Generational Reenacting

[Crockett]

Re: Generational Reenacting

I'm a first generation as well, having started in 1994. My son, who is thirteen now, went to the last big Gettysburg reenactment, 135th? I think. He dressed out and joined me on the battlefield. Carried his little Davey Crockett knife and helped give out ice. He was the best dressed little son of a Confederate soldier on the field. Had clothes that were appropriate for a little civilian boy, not military style.We camped with relatives of Longstreet and Pickett. Both my sons have their own clothes and will be second generation.

Joe Mode

[Chessa]

Re: Generational Reenacting

I'm a first generation reenactor... and am trying to get my parents in on it! Just a quick question though. Are there any other reenactors that are under 30? Or younger... I'm 16 and feel like I might be to young to get into this...

I'm 15, first Generation civilian reenactor. I started a year ago, but I can't convince my brother or parents to get into the whole deal. They're not too keen on putting grease in their hair and wearing wool on a hot day. Oh well. :wink_smil

[chad tinnon]

Re: Generational Reenacting

i was the first in my family.my first event was in waterloo alabama.i had the best time ever . i always loved the history of the south .and that weekend for the first time i felt close to it.every thing i had belonged to someone else.boy did i look like a big ole farb .a pair of georgia work boots and a floppy black felt hat .my carridge box hung down to my knees.well it was bad. chad tinnon

[Rough_and_Regular]

Re: Generational Reenacting

I' am first generation but my son will be a 2nd generation after he learns the drum i have sent him to the School of Music because i will not just throw him in the field like most parents do and have him just sit there with his drum doing nothing. I was a drummer for most of the 125th battles but i knew how to play and he is the age i was when i started.

[cwar1864]

Re: Generational Reenacting

I am the first in my family to get the look of "Are you crazy? Wool in 100 degrees? Six layers or clothes and a corset!" Now I've even brought a younger cousin in with us.

Hubby though is third generation. His Granddad brought his son into it and a brother in law, Uncle to my Hubby, was added later. Hubby was born into it. He attened his first event shortly after being born.

We plan to raise any future kid's on this hobby too.

Samantha

[tomp40]

Re: Generational Reenacting

1st generation reenactor.. My grandpa brought me to Gettysburg back in 1977 and i've been a CW junkie ever since.. Thanks to the internet, i've been able to learn about reenacting and find local units.. Now i'm transitioning from a casual reenactor to a more authentic impression. This site is really helpful. Thanks.

[sumter_guard]

Re: Generational Reenacting

I'm a first generation but dragged my mom, dad, two brothers and sister into the hobby in my wake. 14 years in the hobby equals some accomplishments. Together we started a unit, The 5th Alabama Field Music (youngest brother and sister were fifers, younger brother a bass drummer and me on snare then subsequently Principal Musician), with the inception of the 5th Ala. FM came our annual Civil War event at Hammonassett State Park in CT (Is that event still happening?). Then I went off to college to study the war while in school in Alabama. Ran into the 33rd Alabama and never looked back. Hello Western Theatre! I've been an AoT junkie since then. I got published while in college ("Sprott: A Civil War Memoir" available on amazon), then became a professional historian in Franklin, TN. My family is now out of the hobby all together but I'm trying to get my youngest brother back in a little with some Gold Rush stuff.

Now I'm in CA doing Gold Rush stuff but still make the pilgrimage to Franklin every year on the anniversary of the battle to see old friends and revive old memories. This hobby, in a big way, shaped my life and I owe it a lot. Some of the best friends I've ever known came out of living history. Someday I hope to give back in a tangible way. We'll see.

Andrew

[kevin]

Re: Generational Reenacting

Pards,
1st generation here. (unless you count my previous life in which I was an opium addicted casualty after the War.)
My folks brought me to Gettysburg when I was 13 where i met some fellows camped on the lawn of the wax museum. I wanted to do it ever since but it took me until I was 26 to actually enlist. Now after all that time, i've found my place.
Hopefully someday my kids (gulp) will partake with their old man. Now I just have to have kids that come with money!

