If I had a time machine...

[Johnny Lloyd]

All:

I looked on here and felt this question has bugged us all at one time or another. Seeing as how we love and are fascinated by the 19th century, how often do you ask yourself: "Gee, I wish I could actually see the 19th century world for how it truly was..."

So, if you had a time machine and could do only ONE of the choices present in this poll, what would you do and please tell the group why.

This is a fun question, so enjoy-

See you at Pickett's Mill... -Johnny Lloyd

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: If I had a time machine...

Hallo!

Herr Johnny..

I am not seeing the "poll?"

Curt

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: If I had a time machine...

Got it... needed fine tuning. I'd think you would be a Choice one kind of guy, Herr Curt... :) -Johnny

[Duff]

Re: If I had a time machine...

I personaly would like vaccinated time travel... Smallpox does not sound fun.

[Parault]

Re: If I had a time machine...

Mr. Lloyd,

It is odd that you posted this. This morning on my way to the station, which is a 20 minute drive, I was wandering if we could go back, lots of questions would be answered, and many others asked, by the people of that time period to us, & us to them. Of course doing copious amounts of research before going back would be advantageous.
How would we even begin to pose questions, while trying act like we are from that period? Some of the things we might ask could be a every day occurrence to the people of that era.What would the smells be? What would the accents sound like? How would we be viewed? Would we be stared at for our size? Would our clothing be accurate enough? Could we "fit in" if we were say, with soldiers? Would our bodies acclimate to the differant environment. What would we be thought of everytime we washed our hands? Would our eating habits be tantamount to those around us? How would those of us that have never been in combat react? How would you identify yourself? What part of the country would you say you were raised? Could you pull the trigger on the weapon if need, be knowing it could change everything? How would you react drinking water, knowing that in all probability, it is contaminated. I hear people say at events "I wish I could go back in time to the X period of the war." IMHO, I think no matter how good we give ourselves credit for being knowledgable of that period, would we would want to stay for an extended amount of time? I am not saying some couldn't do it for a few days. A day or two, maybe a week? We are 21st century people with a 21 century mindset. .
Would it neat to go back? I would have to ponder on that thought for a considerable amount of time before a decision was made.
Mr. Duffeny brings up a good point about being vaccinated against all the known illneses of our time and theirs. If we get wounded would we let the physicians treat us?
Thanks Mr. Lloyd for bring this up, because I was going to do something equivalent to this, but I didn't quite know just how to present it.

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: If I had a time machine...

Johnny it is odd that you posted this. This morning on my way to the station, which is a 20 min. drive, I was wandering if we could go back, lots of questions would be answered, and others asked.
What would the smells be? What would the accents sound like? How would we be viewed? Would we be stared at for our size? Would our clothing be accurate enough? Could we "fit in" if we were say, with soldiers? Would our bodies acclimate to the differant environment. What would we be thought of everytime we washed our hands? Would our eating habits be tantamount to those around us? How would those of us that have never been in combat react? How would you identify yourself? What part of the country would you say you were raised? Could you pull the trigger on the weapon if need be knowing it could change everything? I hear people say at events "I wish I could go back in time to the X period of the war." IMHO, I don't think no matter how good we think we are of that time period we would want to stay very long. We are 21st century people with a 21 century mindset.
Would it neat to go back? I would have to ponder on that thought for a considerable amount of time before a decision was made.

Mr Parault-

Good to know I'm not the only one here wondering the same thing... I've pondered similar questions many-a-time, friend. ;)

If the great Lord above feels me fit to go to heaven when I pass- on, I would only wish and pray to see "back then" for what it truly was, even for just a short time.

For now, I'll just have to settle on events.

-Johnny

[davidf]

Re: If I had a time machine...

I thought about this too before. But after studying the war for such a long time, I know that it wouldn't be a good idea. If I could, I would probably try it anyway for a little bit, but it would have to be on the conditions that I wouldn't die in the attempt (or if I did get killed, I would be returned to present time).

The actual concept of time travel has been debated and tested for a long time. The only results I have heard is that, in theory, the only possible way it could work would be to make a black hole of sorts. One blem with this, is that you could only time travel back to the time that the black hole was invented. Also, there is that whole "granfather" theory that says if you killed your grandfather in the past before he makes your father, then you would no longer exist because your grandfather would not be able to make your father that made you; and if you don't exist anymore, who killed your grandfather in the first place? There's also that whole theory that you being in the past can alter history (for example, something as simple as accidently killing a butterfly might deprive food from a animal that would have eaten it, so his life is altered so that that animal is not around to be eaten by a human, who dies of starvation, and that human would have given birth to... and it goes on like that).
Confusing isn't it?
If they do somehow manage time travel though, I hope that they have the ability to be invisible too so that we can just go back and observe past events and record them to video (imagine that, no more debating how events of the far past happened, we can go to the "instant replay" so to speak). I would like to see the instant replay of one of the Lincoln - Douglas Debates and go "doesn't Douglas look funny next to Lincoln, Lincoln being so much taller than Douglas? Sort of looks like a comedy act." I would also want to see the instant replay of Columbus meeting native Americans for the first time and go "wow, who would think that this one event would change the world for the next 500 years. Oh, and apparently that thing of some people speaking louder to people who don't speak your language (which is sort of dumb) seems to go back longer than I expected." (that last part is a joke).

[Andrew Kasmar]

Re: If I had a time machine...

