The ruins of the house — positioned perilously in the middle of the battlefield — was still smoldering as the last re-enactor rolled out Sunday evening. In their wake, other than the embers and ash of the house, was a weekend marked by beautiful weather, rich history, close combat and thousands of spectators and re-enactors with smiles on their faces.

The annual Battle of Selma concluded Sunday as re-enactors depicted one of the Civil War’s final battles and stressed a message of unity as the American flag was raised, saluted by both Union and Confederate re-enactors, marking the official end of the four-day event.

As organizers worked to close the books on the Battle, they were also taking stock of just how many spectators turned out.

“I would think it is the best crowd we have seen in a number of years,” April 1865 Society president and event organizer James Hammonds said Monday. “Based on what we’ve been able to tabulate so far, it looks like we averaged about 1,000 spectators per day over the weekend.”

Those spectators, too, were not just from Selma or Dallas County.

While event organizers pointed out a couple from Switzerland was in attendance at Sunday’s event, they also touted the regional appeal the event has.

“I think it’s wonderful the city of Selma commemorates this event every year. We’ve been coming up here for years,” Pensacola, Fla. resident William Lees said Sunday. “It’s one of our favorite re-enactments. It’s very well done and very well organized and it gives the spectators a really good view of what happened here.”

With warm spring weather — and clear skies — highlighting the event, more than 500 re-enactors and participants took part in a well choreographed dance of rifle fire, calvary raids and plenty of cannon fire.

“I mean we’re just getting started, so we will see, but so far it’s a pretty impressive show they are putting on,” Marion Military Institute cadet Anthon Veith from McMinnville, Ore. said as some of the first cannon volleys were let loose.

His fellow cadet, Chris Reed, from Lawton, Okla., said Sunday’s re-enactment was only the second such event he had ever attended.

“This is only the second one I have been to and it looks much, much better than the other one I’ve seen closer to Oklahoma,” Reed said.

Gerry McConnell, from Blue Ridge, Ga., is a long-time participant at the Battle of Selma, and served as the event’s provost — or cop.

“It really is a good show they put together here and they seem to add something new every year,” McConnell said. “I look forward to coming and taking part in it each year.”

For Hammonds, the next few days might mean a few more hours of sleep, but it doesn’t stop the work preparing for the annual event.

“We will take a look at each of the after-action reports each of the groups who participated provide to us and see what we can do to make it better next year,” Hammonds said. “We’ve already started. I know we have the date set for next year.”

— Staff writer Fred Guarino contributed to this report.