Civil War history included in National Infantry Museum

The Infantryman carried the brunt of the fighting during the Civil War as he has in every war since. As a monument to those Soldiers and the men who followed in their footsteps, a 190,000- square-foot National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center was built just outside Fort Benning, Georgia. Opened just this year, it is designed not only to tell the story of the Infantry Soldier over 234 years but to thank him for his service and sacrifice. 

The Civil war is represented throughout the facility beginning with the seven-acre parade field. As they pass in review, new Infantry graduates literally march over soil taken from major battlefields in each of the major wars fought by Americans. To commemorate the Civil War, soil was secured from under a tree at the base of Burnside Bridge at Antietam. 

That same “Witness Tree” is featured in the museum’s depiction of the Civil War battle. The tableau is one of six that line the museum’s signature exhibit; “The Last 100 Yards.”

Infantry boots on the ground own the last 100 yards of the battle and visitors experience that journey along a ramp lined with scenes from the Revolutionary War to today. A 25- ton Bradley fighting vehicle used in Iraq sits at the crest of the ramp. Just beyond is the Fort Benning Gallery which shows how a recruit today is shaped into an Infantryman. Six era galleries then trace the Infantry’s history in securing the nation’s freedoms. 

The Civil War gallery is scheduled to open in 2010 and will contain some precious objects for the period; among them: a 14^th U.S. Infantry Regiment snare drum, a Confederate Army copy of a Model 1857 bronze rifled gun-howitzer tube cast at the Columbus Arsenal, Columbus, GA in 1863, the field desk used by Romeyn Beck Ayres, Union general, a Lefever & Ellis .50 caliber rifle with telescopic sight, a cannon manufactured in 1861, a surgical kit used by the 148^th New York Infantry Regiment, a bayonet, scabbard and sling used by the 8^th Company, 7^th Regiment, New York State Militia in 1861 and a U.S. 34-star canton flag of the 2^nd United States Colored Troops Regiment. Each artifact is paired with the story of a soldier who used it thus bringing the history to life.

During recent opening ceremonies General (Ret.) Colin Powell aptly explained the interactive facility: “The word museum is entirely inadequate to describe it. It's the only attraction in the country to tell the story of the Infantry from the perspective of the soldier. The exhibits allow you to walk through battlefield conditions, a trench, a jungle, a desert … (giving) a glimpse of what our sons have witnessed and endured for us from Colonial times until the present.”

The world-class museum and Soldier Center includes an IMAX Theatre, full service restaurant and gift store. The museum is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free. More information can be found online at www.nationalinfantrymuseum.com