Christian Fearer always wanted to be an 18th-century soldier. Fearer grew up near Fort Necessity National Battlefield, in the town of Markleysburg. At age 6, he went with his parents to the battlefield site on Sunday afternoons to watch battle re-enactments. 'I use to always say, 'I want to be a soldier. I can't wait, I want to be a soldier.' My parents would say, 'Yeah, yeah, you'll be a soldier, someday,'' said Fearer. Young Fearer did not catch the sarcasm and continued fantasizing about his future life as an 18th-century soldier. He created makeshift uniforms and carried a toy musket into imaginary battle. At age 13, Fearer began volunteering at Fort Necessity park, and after two years of volunteer work began participating in re-enactments. Most recently, Fearer, now 18, was a sergeant in Capt. William Trent's company encampment weekend held at the Great Meadows site of Fort Necessity. The company, a Pittsburgh-based volunteer group, participates in up to 18 re-enactments a year. 'I've attended many events with them, a lot of different battles and re-enactments. It's a very nice group,' said Fearer. 'They quickly become your family.' The weekend encampment included musket firings, soldiers' tales, a drill for young recruits, an equipment presentation and a Fort and Campaign 1754 presentation. Spectators were also able to explore the campgrounds where 18th-century tents were pitched and 'camp followers,' women who trail after the company, prepared stew and berry cobbler from scratch over a fire pit. Ken Cherry, a Butler elementary school social studies teacher and a re-enactor for 11 years, is part of the company. 'When we come to a site like this the first thing we want to do is make sure that we set everything up and everything is 18th century,' said Cherry. 'We want the public to see what it would have been like back in those days. We want to make sure people understand the living conditions, how tough it was.' The re-enactment group does not use any modern appliances, with the exception of modern bathroom facilities. Candles provide light throughout the night. Water is either carried in or nearby streams are used for washing and cooking. Even during hot summer days re-enactors dress in uniforms made of wool. 'The hardest thing is to get away from the 21st century,' said Cherry. 'We want to show people that when we cook or when we do the fires that we start them with flint and steel and not matches. We try to go back into that period as best we can.' Although re-enactors do not play specific roles, Fearer models his soldier role after Angus McDonald, a Scotsman who came to America in the 18th century and eventually settled in Winchester, Va. to become the sheriff of Frederick County. 'I've had a lot of fun researching him,' said Fearer, who will attend West Virginia University in the fall, majoring in history. 'I want to follow him through his life, kind of do his character.' For Fearer, copying the life of an 18th-century soldier is a realization of his childhood dream. 'I've always had a passion for this time period,' said Fearer 'It's a way of doing something I've always been interested in. Instead of just reading books, it makes the books come to life.'

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