Do You Know What It Was Like?

[TRPutman]

Hi All-

I’m a longtime reenactor and living historian and (more recently) Ph.D. candidate in the History of American Civilization Program in the Department of History at the University of Delaware. My dissertation examines how Americans communicated about war and why combat became an “incommunicable experience” between the Revolutionary War and World War One. My final chapter considers how reenactors view both historical and reenacted combat, and in particular the experience known by various names including the “period rush.”

I’m posting here to open a conversation about this subject for research purposes. I would be happy to be in touch via email, phone, or in person with anyone who has something to say on these matters. You can email me directly at trputman@udel.edu.

I’d like to communicate with anyone interested in talking about these matters, but I would also welcome posts here if you feel so moved. Here are some particular questions you might consider:

How closely do you think reenactments can come to approximating what things were like in the past?

Have you experienced what some reenactors call a "period rush," a transportive moment of feeling as if reenacted things were real? What do you think causes these moments and what did you take away from such experiences?

How does the authenticity/accuracy of the material culture you use impact your reenacting experience?

Do you think the time period of or particular event being reenacted has an impact on how authentic it can seem? For instance, is it easier to have an authentic experience of the Civil War than of a WWII battle?

Are there things we can personally experience/understand through reenacting that we can’t through reading primary accounts?

Do you know what Civil War battles were like? Does this give you any insight into combat today?

Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards,

Tyler Putman

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: Do You Know What It Was Like?

The sinks are open for many discussions however it must be about the Civil War. Any commentary someone wants to share about other time periods should be done privately with Tyler.

[Dale Beasley]

Re: Do You Know What It Was Like?

I was not a killer, I was an ER Nurse.
-the wounded bleed a lot.
-I was scared at times. No one in reenacting is scared.

[BritReenactor]

Re: Do You Know What It Was Like?

The problem I find with achieving the sense of full immersion - the 'period rush' you referenced - is that you always know it's not real. No matter how accurate you are, you know that at the end of the weekend you'll take your kit off, get in the car and go home. In the field you know that you haven't hiked for miles to reach the field; you drove up in a car on Friday night, grabbed your kit out of the back and hiked at worst a few hundred metres to the treeline. Additionally, and it may seem obvious, you simply can't get the full sense of Civil War combat when you know the enemy are firing blanks at you, not real bullets, and that they like you are hobbyists getting their fix. At times I've been to events which have come very close to the real thing - Waterloo 200 (off-topic I know) was the best reflection of that, due to how evocative it was and how the scale was the closest I've come to a true-scale battle - but I doubt you would genuinely feel what it was like unless you walked to every event and used live-fire ammunition.

[Michael Comer]

Re: Do You Know What It Was Like?

I have had very few 'period rushes' but the ones I have had were quite powerful. Most of the ones I have had were not connected with a reenacted battle but there were one or two that were quite convincing. Yet, there is always the knowledge that it is not real.

Nobody can ever tell what real combat is like by reenacting and the concept that you can is ridiculous.

[thomas aagaard]

Re: Do You Know What It Was Like?

Nobody can ever tell what real combat is like by reenacting ...

I agree.

But I do find it clear that you can get a better understanding of it by reenacting.

If I got 8 men and instruct them in the procedure for opening fire, we then practice it with everyone yelling Bang and then using blanks...
It really do not matter if that group is made up of young conscripts armed with M16s or a group of reenactores with rifle muskets.

Both groups would get a better understanding on combat... but still fare from knowing how it really is.
(the only people who have any real understanding of combat... are combat veterans)


If you make an event where you go for the sense of full immersion - make one with no combat.
Guard duty, camplife and drill and everyone using 1st person.

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: Do You Know What It Was Like?

I am an Army combat veteran of Iraq (2006-2007 OIF IV) and have been a AmCiv reenactor since 1997.

The one incorrect thing about reenactments is there isn't the smell of burned flesh, feces from eviscerated corpses and blood in the air like in real combat. I am not trying to be graphic, but that lets me know it all isn't real when I am in an event.

That being said, the adrenaline rush is there, but only a little bit compared to real combat's 'mad minute".

Let me know if you want me to talk to you to answer specifics- 404-260-7137 (work# during day)

[TRPutman]

Re: Do You Know What It Was Like?

Hi All-

Thanks for your thoughtful responses to this post. I dropped several of you PMs with my contact information, but others have full inboxes. I would be very happy to hear from you at trputman@udel.edu to set up a time to talk and/or send along a few more detailed questions.

Thanks for your time, and best regards,

-Tyler Putman

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Do You Know What It Was Like?

I would say that the "period rush" for me has never happened in a "battle". Rather, it has always been the little things.
- Trying to stay warm in the cold
- Trying to stay dry in the rain
- Fighting boredom or fatigue while on guard
- Cooking
- Eating
- Marching
- Sleeping
- Singing
- Drilling

Sometimes in the moment, you recognize that you are experiencing is that same as something you've read about. However, more often, the "period rush" comes long after the reenactment ends. For me, its reading a soldier's letter or a passage from his memoirs, and finding out what he thought about a particular situation and how he dealt with it... and realizing that we had the same opinion.

