I've just finished Hard Marching and I was reminded of a scene from 20th Maine where deserters were stood in front of their coffins and executed by firing squad. I understand the very real safety issues with attempting to recreate that sort of scene but is it ever done at events?

I've also been researching the Battle of Franklin and got to thinking about Sherman neckties. Again, I can easily imagine logistical issues but are those ever 'made' at events? "Bummers" perhaps?

Somthing that was very often written about and would not take any special setup is the fraternizing that took place between pickets. "Billy Yank, ya' gots any coffee?" "I sure do Johnny Reb, got any o' that good tobacci?"

For instance I know that games of Rounders are often organized. Any experience with any of these things or other, non-battle related things would be great to hear about.

Greetings Mel,
Coffee for tobacco - We did that at a living history event in Cincinnati with the 6th Ohio. It was fun and a chance for some good natured ribbing.

Rounders - We have games at events where appropriate. Lots of fun.(Again with the 6th Ohio) I am to old to play, so I keep score by striking my skillet with a spoon to "Gong" in a run.

Sherman's neckties -    Cost and logistics would be enormous.
                           But- one never knows.........

Ole Dan
     

Quote :

Private Glover wrote :  where deserters were stood in front of their coffins and executed by firing squad. got to thinking about Sherman neckties. Again, I can easily imagine logistical issues but are those ever 'made' at events? "Bummers" perhaps? fraternizing that took place between pickets. "Billy Yank, ya' gots any coffee?" "I sure do Johnny Reb, got any o' that good tobacci?" For instance I know that games of Rounders are often organized. Any experience with any of these things or other, non-battle related things would be great to hear about.

Mel,

It's tough to do a good firing squad scenario. Everybody in attendance, knows nobody is about to die. All you usually get is a lot of really bad acting. There was one event where they actually hung a guy. I understand they used a theatrical harness for the scenario. I'd be real careful about this one!

I have actually done a rail bending scenario. The problem today is finding the light rails used during the period. We had a rail on a huge bonfire almost all day. When it was time to bend the rail, we put about twenty men on each end, and the best we could do was bend the rail into a "U" shape. We did manage to catch the telephone pole, were using to bend the rail, on fire!

Fraternizing with the enemy is often part of CPX events. Doesn't work so well at Mainstream events; where most of the fraternizing takes place on Sutler Row or the Saturday night dance.

My home unit will often organize baseball games at events. I doubt we are very authentic, but we have fun. There are period baseball teams, out there, who take their hobby as seriously as we do. If you wanted to put on an authentic game, I'm sure these guys could help.

I hopes this helps.    

Yes it does Bill.

I'd never thought about different thicknesses of rr track but a makeshift telegraph pole is what I had envisioned. With a mock execution there would have to be a LOT of safety checks in place, including rehearsal with all participants.

Quote :

Private Glover wrote : Yes it does Bill. I'd never thought about different thicknesses of rr track but a makeshift telegraph pole is what I had envisioned.

Mel,

Trust me, you'd need more than a makeshift telegraph pole to bend a railroad rail! The telephone pole, we used, was over a foot in diameter at the base. There's lots of issues. A 40' rail literally weighs a ton. Like I said, we had around forty guys to move it around. Not only are modern rails heavier, they are made of steel versus iron. I understand it's possible to find old rails on old abandoned sidings. If you could find one, that may work well.  

Back in the fall, Silas Tackitt coordinated a 'by the book' execution for desertion for the AOT, complete with firing squad, deserter, casket, open grave, and yes, the casket lowered into the grave and dirt going on top.  

The remaining crowd was hustled away as those shovels of dirt landed on the very much occupied casket, but still.........., well.....brrrrrr.   I can still hear the sound in those moments between wake and sleep.  

I think that would have to be very powerful. Wow.

Dan, can you tell me a bit about how you guys did the fraternizing? Was it planned or did it just happen?

  Hallo!

 Herr Glover...

 IMHO, things can depend upon the type of event one is at.
 In brief and to over-simplify-

 For example, at a more H/A type "immersion" event where 24 hour duty such as guard mount/relief and foward pickets/picket posts are part of the environment- it is easier to "trade."
 At a more F/M type event where everyone is in their camp, it can be harder because there is "nobody" out there to trade with.
That can be handled by the "firper" type experience of what some call "projection" where one "imagines" that there are enemy pickets out there that you cannot see and you call out trying to suggest a trade meeting (of course it is a mental exercise that some can pull off with projecting, while others doom it to failure as they already know and cannot get around the physical fact that there are no other folks out there to interact with.)

 For those types of events, if you have willing friends or pards (or even go up to some lads and suggest it), you can set something up so that there are "rebs and yanks" "out there" so there can be some interactions.

 But, IMHO, the "very best" is when it just "happens" or does not happen as part of being a guard or picket "out there."

