ACW Reenactors Involving Spectators in Drills at Greenfield Village-Would You?

Belle Montgomery

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I saw this and was wondering if any soldiers/units out there ever tried this? I've already made comments about maybe letting spectators try a designated quick skirmish it might help bring new recruits into reenacting, especially after the Debbie Downer NYT article. I see it done around me only with just children and wooden rifles. At about 45 seconds in this soldier talks about how fun it is to let spectators mustering in and drill with them and learning battlefield tactics!
 
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As an Artillery Reenactor, I would allow a "civilian" to perform in "battle" ONLY if he drilled with us FIRST!! He would need to understand that Safety is the first priority, and be willing to be under the command of the gunner! Before he would drill, there would be the potential for recruitment; not just some random guy we picked to serve on the gun. As such, he would be given the Number 3 Position, which is not very dangerous to others, when watched by the gunner.
Twice I have seen other units call a spectator out to pull their lanyard during "battle".....VERY dangerous, and they fired , point blank, into a reenactor who was innocently walking by....This was a Reb unit from Chicago, who is Farby to start with......Any unit that has a sillouette of a motorcycle on their trail is Farby and has no business claiming to be authentic.
 
I have seen this done a number of times over the years. I thought it would bring up safety concerns.
As an Artillery Reenactor, I would allow a "civilian" to perform in "battle" ONLY if he drilled with us FIRST!! He would need to understand that Safety is the first priority, and be willing to be under the command of the gunner! Before he would drill, there would be the potential for recruitment; not just some random guy we picked to serve on the gun. As such, he would be given the Number 3 Position, which is not very dangerous to others, when watched by the gunner.
Twice I have seen other units call a spectator out to pull their lanyard during "battle".....VERY dangerous, and they fired , point blank, into a reenactor who was innocently walking by....This was a Reb unit from Chicago, who is Farby to start with......Any unit that has a sillouette of a motorcycle on their trail is Farby and has no business claiming to be authentic.
So the drilling would be ok?
 
So the drilling would be ok?
I would say that drilling is a good "start"......If they do not drill with us, then there is NO WAY they will participate in the reenactment battle.....It is a safety issue!!.....As Corporal, my primary job is to ensure the safety of the crew. That means I need assurances that each member knows his job! Without participating in drill, I do not have those assurances.....
 
That is true Albert. I never reached such lofty ranks as a corporal. I used to watch the kids drill at the Richmond Battlefields Park Fort Harrison unit. It was an interesting site to see. At the time the park had a large Living History program there. I was at Petersburg.
 
Hi.

I'm the sergeant in the above. They interviewed me as well, but it ended up on the editing room floor, I guess.

I think there may be a little confusion here, so let me clear a few things up.

For those of you who don't know, Greenfield Village is one of the premier Living History museums in the world. Each Memorial Day, they put on a program called Civil War Remembrance, which is a little more focus on public education/interaction than the typical mainstream event.

Part of the event is a program called Mustering In. Visitors to the village will get a chance to experience a little of military life of the 1860s if they choose to participate. While the program is geared towards children, adults often participate too. I'd say the average age is between 10-12 and each group size is around 30-40.

Participants can "enlist" at the recruiting office located in the village post office, receive their enlistment bonus, and be sworn into Mr. Lincoln's army at the court house.

From there, myself and a few others teach them a little about military maneuvers, forming them up as if they are company of new recruits. Myself and Jay, in the above both worked at the museum in college, and are contracted by the park for this program. We portray Regulars sent to Detroit to train the new recruits. I don't know if regulars training the Michigan volunteers is historical or not.

We ham it up in first person, quoting a lot of dialogue from Glory, and citing obscure historical events. Personally, I was at San Juan Island with Captain George Pickett during the Pig War, while others were out with Albert Sydney in Utah. People don't really get the references, but they love the over-the-top saltiness of two veterans training new recruits.

Each session of the program lasts about an hour, and the participants are formed in a company, taught dresses, facings, marching, a few wheels, turns, and finally issued wooden muskets and we go through Casey's Manual of Arms.

It's a very popular program and one we've developed quite nicely over the years.

It's not like the participants are actually participating in the drills/battles with the other reenactors. Though, I will say, often times the kids are better drilled the most of the Confederates at the even It's a special program for participants at the event, and one that proves popular year after year. A lot of people say it's the highlight of the weekend.

Attached are some pictures from various years of doing it. There is footage of an entire program. If I find it, I will share
 

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