The Top Three Dumb Questions

[hoosier]

Cute article about re-enactors and the questions that are asked of them.

Do any of the re-enactors on this board have any other favorite questions you'd like to share with the rest of us?

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories...amp;ran=136957

(Message edited by Hoosier on September 09, 2003)

[unionblue]

George,

An excellent article that brings back many memories of the questions I have been asked at reenactments.

My favorite is, "Is it hot in that uniform?" I answer by telling people it is all part of my 'Civil War Weight Loss Program' and that I am coming out with a book entitled, "How to lose 15 pounds in one weekend by using wool work-out uniforms, muzzle-loaders and salt pork and hardtack."

My second favorite question is usually (but not always) asked by kids, 9-16 years of age. "Can I have that?" And that means anything from reproduction greenbacks to your '61 Springfield rifle!

Thanks for the chance to spout.

Sincerely,
Unionblue
AKA Pvt. 'Jeremiah T.' Hamilton
Co. H, 76th OVI


(Message edited by Unionblue on September 09, 2003)

Neil,
Good answer. I would imagine it is fun getting those dumb questions. I remember as a kid, seeing re enactors at Lookout Mt. They were Union soldiers and I remembering being so disappointed. I felt like they were occupying soldiers. Almost violated....Wierd huh?

I just asked them about the battle. Who was where and who attacked whom etc. I was about 12 I think. I asked how in the heck could the Rebs not win on top that mountain. It looked to me like I could keep an army off it by myself with a bucket of rocks. They seemed amused by my conversation.

I hope I did not ask a dumb question........but I'd bet I did....

YMOS
tommy

[blue_zouave]

My favorite this year was over Memorial Day, still damp and chilly in the Pacific Northwest. A woman asked, "Do you REALLY sleep in those tents?"

"Yes, Ma'am," I replied, "and there's a unit of fellows over there who do this WITHOUT tents!" And I pointed to the "campaigners" in Union camp.

She was horrified at the thought of spending time under canvas, and even more horrified at the thought of not having any.

But as far as I'm concerned, I reenact to educate myself, and others. I hope I never laugh at a question, no matter how silly it seems to me. After all, I once was "public" too!

Zou

[unionblue]

Zou,

Exactly right! No matter how dumb the question may seem to you when it is asked, answer it without belittling the person who asks it. We were all dumb spectators once, but not in a bad way, we just did not know.

My favorite example of this is a question asked by a fellow co-worker here at the Post Office. An immigrant from China, she has some problems with American history. She knows I reenact the Civil War all the time and asks questions about the hobby, uniforms, equipment, etc.

But the one that had me really thinking was when she asked, "Now, who were the bad guys and who were the good guys?"

I thought real hard on that one and came up with the only answer I could think of. "It depended on your point of view, Helen."

I hope that was the right one!

Unionblue

[rallyround]

Unionblue,

Being that I am a younger reenactor, I am not often approached with questions from the public, but I have heard many people ask others around me the same question that you were asked. I honestly think that your answer is the only one for that question.

As for questions asked by those who do not know, my favorite came from a young boy that I happened to walk by as he was talking to an infantryman. The soldier was in his camp answering questions after a "battle". The boy came up to the soldier and looked at him, puzzled. "I saw you. Weren't you dead?" he asked the soldier, who laughed and explained to the boy what reenacting was about, and how no one really died.

I had quite a chuckle about that one.

[unionblue]

Aimee!

Good to hear from you! I hope you are doing well and will grace the board with your comments more often! We have missed you very much.

As for dying on the reenactment battlefield and being 'reborn', like your story above, I have confused and even frightened a few young ones at the events I have attended.

When I am in the Union ranks at a battle reenactment, I am old enough to size up where the trees with the most shade is and how close they are to the refreshment stands before I take my 'hit' and die on the battlefield.

At a reenactment at Guyandotte, WV, I took one of my famous 'in the back' hits as I was cowardly running away from the enemy and went down in someone's front yard (the reenactment is unique as it is a recreation of an actual battle and held right in the downtown area of Guyandotte.). As I lay there, it is my practice to keep very still and try to control my breathing so it looks like I am very still, 'dead', if you like.

To add to the impression, I was fortunate enough to have an excellent rebel historian come up, kneel down beside my corpse and whisper if he could take my shoes from my lifeless body. I whispered back my OK and he proceeded to do so in front of a gathering crowd of spectators. Holding my brogans against his own bare feet, he cried out, "Dam Yankee's feet are too small!" He then threw down my shoes next to my body and proceeded to check other Union dead further into town.

I felt the crowd move close to me but I refused to move, wanting to keep the effect of being dead as long as possible. But then I heard a small, concerned young voice ask his parents, "Is he really dead?"

If you could have heard the emotion and concern of this young voice, it would have broke your heart. I could not let him entertain the idea that a real dead man lay before him. Being historically accurate is one thing but scaring someone is something else entirely!

