KNIGHTS FERRY — The sound of cannons booming will echo through the hills surrounding Knights Ferry as the American Civil War Association puts on the Knights Ferry Civil War Days.

Scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24, the Civil War reenactment and encampment is staged, rain or shine.

There is no charge for the public to view the activities along the Stanislaus River near the historic Knights Ferry Bridge that at 330 feet is the longest covered bridge west of the Mississippi Riber.

 Troops will come in for the weekend and set up camp in the Stanislaus River Park in Knights Ferry, near the historic covered bridge.

Battle times are Saturday, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The event is an experience in living history, with visitors encouraged to stop by the camps, tour the store set up on site, and watch the battles.

The American Civil War Association is a nonprofit organization and is “dedicated to preserving our American Heritage” and also sharing it with the public. More information is available by visiting www.acwa.org

The camps on site are open both days, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Matthew Haskett of Turlock is a Union soldier who was glad to have the chance to return last year after the event was forced into hiatus by the pandemic.

“We’re here to really honor the soldiers of the Civil War; to reenact the soldiers’ daily life, we have quite a few people here who are infantry members, we have artillery members, I’m playing the part of a bugler so I get to basically follow the colonel around and basically relay his commands in bugle form,” Haskett said in an interview last tear.

He noted that, on the battlefield, there is too much noise and commotion to hear commands, so soldiers learn what each specific bugle call means, and follow ‘orders’ in that way, depending on what is played.

Andrew Pleva of Livermore started taking part in reenactments when he was nine and now, at 41, said last year he still enjoys it.

“Happy to be back at it, educating the public, sharing our passion for history, making sure that the memories of these soldiers that did a horrible thing in the middle of the 19th century, that their lives are honored,” Pleva said.

The American Civil War Association is a nonprofit organization and is “dedicated to preserving our American Heritage” and also sharing it with the public. More information is available by visiting www.acwa.org

The camps on site are open both days, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Knights Ferry is located northeast of Oakdale. It is a 33.4 mile drive from Manteca via Highway 120.