The Natchez City Cemetery was alive Saturday night &045; with the dead. The eerie sound of a bagpipe greeted a steady stream of visitors as they walked through the gates during the fifth annual Angels on the Bluff cemetery tour.

Down a candle-lit path winding under the ancient live oaks and grand marbled monuments, re-enactors skillfully portrayed some of the colorful figures buried there.

As in past tours, some re-enactors assumed the role of a deceased ancestor.

This year, Jane Millette, descendant of artist Ferman Cerveau, was pleased to portray her great-great grandfather and to point out his new marker, 108 years in the making.

Cerveau, known as the &uot;Artist of Savannah,&uot; died in 1896,

but just received his tombstone this year.

&uot;I think that it is well time that both his resting place and art were given the consideration they deserve,&uot; Millette said.

Another re-enactor may not have shared a blood relation to the character he depicted, but he did share a homeland.

There was only one stipulation for the Rev. David O’Conner, a native of Limerick, Ireland, to portray the late Irish Bishop John E. Gunn.

&uot;They only asked that I had to have a convincing Irish accent. I will let you be the judge if I do,&uot; he said in his natural brogue.

Farther into the hills of the cemetery, other personalities of the past could be found, such as Lawman Mike Roy, played by Dr. Craig Bradford.

Every year Bradford can be found in Angels on the Bluff, mounted on a dancing white steed, re-enacting a different character.

The steed, played convincingly by Bradford’s horse, Idilo, danced this year to local country and western band, Sons of the Pioneers.

Cemetery Director Don Estes said he was pleased with the number of people that turned out Saturday night for the tours.

&uot;It’s been really good. We are sold out,&uot; he said. &uot;We have had to increase the size of the groups because of all the people.&uot;

Estes said he was also pleased that new parts of the vast cemetery have been integrated into the tour.

&uot;I’m happy that Roman Catholic Hill is being included. We have some interesting new stories this year,&uot; he said.

Tour guide Clinton Bagely’s favorite part of ushering groups of visitors through the cemetery is their reaction to the stories they hear.

&uot;I love watching the children the most. Seeing the expression in the faces of all the people as they learn this history is always fun,&uot; he said.

Carrie Pillar of Jackson was glad she decided to make the trip to Natchez and learn more about its past.

&uot;I loved all of it. I especially liked that some of the deceased were played by their ancestors,&uot; she said.

She also said the tour is a great way for locals to discover how much they may be missing out on by not learning about the rich experiences of Natchez citizens of the past.

&uot;I don’t live too far. It makes you wonder how many people in Natchez really appreciate the history that is right under them,&uot; she said.

Angels on the Bluff will have another tour tonight from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.