The longer, online version:
Historical group honors Abraham Lincoln, Civil War veterans
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Last updated: Saturday November 6, 2010, 10:52 PM
BY DENISA SUPERVILLE
The Record
STAFF WRITER
HACKENSACK/RIVER EDGE — The Bergen County Historical Society marked the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s election as president and the beginning of the group’s sesquicentennial celebration of the American Civil War with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Civil War Monument at Hackensack Cemetery.
In the brief ceremony at the base of the 7-foot-tall memorial dedicated to “defenders of the union,” Chaplain David Moreno led an invocation to honor the souls of those who responded to the country’s call to serve in the armed forces.
“These men have rendered an invaluable service to our country,” Moreno said as part of a prayer that mixed elements from the 1860s and present. “They have been a credit to … New Jersey, and the example of their sacrifice is a lesson for us all.”
Moreno was joined by Abraham Lincoln — played by Bob Costello, 68, of Piscataway — and soldiers dressed in period fatigues from the 3rd New Jersey Volunteers, a reenactment group based in Freehold.
“It’s always important to remember those who came before us and fought and served for the American cause,” said Mike Tarpicchio, president of the Historical Society. “If they are not remembered, history repeats itself. It’s always good to remember what’s come before us.”
Following the wreath-laying ceremony, Costello — as Lincoln — was featured at the Stueben House in River Edge, talking about the divisive election of 1860, the challenges facing the nation, and leaving Springfield, Ill., for Washington.
He also answered questions about the horrors of the battlefields he visited, rumors that he carried a Confederate $5 bill, his health and the historical figure he most admired.
“George Washington,” he answered without missing a beat.
Kevin Wright, past president of the society, said the Civil War was the defining moment in American history.
He contrasted the changes in the country that elected Lincoln president in 1860 and the one today: African-Americans and women gaining the right to vote and an African-American elected president.
“We look to the past, not out of nostalgia, but to see the future,” Wright said. “I think the lessons of history are the most valuable that you can learn.”
Over the next five years, the Historical Society will hold events looking at — among other things — how the Civil War changed Bergen County, the ways it affected how people thought of the federal government and politics, Wright said.
Moreno said that the lessons of the Civil War are important, particularly when the nation appears so polarized.
“There were 623,000 Americans who died in the Civil War,” he said. “Let’s never allow our differences to get to that point that they did in 1861 that Americans start killing each other. It was a horrible thing that happened once, and now let’s try to resolve our problems in a more civil way.”
E-mail:
superville@northjersey.com 
