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The moderators of this forum deleted an earlier version of this post because of a concern that I was promoting the Camp Chase Gazette magazine and it is not an approved AC vendor. Fair enough, I suppose. So, this time I’m not urging anyone to subscribe to it.
I’m sorry the Civil War Historian folded. I subscribed for a couple of years, until I tired of the growing dominance of civilian-related articles and photos. I think I wrote in an earlier thread that I don’t actually care much about reading articles about authentic shawls and ladies bonnets. No offense to the fine male and female civilian reenactors I’ve met over the past few years, but my interests lie with the military aspect of our hobby. (As a side note, civilian reenactor Hank Trent put the rest of us in the shade when he was the only man to complete the loop earlier this year at the Into the Piney Woods campaign event, after the last day’s march was cancelled due to the cold wet weather and the dire condition of many of the soldier reenactors. Horrible weather notwithstanding, Hank made the last march alone while everyone else made that last “march” in the back of pick-up trucks. Hank exemplifies the spirit and vigor that all of us claim in our identity as campaigners.)
Back to the matter of reenacting magazines and the regretful demise of the Civil War Historian, I do seek out research-based articles like Craig Barry writes about weapons, canteens, braces, and a bunch of other items used by us Civil War military reenactors. Frankly, I was most sorry to see the The Watch Dog fold, even if it had no glossy photos or slick graphics. It was just full of meat, and I liked that.
Even with the absence of the Civil War Historian and The Watch Dog, there is still one print periodical standing in the unpredictable currents of Civil War reenacting. I’m not sure, but likely the Camp Chase Gazette was the first magazine to wade into the deep water, and I’m glad they are still bucking the trend, even if they are falling back to six issues a year in 2010, down from ten. Yes, I’m a guy who writes a lot for the Camp Chase Gazette. I’m also one of the guys who has been prodding them to include more campaigner-focused articles. And they have. In fact, the editor is actively encouraging campaigners to submit articles about our events and authenticity in the material culture. I don’t know how many of Craig Barry’s fine articles about the military material culture of the Civil War have been printed in the CCG since The Watch Dog quit howling, but it’s a lot. I’ve submitted and seen published over a dozen illustrated articles about our “high end” campaigner events, with another one about The Lost Tribes event expected in the first issue of 2010 . Gents whose names I’d have to look up have done some fine articles on artillery and cavalry topics, with a sharp eye for authenticity standards.
Meanwhile, there still seems to be a negative halo about the Camp Chase Gazette from many who post on this forum. I can only say that in the past year the CCG staff have corrected a lot of the wrongs that led to the bad reputation the magazine rightfully earned under a prior editor.
And now they are openly seeking articles from campaigner reenactors. There are some excellent writers who post on this forum whose research and reflections would make great magazine articles. And I can vouch, that at least for me, it’s really gratifying to see one’s words in print in a magazine that publishes 4,000 copies of each issue.
Finally, in an honest effort to reach the campaigner reenactors who read and post on this forum, Reese Sexton, the editor & publisher of the Camp Chase Gazette is offering a free issue of the magazine to any reader of this forum who simply asks for one. Then you can judge for yourself if the magazine treats our end of the hobby with respect and fairness. In fact, if you post a reply here or e-mail me at pmcbride@austin.rr.com with your mailing address, I’ll send the requests in to the editor as a group. Then perhaps next spring we can have a thread here reviewing that issue of the CCG and can help the editor do an even better job of representing our hobby to those who see the magazine.
Phil McBride
The Alamo Rifles
I’m sorry the Civil War Historian folded. I subscribed for a couple of years, until I tired of the growing dominance of civilian-related articles and photos. I think I wrote in an earlier thread that I don’t actually care much about reading articles about authentic shawls and ladies bonnets. No offense to the fine male and female civilian reenactors I’ve met over the past few years, but my interests lie with the military aspect of our hobby. (As a side note, civilian reenactor Hank Trent put the rest of us in the shade when he was the only man to complete the loop earlier this year at the Into the Piney Woods campaign event, after the last day’s march was cancelled due to the cold wet weather and the dire condition of many of the soldier reenactors. Horrible weather notwithstanding, Hank made the last march alone while everyone else made that last “march” in the back of pick-up trucks. Hank exemplifies the spirit and vigor that all of us claim in our identity as campaigners.)
Back to the matter of reenacting magazines and the regretful demise of the Civil War Historian, I do seek out research-based articles like Craig Barry writes about weapons, canteens, braces, and a bunch of other items used by us Civil War military reenactors. Frankly, I was most sorry to see the The Watch Dog fold, even if it had no glossy photos or slick graphics. It was just full of meat, and I liked that.
Even with the absence of the Civil War Historian and The Watch Dog, there is still one print periodical standing in the unpredictable currents of Civil War reenacting. I’m not sure, but likely the Camp Chase Gazette was the first magazine to wade into the deep water, and I’m glad they are still bucking the trend, even if they are falling back to six issues a year in 2010, down from ten. Yes, I’m a guy who writes a lot for the Camp Chase Gazette. I’m also one of the guys who has been prodding them to include more campaigner-focused articles. And they have. In fact, the editor is actively encouraging campaigners to submit articles about our events and authenticity in the material culture. I don’t know how many of Craig Barry’s fine articles about the military material culture of the Civil War have been printed in the CCG since The Watch Dog quit howling, but it’s a lot. I’ve submitted and seen published over a dozen illustrated articles about our “high end” campaigner events, with another one about The Lost Tribes event expected in the first issue of 2010 . Gents whose names I’d have to look up have done some fine articles on artillery and cavalry topics, with a sharp eye for authenticity standards.
Meanwhile, there still seems to be a negative halo about the Camp Chase Gazette from many who post on this forum. I can only say that in the past year the CCG staff have corrected a lot of the wrongs that led to the bad reputation the magazine rightfully earned under a prior editor.
And now they are openly seeking articles from campaigner reenactors. There are some excellent writers who post on this forum whose research and reflections would make great magazine articles. And I can vouch, that at least for me, it’s really gratifying to see one’s words in print in a magazine that publishes 4,000 copies of each issue.
Finally, in an honest effort to reach the campaigner reenactors who read and post on this forum, Reese Sexton, the editor & publisher of the Camp Chase Gazette is offering a free issue of the magazine to any reader of this forum who simply asks for one. Then you can judge for yourself if the magazine treats our end of the hobby with respect and fairness. In fact, if you post a reply here or e-mail me at pmcbride@austin.rr.com with your mailing address, I’ll send the requests in to the editor as a group. Then perhaps next spring we can have a thread here reviewing that issue of the CCG and can help the editor do an even better job of representing our hobby to those who see the magazine.
Phil McBride
The Alamo Rifles
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