Very few major battles of the American Civil War were fought west of the Great Plains, but the atmosphere of the conflict which shaped the country into what it is today is still being recreated thousands of miles away in the quaint North Kitsap town/state historical site of Port Gamble.

In the days when the Civil War was being fought between the Union and Confederacy, Port Gamble was just getting its legs as a mill town following the establishment of the Puget Mill Co. by William Talbot in 1853.

At the time of the war (1861-1865), Port Gamble was still being referred to by the Native American title — Teekalet. The sounds of the steam-powered sawmill and intermittent boat horns filled the air of the Hood Canal, while on the East Coast, cannons and black powder rifles shattered the tranquility of the countryside.

Fast forward about a century and half, and Teekalet’s role has changed. The sawmill shutdown in 1995, and annually since 2004, the Washington Civil War Association invades Port Gamble for a weekend of reenactment.

The group be back with its relics for the third annual event June 22-24.

“Compared to some of the other (statewide) events that have been going on for eight, nine, 10 years, (Port Gamble) has turned out to be the club’s most popular,” said WCWA vice chair and Port Gamble battle organizer Howard Struve. “It’s just different … it looks like a town that could’ve been in the Civil War.”

Beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday night, it will be.

Kicking off the weekend’s historic festivities, Union and Confederate forces will converge in a street battle amongst the storybook houses along Port Gamble’s main drag — Rainier Street

Later that night, the most hardcore of the reenactors will hike three miles into the woods equipped with only what they can carry to spend the night in true Civil War style.

Saturday and Sunday will both be days full of education and entertainment for re-enactors and audience members alike. Battle demonstrations — from the actual battles, to separate calvary and artillery exhibitions — will fire off followed by hospital demos that will display the aftermath.

“It’s not just a bunch of people out there running around in wool with guns,” Struve said. “A lot of what I sense today is there’s awareness about the Civil War but the details are missing … there’s some misconceptions out there about a lot of things, and we’re there to teach.”

But it’s not all lessons, black powder and historic charges, Civil War-era fashion shows and an 1860s street dance Saturday night will help to liven the mood.

For more information visit www.wcwa.net/Events/PG.