...the hatred for a bugler or drummer in the morning.
...how you always have to "Fall in!" just when the water starts to boil for your coffee.
...how sleep is something you grab when you're able, and never in a 5-hour stretch.
...struggling with a passage from the drill manual, only to realize that "The Old Fellows" struggled with it, too!

[Ferris41st]

Re: Do You Know What It Was Like?

interesting thread indeed
something I have thought about...

[Mcguire]

Re: Do You Know What It Was Like?

From my perspective I think you nailed it Wick. However, the event in question, My Maryland..., was the one time that I did feel the period rush while engaging in a battle. I think this stems from the fact that the morning conditions caused the smoke to hover over the battlefield. You couldn't see the enemy. The sounds of men yelling, crying out in pain, and the din of battle all created an eerie atmosphere. We were led into battle by Lars Prilliman playing his violin to the tune of "Granny does your dog bite?" which was historically accurate for the unit we portrayed. When we moved out in line of battle with men yelling and the sound of the rebel yell mixed in with the fiddle music the hair on the back of my neck was standing up.
Of course one can never accurately get a sense of combat through a reenactment. The sound of bullets whizzing by and the impact and horror they deliver to friend and comrade is something we can only reflect on and TRY and realize the supreme sacrifice that these men gave.
I have also felt period rushes at ebufu events when we have marched out late at night to a bivouac site, You can barely see the man in front of you and all you can hear is the tramping of men marching, the clanging of cups and other mess gear, and the constant sound of comrades good naturedly giving each other shit or just talking shit in general.
By the way Wick. I do share your hatred for musicians in the morning!!

[Silas]

Re: Do You Know What It Was Like?

When I commenced reenacting two decades ago, I got that weird feeling maybe as much as once an event. As I learned more, the feeling came less and less frequent. I think it's because I have higher expectations of how things ought to be. I rarely get that feeling now, but it's often doing things noted above by Wick. Being hungry, tired and away from modern intrusions helps.

[WpnsMan]

Re: Do You Know What It Was Like?

Like Johnny, I am a Army Combat Veteran with several tours.

The most notable being in '05-'06 conducting convoy protection (Gun Truck) missions in Iraq. I didn't become involved in reenacting until I came home from a subsequent tour in '08.

You cannot replicate combat. Not the sights, sounds or, smells. The fear and the anger. The adrenaline rush accompanied by the loss of fine motor skills, the slowing of time and the tunnel vision. The shakes or, nervous laughter when its over and wanting to puke. Fun times.

Though the exhilaration can become addicting to the point of actually missing or, yearning for it when you are safely at home. There most definitely IS a bond between men who have endured the horrors and hardships that is for sure. This is what Lee was referring to when he said "It is well that war is so terrible; lest we should grow too fond of it."

When I started in the hobby, I found it comical to be told by the "veteran" reenactors who obviously had never served a day in their life, that I was a "Fresh Fish" since I hadn't "Seen the Elephant" or had "The Pleasure of Combat". Yeah right, get over yourself.

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: Do You Know What It Was Like?

You cannot replicate combat. Not the sights, sounds or, smells. The fear and the anger. The adrenaline rush accompanied by the loss of fine motor skills, the slowing of time and the tunnel vision. The shakes or, nervous laughter when its over and wanting to puke. Fun times.

Though the exhilaration can become addicting to the point of actually missing or, yearning for it when you are safely at home. There most definitely IS a bond between men who have endured the horrors and hardships that is for sure. This is what Lee was referring to when he said "It is well that war is so terrible; lest we should grow too fond of it." .

Yep, the shared hardships like repetitive drill, guard, fun camaraderie, the elements, road marches, etc. are able to be replicated fine... in fact, my real army training helps me endure and enjoy that on immersion reenactment weekends. I enjoy reenacting to stay in-touch with stuff like that and to physically challenge myself.

But the "mad minute" of REAL combat adrenaline, fear, holding a dying boy's hand, real bullets/RPGs/mortars/ and REAL bombs going off nearby, the smell of human filth/feces/blood, etc. will never be replicated at events. Good they aren't since I don't know how long I would last in the hobby if it were THAT realistic. I've spent the better part of 9 years trying to forget that part about war. ;)

[WpnsMan]

Re: Do You Know What It Was Like?

Being IED'd or RPG'd is always unnerving, not that small arms fire is any treat either. The daily rocket/mortar attacks became so commonplace that unless it was real close you become complacent and see it as more of a nuisance than life threatening but I digress.

After my first season of reenacting, I found actual battle scenarios to be unrealistic, repetitive and boring for all the reasons previously posted. I get more enjoyment out of actually trying to educate the public on the material culture, drill and accurately portraying Soldier life at living histories we do for the Park Service and local museums.

I'll agree, replicating the day to day hardships are where we should all strive to focus, at least in my estimation. Doing so as accurately as possible can give one an appreciation of what the originals had to endure on a day to day level. Myself and five of my mess mates marched Lee's Retreat from Five Forks to Appomattox last April. That will give you an appreciation for hardship and we were well supported and fed.

I've never understood why guys go out of their way to have as many comforts as possible in camp. Seems counterproductive to the experience. So, you are tired, cold, hungry and footsore for a couple days. At least we can go home to our modern comforts at the end of an event.