Describe your first experience seeing an Reenactor.

DixieRifles

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Describe your experience of the first time you saw a Civil War reenactor.

I don't intend to compete with the current Posts that recalls early reenactments of earlier times. I want to hear from people who can remember the first time they saw a reenactor who depicted a Civil War soldier in accurate period uniform. What impressed you? What were your feelings?
For me, my first encounter wasn't a battle reenactment but one single soldier.

I've tried to rack my brains to recall my first experience and this is the only one I can recall. The event was during the Bicentennial of the American Revolution sometime around 1975-76. I was milling around the town Green of Lexington, Massachusetts so it may have been on the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington. Among the crowd of spectators, I saw a lone Union Officer dressed in simple uniform of possibly a mid-Western regiment. He only carried a sword but his interpretation gave me the impression of an officer with battle experience.
I took a photo of him but I can find it.

I wanted to post a photo so I found this one.
This is about 10 years later and I was living in Texas where there weren't many Civil War events. This is probably the first time I witnessed an artillery firing demonstration. I pulled into the Chickamauga Battlefield Park while passing through and they told me where to go to see the firing demonstration. Afterwards, I asked the gunner if he would pose for a photo. This simple event was pretty impressive to see and hear but this photo was a reminder of what I should expect from someone who know to give an impression of the soldier from that period.


Artilleryman.jpg


This thread may not apply to some of the young guys. I'm sure they saw many examples of reenactors on TV and local news. It was probably easy to go out and find a anniversary event. Some of you may have lived too far away from such events and so your first experience left an lasting impression.
For some of you, the first experience may have started you on a similar path.
 
Twenty years ago. There were a couple CS cavalry guys on horseback trotting down a country road near Kelly's Ford in Virginia, the first reenactment I attended. It was awesome. My son and I were out there ourselves doing infantry within six months at Cedar Creek.
 
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I remember it well. It was about two and a half years ago, and when I saw the Confederates take the field, I couldn't help thinking "Those guys have been eating well...."

I guess they were sitting at home and snacking while everyone else went off to fight! Thankfully future encounters with reenactors were better than that one!
 
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I was 12 years old in 1970. We went to visit my Aunt Janet in Gettysburg. She lived outside town in a "Civil War" house. A Confederate officer had been treated in her attic (blood stains still there). We visited the battlefield and a Union reenactor at the Brian House put on a living history for about 45 minutes. My parents said I stood still for the whole 45 minutes. After he was done, I got closer as he showed everyone his equipment. My parents and brothers had to literally pull me away from the guy! I wanted to do that!! AWESOME just doesn't do what I felt justice. I would've followed (stalked?) that guy all daylong.:thumbsup:
 
My first was a small Revolutionary War 'living history' encampment set up at the Gen. Artemas Ward House in Shrewsbury, Mass. about 1972. The first man, actually a teenager, I particularly noticed wore a brand new, crisp, clean blue Continental coat, tricorn, and all the right accoutrements, and ...Levis (copper rivets and all).

He was the only one in blue denim, though. All the rest had proper breeches, new and painfully bright and clean. I remember also noticing some variation in the uniform facings (buff and red)-- like these half dozen guys belonged to regiments from a couple of different states. Reenacting was rather new to most people ... to them, too, I'm sure. But, they were earnest, and did a pretty good musket drill. I'm sure they improved.
 
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I wasn't at a re-enactment. I was walking past an open air street barbecue at some local festival. A single Confederate soldier stepped out of the crowd and stood on the sidewalk for a moment, talked to some little kids, and then ambled down the street. He was young, red haired, wearing a checkered shirt with dirty butternut pants and cap. He had a mustache and thin beard. He was smoking a pipe that was tied to a thong around his neck. He was, to my eyes, very realistic--more so than anyone I've seen since. In fact, it was somewhat like I might imagine seeing a ghost or a time traveler in a crowd of people. This happened fifteen or twenty years ago, but it obviously made a lasting visual impression on me.
 
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Gun crew re-enactors at the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon. I was there to run; they were there to spread a little education to whoever cared to stop. ( I think they also really enjoyed the carb-loading supper the night before.) Their passion for what they were doing was obvious, and inspiring. When people dress out, camp out and stick around all day long just to give a living history lesson to a very small percentage of people who were actually interested, the dedication is clear. But I can almost guarantee they made a huge impression on the children of the runners, even if most of the runners passed on by in favor of the more athletic exhibitors.

And they did fire the gun. It had the effect on me of an F-18 screaming by, the boom getting into my bloodstream like it was taking over duty from the heart's natural beat.
 
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In the spring of 1974 a reenactment was staged at Galena Territory, which I attended. As I recall the uniforms
and equipment looked quite authentic. In fact I sat near a table of reenactors in a restaurant and they were
comparing where to locate items and had quite a discussion on eyeglasses. I think the women had the
greatest challenge in finding fabric, as it was still a polyester- knit world and lots of nylon lace.

The PA system at the battle site was inadequate so was very hard to hear. I was impressed with the
dedication of the reenactors, the distances traveled and the time spent on research.

Wonder if any of the soldiers that were there are still active?
 
I can't remember the exact first time I saw reenactors. I was introduced to living history when I was very young in the 70s. My grandparents volunteered at a colonial village and went dressed in period outfits. They also had a steam train there on a loop track. They would take me with them and pretty much had the run of the place and ate up every part of it. A couple times a year they would have small Civil War and Rev War reenactments there and I really loved those events. The local group that did the Civil War events saw how much interest I had in what they were doing (they had no choice I bugged the hell out of them) that they took me under their wing and you could say the rest is history. About 40 years later I'm still at it although I've been away from it at times. Every time I'm at a reenactment or visit a railroad with a steam locomotive I think of those days and my grandparents, great memories.
 
A single Reb infantry reenactor standing outside the visitor center at the Chickamauga, GA battlefield in the early 1990's.

Then a single Union reenactor in the movie theater handing out flyers for his reenacting group as we left the movie Gettysburg in Austin, TX in 1994. After the movie, I knew I wanted to reenact. I immediately ordered a Jarnagin's catalogue and decided I couldn't afford the gear.

Four later, I said to hell with the cost. My 16-year-old son and I joined The Alamo Rifles. Another member's wife made our first Columbus Depot jackets and trousers and I put about a thousand bucks worth of stuff from Jarnagin's on the VISA card. We were off and running. Now it's twenty years and over a hundred reenactments later and I love the memories. And am leaving this week to drive to Virginia for the On To Richmond reenactment.
 
A single Reb infantry reenactor standing outside the visitor center at the Chickamauga, GA battlefield in the early 1990's.

Then a single Union reenactor in the movie theater handing out flyers for his reenacting group as we left the movie Gettysburg in Austin, TX in 1994. After the movie, I knew I wanted to reenact. I immediately ordered a Jarnagin's catalogue and decided I couldn't afford the gear.

Four later, I said to hell with the cost. My 16-year-old son and I joined The Alamo Rifles. Another member's wife made our first Columbus Depot jackets and trousers and I put about a thousand bucks worth of stuff from Jarnagin's on the VISA card. We were off and running. Now it's twenty years and over a hundred reenactments later and I love the memories. And am leaving this week to drive to Virginia for the On To Richmond reenactment.

Wonderful story!
 
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