Outside-US Interest in the ACW Hobby

[cap tassel]

Re: Outside-US Interest in the ACW Hobby

I just thought I'd add that the one thing that finally convinced me to get involved in the hobby was how impressed I was with the interest and dedication of people from other countries. So I blame you guys. :tounge_sm :D

[Charles Kaiser]

Re: Outside-US Interest in the ACW Hobby

For me it was a slowly growing thing. I ever was interested in history. (from the romans until WWII). My first contact to america are the books of "Karl May" the famoust german author of "western era"- books, and on Friday evening after 6o clock on TV " Gunsmoke" and so called, "western von Gestern",, old black and white B- Movies. I read the last of the mohinkane, and some more, played with playmobil- soldiers and wanted to by a muzzleloader, if I was old enough (You must be 18 years old here in Germany) Then came beer and girls, and all that was not more so important. I get married, and at the age of 30, my children and my profession allowed me to choose a hobby. I choose real shotting. At my shooting -club are some "veterans" of reenacting or the "wild west or trapperhobby" They started at ca 1970, and often camped together with the American soldiers, who did their duty in Germany.
The storys, which my friends told, waked up my old interests, and so I went up with my family to our first "rendevouz" . Later I met some guys, who did civil war reenactment, and ofter one of this long calls a guy said: I think, that you will be in 3 years an reenactor. It lasted only 2 years...

Now why I am fascinated by the American Civil war:
I have many unknown relations in Amerika, which went to it between 1830 to 1890,
and maybe fought in the civil war. ( 3 man from towns near my hometown fight in the !"real" 17th Missouri)
The story of the war himself, that amateurs went to war, even officers, and grow up to soldiers or were lost in the past as loosers.
The imovment from napoleonic Infanty- Tactics to nearly modern war technics.
The weapons in the most interesting part of development, from minie muzzleloader to the breechloaders.
Consolidated: A war at the border from old tactics to modern war, and due to this the war I think shows the most facets of "the art of war", and maybe some of my ancestors fought there