The beauty of reenacting a certain incident or battle from the past for some history buffs: the outcome can be changed from what originally occurred.

    Saturday in Quitman, the South won the Battle for the Texas Hospital even though history notes the original clash between Union Gen. William T. Sherman’s troops and a gathering in Quitman of local elderly men and young boys in February 1864, was brief and an overwhelming victory for the North.

    “Historical liberties,” professed one grinning bearded re-enactor dressed in gray. “We have the home field advantage.”

    So on a sunny day, thunder from cannons again was heard across Quitman and Clarke County as the Blue and Gray faced each other across a field. Hundreds of people turned out to watch the battle unfold as the Confederates, led by Gen. Jesse Taylor and Co. B, 4th Alabama Calvary Regiment, locked horns in a Civil War Reenactment as 2011 marks a historic one: the 150th anniversary of when the war between the states began.

    Young Scottie Sutton, sporting his own Rebel hat, toy gun and canteen, watched as the firing picked up.

    “I liked it a lot,” said Sutton. “There was a lot of guns, shooting, loud booms and smoke. A lot of action.”

    Quitman Mayor Eddie Fulton said they are still in the growing stage of the event in its third year. He was hoping the good weather would have brought out more people but he said he can be patient.

    “It started out as Heritage Day and has grown into this so we hope it will continue to gain popularity,” Fulton said. “This was a good weekend for Quitman and Clarke County.”

    The battle Saturday began to take the shape of an SEC football game as the South advanced toward the North. Each time a Union soldier would fall to Rebel gunfire, the patrons would send up a cheer. And when the surviving Union soldiers turned tail to run, the crowd called out their best Rebel yells.

    “It’s all for fun but also there is the history we don’t want anyone to forget about,” said Louis Foley, a Sons of Confederate Veterans commander. “This is our legacy and we want to celebrate it like other people get to celebrate theirs.”

    Reenactors from all over the South showed up at the event. Terry Bailey of Mobile, Ala., was on hand to play the part of the Union soldier. His tent had an American flag on one side and the Rebel battle flag on the other. He said laughing, “It is a tent divided.”

    “But seriously, we do this to pay respect to all the soldiers, both North and South, who gave their lives in this costly war,” Bailey said. “For me, it was also about learning about my ancestry. I like to know who I am and where I came from.”

    If it was ancestry you wanted, 68-year old Jesse Taylor, also of Mobile, was there to provide the most authentic re-enactor on the field. Taylor’s great-grandfather, Gen. Richard Taylor, was the commander of the South Army consisting of men from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and parts of Florida. Jesse Taylor, dressed in the gray, wool uniform like his great-grandfather, strode the field with his troops in victory.

    “It was said my great-grandfather had the best army in the South,” said Jesse Taylor. “I’m proud of that and I love sharing his stories and carrying on his name during these reenactments.”