Posted: 11/14/2004 6:43:44 AM EDT
These photos were taken Saturday of a Civil War Battle. Just to share with the group. Not to debate the war.          
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Civil War reenactment: too many old, overweight yahoos still refighting the war. "Whuddyameeanthe southlost?!Them'sfightinwerds, youyayhoo!" I thought about going into WBTS reenactment when I first got into the hobby, but a visit to some events soon cured me of that. Rent-a-Rebs and BlueBellies. I like Revolutionary War reenactment much better. It's not perfect, some people are still locked in the Bicentennial, but I enjoy it more than ACW. |
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I go to the Stones River re-enactment when it goes on here in Murfreesboro. Always a lot of fun. So many older folks are doing the re-enactments because younger folks are so indoctrinated against the Civil War that they believe it's EVIL. Kinda like the teachers and firearms. See how they have brainwashed the younger generation? It's working on them. Sad. |
You did not enjoy it so you will rolleyes, lay criticism and such at those who do, eh? I am sure the community felt a loss when you left it. |
No shit. What's with the plaid saddle blanket?? As for ramrods, most events do not allow ramrods on the battlefield. I use a Sharps. No ramrod to worry about. Of course, we're cavalry 
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You miss the point. The war is over. BUT memorialise the deeds of those who died for their causes on both sides by showing as much as possible how it really was for the soldiers, not some comic book, cartoon version of it. The camp scene pictured is ludicrous. No common soldiers ever carried that much stuff with them, especially in the southern armies. We have these types in RevWar reenactment as well- they are called WOWs = "Williamsburg On Wheels". They bring every last damned period-looking item with them to cushion and decorate themselves with, and eat from gigantic field kitchens, the like of which maybe officers saw (sometimes) but certainly not common soldiers, who ate simple fare and sat on a log, stone or ground. If he was lucky, he had a tent. As a visitor to a reenactment event I was at said to his companion, when they saw the huge feasts being prepared for some Continentals, "Boy, these guys lived pretty good. Just what was it they were fighting for again?" Again, 
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| 95thfoot, like you im a masshole, but im not acting like one. i've gone to the battle reinactments at Lex-concord, and elsewhere in MA. These guys do it for a yearly "outing", your being an ass discrediting their comfy stuff they tote-along to make their "fun"-> FUN. AS for all wars...... individuals are simpy pawns in the grand scheeme of things. GREAT PIX bama, Thanks! |
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It's a great hobby. You can find units that do only "hardcore" impressions ie. sleep in the open, eat only authenticlly prepared food ect. There are units that stress a family type atmosphere in which your wife and kids can come out in period dress and camp within a group of like minded people. It is a fantstic family activity. I have done both from camping in the snow at Bentonville, NC in April to camping on the battlefield at Gettysburg sponsored by the NPS and camping with my family at New Market, VA. Great stuff. Looks like the family camping area in the picture. In the CW world it is called FARB. There are always plenty of people around to offer criticism. Those "unenlightened" rednecks are out this weekend fellowshipping with a group that share similar intrests, hanging out with thier families and , God forbid, teaching thier kids about history. Sounds like a great weekend to me. |
I can't be a Masshole, because a masshole is a Massachusetts liberal who hypocritically moves to NH or ME to get away from it all and then proceeds to make NH and ME into exactly what he was trying to leave:, overtaxed, overregulated, undergunned liberal slimeholes. I'm a Yankee Republican from Massachusetts whose family have been here for 366 years. We have our work cut out here on the frontlines, thank you.
Fun, OK, but don't do it in front of the public. It looks hokey and we all know it. These are the guys known as "FARBCORE" = they know what they are doing is historically wrong, but they frankly don't give a shit, yet get uptight and take umbrage if you dare point that little fact out to them..... To put it another way: what would a WW2 veteran say if he went to a WW2 reenactment and found a lot of overweight people in spotless GI uniforms plopped down in comfy Adirondack chairs, with Atwater-Kent radios, space heaters, gas lanterns, and the like all strewn over the place? I don't think he'd be happy or respectful towards what he saw - it makes his sacrifice and achievements look like a joke. |
I do Great War.. Less politics, more machineguns, no spectators  Great War Assoc. |
It is possible to do that in Rev War reenactments, and many units do, since families accompanied armies in those days and camped with them and the other men.
Same in Rev War., and in others, too.
It is fun. I've been there. But it's usually a bunch of guys lining up and just blasting away at each other for interminable volleys. After a while that's no fun. There's more to doing historical reenactment than just that. FWIW, speaking of kids and history, my kids are forever correcting their teachers about history in school, too. So much so that I've had to go in for conferences on one kid because of this. I just sit there blankly and after they are done complaining that my son has contradicted the teacher yet again, I merely say, "Was anything he said inaccurate or factually incorrect?" "Well, no..." "Then why am I here? If you teach the truth, you won't get called on it." Then they just sit there, not knowing what to say. Truth's a bitch!  |
 I don't hate Civil War reenactment. But I don't like to see history done wrong, much as you would not like to see a guy pretending to be a Viet Vet or a SEAL. |
The guys who are serious about the living history end are much more anal about thier impression and take great pains do a good job. Unfortunately those 'aint the ones who get the publicity. |
Good point. Unforunately, whenever I encounter media at reenactment events, they usually play "gotcha" just as they do at MG shoots. They look for the most outlandish character, the most colorful, the most bizarre. My fave is the perpetual pic that always seems to make it into the front page of the local paper: obese guy (or woman!) dressed as a Revolutionary War soldier, with modern glasses, GI surplus combat boots, Coke can, cigarette in hand..... Oh well - newspapers want stereotypes, because they are easy to sell. I see why WW1 and WW2 events are private. |
Thanks for the pictures. Too bad we have some holier-than-thou members on this board who decide to shit all over your thread. edited to avoid COC violation. |
If you put pics and post on the General Discussion section of ARFCOM, don't expect a rubber stamp parliament. If you're a mainstream Civil War reenactor, and you feel offended, you might want to ask yourself why you feel offended. 
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| As far as lantern holders, lanterns, etc etc etc, I can almost guarantee that some of the soldiers as they went into some of the long term winter encampments had them. And when you go to some of the units on the outside of the Petersburg lines, they had some of the amenities. Now any unit that was on the move, of course not, but early in the war and some of the garrison units undoubtedly had them. |