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Not many 14-year-olds subscribe to "Civil War Magazine" or dive into the archives of the Greenwich Historical Society. But Greenwich High School sophomore Grant Radulovacki fits that profile. He spent more than a year researching the Civil War and Greenwich's part in it. He then showcased his work in documentary, "Greenwich for the Union!"
"After I visited Richmond and Petersburg (Va.) with my family, I saw the Connecticut [and Greenwich] men actually fought in the regiments," said Radulovacki. "I thought how I could share [the information] with Greenwich."
He learned a number of interesting facts Lockwood Road, Husted Lane and Mead Avenue were named after Greenwich soldiers who fought for the Union Army. Nicholas Fox was among 31 Connecticut soldiers to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor after running through a field of bullets to take water to his dehydrated regiment.
The 20-minute documentary focuses on the 10th Connecticut Volunteers. A number of Greenwich men were part of the regiment and were recognized for their bravery by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. The film also highlights African-American soldiers.
Most of the battles the "10th" fought were on the coast, making many of them under water. "It was really cool to see the terrain they fought in, the waist-deep swampland and their landing beaches," said Radulovacki. "You could see how it got hard to fight. Those trenches were really deep."
The young historian traveled to battlefields, researched a 1,000-page manual from the Hartford library and spent months writing and perfecting his script. Radulovacki logged more than 100 hours and countless weekends making his film, all while studying for school and being on the GHS crew team.
"I think my next plan is to take feedback from [the documentary] and do something about Greenwich or Connecticut in general," said Radulovacki. "I want to take what I've learned and make it better."
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