Overlooked in the reenacting world

[LWhite64]

Re: Overlooked in the reenacting world

Well above all else, Knowledge of Period Politics and popular literature.

Lee

[2ndNHDOC]

Re: Overlooked in the reenacting world

News types.

[SCTiger]

Re: Overlooked in the reenacting world

With a great year in reenacting behind me, I would agree with all the above responses, except there are some critical and missing elements.

1. Continuity of time. We don't experience the sequence of events as they did. We are constantly looking for the "magic moments" and historical relevance. We jump from 1865 at one event to 1861 at the next. One event we are Federals, the next we are Western Confederates. Our impressions change every six months or every year, sometimes more often. It's like were some mad time travelers, stuck in the Civil War era. I feel like I should play the theme from "Dr. Who" before each event.

Now let the booing and hissing begin because you-ain't-going-to -like, what I say next. For the 2010-2015 series of events, I would love it IF we actually followed a series of accurate, chronological events and dropped some of the perennials. We don't need a G-Burg every year, only a very good one every five. Same deal for every other "yearly" battle, however; there is too many egos to preserve and $$$ to be made. We end up spreading ourselves a mile wide and a inch thick by trying to take care of every game in town. Even Tier 2/3 events. We need to travel more and support relevant "non-local" "out-of-my-area-code" events. When you are "local"how about showing up en masse for that one? This would also mean leaving the sword in the trunk and grabbing a rifle every once in awhile.

2. We also need to adhere to one impression for awhile, not only for gathering the proper gear, but for the underlying research and practice. Going to 3-5 different events each year and juggling the same amount in different impressions, doesn't improve our quality. It's a fractured way of following WBTS/ACW history. This also forces people to constantly buy gear, not to upgrade a current, continuous impression, but to meet ever changing "event standards." Does this really improve quality? Nope, but it does make our Buy, Sell, Trade forum a very active place.

3. Quit talking about the next event at the event you are at. This drives me bananas. You are at an event, in the flesh. Yet there are some people who use the present event, to hock, plan and coordinate their next kewl event. They are never in the here and now. They show up for the event, greet and meet and s0metimes leave early. It's not their event, so why give it any genuine enthusiasm or support?

4. Finally, Hang in there. The hobby is getting better, even if we gripe about it all the time. We just need to support each other more often and shed some of the politics.

Happy New Year and don't forget that check to the CWPT or the ACPP before December 31st.

[Rob]

Re: Overlooked in the reenacting world

Army paperwork - both writing it and reading it. (Being a clerk is somewhat useless if no one else gives a damn.)

Writing letters in cursive with a dip pen and inkwell. No ballpoints, roller balls, or Sharpies, if you please. Not even a fountain pen.

[KarinTimour]

Re: Overlooked in the reenacting world

To add to the list already mentioned:

1. Knowledge of horses, horse furniture and horse manuvering. Even city people or those too poor to have a horse or mule themselves would have minimally known how to conduct themselves around a strange horse, how to walk around them, etc. Most people would also have known how to hitch one up to a vehicle and probably knew how to bridle and saddle one as well. I compare it to our present knowledge of cars -- while most of you know much more about how the car functions and can work on things under the hood, even I know how to change a tire, check the oil, water, gas and air in the tires, and when it's making strange noises I have at least a rudimentary idea, judging by the way it's acting up, where the problem likely lies (transmission, exhaust, muffler, etc.). I'm always on the look out for opportunities to gain comparable knowledge about equines, as I know I lack it.

2. References to the Bible, Pilgrim's Progress and Shakespeare. My understanding is that these three books were very well known by even the roughest frontier families -- often whether the person could read or not. Reading Pilgrim's Progress is my first resolution for 2008. Another suggestion -- check out a DVD of any Shakespeare play. Sometimes I find reading them to be daunting until I get past the aspect of his poetic language. But this summer I found out how much that fades into the background if you're watching the play being acted out (or read). My public library has started having community readings of Shakespeare, and I got totally fascinated by, of all things, Henry IV!

3. Knowing more than one verse to just about any period song -- they knew and sang ALL the verses to Dixie, John Brown's Body, Battle Hymn of the Republic, etc. We also don't sing as much as I think they did....

4. Tree ID -- I think it was Hank Trent or maybe Charles Heath who said that period people looked at a random group of trees and saw "Walmart" -- they knew which tree was which, and the uses for the different types of wood.

