The Civil War Comes to New York

N E W  Y O R K, Feb. 21 -- The NYPD surely heard the gunfire in Central Park, but this was one time they didn't have to respond.

The Civil War had come to Manhattan. The worst snowstorm the city had seen in nearly a decade didn't scare off the intrepid war re-enactors who trudged through 2-foot-high drifts, muskets in hand, to recreate the Battle of Chancellorsville.

The bloody battle occurred 140 years ago — in Virginia. It was moved to the heart of Yankee territory (the park's just a few miles south of Yankee Stadium) to promote Gods and Generals. The movie, a prequel to 1993's Gettysburg, opens today.

Drums rolled, flutes played and rallying cries were heard from both sides. "Three cheers for Dixie!" yelled a gray-clad soldier, raising his musket. As both sides charged, shots crackled and smoke rose.

The Confederate soldiers marched in gray wool uniforms at the southern end of a field and the Union soldiers were bundled in dark blue at the north.

"All war correspondents over here!" shouted a small, red-haired woman, herding reporters away from the impending fray of battle.

Daniels: ‘It Was Brother vs. Brother’

Civil War re-enactors are known for their attention to detail; they want the experience to be as authentic as possible. Some people find it strange that grown-ups would dress up as soldiers and pretend to be soldiers, but the Civil War stirs deep feelings.

Between both armies, the War Between the States claimed 600,000 soldiers, more than all other U.S. wars combined.

"It was such a dramatic time in our country's history. It was brother vs. brother, American vs. American," said Jeff Daniels, who reprises his role as Lt. Col. Joshua Chamberlain, a Maine college professor turned Union Army war hero.

"This was fought here on our soil and it really was a turning point for our country," he said.

Based on the first novel in a trilogy by Jeff M. Shaara and his father, Michael Shaara, Gods and Generals also stars Robert Duvall as Gen. Robert E. Lee and Stephen Lang as Gen. "Stonewall' Jackson. The nearly four-hour film includes more than 7,500 battle re-enactors, like the ones who came to Central Park.