Say What Special: Reenacting

[7thWisconsin]

I've never been involved in re-enactments but I guess it must be a very expensive hobby. Somebody mentioned in an earlier post about the 'authentic community'. It wasn't until I became a member of CWT that I'd even heard of the word 'Farb', It could be that CW reenactors are their own worst enemy, wouldn't it be better to have a large groups of enthusiasts that haven't quite got it right over a much smaller group that have got everything spot on. I've been to a few re-enactments and the most impressive ones that I've attended have had large numbers.

As a spectator I couldn't give a toss if you have or haven't got period glasses or that your buttons aren't entirely accurate, what kind of person would I be if I went around criticising someone who'd given up their free time to entertain and inform me. I reckon a more relaxed attitude towards those newbies that are just starting out would go a long way in encouraging youngsters to give re-enacting a try.

I know from reading many of the re-enactment threads here on CWT that there are some excellent folk out there, they encourage and support new members, I've read of people lending equipment and offering guidance on how to get a more authentic period look, surely that's the key to success especially if you want to see the numbers grow.

There has to be an accepted baseline of safety and authenticity or the hobby devolves into goofy gunfights and loosely historically themed camping. That baseline isn't that difficult to attain, and every good reenactor should have patience with newcomers. I believe in standards that are well published and adhered to. Events or groups that want to reenact at a higher than average standard are doing so knowing the trade off us that they will have fewer bodies, although the high end of the hobby does indeed attract new reenactors who are looking and able to jump in at that level. I also feel that the only impression I have 100% control over is my own, so I don't go to events looking for the shortcomings of other people's impressions.

 

[Western Reserve Volunteer]

I will personally never understand the dislike of spectators among the reenactment community... but I'm slight biased in as much as I am a living historian so educating the public is basically my work. I personally think we do kinda focus too much on trying to recreate specific battles where we'd be better served trying to reenact generic scenarios (escorting the supply train, winter camp, guarding a bridge, ect.). That way we'd avoid the problem of having slightly silly recreations of battles that never happened here... though if we look at the thing like a play, rather than getting too wrapped up in our own self seriousness for a second perhaps that's not so bad.

I do think that we as a hobby need to have more events that aren't concerned quite so much about spectators: "by us for us" need not be a super Authentic exclusive thing. In almost any other hobby it's the norm, I certainly don't go to many Conventions that aren't put on by and for fans! Once COVID is no longer a pandemic, it'd be nice to see more local events, opportunities for units to have meetings and drill or just chill with one another on a regular basis, akin to the weekly club meetings in the SCA. After all of you are going to do Civil War stuff and spend a lot of money on it, you might as well get the most out of it!

 

[James N.]

I've never been involved in re-enactments but I guess it must be a very expensive hobby. Somebody mentioned in an earlier post about the 'authentic community'. It wasn't until I became a member of CWT that I'd even heard of the word 'Farb', It could be that CW reenactors are their own worst enemy, wouldn't it be better to have a large groups of enthusiasts that haven't quite got it right over a much smaller group that have got everything spot on. I've been to a few re-enactments and the most impressive ones that I've attended have had large numbers...

You will be interested to know - if you don't already - that the word allegedly stems from the American Revolution Bicentennial in the 1970's and supposedly is an acronym for Fairly Authentic Resembling British. This was supposedly how listings appeared in reenactor publications at the time, when event organizers were searching high and low for someone - anyone! - to portray the "bad guys" at local events in out-of-the-way places like North and South Carolina, Georgia, etc.

 

[captaindrew]

I will personally never understand the dislike of spectators among the reenactment community... but I'm slight biased in as much as I am a living historian so educating the public is basically my work. I personally think we do kinda focus too much on trying to recreate specific battles where we'd be better served trying to reenact generic scenarios (escorting the supply train, winter camp, guarding a bridge, ect.). That way we'd avoid the problem of having slightly silly recreations of battles that never happened here... though if we look at the thing like a play, rather than getting too wrapped up in our own self seriousness for a second perhaps that's not so bad.

I do think that we as a hobby need to have more events that aren't concerned quite so much about spectators: "by us for us" need not be a super Authentic exclusive thing. In almost any other hobby it's the norm, I certainly don't go to many Conventions that aren't put on by and for fans! Once COVID is no longer a pandemic, it'd be nice to see more local events, opportunities for units to have meetings and drill or just chill with one another on a regular basis, akin to the weekly club meetings in the SCA. After all of you are going to do Civil War stuff and spend a lot of money on it, you might as well get the most out of it!

All those things you mentioned are being done, if it's not in your area try to introduce a few of them. One of the units I'm involved in in leau of all the cancellations have been meeting once a month on private property for camping and drill weekends. I attended one a couple weeks ago and had a great time and had several very productive drills.

