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by Brian Levison, Blade Staff Writer
The Blade (Toledo, OH)
6-26-99
"Charge!"
On command, a company of United States militiamen, with sabers drawn, head down a wooded trail on horseback. They travel at full gallop, hooves kicking up the earth, war cries piercing the stillness of the forest. It's 1794, and the Battle of Fallen Timbers has begun.
Well, sort of.
Secor Metropark was turned into an 18th-century battleground yesterday, as the History Channel filmed a documentary on Fallen Timbers. More than 80 actors, playing soldiers in Wayne's United States Legion, Kentucky militiamen, and local Native Americans, took part in the filming, which is slated to continue today at the MetroPark and at Fort Meigs in Perrysburg.
"When we film these battles, historical accuracy isn't limited to uniforms," filmmaker Gary Foreman, director of the documentary said. "The background has to be accurate. We chose Secor because it's a real American forest. The trees, the species, the feeling are all reminiscent of what a forest looked like 200 years ago.
"If the scenery isn't accurate, you might as well be shooting on a golf course," he added.
Most actors taking part in the filming are historical re-enactment buffs from Ohio, including Sylvania native Craig Fisher, who portrays General "Mad" Anthony Wayne.
"I've always been interested in Wayne," Mr. Fisher, who claims to have an ancestor who served in a war under the general, said. "He was a great commander and a well-schooled tactician."
In spite of Mr. Fisher's affinity for General Wayne, it was his resemblance to the former Revolutionary War hero that won him the part. "I photographed him in a re-enactment at New Philadelphia, and I thought, 'Whoa, wait a minute.'" Mr. Foreman said. "If
you look at old portraits, his resemblance to Wayne is amazing."
On the other side of the lines, actors playing the Native Americans who fought to defend their land against Wayne's troops saw General Wayne in a different light.
"History books call it 'manifest destiny,' but a better name might have been 'ethnic cleansing," Archbold resident and actor Don Secondine, who is of Delaware and Shawnee descent, said.
Playing the part of an 18th-century Indian took more than just accurately depicting costume and war paint, according to Mr. Secondine. "You have to imagine how you'd feel if a strange race came into your home, told you it wasn't your home anymore, and told to move or die," he said.
Equally challenging is the task of Whitehouse resident Jared McKenzie. He portrays William Wells, a white man raised by the Miami people. "He's with the Indians at first but becomes an Indian killer later in life. It's a pretty interesting part," Mr. McKenzie said.
Although the participants' differed, they shared a single purpose: the accurate presentation of a battle that opened America for westward expansion of America.
"We've got a passionate group, and they're ready to tell a story that's never been told," Mr. Foreman said.
The documentary is scheduled to be broadcast this winter.
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