 The highlight of a pard's CW reenacting experiences he says is at the Mule Shoe Salient earthworks at Spotsylvania 125 when we sent out pickets and impromptu, unrehearsed, unexpected "trading" just happened to happen with some Yanks during the night, out in the dark, away from we officers' eyes...

 Curt

That'd be pretty cool. Does the trading typically entail items traditionally used, e.g. coffee for tobacco? I'd think most reenactors already posses enough of those luxuries. I just can't see anyone drinking ersatz coffee unless forced by threat of violence, therefore, not needing to trade.

-Sunday morning knapsack inspection.
-Sunday morning church service.
-Camp visit from the Christian Commission
-Camp visit and inspection by the Sanitary Commission.
-You can run any camp at any event the way it was done in the CW. Bugle/drum calls, guards, fatigues and a bunch of folks doing what soldiers did on a daily basis; a whole lot of nothing.
-Boxing match. How about it Bill? We've seen it done. In 10 degree weather too.
-How about a talent show? Songs, plays, magic acts, dramatic poetry readings. The less you practice for the plays the funnier they are. I myself once played a drunk ghost. Really, it's true. Once you get folks involved, it's a hoot.
-A properly constructed sink will get a lot of gawkers, used or unused. Don't forget the chocolate pudding "decoration."
-Surgeons call for the administering of an anti-scorbutic(prevents scurvy)(apple cider vinegar). Oh yea, that's fun. Line up the company and watch the faces, before, during and after!

(mail calls and muster/pay have been done to death.)

  Hallo!

 "Does the trading typically entail items traditionally used, e.g. coffee for tobacco?"

  IMHO, yes, if Period Context is being used.

  Sometimes, part of the experience is not so much the items traded, but the "negotiation" as to what I have and what you have, that we may come to an agreement on as being worth trading.
  Some items we have traded with the Yanks were:

1.  Coffee beans for tobacco
2.  Newspapers for tobacco
3.  Sugar for tobacco
4.  Salt for tobacco
5.  Hard tack for tobacco
6.  Matches for tobacco
7.  A mix of fresh food items (fruits and vegetables in season)and ration items such as ground flour or corn meal for "something" tastier or more important less boringly monotonous
8.  Or mix and match 1-7 such as say sugar for a more current newspaper
9.  Or think outside of the box if possible, say a smoking pipe for a pair of knit socks.

 IMHO, the key is not so much having a specific something to trade for a specific something, but rather the "discovery" of who has what and who values what in exchange- and the negotiations to put together a "deal."
 Meaning..  "I've got a widget here!  Whatalya give me fer it?"

 Curt

Awesome Curt, thanks.

During the Winter '64 Event, I became a Confederate for one night. We were picketed on one side of a frozen stream and there were Federals on the other side of the stream. The Yank across the stream from my post was nothing more than a shadow. We started talking about basic stuff. I think both of us were just making things up to talk about, as we went along. To this day, I have no idea who I was talking to. I hope he had as much fun as I did.

Most of us on that side of the stream were pretty occupied with a "half wit" and his brother, lookin' fer his hat. "Crunch, crunch, crunch, CRRRAAACK! spalsh! AWWWWW SH-------T!" "Capn", I think the half wit just went through the ice." Now that was funny.

  Hallo!

 IMHO...

 It just goes to show that even with nothing at all to trade, one can always still offer up camraderie, intereaction, entertianment, reputation, self-respect, and public image.
 And trade them in later for a pocketful of Tall Tales, Agreed Upon Lies, You Oughta Hear About's, Remember When's, How About's, and just plain ol' Warm Fuzzy's of What You Missed.

 ;)  

 Curt

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GrumpyDave wrote : " "Capn", I think the half wit just went through the ice." Now that was funny.

Grumpy,

Did Hank; err, I mean the half wit, see the humor in this situation? It was damn cold that night!  

The same half wit gave me one of the few totally period moments I've ever had. When our foraging party took their food, I got really upset at my Officer's and NCO's treatment of the poor guy. I finally yelled out from the ranks, "For God's sake, we've taken their food, can't we just leave now". It was no act, I was truly pi$$ed.    

--Last edited by Bill on 2009-02-22 12:59:14 --

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Bill wrote :   Did Hank; err, I mean the half wit, see the humor in this situation? It was damn cold that night!

I thought it was hilarious. Because it was Noah who fell through the ice, not me.    I did slip and fall on the ice up by the house, though, and dropped my lantern. When I returned it to the fellow I borrowed it from as we were being shuttled back to camp so we could beat you-all there, I showed him where I'd dented it and apologized profusely. He laughed and said it had always had that dent in it. What a waste of honesty!

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net  

--Last edited by hanktrent on 2009-02-22 18:20:55 --

Hank, you did the right thing.  Honesty is never wasted.