The American Civil War (ACW) Marines are a non-partisan, family oriented living history and battle reenactment organization.
ACW Marines began as Company C, Confederate States Marines in 1991. The group was founded with the purpose of educating the public about the history of the little known Confederate Marine Corps. For the first 9 yrs of its existence, the unit focused on the Confederate impression, participating in battle reenactments down the eastern seaboard as well as providing impressions for Maritime themed living histories from Drewry’s Bluff, Virginia, to Parris Island, SC. Company C was one of the founding units of Tucker’s Naval Brigade, which served at the 135th anniversary of the Battle of Sayler’s Creek.
As the unit grew, a need was identified to expand the impression to include a portrayal of the US Marine Corps from 1861-1865. This was inspired by the story of Corporal John Mackie, the first Marine recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. The irony that Mackie earned this while engaged in combat with Confederate Marines was not lost, and as the US impression grew, we decided to take on the identity of USS Galena's Marine Detachment. The true debut of the US impression was in 2001, with the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Bull Run and our portrayal of the Bull Run Marines in the movie “Gods and Generals”.
The goals of the ACW Marines, whether portraying Ships Company or Company C, remain the delivery of an accurate description of Marine and Maritime Activities in the period 1861-1865.