135th Gettysburg

[Story]

Apocryphal tales, perhaps, but I'd heard that during the 'original' reenactments in the 1960s ramrods got launched far too frequently and cannon where loaded with rolled-up phone books (to simulate recoil) - woe betide anyone downrange of their muzzles.

 

[thomas aagaard]

I also remember that there were two actual battlefield injuries; the 1st was a bayonet wound, the 2nd was a gunshot wound. Both could have been avoided if safety majors had been in place. Both injuries were on the CSA side.

The bayonet wound was an accidental wound; a unit of infantry were marching in a column of four with fixed bayonets as they hurried to take their place in the firing line. Someone tripped and the guy behind ended up ramming himself onto the bayonet in the chest throat area.

The gunshot wound is a comedy of errors. We had people all over the globe show up to reenact. One gentleman came from France and had borrowed weapons from a friend who lived in the USA. That friend had previously loaned his pistols to a buddy for a live fire event. The buddy had an apparent misfire, the round never left the barrel of the gun. The buddy having never cleaned the borrowed weapons returned them to the friend having said nothing about the misfire or the need for cleaning. The friend again loaned the weapon to the Frenchman who overloaded the pistol with fresh black powder blanks. The Frenchman never cleaned the gun or checked, but why should he, his friend is reliable. During the event the Frenchman who is part of a CSA dismounted cavalry unit fires upon the Union dismounted troopers. A Union trooper was hit and wounded. This caused the medics to appear and after the 135th the police and DA got involved to sort things out. Made the newspapers.

The 135th left many good memories and a few injuries in its wake.

Remember reading about the gun shot accident in the local news papers.
(Was In Gettysburg form 1st of july-5th that year)

It could so easily have been avoided by following gun safety rule number 1 - Always treat a gun as loaded until you personally made sure it is not.

 

[2nd Dragoon]

The group I was a member of reenacted mainly as the 26th Texas CSA Cavalry/2nd US Cavalry as well as portraying crew members of the USS Hunchback naval landing party. Most of us were trained to help out with the local Battery B 4th US Artillery and the local SoCal Rockford Artillery battery. We usually showed up at local events with several different uniforms and depending on which side; Rebel or Yankee were short handed pitched our tent on the side that needed extra people. We were all about living history and education and even were invited to schools to given presentations of a Civil War soldiers life. Four of our group even went to France for the Waterloo reenactments as members of the 21st Ligne Regiment.

 

[Cavalier]

I was fortunate enough to see the 21st. Ligne along with the 7th. Hussars here in Baltimore several years ago. Pretty cool they were too, as I remember it. And very friendly to people like me with stupid questions.

John

 

[Pete Longstreet]

Great video. I enjoyed it and stopping at the specific times and picking you guys out. Very cool.