 

[Waterloo50]

You will be interested to know - if you don't already - that the word allegedly stems from the American Revolution Bicentennial in the 1970's and supposedly is an acronym for Fairly Authentic Resembling British. This was supposedly how listings appeared in reenactor publications at the time, when event organizers were searching high and low for someone - anyone! - to portray the "bad guys" at local events in out-of-the-way places like North and South Carolina, Georgia, etc.

Thanks for explaining that, you've no idea how much I'd like to play the part of a British bad guy, someone like Col William Tavington would be great fun. I'd love to strut around and sneer at American spectators, authentic British accent just to top it all off.

 

[Phil McBride]

I might glance at the crowds, but like someone else said, I zone them out and focus on the enemy across the field and listening to my officers and NCO's and going through the process of loading and firing. Having said that, the smaller immersive, non-spectator events can offer even more 'magic moments' of losing ones's self for a few seconds. After over a hundred reenactments, the one time that most stands out in my mind was in 2012 at Maryland My Maryland when we were the 1st Texas in the Cornfield at Antietam. Tall corn all around, heavy pall of smoke making any visibility very difficult, being part of the color guard along with my real son. We were pre-scripted to take hits and pass the colors several times as happened in the real battle. My son went down, I took the flag from him, then after a moment I took a hit and another man grabbed the flag. The forward edge of the fight in the cornnfield flowed beyond me, so I limped around for my son and calling his name. It was frightening even though I knew I was only reenacting. Finding him after several minutes was, well, it was special.

 

[Friction Primer]

It is a shame. I myself late in life wanted to get involved. To old for infantry etc. Do I thought about being a Chaplain, but was told my glasses would have to be replaced or wear contacts.. new "Proper" eye wear would have cost me close to $1,000. Then the cost of authentic civilian clothing was again not cheap. So I decided to just follow as I could and take photos.

There is an *unused* scene, published on YouTube, from the movie, Gettysburg, where General Reynolds asks one of his aids how he can see thru a dirty pair of glasses. The man is then shown spitting on them and wiping them on his coat. My point being: even though this scene was cut, it showed that some solders wore glasses. So why do you suppose the strict rule against wearing glasses in reenacting?

 

[7thWisconsin]

There is an *unused* scene, published on YouTube, from the movie, Gettysburg, where General Reynolds asks one of his aids how he can see thru a dirty pair of glasses. The man is then shown spitting on them and wiping them on his coat. My point being: even though this scene was cut, it showed that some solders wore glasses. So why do you suppose the strict rule against wearing glasses in reenacting?

There is no rule against glasses; it's non-period frames which are frowned upon. You could make an analogy for every piece of clothing or kit.. My New Balances are better for my feet and more comfortable, and they had shoes back then, so they must be OK, right?

 

[JKT]

Faulkner's words ring true for me because on my 1st trip to Gettysburg 40+ years ago, I can remember the profound experience of walking up ftt try on Seminary Ridge towards the "copse" of trees to Cemetery Hill..completing my Alabama teenage "Lost Cause" dream. Eight years later returned for the re-enactments of 125th Anniversary. Finally returned with my son & a Virginia buddy about 8 years ago to spend more time with July 2nd's locations Little Round Top, Peach Orchard & Little Round Top, and where Chamberlain's 20th Maine bayonet charge halted the 15th Alabama....and South's loss was sealed. But still a big fan of Longstreet, much to the chagrin of my Virginia friend!

 

[Noonanda]

There is an *unused* scene, published on YouTube, from the movie, Gettysburg, where General Reynolds asks one of his aids how he can see thru a dirty pair of glasses. The man is then shown spitting on them and wiping them on his coat. My point being: even though this scene was cut, it showed that some solders wore glasses. So why do you suppose the strict rule against wearing glasses in reenacting?

That Aid is Ken Burns who produced the Civil War on PBS

 

[James N.]

That Aid is Ken Burns who produced the Civil War on PBS

I know Burns is one of Hancock's aides at the Angle telling him not to made his ride along the line during the cannonade, so I wonder if that's really him with Reynolds?

 

[Mrs. V]

Most of what my son has in terms of kit have been bought used. No issue with that as far as I can see. And he has slowly built up what he has. I'm lucky in that I sew, and have made my own dressses. And most of the underpinnings..corset making still scares me..but I will get to it!

As far as newbies go? For heaven sake be nice. I had a woman that I had never met walk up to me and say, "Let me tell you what is wrong with your dress"...It made me incredibly angry, not just the rudeness, but the fact that she was wrong about the fabric and color..linen, blue..There are examples in the Met for petes sake! Oh well. I wander around and sing to the soldiers...I do have a display and table. I need to think about a canopy..

 

[captaindrew]

Most of what my son has in terms of kit have been bought used. No issue with that as far as I can see. And he has slowly built up what he has. I'm lucky in that I sew, and have made my own dressses. And most of the underpinnings..corset making still scares me..but I will get to it!

