‘Shooting Yankees is fun’
Southern patriot Barney Mack refuses
to galvanize or fire on Confederate flag

Barney Mack is a Civil War throwback – as in reversion to a Confederate cavalryman named John Mock.

He portrays the Danville merchant, who joined the 6th Kentucky Cavalry and fought with Confederate raider John Hunt Morgan, at a variety of Kentucky events. And, he does it with passion – as in 24 hours a day.

The Pleasureville heating and air conditioning contractor wears a gray forage cap daily and, without it, sometimes his customers – or even his own family members – don’t recognize him. He sports a thick, bushy beard, and, at re-enactments, a brace of 1851 Navy pistols and a sawed-off double-barrelled 16-gauge black powder shotgun – also from the 19th century. His uniform is complete with a gray overcoat, his everyday forage cap, and gray trousers along with cavalry boots and spurs.

When riding his horse, Barney also wields two Colt 1847 Walker pistols and a pocket pistol. He has several saddle-bred horses that he rides using an 1859 McClellan saddle.

A firm believer in Southern independence and the Confederate cause, Mack doesn’t galvanize. He says he’ll never portray a Yankee because “I will not fire on the flag of the Confederacy. Also, shooting Yankees is fun.”

Barney, 54, began re-enacting in 1995, but became passionate about the Civil War when he was a student at Shelby County High School. His history teacher sparked his interest, impressing upon him that the complete story “was not in the book they give you.”

“Mitch Bailey inspired me to think and judge for myself,” Mack noted. “He taught all of us to investigate the facts of life, not to take the prescribed rhetoric as fact.”

Most history classes focus on slavery as the underlying issue that caused the war, but Barney claims it was taxes.

“It was over greed, over money, like any other war. They are nowhere near truthful in school these days.”

As another example of bias, Barney said there are few books or movies that portray the experience of Southern soldiers.

In addition to shooting guns and having fun, Barney and many other re-enactors also say it’s important to keep history alive. He often wears his uniform and addresses school children. He said ignoring the heritage of Confederate troops is erasing an important part of history. The re-enactors of the 6th Kentucky Cavalry recently refused to attend an event because the organizers forbade them from flying Confederate flags or wearing their uniforms outside of camp – unless they wanted to be prisoners.

Where motion pictures are concerned, Mack has worked in several. He was in the 1999 film, “Ride with the Devil,” a story about Missouri raiders led by Confederate guerilla William Quantrill.

Barney was one of several hundred extras in the film, shot in Missouri. Breakfast was served at 6 a.m., make-up at 7 and riders saddled up by 8.

“Making movies is hard work,” he emphasized.

Although the filmmaking required work for 12 hours or more a day, Barney said none of his scenes made the cut.

“I went frame by frame and caught a glimpse of a guy with the right black hat, right coat, blue vest and red shirt, but it was the wrong horse.”

Barney also was selected to be in a scene with the stars at a bar, but was replaced at the last second by a younger actor. The director also was dissatisfied with his singing ability – Barney and another extra sang with one of the stars while riding. However, the duo weren’t enthusiastic enough.

And, “it was the stupidest song you ever heard in your life.”

After a second take, Mack was replaced with another actor, and ultimately the scene was cut.

“I was told I can’t sing and I’m too old, all in one week.”

Although “Ride with the Devil” was a failure at the box office, Barney says he’s going to keep shooting Yankees.

“They’re definitely trying to do away with our history,” he said.