By GENE COLEMAN

NATCHEZ — The 11th annual Black and Blue Civil War Living History Program will be at the Historic Jefferson College on Oct. 27.

At 10 a.m., a forum at Historic Jefferson College, 16 Old North St., will identify Mississippi African-descent Union Army regiments complementing the state’s new Mississippi History Museum and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, both located in Jackson,” Ser Sehsh Ab Heter-C.M. Boxley, event organizer, said. Museum staff members Tony Schnadelback and Lance Wheeler will give presentations on the museums’ artifacts.

A living history program with re-enactments and a parade will be at 1:30 p.m., also at the college. Re-enactors will include the original Third U.S. Colored Cavalry organized at Vicksburg in 1863. Also featured will be the Ex-Slaves U.S. Black Horse Cavalry and the Natchez-organized Ex-Slaves of the 70th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment.

“The leader of the Second Creek Planned Slave Revolt, the Third Colored Cavalry Re-enactors, will ride their horses, shoot their guns, fight with their sabers and charge their horses,” Boxley said.

The parade route will begin at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. and B streets, traveling to Main Street, then to Broadway Street, and on to North Broadway Park,” Boxley said. Opportunities to meet the Cavalry riders and take photos will be given.

Outstanding individuals from the Civil War era will be the topics of presentations. A few of those to be featured are teacher Milla Granderson of the midnight school for slaves in pre-Civil War Natchez; Ann Stokes, the first female Union Navy nurse; and Ellen Anderson, an Orange Mosby Second Creek Slave Revolt planner.

Boxley said this year’s theme focuses on the capture of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

“The theme for this year is stopping fugitive Confederate President Jefferson Davis and 500 Cavalrymen from escaping across the Mississippi River to Texas and continue the Civil War after it ended in 1865,” Boxley said.

For more information, call Ser Boxley at 601-442-4719 or email forksyaroads@aol.com.