retired postal worker, was present Sunday morning in full Union dress, including

a corncob pipe. He was spotted walking alone from Riverside Park to the Live Oak Cemetery for the Memorial Service in honor of Confederate veterans at 10:30 a.m. Corbett was accompanied on the trip by his wife Ilene who was at the St. James Hotel Sunday morning.

Corbett said that he

came to the Battle of Selma from Chicago for the first time last year and found it much to his liking.

Corbett is also a musician, performing at schools during the year, in costume with one other musician under the moniker &uot;Battlefield Balladeers.&uot; He knows the songs of the Civil War era – both North and South – and even though he is a Yankee he favors the Southern songs, which are very well received in the North.

Corbett says he plays the guitar, banjo, harmonica and tambourine.

His performances always include some historical information, he said, to provide context for the music.

While in Selma Corbett conducted performances for Selma schoolchildren.