NATCHEZ — Those who braved the heat to attend Saturday’s Mississippi Bicentennial Bash at Historic Jefferson College caught a glimpse of Mississippi’s 200-year history.

As extra-special edition of the second-annual event Reveille!, the conclusion of the two-day celebration included walking tours, food and beverages, games, reenactments of historical figures and a slideshow of the historic architecture of Washington.

The event’s namesake comes from the 10 a.m. reveille — a bugle call to wake up soldiers for duty — to kick off the day.

The first activity was a “constitutional stroll,” which ended with the unveiling of a historic marker at the former site of Assembly Hall.

Clay Williams of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History led the tour, describing Assembly Hall’s significance as a meeting place for the legislative body of the Mississippi Territory in the early 1800s.

“I can’t overemphasize how important Assembly Hall was,” Williams said.

The hall burned down in 1993, but today two volunteers unveiled the new historic marker to commemorate the historic site, which MDAH still owns.

After the tour, attendants roamed the property for a bit and conversed with the likes of Andrew Jackson and Aaron Burr — in a sense.

The “reenactors” consisted of volunteers, with each lending a different perspective to the state’s history.

The story of Elizabeth Greenfield Roach, portrayed by Casey Holcomb, tells the tale of the first women’s college, founded by Roach in 1818.

Holcomb, who has been reenacting for 19 years, said she came to admire Roach while conducting research to do the portrayal.

“She was passionate, she was outspoken, and she had a dream,” Holcomb said of Roach. “This is my kind of woman.”

Right down the road was first-time “reenactor” Adam Gwin, who portrayed former Mississippi Governor George Poindexter. Poindexter, a member of the Democratic-Republican Party, moved to Natchez in 1802, setting up his law practice at age 23, Gwin said.

In character, Gwin said he (Poindexter) would argue to no end, and would not be afraid to pick a fight using his cane or even his “excellent vocabulary” as a weapon.

Across the way stood Poindexter’s Federalist adversary, Aaron Burr, who also spent time in the Miss-Lou.

David Slay, while playing former vice president, spoke of Burr’s spat with then-President Thomas Jefferson.

After Burr was essentially casted out of politics following his duel with Alexander Hamilton, Burr three years later in 1807 faced charges of treason from Jefferson.

But Burr, as Slay pointed out, was acquitted by Chief Justice John Marshall.

“This just incensed Jefferson,” Slay said.

Another character at the event told a much different story, that of Abdul Rahman Irbrahima, or simply “Prince Ibrahim.”

Played by African-American Heritage Tour Director Darrell White, Ibrahim is the inverse of a “rags to riches” tale, going from African Prince to a slave in Mississippi.

White describes Ibrahim’s 40 years of enslavement before finally being set free, though he was still forced to leave the U.S. as a stipulation for his freedom.

The performances impressed Gertrude Hunt Scott Carter, who attended Saturday’s celebration.

“The (reenactors) — they’ve done a wonderful job,” Carter said. “I just loved Ms. Elizabeth Roach. That was really good by the young lady. I enjoyed Mr. Darrell White with the prince.

“I really have great compassion for the people who lived in the days gone by … women didn’t have rights, their parents were separated by their children, and nowadays, we are just blessed by truly our God Lord Jesus for having this opportunity to be as a family moving forward and to continue making America the great (country) that it is.”

Carter also thanked MDAH and Mimi Miller of the Historic Natchez Foundation.

Carter said she wished the event would have drawn more people, but she thought those who did attend witnessed a great experience.

“If one person can learn from these experiences, then one person can go out and help change the world.”

Betty Lou Hicks agreed that the acting performances highlighted Saturday’s festivities.

“I loved seeing the reencactors,” Hicks said. “Telling the stories of characters related to this.”

Those stories told a sliver — albeit a very important sliver — of a state 200 years in the making.