Tyler Gibson is a veteran of the trenches, learning as much about 1860s warfare as he’s teaching.

“It’s one thing to read about a soldier’s experience but it’s another thing to actually live as a soldier; it makes it that much more tangible,” he said.

The University of Southern Mississippi history student, who is 18, has been in Civil War re-enactments throughout the country for the past six years and is a seasonal employee of the Vicksburg National Military Park this summer.

“Whenever I can tell how the average soldier actually fared, it gives me a sense of satisfaction because the average soldier doesn’t get any of the recognition that the generals and politicians do.”