What Attracts You to a Living History Event?

[Nathan Dodds]

Re: What Attracts You to a Living History Event?

What attracts me to an event?

Midnight to 2:00 AM guard duty

Events that have soldiers sleeping on the ground at least one night

Well thought out and realistic scenarios, whether actual battle or civilian. In small battles/skirmishes a company of fifty men act like they are fifty men instead of 12,000 (and organizers and reenactors act like rifled muskets could actually have an effective range of 200 to 300 yards, sharpshooters at up to 1000 on rare occasions). Civilian activities can be as much or more fun than battles.

Real battlefields

REALLY good sutler selection

Long marches

Unexpected turns of events, whether planned and only known by a small percentage of organizers and reenactors, or spontaneous

Some of these attractions are in hindsight because I did not know of them ahead, obviously.

[sgt1863]

Re: What Attracts You to a Living History Event?

My fondest memories are always from LH's done on the actual battlefields.

At the age of 17 and shaking off ice & frost from my poncho at Antietam with a pard, then irritating the 1st Sgt. because we were smiling as we felt like a million bucks after the simple act of brushing our teeth at 4AM.

Retracing the actual route the Pennsylvania Reserves took from Powers Hill to the battlefield and then charging across Plum Run at Gettysburg, finding out afterward as we turned around that Little Round Top was packed with park visitors 8 to 10 deep watching the whole time. Upon marching back to camp and beind applauded by the same spectators and told by an instructer from West Point that he got chills as we slogged our way across marshy ground toward the stonewall at the edge of The Wheatfield.

Being told by a WW2 Marine that he had flashbacks of bootcamp while I belted out orders for the battalion to assemble & fall in. Always feels good to impress those guys.

H.M Tommarello
1st Sgt.
Co. A, 9th Pa. Reserves

[Philip cav]

Re: What Attracts You to a Living History Event?

Another item that attracts me is that at some you may be able to spend the night at locations that may not be open to other reenactors. My unit got to spend the night at Grants wartime home last April. I do believe one of my mess mates got to sleep in the home its self.