Upon hearing the boy's worried question, I slowly raised up on my arms, turned my head and winked at the boy. His face changed from a worried one to a big grin telling me that all was well. I then just laid back down, resumed my 'dead' position and did not move again until 'taps' were blown, signaling an end to the battle.

I got up, recovered my hat, rifle (and shoes!) and received some of the most satisfying applause I have ever gotten from the crowd at a reenactment.

I had a good chuckle telling my wife and friends back in camp about that one!

It's a great hobby, ain't it Aimee?

Unionblue

(Message edited by Unionblue on September 11, 2003)

HI Aimee
I hope you are well and in excellent spirits.

Neil,
Good one...super cool. Excellent telling as well.

Errrr I have a couple of dumb questions. Just a couple of things I have wondered about at times.
First....What are the guidelines on how close you cannot get when you pull the trigger on a foe? What kind of wadding do you use and how far is it still any danger?
Seccond....given some of the personalities that might be draw to the hobbie, and the presence of alcohol, do you ever get concerned that live ammo might be used? I know it is an unpleasant thought but it did cross my mind.
Third and last, why don't you duck?

YMOS
tommy

[unionblue]

Tommy,

Thank you for your compliments and your questions.

Our safety checks before and after a battle reenactment are very, VERY good. No such thing as live ammo at a reenactment event.

40 yards is about standard range when you stop pointing your weapon at someone and you elevate it up at an extreme angle so no one gets an eyeful of black powder grains.

There is no wadding in any of the blank cartridges I use during a battle reenactment. I place 60 grains of FFFg black powder in a paper cartridge and carry that in my cartridge box. When it is time to load a 'round' I take the paper tail of the cartridge inbetween my teeth and tear the cartridge open to expose the powder. I then pour the 60 grains down the barrel,then throw away the rest of the empty paper cartridge, and then proceed to cap off my piece (rifle) and then ready, aim, fire. I never, NEVER, pull my ramrod to place in the barrel and tamp down my powder, no good reenactor ever does, for fear of forgetting the ramrod in the barrel and accidently firing it towards your fellow reenactors.

Alcohol is usually prohibited at these events, but there are times when some smuggle their six-packs in. Mostly these poor fools are too hung over the next morning to participate and sleep in missing the battle. But I assure you, most in the hobby discourage this practice and it is a very minor problem what with event organizers and local law enforcement being very serious about it.

I have only heard of one instance of live ammo being used at an event, by accident. More people are nervous about me when I tell them I am a Postal Employee in real life and love to reenact to relieve stress!

Tommy, I really have no fears whatsoever about being confronted by live ammo, by accident or intent, at a typical reenactment.

And the reason I don't duck, a. I like to take a 'hit' early so I don't have to walk so much in the hot sun, in wool mind you. b. because when you take an early hit, you are carried from the battlefield by medical reenactors to a nice, cool tent with plenty of female nurse reenactors who fuss over you and give you lots of ice-water, and c. It's easier to clean your musket if you don't shoot it so much.

Sincerely,
Unionblue

Neil,
Thanks. I was wondering about the wads. I was thinking if it was waxed paper it'd have the weight and stiffness (especially if rammed) to have some distance. As to the live ammo question, I seem to recall there was an incident at Gettysburg. Might be same you are referring to. Just nowadays ..well...times change....some a-holes out there.

I remember reading that right up to late 1960's early 70's ?? in New York City, Kids going to school, who were members of the school gun clubs, would daily carry their rifles to school, many riding to and from school on the subway with their rifles. There was not a single recorded incident.

I remember watching Lamar Alexander's face when they told him about banning pocket knives from school etc...Now, I am no fan of Alexander, but he started saying, when he was kid, all boys carried knives. No one got cut. It reminded me of my school. I thought long and I can't think of a soul who had no pocket knife. Heck we traded with teachers. What’s more...during hunting season, the parking lot was full of trucks with guns in them. We'd get up at 3:30, go hunting, go to school, go hunting then go home. After X mas we'd bring our guns we'd gotten from Santa to school to show each other...and our FFA teacher. lol he even used to run a deer hunting pool. Most points, biggest wgt etc. I got my first pistol when I was 16, a Ruger 357 Blackhawk, as a birthday gift. When the FFA teacher over heard me talking about it, he asked did I have it with me, I said no, but brought it next day. I realize now, he must have looked at 5000 guns, he didn't do it for the guns, he showed interest for us. He used to ooohh and ahhhh.....no matter how humble the firearm... we was proud as peacocks.

I remember when the first school shooting started, my thoughts turned to that would never have happened in our school.

Times change.....I know it is a running joke that every age of people lament the heck in a basket the young ones are taking the world....but I just can't help feeling a loss for those days.


Ah yes....you are a veteran campaigner. Leave the running around screaming in the sun in search of glory to the young ones. I have a 50 black powder...I understand the cleaning. If I was a re-enactor I think I’d be tempted to just say bang bang and fall down...

Just curious, what is the biggest event you participated in? Do you camp overnight often?

Wow the dumb questions just never end eh? Usually I just ask stuff like “Does killing time damage eternity? “ but it is nice to have a focus.

YMOS
tommy