As far as newbies go? For heaven sake be nice. I had a woman that I had never met walk up to me and say, "Let me tell you what is wrong with your dress"...It made me incredibly angry, not just the rudeness, but the fact that she was wrong about the fabric and color..linen, blue..There are examples in the Met for petes sake! Oh well. I wander around and sing to the soldiers...I do have a display and table. I need to think about a canopy..

The women are worse than the men I think. A woman whom my other half had never met came up to her and did the same thing. Well she picked the wrong girl to poke at, my honey takes no BS from anyone. We sat back and watched the show, think that woman will think twice about picking on anyone again. Unfortunately there's always one no matter what you're doing.

 

[7thWisconsin]

My wife stopped reenacting with me for a long while, in part because of the way the other women acted. That's just terrible etiquette! My wife went to a vendor once and said "Look, I know my dress isn't right. What can I do to fix it?" The lady whipped out her documentation binder, helped her find some things that would improve her impression and an hour later they parted company happily. That's how it's supposed to work!

 

[Mrs. V]

My wife stopped reenacting with me for a long while, in part because of the way the other women acted. That's just terrible etiquette! My wife went to a vendor once and said "Look, I know my dress isn't right. What can I do to fix it?" The lady whipped out her documentation binder, helped her find some things that would improve her impression and an hour later they parted company happily. That's how it's supposed to work!

I had a vendor compliment my lavender summer sheer, she loved the fabric and the petticoat that showed..I took a dust ruffle that had battenburg lace on the edges..anyway, she told me to pull the waistline up, as well as gathering the bodice closer..and to fix where the sleeve is inserted at the top..I told her I made it according to the pattern..and she said, yeah..she was familiar with it, and it's an error..I still haven't fixed the sleeve inset..that's next. Waist now sits where it should. Oh, and she said she was planning on using my dust ruffle idea!

 

[7thWisconsin]

Period sewing techniques are very very hard, and very foreign from the way our clothes are made now. Even people who sew run into difficult techniques that are uncommon for us. Many years ago, there were no "patterns" per se, just written instructions and diagrams how to measure to fit the description. Real seamstressing. There are many patterns out now that will get you close, certainly closer than the Bicentennial patterns Simplicity was selling when I started, but sometimes, those patterns are just "close." I'm not an expert on women's fashion, and I have let my daughters buy stuff that turned out to be wrong because I can't say "no", but seriously, I would never take it upon myself to confront someone who is not my close friend, or in my unit, about their impression. (Even a close friend I would approach privately and a unit member I'd talk with the authenticity officer before I raised serious concerns.)

 

[Mrs. V]

Period sewing techniques are very very hard, and very foreign from the way our clothes are made now. Even people who sew run into difficult techniques that are uncommon for us. Many years ago, there were no "patterns" per se, just written instructions and diagrams how to measure to fit the description. Real seamstressing. There are many patterns out now that will get you close, certainly closer than the Bicentennial patterns Simplicity was selling when I started, but sometimes, those patterns are just "close." I'm not an expert on women's fashion, and I have let my daughters buy stuff that turned out to be wrong because I can't say "no", but seriously, I would never take it upon myself to confront someone who is not my close friend, or in my unit, about their impression. (Even a close friend I would approach privately and a unit member I'd talk with the authenticity officer before I raised serious concerns.)

When I made my first dress, it was from a pattern made by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Good thing no one told me that it was beyond my sewing capacity! I just kept plugging away, looked at other similiar garments...I made mistakes, but that's ok. It's a lovely dress.

 

[7thWisconsin]

As I said, I'm not qualified to hold forth on women's fashion but that dress certainly passes muster for me. Seams look like they're all in the right place. Color looks fine. Those of us who have been reenacting since the 70s will, sometimes grudgingly, admit that we've all been farbs at one time early on, and then finances and resources and better reproductions made better impressions possible. Sometimes reenactors forget that others are starting, and are simply not at the same place. Stan Lee used to say "every comic is someone's first" so the story had to be accessable to that person. I paraphrase that to "every event is someone's first," so while we need to publish and uphold baseline standards of clothing authenticity, we need to remember a sense of grace for the reenactor who is stepping out for the first time or first season.

 

[Noonanda]

I know Burns is one of Hancock's aides at the Angle telling him not to made his ride along the line during the cannonade, so I wonder if that's really him with Reynolds?

You know I think I mixed them up, but IIRC I had been told Ken burns was with Reynolds

 

[Story]

What does it feel like for you?​

Empathy (noun): the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.
Merriam Webster Dictionary.

Sweat. Chaos. Smells. Sounds. Adrenaline.

No gaping wounds from shell fragments or Minie balls, no dysentery or lethal diseases. Knowing you're going home soonish.​