What would you like to experiance at future events?

[CompanyWag]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

Regarding the use of live rounds at the Smith/Brewster March: I realize this aspect has been controversial in some quarters. I do not freely recommend this for other event organizers. However, the fact we were carrying loaded weapons put everyone on edge and lent a sense of seriousness and purpose from the git-go that lasted the entire event. It was another element that helped us "suspend our disbelief".

Luckily, Dick Cheney was not on our foraging party.

Paul McKee

[Charles Heath]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

Paul,

Issuing live rounds would be controversial and likely dangerous today -- at least outside of unit marksmanship practice. Read the current thread about accidents, if you want the hair to stand up on the back of your neck -- especially the one where the poster obviously has never opened a manual. Some of the lure of the trekking hobby is the live rounds, and the fact there is a chance to kill something for yer vittles.

Weed,

Without hearing Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days" playing the background, as the trendy saying goes, put a date to those Ancient & Honorable Order of Mudsills happenings, and realize how long ago they were. That's precisely why this phrase exists: ""We haven't done this in a while. Should we do this again?" Some things can't be done again, as the ground is long gone.

One of the younger fellows was all excited about an upcoming Antietam NPS LH, and the cry was "we just did one." Yep, and then it was quickly pointed out that battalion size mobile living history was in 2003, which was five years ago. Heck, he had no idea we'd even been there.

Maybe the title of a companion thread could be "what would you like to do again?"

Just a thought.

[Hank Trent]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

I'd just like to experience the same things I've done, only better.

I'd like to be huddled around a campfire by a cabin in the dark with other refugees, with the army all around us, and not be called away because some soldier wants to talk about my posts on the internet.

I'd like to be in the first group to camp on a battlefield, and not have to listen to a funny parody of those hardkewls with their ************ this and their Daley that.

I'd like to have the wounded be brought to the hospital on a wagon, and not have one of them tell me how the wagon driver told them all about the modern history of the area on the way.

I'd like to be on a march on the original route, where the men next to me didn't pose for photographs of each other at every stop.

You get the idea.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Dale Beasley]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

Hank,
I am with you man, I would also like to go to an event where you stay in Period for the entire event and not watch hard kewls cross lines... slip-a-grip and politic for office.

[Tarheel]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

A gentle request from those of us (Brits, French, German, Dutch) on the other side of the big pond. Longer events please. I know that these pose difficulties for the available vacation time of our US chums but, to cross the Atlantic for a Friday evening to Sunday lunchtime gig is a big call. Having said that, "At High Tide" was fantastic (with thanks to our new friends in The Liberty Rifles) the only sad feature being that it seemed to be over just after it began.
Many of us came over last year for "BGR" and will be over next year for "Into The Piney Woods". BGR was perfect in every sense; length, scenario, location, participants (military and civilian); it was the best ever. After the first few hours it wasn't a re-enactment it was absolutely for real. The marching in virgin territory, the totally unexpected contacts with the enemy, the living for days with just what you could carry, the baking heat, the freezing cold, the exhaustion, the excitement, just the everything We have equal expectations for ITPW next March.
I trust that all might find this international view of some value.
Warm regards,
Patrick Reardon,
The Lazy Jack Mess, UK
.

[coastaltrash]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

I don't think there will ever be a perfect event, simply because we're a small group to begin with. You basically have 350 (give or take) authentics out there that break away from the lesser quality events twice a year and attend something good. When I was living in Tennessee I made the (serious) joke that I saw Terry Sorchy more in six months than I saw my own parents!

We lack the size to do any correct movement, at Outpost we had companies deploying platoons like they were wings of battalions, we had single rank lines standing against cav, and our tactics are pretty rough. We also need to learn to take hits, and people simply need to crack a book before an event. When the event is suppose to be in real time, keep it in real time, despite hold ups. The underlying political stink and cheap shots in this side of the hobby is getting about as bad as it is in the mainstream, if not worse. People need to learn to use the phone more than use the internet. The last "unified" event I attended was Rich Mountain, and I was still popping shots at friends on the other side. As boring as Living Histories can get, it's about the ONLY chance I get to see friends from up North.

A snowball fight would be great at an event, and I don't mean snow CONE fight, I mean a snowball fight like the one around Murfreesboro, Winter 62

[Charles Heath]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

You basically have 350 (give or take) authentics out there that break away from the lesser quality events twice a year and attend something good.

Pat,

Thanks for contributing a darn good reality check to this thread. In terms of the estimated (2007) 350 on the WIU list, a heck of a lot of those individuals scoring in the 6 to 8 range are hitting in the 2 to 3 range, if that, this season.

