Impressions Starting a General Hancock impression

[Belfoured]

I must agree ( sort of) .A lot of the impressions are done by people who are too old, too young, too short, too tall,too fat,too thin etc.Ego probably gets in the way of reality but before you go make a fool of yourself at a reenactment get an opinion or two. It's almost embarrassing to have a bad impression.

A great point - amply illustrated in that Maxwell/Turner Gettysburg movie. Let's just say that Hancock was not an annoying, supercilious pipsqueak.

 

[Cavalier]

@Library Lady Thanks very much for your advice in post #17 above. I.learned a lot already.

John

 

[Capt7thWvCoA]

I must agree ( sort of) .A lot of the impressions are done by people who are too old, too young, too short, too tall,too fat,too thin etc.Ego probably gets in the way of reality but before you go make a fool of yourself at a reenactment get an opinion or two. It's almost embarrassing to have a bad impression done at "your" reenactment.

I know what you mean . I used to be with a group that portrayed Longstreet ans his staff. They where a egotistical mess.

 

[Jim Heen]

Harry Pfanz in Gettysburg - The Second Day quotes Col. Theodore Lyman as describing Hancock as "a tall soldierly man, with light-brown hair and a military heavy jaw...who always wears a clean white shirt (where he get them, nobody knows)...a very great vehement talker but always saying something worth hearing." (Pfanz, p. 38)

In a December 1868 letter to artist Peter Rothermel, Hancock said he wore at Gettysburg a black slouch hat, stiff enough for the brim and crown to hold their shapes, an officer's undress uniform coat buttoned at the top and open at the waist, a sword belt under the coat, and a staff officer's sword. Neither he nor other officers wore sashes. (Pfanz - p. 272, n.11)

Also, below is a toy soldier Hancock during Pickett's Charge that I'm sure is accurate in all particulars.

 

[Capt7thWvCoA]

I appreciate the advice all of you all are giving me. I hope I'm able to do justice to portraying him accurately

 

[Pollaco]

I would say walk with a limp. Remember the nail in the thigh.

From what I recall he pulled out that nail himself and made a remark about "the rebel being so low on ammunition they had to resort to nails" or something similar. And that wound to the right thigh later reopened and he had to relinquish command later on. So I imagine the limp was prominent.

 

[7thWisconsin]

@gc45 Well they swore. But I have been trying to find out just what form their swearing took myself. With no luck. I have assumed it would be very different than ours is, but that's just an opinion. I know a couple of phrases that I can't repeat here of course, but for instances, was the f bomb common then? I don't know, but I'd love to find out.

John

They swore differently than we do. Much of their swearing tipped its hat to its religious background: hell, ****, damned, be damed, G-d d--ned, Christ Almighty, etc. Lower class people swore more like modern Americans with sexual and scatalogical references: sh-t, the f-bomb etc. The most popular curse of the time was ¨son of a b--ch¨ which could be used both as an exclamation and as an insult. I would venture that Hancock´s swearing was mostly of the former sort that I cited. I have read that he would hold his tongue in the presence of Father Corby, though.

 

[Cavalier]

@7thWisconsin I had read that "not worth a pinch of s---" was popular. I read some interesting stuff by looking on the Google as @Library Lady advised too. I hadn't heard that about Hancock and Corby. So ole Winnie had some class I guess. Thank you for the information.

John

 

[WSHancock]

Bruce Stocking , who in his younger years, portrayed Hancock ,was the perfect Hancock. He did massive research about his uniform dress and everything about his life. Dale Gallon did a fine pencil print of Hancock and, Bruce looked exactly like this print. He is in charge of the Hancock Society in Norristown, Pa. That is where the General is buried and was his hometown. Maybe you could contact them for suggestions.

 

[RoBert "Bert" Hile]

John, an impression should have the lingo down somewhat, and slang terms like Rip Raps, and other words. But if you read the diaries and journals, you will discover how these people talked and the words they use. In a number of Yankee Diaries and letters home they give descriptions of how some contraband got too close to camp and they josted them around a bit, sometimes breaking bones. Not racist much... And I am talking about Northern Units. South had its share, no one comes out clean on that. But you do have the Blacks in Southern Units, in First Texas a man signed up in Houston giving his place of birth as Shanghai China. The Mexicans in Texas units were not limited to just a few. Mexicans also were in the Federal's ranks, those enlisted at Brownsville in the late stages of the war. Let's not forget the Indians (no slander intended since I am part native) who also fought on both sides. The guy who wrote the surrender terms between Grant and Lee was a native.

But there have been a few who have said the North was against slavery but wanted the Black man gone. Orgen when it came into the Union during the war submitted a Constitution for Congressional approval and they would not allow anyone to sell land to a Black. That changed in 1920 but Oregon remains about 83% white. Learn that mankind isn't always good, and isn't always what they preach, and realize that if you want someone to fight for a cause, you have to paint a picture that isn't always nice about the other side. Oh, they are all racist in the South, and stupid, and they all married their sister. By the place of my birth, and the way I talk (Texas) I am dumb, stupid, red-neck, and married to a sister that was never in my family, and we fought for our "rits." So go JINE the Calavry and gona have a good time, good time. Don't take it so seriously. I have not found many who do. In many re-enactments the people don't get near enough to see if you have an Enfield, Springfield, Harpers Ferry but that you carry something that looks like a gun.

 

[Pollaco]

Kind of a demanding task. You need to be a gentleman yet be politcally incorrect at the same time.A "Cussing Cavalier" if you can imagine such a thing.

 

[Story]

Bruce Stocking , who in his younger years, portrayed Hancock ,was the perfect Hancock. He did massive research about his uniform dress and everything about his life. Dale Gallon did a fine pencil print of Hancock and, Bruce looked exactly like this print. He is in charge of the Hancock Society in Norristown, Pa. That is where the General is buried and was his hometown. Maybe you could contact them for suggestions.

From nearly a decade ago - https://www.timesherald.com/2013/05/27/hancock-society-observes-memorial-day-in-norristown/

Major General Winfred Scott Hancock - Civil War history, the history of America

The W. S. Hancock Society is dedicated to educating the public about the history and life of Major General Winfield Scott Hancock.

membrane.com

 

[Jim Heen]

Bruce Stocking , who in his younger years, portrayed Hancock ,was the perfect Hancock. He did massive research about his uniform dress and everything about his life. Dale Gallon did a fine pencil print of Hancock and, Bruce looked exactly like this print. He is in charge of the Hancock Society in Norristown, Pa. That is where the General is buried and was his hometown. Maybe you could contact them for suggestions.

I am a member of the Old Baldy Civil War Round Table. Every Memorial Day weekend, several from our Round Table go up for the wreath laying at Hancock's grave, Hartranft and others. Here is a photo from this year's Memorial Day ceremonies.

 

[Library Lady]

I was in my car on the way to work listening to the original cast recording of Big River, Roger Miller's Broadway musical based on Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. When this song came on, I immediately thought of this thread. You need to develop this level of fluency and flow with cuss words. Gee, I wonder if General Hancock could sing?

Guv'ment performed by John Goodman as Pap Finn. You may remember him as Dan Conner in the old Roseanne show.