Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War fire an 1859 6-pound field gun replica Saturday during a Civil War re-enactment at South Park. They fired the cannon with 10 ounces of black powder. Members of the Battery B, 3rd Kansas Frontier Brigade, headed the encampment.

Roy Lafferty, of Lawrence, mans the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War encampment Saturday at South Park. Battery B, 3rd Kansas Frontier Brigade, taught passers-by about items and history of the Civil War era.

The history lesson was earsplitting.

Civil War re-enacters recalled past battles of Kansas on Saturday with the firing of a 6-pounder replica field gun from the lawn at South Park.

“This is what you would have seen early on in Kansas’ history,” re-enacter Kent Johnson said as the smoke lifted following the blast.

Members of the 3rd Kansas Light Artillery re-enacting group gathered around the gun Saturday. They gave a lesson to onlookers on the process of loading and firing the cannon.

“It’s a piece of living history,” re-enacter Loren Feldkamp said. “A lot of people see these things fired, but they have no idea how you break it down and how everybody works together as a team to fire one of these.”

The group also displayed photographs, scrapbooks, spent bullets, canteens and uniforms.

The encampment was part of Civil War on the Western Frontier, a series that runs through Thursday and includes tours, theatrical acts, films and activities for kids.

“A lot of today’s high school students don’t even know the years the Civil War was fought,” re-enacter Alan Van Loenen said. “So we try to add to the education of American history.”

Events continue Sunday with a 1 p.m. tour of the Territorial Capital/Lane Museum in Lecompton, and “An Afternoon with John Brown” at 3 p.m. at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt.