A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

[Old Reb]

Re: A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

Cal sighting or was it a haint? Either the flesh and bone Cal was present along Wilson's Creek recently or his spirit. Harrison Holloway claims it was a haint that looked like Cal, but since Cal seems to be amongst the living, I believe it was him in a flesh body. Holler can describe this haint sighting if he wishes to defend his claim.

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

"I have said it a 1000 times that this article(and the Hardcracker Handbook) should be handed to every new reenactor-which we did in the 90's, before everyone got so "cyber-lazy"."

Yeah, mostly agreed... I'd counteroffer that there are some great resources online for the authentically-minded as well as some out-of-date written material out there from back in the day when those books were still known as "cutting edge" research information. There are a few dated references in Cal's article (such as the hat brass issue) that can be well-documented into the later stages of the war. Cal's article is in a very good spirit regarding the mainstream reenactor's mostly-incorrect habits, though. Look upon this as a general primer for authenticity... we must learn the incorrectness of our ways in order to correct them...

Just because technology has caught-up with the research-end of the hobby doesn't mean it is all bad. Like with college-level research on the internet, great care must be taken to completely understand the intent of the resource one is studying and quoting from.

My 2 cents- Johnny Lloyd ;)

[seth graham]

Re: A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

A good knapsack will also help your impression. Troops would have protected there blankets and their gear by puting it in their knapsacks, yes there would have been bed rolls, wear it along with your knapsack.
seth graham

[Butternuts and Bluecoats]

Re: A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

Thanks for the info! Great help and yet so simple...wait for it...a caveman can do it! Keep up the amazing posts!

[8th Iowa Infantry]

Re: A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

This article has many many great discussion points as the many replies would indicate. I have been a soldier and now an airmen, and I have been to war. With the knowledge and experience I have mixed my knowledge of the Civil War I would say that most 99% of this article is spot on. However, the point about the gators. Its the one point that you use research of all kinds against the use of gaitors. Now my personal opinion is that I don't like gaitors and would not use them and I have not seen many pictures at all of soldiers wearing them. But is there evidence, in the written form, of soldiers' opinions against gaitors? Are there written accounts of soldiers not liking them because they also thought gaitors looked "stupid"?

[CompanyWag]

Re: A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

This article has many many great discussion points as the many replies would indicate. I have been a soldier and now an airmen, and I have been to war. With the knowledge and experience I have mixed my knowledge of the Civil War I would say that most 99% of this article is spot on. However, the point about the gators. Its the one point that you use research of all kinds against the use of gaitors. Now my personal opinion is that I don't like gaitors and would not use them and I have not seen many pictures at all of soldiers wearing them. But is there evidence, in the written form, of soldiers' opinions against gaitors? Are there written accounts of soldiers not liking them because they also thought gaitors looked "stupid"?

There is of course this famous reference provided by Lt. Michael Fitch, 6th Wisconsin Infantry:

"The men had issued to them, shelter tents and white leggings, for the first time. The next morning after the issue, General Gibbons found the legs of his horse ornamented with white leggings. This was a silent protest against these leggings."


"Echos of the Civil War as I Hear Them,", by Michael Henry Fitch, page 34-35


Paul McKee

[rebjeb04]

Re: A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

Cal is a good man, and he hit the nail on the head with these tips. IMO, 90% of living historians need to lose weight!

[8th Iowa Infantry]

Re: A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

Excellent...Thank you CompanyWag. rebjeb04, I could not agree with more. I am sure there are many pictures of trim soldiers, but I think the best example are soldiers bathing in the North Anna River with the ruins of a railroad bridge in the background. You can only see their naked upper half but, clearly they have moderately developed muscles and are fairly trim.

[Vindice]

Re: A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

Nice hat Captain...

Captain James D. Hawes, 133rd New York

[Strawfoot]

Re: A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

Wow, what a pleasure it was to sit here in Dodge and read this thread. Ah the memories... FASCINATING story on Jack King and the Manassas event, Joe. For all his Red River acclaim, I'd never heard that one. I had the pleasure of falling in with Kings Brigade at the Pleasant Hill event one year., and saw him conduct a court martial in the field.

As for Cal, his impression as a 4th Sgt at the Pickett's Mill event in 2003 was one of the best I'd ever seen, though as a company commander he also has few equals. Raymond, Franklin, Corinth, Perryvile, it's always been a pleasure to fall into one of Cal's companies. Knapsack inspection, bayonet drill, guard mount... You're always assured to get the full experience. I'll never forget Cal's urgent "In retreat MARCH!" command just before he got half of our company captured while on night patrol at Corinth. Thankfully, the Red River guys were very gracious with him.

BTW, in response to this thread, Cal's forte is and always has been drill, which of course is the least expensive way to get the most bang for your buck in an impression.

See you at Wilson's Creek Cal.


Mike Phineas
Bagram AF, Afghanistan

[Pvt.S.D.Swart]

Re: A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

Thank you for the wonderful tips. I presently am a mainstream reenactor, but progressively going more authenic. I took to heart the weight issue. Not only have I lost much weight, but it improved my health issues to the point that I have been able to stop taking many medications. Not bad for a old guy!

I passed these tips on to other friends in the mainstream, and constantly strive for a better impression. Plan on joining a authenic organization while keeping my ties with old friends in the mainstream. The best of both worlds. Just thought I like to tell the author, he made a difference by posting these.

Best wishes,

Sean

[JosephRoman]

Re: A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

Hey Guys,

Question on burnishing of the Enfield. Even though there is seemingly a difference of opinion on if the originals came in 'browned' or not, if i decide to keep mine burnished, how do I do it period. I have tried with items that were available to the field soldier and my barrel still 'browns' out. What would the field soldier have used to shine up their rifles. Please advise.

[Tyler Underwood]

Re: A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

It has been almost five years since this thread was in discussion.
It seems like we have an influx of people who are new to the hobby or old vets looking at the dark side.
So I wanted to get this going again and hopefully it will do some folks good.

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

It has been almost five years since this thread was in discussion.
It seems like we have an influx of people who are new to the hobby or old vets looking at the dark side.
So I wanted to get this going again and hopefully it will do some folks good.

Probably needs to be posted somewhere for conspicuous consumption... ;)

[Tyler Underwood]

Re: A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

That is forthcoming.