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Historical fiction based on facts divulged in letters home By Tony Wheeler
Staff WriterA young boy dressed in Civil War-era clothes runs slap-dash through a crowd of women in hand-made dresses headed to the general store on Main Street in Franklin for their typical Saturday shopping. Obviously in a hurry, he rushes past a couple, Judi and Robert Longworth, headed to the store from the other direction. The boy bursts through the doors of the general store, eager to blurt out the urgent news he’s just heard — the Yankees have fired on Fort Sumter and started a war against the south. For a moment, everybody is in shock as the words sink in. [click here for the full photo gallery] A promotional poster for the movie being filmed locally, “Civil War Letters of Macon County.” The high definition DVD will run for one hour and is scheduled to premiere in November. The young man, Warren Stiles, was acting the part of Jasper Stiles, his great-great grandfather who fought in the Civil War with the 25th North Carolina Infantry Regiment. Warren was one of many actors on hand Saturday, May 9 at the Macon County Historical Museum to film a movie being made as a fundraiser for the Historical Society. The front of the museum had been turned into a set depicting a dry goods general store. In the outdoor scene, Stiles is in a hurry to get inside the store and relay the news that the Civil War is imminent.The movie came about in a process which began when the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy donated actual letters sent home to Macon County from soldiers during the Civil War to the Macon County Historical Society. Steven Rice, director of the historical society, corroborated with Michael Rogers, a local artist who is branching out to work in multi-media projects, and the idea for a film — “Civil War Letters of Macon County” — was born. Warren Stiles and Bradley Daniel share a meal before the day’s filming begins. Work on the movie began in November 2008. It will be issued in high-definition DVD and is expected to premiere in early November of this year at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin, said Rogers, the film’s director. The DVD, about an hour long, will be available for sale at the MCHS museum on Main Street.“This is an all-volunteer effort,” Rogers said. “I’ve never directed a movie before and none of these people have ever acted. They’re re-enactors, so I must be a re-director. We’re just out here having fun, but I’m looking for a real, natural, emotional performance from them.” Rogers said he hasn’t had this much fun in a long time. His wife, Kathy, is helping him by shooting stills for the movie and a companion book that has been planned for release in early 2010. “We’re going to need funding to get the book out, and so far no sponsors have stepped forward,” Rogers said. A typical Saturday in Franklin, circa 1860s, as depicted by cast members of the upcoming movie. During Saturday’s filming of shoppers in a dry goods store, the men mill about while the women look at clothing and fabrics, when sudden bad news disrupts what appears to be a leisure day. He said everyone involved is learning as they go, and the biggest hurdle he’s faced is setting up filming to accommodate the schedules of the actors. “One man had to leave today to work in his garden, and a young man is leaving town before filming will be finished, so we have to shoot his scenes earlier than expected,” Rogers said. Renee Cooney adjusts her bonnet. Food has also been an unexpected expense, he said. Filming sometimes lasts for hours, and if it falls near a meal time, the cast has to be fed. On Saturday, the cast and crew grilled out hot dogs while Rogers worked with some of the other actors. Weather also plays a role, as recent rains have cancelled filming. In the outdoor scene with Stiles, filming had to be timed with the nearby traffic light to keep vehicles out of the film. The cast moved indoors to the dry goods set and filmed shoppers as Stiles approached with the bad news.“If we get what we’re looking for in the film – the emotional impact, historical significance and educational value – this could open the door for future projects. No one hears a lot about it, but Macon County is filled with wonderful history,” Rogers said. The movie follows four couples, showing what happens to them before, during and after the war. Rogers said the main purpose is to show what life was like here at the time, a personal glimpse of how difficult it was on the average person. Director Michael Rogers explains the outdoor scene to cast members on Saturday, May 9. Both the historical documentary and a companion book are a fund-raising project of the Macon County Historical Society. Most of the actual letters upon which the movie is based were sent by the fighting men to their families here. Beverly Higdon Moore, a MCHS board member who is working with Hannah Gillespie of the UDC to transcribe the letters, said the men generally wanted to know how the farms were doing and other news from home.Though the ending is being kept under wraps, scenes include the opening sequence where the fictional Zeke Trotter returns home from a hunting trip. His wife, Evie, has a hot meal ready, and the couple sit down at the dinner table in the cabin to eat, while sharing their concerns about war breaking out. Other scenes include ladies sewing a regimental flag for the men to carry into battle, recruitment training where the men learn to shoot rifles, ladies left behind trying to keep the farms running and life in the soldiers’ camps. By late June, Rogers expects to have a 12-minute trailer available for viewing. Rice said people are encouraged to loan or donate historical items and can still become involved with the project. The group had initially planned to tear down the dry goods set, but, due to popular demand, will leave it for a while so that visitors can see it. For more information on ways to help, call the historical society at (828)524-9758, or Rogers at (828) 524-6709.
Michael Rogers is filming Warren Stiles and Reed Henson in a scene at the dry goods store on Saturday. In the scene, Stiles is bringing bad news to the shopkeeper – the Yankees have fired on Fort Sumter and war seems imminent. The film project is a fundraiser for the Macon County Historical Society. The society’s location on Main Street served as the store for filming the DVD. |