My best regards,
Kevin Schoepfel
140th NYVI

[Pennvolunteer]

Re: Generational Reenacting

I'm a first generation re-enactor, and have gone to re-enactments for years, but finally started as a living historian a little over 2 years ago at age 45. I've kicked myself a dozen times for not starting sooner, and found out an Army buddy has been re-enacting since we were in college together and didn't tell me until I started re-enacting and was telling him about it.
Anyway, I have my teenage son in the ranks now, he does infantry and artillery with me. I also have a youngster who is a little young for the ranks, but I've started collecting gear for him and training him to drum.
Hopefully I've created a legacy of our family that will last now with a love of and dedication to history.

[Ltkris81]

Re: Generational Reenacting

I am very much first generation. I started when I was 12 and my parents could not figure out why I would want to portray the people that harassed my ancestors and who were harassed by my ancestors in the late 1850's and early 1860's :). Ahh the joys of living in Utah :). But since then I have gone Confederate and portray the 4th Texas.

My girlfriend has agreed that she will come down and do living history with me at Camp Floyd if she can be a member of the Onieda society, and anybody familiar with the history of Camp Floyd or rather Frogtown right by the fort would know that her impression with fit in with the town :). But that is just for the events with the Utah Territorial Civilian Commission. Incidentally my civilian persona is that of an Evangelical preacher :). When my family found that out they begged me to instead portray an early Mormon bishop or even Brigham Young himself. Yeah, we're not going there..... :)

[thad gallagher]

Re: Generational Reenacting

I am a second generation reenactor. I remember going to events and watching, ever since I can remember anything. My Father, "Gus" Gallagher, got into reenacting after taking a relatives musket to a reenactment to find out info on it (a sharp looking 1816 conversion). I believe he was in his early 20's. They dressed him, put him in ranks, and the rest is history. He is still active today. My time in the hobby has been a progression from always going along to events. Whe I started to become of age I became a drummer and then moved up throught the ranks. I just hope my sons, 5 yrs and 1 yr, might show interest and pick it up in the future. I would love to see them have some of the experiences I have had, and have their own pards some day.

[Rear Rank 2]

Re: Generational Reenacting

I was first generation and started out in the SCA while stationed in N.C. in the ‘80s, beating on people with sticks was a good way to work off frustration and I guess for me it was anger management. I know it was a different type of reenacting but even back then there were those of us trying to do it right, proper materials and construction for clothes, proper live weapons for the time period portrayed (when not actually fighting we carried real weapons), proper materials and construction of armor (where were/are those that used aircraft aluminum and even painted plastic I stayed with iron and steel), even tried brewing mead while stationed in Iwakuni Japan.
I got into Civil War reenacting in the early ‘90s when I moved to Indiana and I have been with it ever since. I now have a son that is “coming of age”, interested in the time period, and reenacting. So now I am outfitting him with a quality kit. And in several years I will be doing the same for my younger son.

[madasabagofcats]

Re: Generational Reenacting

I'm first generation, but my son comes along sporadically, (which incidentally pains me because his impression is first class.)

Our unit, the Volunteer Company in the UK is always a hoot at Roll Call. On a big turnout, we'll have six Thompsons (four from one family,) three O'Briens, two Passeys, two Searles and two Jackmans.

Keep it in the family folks, best recruitment pool there is...

[JDolan]

Re: Generational Reenacting

I'm the first, and so far, only, in my family to take the hobby up.

My parents don't understand it, and my brother think's that its silly to get dressed up just to stand around looking "goofy" for your entire waking day.

[ryanbmm]

Re: Generational Reenacting

first generation here, enless u include my great, great grand pap john Quick, 111th ill vol inf. co.I. then i would be 2nd i guess.