A family at war!

THEY'RE a father and daughter team, armed with a musket, pipe and guitar. They're Darwen duo Ian and Claire Morris and they're aiming to give Bank Holiday tourists to Hoghton Tower an authentic taste of a war that raged 140 years ago -- The American Civil War.

"It was the first modern war," said Claire, 24, explaining her fascination with the subject. There are thousands of books about it. Apart from the Second World War, it's the most photographed and written about war in history."

Both Claire and her father are members of The American Civil War Society, one of the foremost re-enactment groups in the UK. On Sunday, May 25 and Bank Holiday Monday, May 26, about 400 of the society's soldiers will descend on the grounds of Hoghton Tower to take part in a spectacular American Dream event, which will celebrate the rich historical links between the North West of England and the USA. The event will portray American history through the ages, culminating in a spectacular American Civil War Battle.

Claire herself takes part in the front-line firing, following in the footsteps of the small number of women who were so keen to take part in the battles they disguised themselves as men and set off for war.

Claire said: "The battles are really exciting to take part in. There are cannons going off and you're firing at each other. Then later, you light the camp fires and there's a real atmosphere of what it was like."

Claire, a history graduate from Lancaster University, first became fascinated with the war during her studies. Then, four years ago, she and Ian attended one of the society's re-enactments at Hoghton.

Immediately, they were hooked and signed up to join on the day.

Claire said: "We really liked the show. The war is the most interesting part of American history, although they don't have too much to go at!"

The people of Lancashire have particularly close connections to the Civil War. Lancashire mill workers, who relied on the cotton exported from the States, starved as a result of the blockade of the southern ports.

Claire, who studied the subject in some depth, said: "There are even reports about the war at a Blackburn Council meeting of 1863."

Upon joining the society, Claire and Ian were placed in one of the regiments -- the federalist 69th New York regiment, in which Claire serves as a corporal and Ian as a hospital steward.

Claire explained: "We both wanted to join the same regiment, plus we wanted to be on the winning side."

Part of the fascination for both Claire and Ian lies in the meticulous re-creation of every detail of uniform, from belts and buckles to flags and muskets. While some are bought in from America, others are painstakingly copied within the society.

Onlookers will be pleased to know that the society's strenuous efforts to recreate the war, which raged from 1860 to 1865, don't extend to the use of real bullets in the battles it stages. However, the audience doesn't escape the sight of the gory injuries incurred by soldiers -- which gives Ian the chance to show the full scope of the era's medical treatments.

He explained that, far from glorifying war, the society aims to give onlookers an authentic taste of battle.

"We have blokes crawling around in pain to show people what it was really like."

In front of crowds of spectators, Ian performs complex operations and amputations.

With the help of a friendly local supermarket which provides the necessary body parts, Ian saws joints of meat away from his fellow soldiers' legs and plunges his hands into bags of kidneys that are hidden beneath their uniforms.

"Once an American visitor with a false leg came to watch the show and agreed to take part," said Ian, "which gave us an instant amputation.

"We had a woman in the crowd who fainted while she was watching it all."

The battle over, the troops gather around camp fires in the evenings and Claire plays 19th century folk songs on her guitar.

Both Claire and Ian have made many close friends since joining the society. Ian said: "It's very enjoyable and you make a lot of friends. There's a real sense of camaraderie."

The society travels all over Britain, performing re-enactments and even appearing on the occasional historical documentary.

And although their costumes attract a few funny looks on their travels -- particularly at motorway service stations -- often they spark a real sense of interest in other people, although this enthusiasm has not yet grabbed the rest of the Morris family.

"My son David's more interested in computers," said Ian. "And as for my wife Susan -- I think she's just glad to get rid of me at the weekend!'

The American Dream event takes place on May 25 and 26. There will be living history from the American Civil War, World War One and World War Two, as well as a Wild West show, a New Orleans-style jazz band, classic American cars and a bar. The gates open at 9am and tickets can either be purchased at the gate or in advance from Midland Box Office on (01902) 552121.