'Gods and Generals' Tim Johnson appeared as an extra in the movie "Gods and Generals." Johnson (center) is pictured with some fellow reenactors on the set near Staunton, Va.

   It all started on a hot August day in 1992, when Dave Cramer, Brian Reed and I went to our first movie set to help with the filming of "Gettysburg." I had been reenacting since 1978, and that's where I met Dave and Brian.

   Due to my work schedule, I only spent two days filming. Unless you know exactly where to look in one scene, you have to take my word for it that I actually was there. When we heard that "Gods and Generals" was to begin filming, we were eager to again try our hand at being "background artists," the modern term for "extras."

   All the reenactors were required to send photographs of themselves and their impression. Brian and Dave went the military route, while I opted to portray a civilian. Over the past few years I have cultivated a good civilian impression, and as my time was limited, I thought this was the best way to go. We all were accepted, and filming was scheduled to begin in August 2001.

   I was there for the first day on location in Lexington, Va. The civilian reenactors were required to check in by 5:30 a.m., but by the time we were bused to the site and all the details were taken care of, filming didn't start until after 10 a.m.

   We were shooting the scene of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson heading off to war, leading the cadets of VMI. We were on the grounds of VMI, which was transformed to a Civil War appearance. The paved street was covered with mulch to resemble a dirt road, with about a dozen wagons and carriages lining it.

   Stephen Lang portrays Jackson, and at first I had my doubts, because he also played General George Pickett in "Gettysburg." Those doubts were erased as I caught my first glimpse of him on horseback leading the cadets down the street, which was lined with civilians cheering for the brave young lads.

   History records that Jackson had piercing blue eyes that could stare right through you. Lang, who by now had convinced me he was Jackson, rode past me and made eye contact, and those blue eyes I'd read about made me feel as if I actually was there in 1860. It was as real as any battle reenactment I'd ever attended.

   After shooting this scene, which appears in the film for only a few seconds, from various angles all morning, we broke for lunch and were told to be back by 1 p.m. to film Jackson's funeral procession.

   This emotional scene probably was the only one to be recreated on the actual spot where it happened. After Jackson's death following the 1863 battle of Chancellorsville, his body lay in state at the Confederate capitol building in Richmond. He then was brought to Lexington for burial, but first his body lay in state in his old classroom at VMI, where we were now standing.

   As the director's assistants placed the reenactors, I was handed a crutch and given my spot to stand. I noticed a girl in modern clothing in front of me, and I asked her what she was doing. She smiled and said, "Oh, I'm the stand-in for Anna Jackson."

   What better place to be positioned for the funeral scene than behind the mourning wife! When the film premiered, there I was in the final scene over Anna Jackson's shoulder, crutch and all.

   Filming was moved down the street to Washington and Lee College, where several more scenes were shot. When filming wrapped at about dusk, we were taken to our cars. By then cleanup crews with front end loaders had removed nearly all the mulch from the street at VMI.

Emotions run high

   Several weeks later, male civilians were needed on the set near Staunton, Va. After an early call we were taken to the wardrobe trailer, looked over and sent on to makeup. There they "dirty" you up a bit by putting dust on your clothes or a smudge on your face.

   Soon we were on the set of the camp in Maine where Joshua Chamberlain, played by Jeff Daniels, first reported to the army. Film crews go to great detail for things that may not even be seen in the movie, but they do them on the chance they might be seen. There were two or three guys whose job was to make sure there always was smoke coming from the fire pits. Another ran a lawn mower-like contraption through the scene just prior to filming to provide a smoky atmosphere.

   We spent a lot of time setting up a shot, then one of the crew members said there was a rumor that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. Shortly afterward director Ron Maxwell called everyone around and told us of the awful acts of September 11. He suspended filming and told us to take a long lunch while the crew figured out what to do.

   One crew member brought a truck nearby, and everyone stayed to hear the events unfold. As we gathered around the truck's radio, the first of the Twin Towers crashed to the ground. I happened to look to my right, and Daniels was there with a tear in his eye. He turned and walked to a secluded hillside for some time alone.
Any extra on the set always looks for the star and to have a brush with greatness, but this day it didn't matter. We were all Americans huddled together in disbelief, grateful for the company but wishing we were somewhere other than a field ten miles south of Staunton.

   We broke for a long lunch, figuring things would shut down and we would be heading home. Around 1 p.m. one of the director's assistants came to us and said Mr. Maxwell had decided not to let the terrorists succeed any further, and we would resume shooting. A loud and rousing cheer went up. It felt good to be an American.

An amazing transformation

   Next came some location shooting at Harpers Ferry. These were scenes from early in the conflict, when the thought of a short and glamorous war prevailed. Hundreds of men and women civilians filled the streets of Harpers Ferry, cheering as their heroes went off to enlist.

   Harpers Ferry later was transformed into the town of Fredericksburg for the very impressive battle scenes in the streets. I didn't take part in this filming, but some of my friends did, saying it was amazing how the transformation was made.

   After spending six days of filming, I ended up with two good glimpses of myself in the finished product, and several scenes where I blend in with the crowd.

   People often ask how much the reenactors were paid for our work in the film. Aside from good meals and a cool T-shirt, we got nothing. So why did we spend all that time on the set? It was simple, really. The makers of "Gods and Generals" donated a large sum of money to battlefield preservation in return for our help. That was better than any amount of money I could have received.

   Many critics gave the movie bad reviews, but then again, they rarely like anything. I believe "Gods and Generals" is a fine film, as realistic and true to history as Hollywood can be. Thanks to Jeff Shaara for picking up his father's torch and writing "Gods and Generals," the prequel to Michael Shaara's "The Killer Angels." The final part in the trilogy, "The Last Full Measure," is in development and will be filmed by Maxwell in the near future. I'm also grateful to Maxwell for fulfilling a vision and bringing to life such important parts of our history, and to Ted Turner, who also believed that films of the Civil War can be popular.