Hi,

My main fear, besides getting myself killed, would be changing history. What if my bullet killed Mead or Lee at Gettysburg, what would happen? There would be way too many things that could go wrong in this area that the only way I would go back in time to the Civil War is if there was a reset button. If there was this button, I would love to see what would have happend if the South had won Gettysburg, Shiloh, Vicksburg, and other battles. It would also be interesting to see how it felt to be in battle, but I would want to be able to return to our time if I was killed. I would also want to see how these men wore their equipment and uniforms on campaign, and if I could, I would bring a uniform and a set equipment back to our time to reenact in.

[HOG.EYE.MAN]

Re: If I had a time machine...

Johnny,

You would miss the Authentic-Campaigner, too much to go live in the 19th century, unconditionally.

None of you guys would be able to post anymore. :p

[DougCooper]

Re: If I had a time machine...

I would go back and save Jennie Wade and bring her back to the future (er, today). :D

[idlewild]

Re: If I had a time machine...

I have to admit that I do fantasize about this. Actually, my day dreams are more along the lines of "What if I could just nab someone from the past and bring him or her here to the present for an afternoon? What could I learn? What would they learn?" Of course, the problem always arises with how to send them back to their proper time era without leaking information about the future. Brain washing perhaps?

If were to pick, I'd choose temporarily with the option to stay unconditionally should I decide that I like that era better than the modern world. I'd also sneak back a camera, and take color photographs of everything to bring back and show to everyone else.


A quick side note on the grandfather theory.... The way I see, if there was time travel, and you decided to travel back in time, in theory, you would not change anything. The past has already happened, thus, that means, even though in your current time line you have not yet traveled back in time, in the past you have already visited and left (or died there without returning). So whatever "affect" you had in the past, is really, already reflected today. Who knows... maybe you are your own grandfather.

[BillO'Dea]

Re: If I had a time machine...

There was a neat book by Jack Finney the author of Invasion of the Body Snatchers that I read in high school called Time and Again, written I think in 1970. About a man slightly dissatisfied with his life in NYC who is recruited by the government for a project to time travel by recreating a particular setting, clothes, food ect and achieve going back through self hypnosis. His goal was old NY during the 1880's. He chose that period because of a letter from the period that is partly burned and cuts off at the phrase " The end of the World,,," His time portal is the Dakota building famed now as where John Lennon was shot. The detailed picture Finney describes of NY at that time was fascinating. Just before Finney passed away he finished the sequel called From Time to Time.
What ruins the heroes moment and drags him back to the present is a modern penny he finds in his pocket . And then he has to try to get back, save the girl and defeat a villain and of course save "the World"
I think partly that book was responsible for my becoming a re-enactor much later on

Bill O'Dea
Salt Boilers Mess / 122nd NY

Ft. Drum Time Line - June 13 14 15 for the families of the 10th Mountain Division

[bhutton]

Re: If I had a time machine...

Friends,

If I could actually go back to the 1860's as a Union or Confederate civilian soldier, I would not be doing it from a 'Back to the Future' mindset but rather to expierence for real what I research in books and photos . I'd be able to compare this impression of the period to the 'real thing'. I agree with others that much as I would love to have lived in that time,I'm not sure I could actually do it from a 21st century standpoint, (reasons already stated by others). I would love to do it as a' Ghost' wandering through the the battles , camps , towns and converations observing and learning then retuning to the present, but would that change my interest and the fun I have trying to study, imagine , and portay what it was really like ?

Bob Hutton

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: If I had a time machine...

Johnny,

You would miss the Authentic-Campaigner, too much to go live in the 19th century, unconditionally.

None of you guys would be able to post anymore. :p

Oh... you're evil... LOL

:D

...but mostly right.

-Johnny

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: If I had a time machine...

Hallo!

Ah... the intellectual fantasy of the Time Traveller.

Speaking of which, that story was made into a mild movie a few years ago- I think a made-for-TV one.

Having watched the BBC series "Dr. Who" since the 1970's, and living in the Future as I do...

Yes, the future change themes are intriguing, and have also been dealt with on screen reflecting both theories that it is possilbe to alter our Present by affecting the Past, as well as the alternative view that Time is fixed.
Which then goes on to the Einsteinian type "relativities" that, time and space are realtive..and on to Alternative Time Lines where there are multiple possible Futures based upon different actions taken in the Present.

IMHO, the fantasy works best, when the Time Machine is not a one-way deal. ;)

My favourite is that if the Curt of Now, goes back to say 4:05 P.M. on July 2, 1863, at Gettysburg, and the Curt of Next Week goes back to 4:00 P.M., I can see myself. :)

I like to say "intellectual fantasy" not so much because we lack the technology to warp or fold Time whether it is really possible or not- or move through the 4th Dimension that we exist at the very razor liner edge of and cannot move in, around, or through- but rather because we are creatures of the Present and the Future only.
Meaning, we romanticize the Past as a Golden Age of Somethings, when all too often the Past is NOT a very nice place- filled with physically hard and harsh daily life; short life expectancies; untreated and unoperable illnesses, diseases, and injuries; high infant and child mortality rates, an dmuch more of the lesser, baser side of human dignity, compassion, respect, and treatment of fellow man.

So, while I would jump on the prospect and possibility of the Time Machine to visit "the Past" (if for nothing else than to see how far off the mark our theories, assumptions, and beliefs about the "Way It Actually Was"), I am not so sure that I would REALLY want to live there as a full-time resident. The Past is not a Friday to Sunday reenactment. ;) :)
But since I now live in the Future, and not the Present, there are some daze I am not sure I would stay here and not "go back" anyways in spite or despite the Past's actual and real "shortcomings" and challenges.

Curt
Please Mr. Spaceman... take me along, I won't do anything wrong Mess