Federal, Confederate or Civilian?

[Haversack]

Re: Federal, Confederate or Civilian?

As many have stated, I do both. I generally let the event, and what the majority of folks I know who are attending are doing dictate the impression, as well as any c/p/h adjuncts, etc.

[ETYank]

Re: Federal, Confederate or Civilian?

I portrayed Federal only for years, although I can trace my family tree to plenty of Confederates as well. I finally decided a few years ago that approach helped tell only half the story of the men I claimed to be honoring, and that I was getting only half the experience I claimed to seek. I'm pretty open to either now, although to be honest I care more about fighting at a quality event with quality people.

[Tyler Underwood]

Re: Federal, Confederate or Civilian?

Ito be honest I care more about fighting at a quality event with quality people.

I agree 100%

[the Tennessee Confederate]

Re: Federal, Confederate or Civilian?

I do confederate mainly because I'm new. But in the future I might consider federal because of the lack of them. I really like the research that goes into the confederate impression.

[Ambrose Bierce]

Re: Federal, Confederate or Civilian?

I agree 100%

Yep, Tyler, and I also agree with Mr. Lakin!

[ky4union]

Re: Federal, Confederate or Civilian?

I did strictly federal for the first 13 years I reenacted. I did a couple of events as CS during the 2012-2013 "seasons", and I've done about twice as many events as confederate this year as I have federal. I still prefer federal. I feel more comfortable and natural as a unionist. However, the longer I've spent in this hobby, the more I've come to the point where the predominant factor on what events I do and who I fall in with is the quality of the group I'm going with. I burning powder and drinking beer in my first 10 years doing this to get pretty well over that aspect. Now I want to get out of Canvas City, drill, eat period rations, embrace the suck, and drink beer.

[Steven Dacus]

Re: Federal, Confederate or Civilian?

Being a numbers/statistics driven guy, I'm curious what the poll would be if we divided the options to:
Fed infantry
Fed cavalry
Fed artillery
Confederate infantry
Confederate cavalry
Confederate artillery

Being only a fed cavalryman myself, I must admit to being ignorant on anything else. But how many authentic artillery units are out there? And how often do they go on a campaign event over many miles? Like I said, I'm isolated in the west with only enough vacation time for one event in the east per year so I was just curious to what all is out there?

[lambrew]

Re: Federal, Confederate or Civilian?

Federal, although now I am getting into the civilian side of life.

[Cumpston1862]

Re: Federal, Confederate or Civilian?

I have only done Federal. Nothing against Confederate as I have ancestors on both sides. When I started, a Federal impression was easier to put together (research wise) and often times the cost was friendlier to my budget.

As to the difference in numbers between Federal and Confederate I believe several factors are at play. First among them our Southern cousins have always had a higher proportion of awareness concerning the war. The war was primarily fought in the south of course so many there grew up with many of the battlefields and sites close at hand. Many of the generals that capture the imagination through unique service or character are from the south. I have heard from many educators that the school systems in the south spend significantly more time on the Civil War period. And as Shelby Foote said (paraphrasing) 'I got into about 40 fights at one time or another during my lifetime but I can only really remember the ones I lost.'

In the north the amount of apathy and ignorance appalls me at times concerning the Civil War. While at a living history here at home in Iowa I got into a conversation with an older gentleman that seemed to be quite well educated. When he asked me what unit I was from I told him -- Iowa Infantry. He looked at me blankly and asked, "Why would you be in an Iowa regiment?" I looked back at him disbelieving and told him to honor our boys from the state that served in the war. He than said rather sheepishly, "Iowa wasn't even a state than was it?!" Oh boy...

[DCaul61]

Re: Federal, Confederate or Civilian?

Good morning all,
I primarily do the Confederate impression while I am a docent here at the Plumb House Museum.

[Chris Montague]

Re: Federal, Confederate or Civilian?

I do both. I can't say that milling about as civ has ever appealed to me.

[Tyler Underwood]

Re: Federal, Confederate or Civilian?

[QUOTE=Chris Montague;246633]I do both. I can't say that milling about as civ has ever appealed to me.[/QUOTE

Perhaps you need to find good civilians to work with in order make it appealing?

[Hank Trent]

Re: Federal, Confederate or Civilian?

I do both. I can't say that milling about as civ has ever appealed to me.

What Tyler Underwood said. If you think of a civilian impression as "milling about," sounds like you've only seen mainstream civilians who don't have 10-12 hours of work at their job, or a goal to achieve.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Tyler Underwood]

Re: Federal, Confederate or Civilian?

Yes, that is correct Hank.

[Dennis W. Duerbeck]

Re: Federal, Confederate or Civilian?

I do a Federal Artillery Officer. Just about all of my Artillery display is US.

Dennis W. Duerbeck