Reenactment Dream Scenarios

[Rusk County Avengers]

(Pics to get a reenacting vibe goin')

Just a wild idea of a conversation starter, what is everyone's dream scenario at a reenactment?

Certain battle? Certain war event? Several dream ideas? Anything is up for discussion I reckon.

Myself, I got a few I long for:
1. Winter Quarters-Just a winter quarters weekend, preferably in snow, doesn't even have to be super duper anal, I mean period correct. I'd settle with a mainstream one.

2. Siege- I want this bad, trenches, redoubts, gun emplacements, the works done right. Doesn't even have to be a recreation of a certain siege, though Vicksburg would be top of the list for me if it was of an actual siege. There needs to be a Vicksburg...

3. Battle of Cane Hill, Arkansas-Done right! Not like the laughable all infantry event they did decades ago. Not even crazy-laughable-aggravating-supertrooper-authentic, just a slew of CS cavalry and no CS infantry with a little of all to recreate the Federal Army of the Frontier. (A pipe dream for an event period...)

4. Mountain battles- Plenty of them in mountainous areas skirmish wise, though outside of maybe I guess some in Virgina or West Virginia, I bet there is no reenactment. Most reenactor numbers at regular events could recreate the skirmishes and small battles that happened historically. Excepting Lookout and Kennesaw Mountains on the size part.

5. New Mexico Campaign- Would love for this to happen, though I shudder at the probability that the "Cowboys and Indians only CW themed" numbskull vibe would be exceptionally stronger in that area of the country.

All this just a wild thread idea, no clue if its been done before. Also, kind of hoping a certain search engine could lead event organizers, and the unimaginative reenactor event organizers that just do the same Hollywood-inspired straight lines everywhere at events here and inspire them.

 

[PrivateBrooke]

One and two are DEFINITELY on my list! Petersburg specifically, and where we all just sleep in the trenches during the night.

Besides those:

Pickett's Charge- And I mean done right, across the whole site. And with a good number on each side, maybe 1k per would be good.

Night fighting- Not the little skirmishes that occasionally happen in camp, I mean full battle. Something like Culp's Hill or Chancellorsville/Jackson's wounding with one of the guys who portrays Jackson actually acting it out.

Fredericksburg- Actually picking off Yankees from Marye's heights! And the street fighting!

The Mud March- I'd definitely go blue for that. Don't ask me why but I just would.

Chancellorsville/The Wilderness- I'd love some large scal forest fighting. Companies getting lost in the brush, not being able to see the enemy besides the smoke from his musket, guys getting caught in who knows what type of vegetation. Fun.

Also being able to actually take an artillery piece, and turning it around on the Yanks as they retreat is something I've always wanted to do.(And yes actually firing it.)

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

One and two are DEFINITELY on my list! Petersburg specifically, and where we all just sleep in the trenches during the night.

Besides those:

Pickett's Charge- And I mean done right, across the whole site. And with a good number on each side, maybe 1k per would be good.

Night fighting- Not the little skirmishes that occasionally happen in camp, I mean full battle. Something like Culp's Hill or Chancellorsville/Jackson's wounding with one of the guys who portrays Jackson actually acting it out.

Fredericksburg- Actually picking off Yankees from Marye's heights! And the street fighting!

The Mud March- I'd definitely go blue for that. Don't ask me why but I just would.

Chancellorsville/The Wilderness- I'd love some large scal forest fighting. Companies getting lost in the brush, not being able to see the enemy besides the smoke from his musket, guys getting caught in who knows what type of vegetation. Fun.

Also being able to actually take an artillery piece, and turning it around on the Yanks as they retreat is something I've always wanted to do.(And yes actually firing it.)

All those sound great, some never came to my mind. I will say though I have had to pull a 10-Parrott out of mud in the rain in uniform, it's very enlightening, and immediately brought the Mud March to my mind. Unforgettable...

As for night fighting, that is very fun and I've done it. Extremely chaotic, confusing, downright scary even with blanks. Also, a dire warning or two: Beware of old wooden bridges with steep drops down, (Glad it didn't happen to me, but saw it and it was absolutely hilarious!), and Canadians with cap'n'ball revolvers after a few drinks and loaded it in the dark. I don't know what scared me more, dodging pieces of flying revolver, or him laughing his behind off.

In hindsight, I just reminded myself why so many folks don't do it. Still, everyone should do it at least once just for the thrill.

 

[Union_Buff]

Gettysburg: I would love to portray the 16th Maine's rearguard action in the town, allowing the Union time to pull back and regroup at Cemetery Ridge on July 1.

The Wilderness: Full on fighting in the forest, being unable to see your enemies and dealing with who knows what in regards to vegetation is definitely one of my scenarios that ticks all the boxes.

