Remeember that company commander at Shippensburg calling for "double loads?"

The tins are there for a reason. Didn't help the New Hampshire boys in the Peach Orchard at Gettysburg much though.

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GrumpyDave wrote : Remeember that company commander at Shippensburg calling for "double loads?"

Man,

You guys really are going to the wrong events; or, with the wrong people!  

Bill, you ever fired a double load?

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Ken Cornett wrote : Bill, you ever fired a double load?

Ken,

Sure, but not since I was about twenty-five!    

Oh, you were talking about reenacting! Yeah, I have by mistake, but I have never been ordered to fire double loads.  

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Ken Cornett wrote : Bill, you ever fired a double load?

Ken

I know that question was directed to Bill, but it is a good question.  I have fired one on purpose to know what it is like.  I also have fired one on accident ( didn't realize I didn't go off and reloaded.)

But now as a Sgt in my company I try to be careful to watch to see who goes off and who doesn't and if someone doesn't I have them try another cap before putting another load in.  If it doesn't go off again, we pull them from the line and check the weapon.

I know who the batallion was but I have no idea who the company commanders were. Charles and I fell in with these folks as Confederates at Shippensburg, I guess it was 2 summers ago now. I did so enjoy the downtown trick-or-treat they had for us. The all you can eat pancake breakfast the event organizers put on was first rate. I did all in all, meet some really nice people. I found out that "Rebel Yell" would make a better paint remover than a burbon like adult beverage. Julio the photographer guy took some photo's of Charles and I sitting under a tree but, I've never been able to find them on his website. I'd like to get copies. Any suggestions? There was one thing that happened at that event I'll never forget. One of the folks we wer falling in with told me we "Really looked like Confederate Soldiers, he had never seen anything like it." I'm sorta' proud of that.

"What's that!?" "What, you never had Saratoga Fries?"

Grumpy,

I do believe Bill is surprised we take in a wide variety of events. Shippensburg allowed an excellent opportunity to "recalibrate the meter."  The amphibious assault at the end was a hoot.  To this day, I've yet to find a copy of the CCG with the event article, but it is out there in reenactorland somewhere.

I remember we smelled so bad we moved people at the dance at the car dealership. Heheheh.  

It would seem those fancily dressed folks had an aversion to the smell of wet sheep.

how about artillery 'batterys' that "load by detail" "prepare toooo prepare!" "proceed' 'reseed' whos got tha seed?? dry sponge! "prepare to proceed to prepare!!"  If these men worked a gun that way in actual CW combat they'd be wiped out!
there were drills that taught men their positions and then there was combat but I suppose reading Barry French and Hunt, or knowing which gun is in position #1 is askin way too much

Gary Mitchell
1st Stuart horse artillery

How about the Confederate Soldier with the "Green Leprechaun Hat at Chickamauga 99'...LOL

Speaking about the '99 Chickamauga event, I've seen a photograph of a Federal reenactor at that event with a small German flag (red black yellow tricolors) on his bayonet. I haven't a clue as to why this was carried onto the field.

Roy Queen

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Roy wrote : Speaking about the '99 Chickamauga event, I've seen a photograph of a Federal reenactor at that event with a small German flag (red black yellow tricolors) on his bayonet. I haven't a clue as to why this was carried onto the field. Roy Queen

Probably a Guidon flag for the 32nd IN...they were of 'German' descent and used the Prussian Army bugle calls from the 1847 Exerzier Reglement (that's the Fact, Jack).  Wasn't Don Heitman there with his Indiana 'brigade'? probably not, but if a unit were going to portray a unit that carried the 'Dutch' colors as a guidon then that's what I would have done....

Could have been the 9th Ohio -- Freiheit und Einheit!

Both the 9th and the 32nd IN were raised by August Willich, the highest ranking communist in the history of the U. S. Army -- unless, of course, you believe Joe McCarthy...

Here is a request for assistance that might not be a reeactorism.  It is more of a "spectatorism."  Our mainstream unit does a right good job on the materials and methods sides of the hobby.  It appears we do have the beginnings of what I hope does not develop into a trend.  Here are all of the reenactors whose appearance is one heck of lot better than what you would expect for a mainstream unit.  B U T, scattered around among them are mamas, papas, girlfriends, friends, and other assorted people who take up residence in the camp for the duration of daylight hours and well on into the night.  These fine people make not the first iota of an attempt to appear period correct.  Some of these bring dogs on retractable leashes.  Those retractable leashes will stretch from daylight to dark.  