5. Period manners (or intentional lack thereof if that's consistent with the person you're portraying) when interacting with civilians. I know this can be a real minefield, especially for people who attend both mainstream and history heavy events. I don't want to leave the impression that I"m saying "All soldiers are rude" (though that might be highly appropriate in several contexts). But it's a real pleasure to get a chance to reenact with someone on the military side who can understand and appropriately react when interacting with period civilians. At an authentic event, if you spot a civilian coming toward you portraying a woman of good character (or at least not clearly trying to portray a woman of easy virtue), ask yourself if you've been formally introduced to her. If the answer is "no" then pretend she's invisible, unless she speaks to you. At mainstream events, the opposite is usually the case, and lifting your hat and saying "Ma'am" is pretty much expected universally there. Would be happy to explain this if people want to know why the difference exists. I know we've discussed it the past, but there seem to be a fairly large number of new posters here recently.

Just a few that I've noticed,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldier's Aid Society
Emal: Ktimour@aol.com

[PalmettoGuard]

Re: Overlooked in the reenacting world

Here's a few thoughts

1. Battalion Level Drill
2. Numerous boxes, crates, wagons and other supplies of war.
3. Mules, mules, mules
4. Good use Federal Frocks
5. Fewer rations
6. Coffee substitutes

[Silas]

Re: Overlooked in the reenacting world

Period music on period appropriate instruments in period style.

For example, some guy playing Cluck Old Hen on his metal stringed, resonator banjo in the clawhammer style is way out of place. I didn't notice how frequently people played the wrong songs on the wrong instruments until I started learning minstrel banjo.

As far as fewer rations are concerned, few is a good way to describe what we had at the Chickamauga LH. Never been so thankful for a handful of rice before.

[BenjaminLDavis]

Re: Overlooked in the reenacting world

Here's a few thoughts

1. Battalion Level Drill
2. Numerous boxes, crates, wagons and other supplies of war.
3. Mules, mules, mules
4. Good use Federal Frocks
5. Fewer rations
6. Coffee substitutes

All of the above, plus more mules, as well as chickens, pigs, goats, cows,
oxen, et al. And more conversations on politics of the day, and how it affects
the everyday existence of the soldier and his family back home. And more
mules, which means muleskinners.

[cap tassel]

Re: Overlooked in the reenacting world

Here's a few thoughts
2. Numerous boxes, crates, wagons and other supplies of war.

With mud and dirt to look like it's been on a proper journey.

[BillO'Dea]

Re: Overlooked in the reenacting world

Wagons pulled by teams

Larger companies, not ten files in ranks but twenty or thirty per company ( At the Wilderness LH at the Ellwood (Lacy) house this past season I was thrilled that we had one large company of about 62 enlisted rather than the usual norm of dividing that number into smaller ones.)

Bill O'Dea
Salt Boiler mess
122nd NY
Liberty Rifles
Southern Guard

[mattifatti]

Re: Overlooked in the reenacting world

There are obviously many suggestions of things to work on! With all of these suggestions, does anybody think that maybe a few things should be picked (like rules of emphasis in the NFL) to be discussed further and incorporated into an event and/or impression in the upcoming season. This would be a great idea and help for a good follow up conversation as this next season progresses!!

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Overlooked in the reenacting world

Nonsense Kevin - I was simply listing two items that are poorly done. We all know the difference between the ceremony and the duty.

Doug, I really disagree with ya on that one. I've met few in the reenactor world that understand the difference. Most reenactors don't even know what "guard mount" was, let alone how it was done, and fewer still have ever been part of one done even remotely correctly.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Overlooked in the reenacting world

There are obviously many suggestions of things to work on! With all of these suggestions, does anybody think that maybe a few things should be picked (like rules of emphasis in the NFL) to be discussed further and incorporated into an event and/or impression in the upcoming season. This would be a great idea and help for a good follow up conversation as this next season progresses!!

Matt,

Do you get out to "good events" very often? If not, try some, and no, I don't mean rewarmed mainstream events hawked by some as "campaigner" events.

Learn what's being done, before starting to reinvent the wheel.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Overlooked in the reenacting world

Pining for more horses and animals is great, and certainly it's a valid "complaint", but as I view it, this stuff is railing against the wind. It costs a lot of money to obtain, keep, and transport animals, wagons, and similar things. Who's going to ante up that type of thing?

Please don't get me wrong: I'd love to see a train of even a half-dozen covered wagons drawn by mules--just to SEE it. I doubt I will. Heck, in nearly 15 years of reenacting I've seen a "semi-mounted" battery of four guns just once.

There's a lot of things reenactors can do to improve their events and portrayals. Sometimes it's as simple as having an open mind, an open history book, some creativity, and the courage to use and adapt something "cool" you saw being done at another event.

Wishing for the stars is great, but I'd suggest that this discussion be focused on the stuff that reenactors today, most of whom have ordinary incomes, have the ability and resources to accomplish.

[2ndNHDOC]

Re: Overlooked in the reenacting world

Writing letters in cursive with a dip pen and inkwell. No ballpoints, roller balls, or Sharpies, if you please. Not even a fountain pen.

On that note more "Mail Cail" (Forgive me if that is not a period term) with letters and packages from home which are done in period style with period items.