[Jim of The SRR]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

A week long COI based in early 1861 with new recruits mustering in and going through the routine day and drill of learning to be a soldier. Or, a week long garrison or event. Drill, fatigue, drill, guard, drill, instruction. I mean really run it like it would have been done - even down to the bureaucratic red tape.

Not only an 1861 COI event, but also a civilian event and also in an entire period town. www.geocities.com/scar_civilwar/WestvilleIndex

Jim Butler

[Moose]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

One thing that I would like to see more of, isn't in the event, but is the event it self. I would like to see more events in "sequence."

For example: In fall of 2005 was the Payne's Farm event, the Federal troops were the 151st NY. In winter of 2006, we had one of the Winter 64 events, as the 151st NY. This event had an interesting aspect to it, that being that for two events in a row, we were the same unit, that meant that we experianced what that unit actully did, the Mine Run Campaign and then winter quarters. It was in some sort sequential order, which gave it the other aspect of being able to relate to others in first person terms, having experianced the "same" fight at Paynes Farm

And for those of you who attended W64-2008, just think if we portrayed the 151st agian. One would have a multitude of things to talk about that went on at W64-2008, and because it was the same unit, it wouldn't be filling in sombody that wasn't there, but actually resharing the experiance and would be another way for people to experiance first person.

That being said, to tie into another of Mr. Hicks' posts, "what would you like to see in the next anniversary cycle..."
I think it would be neat (events and sceanarios allowing), to do almost a regimental history. That being, picking XY unit, and starting from enlistment as civillians and going through to the end of their term of service. And "following" their journey and maybe a little bit of their experiance through the war. Some people have their "home unit" affiliation, but we all know that 9 out of 10 times we won't be the 400th New Mississippi Rangers at every event, but wouldn't it be a different experance if we could be?

Cheers,

[CompanyWag]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

One thing that I would like to see more of, isn't in the event, but is the event it self. I would like to see more events in "sequence."

That is a splendid suggestion. A soldier's experience through his enlistment is a linear series events that build one upon the other resulting in the seasoned veteran by war's end. We rarely get a sense of that progression as we so often leap backwards and forwards in time from scenario to scenario.

Years ago we dreamed of doing something quite similar. Take four years to follow the progression of a typical company starting with a purely civilian pre-war experience for the first event...follow that with an enlistment and training event, then an event around traveling to the seat of the war, etc. Try to capture as many of the typical and mundane experiences as possible in four years interspersed with a few "battle" scenarios and a winter quarters event each year when the snow falls. Finish it up at the end with a veteran's reunion. The wartime experience of the 999th Sequential Rifles or Zouaves d' Chronique.

The advantages I see here are many. Participants would have common experiences to relate to, helping to reinforce a more natural first-person interaction. Participants would get a sense of a soldier's experience during the war in a real-time, sensible progression of events. Participants would not have to run out and put together a whole new uniform and accoutrements for every event, but instead would start with an early-war impression and take four years to transform it into a late-war impression.


Paul McKee

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

Agreed! A very neat idea!

[Duff]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

That might be the best idea I've heard on this thread yet. The question is, what unit do we pick?

[CompanyWag]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

That might be the best idea I've heard on this thread yet. The question is, what unit do we pick?

To most folks of a serious mindset, it shouldn't matter exactly what unit just as long as the resulting experience provided is a good cross-section of what most troops experienced. Back when the Mudsills first started, we chose a unit almost arbitrarily (5th Kentucky Infantry - The Louisville Legion) to avoid common reenactor politics and local loyalties as pretty much none of us were from Kentucky.

I think the trickier question might be whether it be Federal or Confederate, Eastern or Western. Personally, I'd recommend a Western impression in either flavor as it could spread the events out broader on the map and can offer more variety of service throughout the four years depending on the history of the unit depicted.

Paul McKee

[Arch Campbell]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

I am with you, Paul, but you and I know the minute anyone figures out that the chosen unit wasn't at Gettysburg, the protests will come as fast and hot as the face of the sun...
This might be something that would have to be done regionally. Let the easterners have theirs, and we'll have ours. There isn't a sno-cone's chance in you-know-where that I would commit to a 4-year-running Potomac event, and I imagine that the response from out east would inversely correspond.

Great idea, I lost track of who thought it up but kudos!

[Andrew Kasmar]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

Hi,

1. As all ready stated by others, I would like to see a Petersburg event.

2. The Atlanta Campaign such as Kenesaw Mt.( I am not sure if anyone has done that one before).

3. Lookout Mt. ( althougth it would be nearly impossible, it would be a cool event.)

4. Fredericksburg ( I liked the idea of have a on going battle through the night).

5. Pilot Knob or Fort Davidson ( I would like to see a authentic reenactment of that battle, where the Confederates could build laters and assault the fort).

Just my 2 cents.