St. Charles cavalry off to honor Gettysburg

The first shot fired in the Battle of Gettysburg is credited to Marcellus Jones of Wheaton, a member of the 8th Illinois Cavalry.

So it seems appropriate that 145 years later, a group of suburban re-enactors of that same cavalry regiment will be prominent in a celebration of that battle.

"It only made sense," said Jesse Martinez of Warrenville, the 8th Illinois Cavalry major.

The group, based in St. Charles, has been invited to be part of a two-day re-enactment in Gettysburg at the end of the month hosted by the Land Conservancy of Adams County, Penn. Most of the 50 members are going.

"The goal is to keep history alive," said member Bob Johnson of Batavia.

He's brought his uniform and equipment into the history classes he teaches at Prairie Knolls Middle School in Elgin.

Both school children and families who come to re-enactments learn more with real-life examples, he said.

The 8th regiment of the Illinois Volunteer Cavalry was commissioned in August 1861 and trained at Camp Kane, now Langum Park, in St. Charles.

Led by Colonel John Farnsworth, the regiment fought in multiple Civil War battles and helped in the hunt for John Wilkes Booth.

Members also served as the Honor Guard for Abraham Lincoln's funeral train.