Petersburg: Fighting and living in replica trenches, proto-World War I, is another scenario that I would definitely be keen for.

 

[Bonny Blue Flag]

These are exciting scenarios, Rusk! Have never done a nighttime reenactment, would be fantastic to have that on my reenactment resume'!

For a good-sized representation in a reenactment, an anniversary date of said battle would probably be better attended.

--BBF

 

[WScott]

I like the Gettysburg and Petersburg re-enactments with lots of soldiers, open space and fortifications. The Wilderness would be great for the re-enactors but I don't think the spectators would see much. One I'ld like has to be an Antietam themed event with the Bloody Land and Burnside Bridge as key engagements. The Monitor and Merrimack could be a fun spectator engagement and might even be something for the Navy boys.

 

[3rd North Carolina]

Now I have done an event when it was snowing and cold it was pretty neat just huddle around the camp fire all night. but the most i would want to see is trenches being made and fighting from them or like a fight across water when where you need to build a bridge.

 

[Dan Kohli]

The Liberty Rifles are doing a Petersburg reenactment. It sounds pretty neat.

Petersburg: June 1864 — The Liberty Rifles

www.libertyrifles.org

 

[Lincoln56]

One of my favorite things we did at an event was building a "Winter Quarters" encampment. A week before the event we went to the site and built the huts from scratch using wood & mud caulking, and used our shelter halves for the roofing. Used period style nails from a sutler when necessary. Some built wood & mud caulked chimneys though no fires were lit in them. Had double bunks built with wood framing and rope 'weaving' to support the person.

Had about a half dozen huts built in this fashion; as you can imagine it really added a quality touch to the immersive experience and those visiting on the day of the event thought it was pretty impressive.

 

[turner ashby kidd]

In reading this thread I feel very lucky to have experienced these conditions during my reenactment days. Most of them were at Tacticals (war games) not open to the public.
Snow, mud, night fighting, forest fighting, 100+ degree heat.
Mud I was at the Shiloh/Mudloh event but Belmont, Missouri takes the cake. That Gumbo mud is like nothing I ever seen. Little clumps stuck to my boots for years.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

These are exciting scenarios, Rusk! Have never done a nighttime reenactment, would be fantastic to have that on my reenactment resume'!

For a good-sized representation in a reenactment, an anniversary date of said battle would probably be better attended.

--BBF

Head on over to Pleasant Hill, Louisiana that's where I done 'em at. Though I've no idea if its still done, I got fed up with mismanagement of that event back in 2015 and ain't been back since. They may have stopped them, the fights were over some of the roughest terrain in all Louisiana out in the woods and if I remember right, more than a few incidents warranted an ambulance.

Plus some jacka** liked to come out every now and then with a Mini-14 loaded with blanks firing everywhere and that kind of takes away the CW feel. Also, kind of extremely unsafe as a live round in that is easier to mix up with blanks.

It is fun doing a night tactical, be in a skirmish line in pitch black easing forward as quietly as possible in the woods, uphill quietly climbing embankments in brogans, (near impossible feat!), be thinking somewhere in the darkness in front of you on that hill is the enemy, then BOOM! A volley opening up out of the darkness on your flank and rear!

Easy way to get killed or worse, but incredibly fun! I miss them, but the danger and confusion is a real eye-opener on those type of fights back in the War.

 

[Library Lady]

Has anyone ever done The Crater? Just curious. I don't reenact. I can't afford it, and I couldn't get period correct glasses I could actually see out of if I could. I see the appeal of most of the scenarios, but The Crater (or constructing and blowing a smaller mine) is missing.

 

[PrivateBrooke]

All those sound great, some never came to my mind. I will say though I have had to pull a 10-Parrott out of mud in the rain in uniform, it's very enlightening, and immediately brought the Mud March to my mind. Unforgettable...

As for night fighting, that is very fun and I've done it. Extremely chaotic, confusing, downright scary even with blanks. Also, a dire warning or two: Beware of old wooden bridges with steep drops down, (Glad it didn't happen to me, but saw it and it was absolutely hilarious!), and Canadians with cap'n'ball revolvers after a few drinks and loaded it in the dark. I don't know what scared me more, dodging pieces of flying revolver, or him laughing his behind off.

In hindsight, I just reminded myself why so many folks don't do it. Still, everyone should do it at least once just for the thrill.

I am absolutely certain I'd do that one once and then never want to do it again. lol

Closest I've gotten was at an event early this season, we had some shenanigans in camp. Started off with just taking prisoners, apparently, then pistols got involved, followed by muskets, and then a gatling gun....so if the Walkersville Train Raid is cancelled next year, we know why.(Camp was in a community park and this happened at around 11pm on a Saturday)

 

[Dan Kohli]

Honestly it would be neat to recreate the fight in chapter 22 of The Story of A Common Solder. With the railroad/train and engineers .

 

[DixieRifles]

My dream scenario would be a nice size battle where they take casualties. Not a large group; maybe 200 per side. Just to see more of the confusion and results of close combat with volley firing.

The other would be a similar size showing how they maneuvered in battle. Typically once the sides engage you don't want to change formation but there were examples where it was required. Example: 20th Maine at LRT.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

My dream scenario would be a nice size battle where they take casualties. Not a large group; maybe 200 per side. Just to see more of the confusion and results of close combat with volley firing.

Yeah, probably never happen. Too many reenactors want to have fun before they drop.

Closest to it I ever saw my company took the accurate number of casualties one year at the 145th Pleasant Hill, without informing our Captain who was took by surprise and chewed everyone out in camp:

I was not a part of it, as I was already "dead" shot by my 1st Sergeant. In the morning we had fought at Mansfield where I got my glasses broke and was having headaches due to all the blurryness for so long and not being used to it, and I was told I couldn't sit the battle out by the powers that be. So, the Sgt. and I decided on doing what was a VERY fun deal at all previous events, and I deserted only to be shot for running in the face of the enemy. (I know, hokey, Hollywood-esqe idea of how such things happened, but I was young.).

However, that particular stunt was nixed and never done again, because of all the furious, and if I may say so idiotically uneducated, buffoons throwing fits and threatening an a**-whooping of my teenage self, because I did in Confederate uniform. All the previous times it just happened I was in blue, but that time I was in butternut, and the imbeciles who believe no Confederate ever ran or deserted run the show out here. Downright ridiculous how much bs I endured, and it halfway ruined the anniversary for me.

 

[History hoarder63]

Has anyone ever done The Crater? Just curious. I don't reenact. I can't afford it, and I couldn't get period correct glasses I could actually see out of if I could. I see the appeal of most of the scenarios, but The Crater (or constructing and blowing a smaller mine) is missing.

There was a reenactment of "The Crater" during the 125th. The event was actually held on the battlefield of Savage Station east of Richmond. They constructed about 1/4 mile of entrenchments and blew a pretty decent explosion for the mine scenario. On the last day of the event we all took part in escorting the remains of a Confederate soldier who had been unearthed during the digging of the entrenchments. An honor guard marched him up the dirt road to a waiting hearse which took his remains to Hollywood Cemetery for reinterment. It was quite an event and one I'll never forget.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

There was a reenactment of "The Crater" during the 125th. The event was actually held on the battlefield of Savage Station east of Richmond. They constructed about 1/4 mile of entrenchments and blew a pretty decent explosion for the mine scenario. On the last day of the event we all took part in escorting the remains of a Confederate soldier who had been unearthed during the digging of the entrenchments. An honor guard marched him up the dirt road to a waiting hearse which took his remains to Hollywood Cemetery for reinterment. It was quite an event and one I'll never forget.

Stop me if I'm wrong, but isn't that the event filmed for this documentary?

I had thought they just filmed an explosion on some job site, had no idea it was a reenactment! Also, I've never heard of these remains being dug up. Sounds like it was a once in a lifetime event.

 

[History hoarder63]

Stop me if I'm wrong, but isn't that the event filmed for this documentary?

I had thought they just filmed an explosion on some job site, had no idea it was a reenactment! Also, I've never heard of these remains being dug up. Sounds like it was a once in a lifetime

I believe you are correct.

 

[PrivateBrooke]

Yeah, probably never happen. Too many reenactors want to have fun before they drop.

Closest to it I ever saw my company took the accurate number of casualties one year at the 145th Pleasant Hill, without informing our Captain who was took by surprise and chewed everyone out in camp:

I was not a part of it, as I was already "dead" shot by my 1st Sergeant. In the morning we had fought at Mansfield where I got my glasses broke and was having headaches due to all the blurryness for so long and not being used to it, and I was told I couldn't sit the battle out by the powers that be. So, the Sgt. and I decided on doing what was a VERY fun deal at all previous events, and I deserted only to be shot for running in the face of the enemy. (I know, hokey, Hollywood-esqe idea of how such things happened, but I was young.).

However, that particular stunt was nixed and never done again, because of all the furious, and if I may say so idiotically uneducated, buffoons throwing fits and threatening an a**-whooping of my teenage self, because I did in Confederate uniform. All the previous times it just happened I was in blue, but that time I was in butternut, and the imbeciles who believe no Confederate ever ran or deserted run the show out here. Downright ridiculous how much bs I endured, and it halfway ruined the anniversary for me.

Yankees actually elevating their fire?! That never happens up here.