I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.  Howsomever, this situation occurs with such frequency it has gotten to be predictable.  Is it possible to remain tactful, pleasant, and non-confrontational, but simultaneously address this situation?

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Curtis Makamson wrote : .  Here are all of the reenactors whose appearance is one heck of lot better than what you would expect for a mainstream unit.  B U T, scattered around among them are mamas, papas, girlfriends, friends, and other assorted people who take up residence in the camp for the duration of daylight hours and well on into the night.  These fine people make not the first iota of an attempt to appear period correct.   I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.  Howsomever, this situation occurs with such frequency it has gotten to be predictable.  Is it possible to remain tactful, pleasant, and non-confrontational, but simultaneously address this situation?

Curtis,

We have the same exact situation. As long as the modern dressed family members are in camp during spectator hours there isn't much you can say, especially if they paid the spectator fee to get into the event. To make the situation particularly sensitive, these folks are usually the significaent others of the young men we are trying very hard to recruit into the Hobby.

We do our best to try to talk these folks into dressing up, for at least a day, just to try it. We have a good number of families who participate, so coming up with civilian loaner gear is no problem. We usually get the old, next event, next year, excuses.  

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Bill wrote :   Curtis, We have the same exact situation. As long as the modern dressed family members are in camp during spectator hours there isn't much you can say, especially if they paid the spectator fee to get into the event. To make the situation particularly sensitive, these folks are usually the significaent others of the young men we are trying very hard to recruit into the Hobby. We do our best to try to talk these folks into dressing up, for at least a day, just to try it. We have a good number of families who participate, so coming up with civilian loaner gear is no problem. We usually get the old, next event, next year, excuses.

We have a similiar issue at times.  I think the way we have addressed it, is during spectator hours there isn't much can be done.  They are spectators, but the nice thing is some bring cameras to catch photos that we might not have gotten.  Once the camp closes, it is time for them to say their farewells and head on off.  

You can ask them nicely not to setup their cooler and modern camp chair near the fires so that the boys can get in and do their cooking.  But like Bill said during the actual day there isn't much that can be done.

Can't offer any solution, but maybe I can bring up a different way of looking at the situation that might spark someone else into thinking of a solution.

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Curtis Makamson wrote :  B U T, scattered around among them are mamas, papas, girlfriends, friends, and other assorted people who take up residence in the camp for the duration of daylight hours and well on into the night.  These fine people make not the first iota of an attempt to appear period correct.

So I'm picturing a camp of "Civil War soldiers," and, intermingling with them, "modern spectators." As others have noted, the modern-dressed hangers-on are really no different from any other modern-dressed spectators, unless there's some rule that modern spectators aren't allowed after certain hours, in which case the night-time half of the issue can be solved by merely enforcing the rule.

But during spectator hours, what would the "Civil War soldiers" be doing differently if the regular spectators were there, but the hangers-on weren't?

At a non-spectator event, the soldiers could be busier with duties allowing no time for chit-chat, or they might have the camp closed off with pickets, or whatever. But when allowances are made for public interpretation of a camp open to modern spectators, how are the hangers-on affecting the camp in ways that long-staying spectators wouldn't?

I suppose a possible solution, would be to simply do whatever it is the soldiers wish they could do.

If it's more military duties, the hangers-on may get tired of constantly hearing, "Sorry, I'm on picket duty now, need to go, be back in a couple hours" or "Sorry, drill's beginning, I'll be back in a while," and decide hanging around isn't as fun as it used to be.

If it's interpreting to the public, the less harsh method would be to always give them second priority whenever the public comes by. Again, "Excuse me, but I need to talk to these folks," every time a spectator pauses by the camp would show where priorities lie. The harsher method would be to treat them exactly like mdoern spectators, and interpret to them rather than talk about personal things. Few spectators would be interested in hanging around for four or five hours listening to a historic presentation, especially as it repeatedly cycles around to the same topics to include new visitors who walk up, and would look for something else to do.

But my point, of course, would be to figure out what they're keeping you from doing, and do it despite them, and then see how they adapt, and take it from there.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyagern.et  

--Last edited by hanktrent on 2007-10-03 12:16:34 --

Here are a few of mine.

-NCO’s  not used in the proper way. (In drill, maneuvers, paperwork and administrative duties, etc.)
Example, still see units using 2nd  Sgt’s in the wrong spot in line and not as file closers or even worse a whole battalion without any file closers.

-Lack of military order through out the day.
Too many events and or units don’t function like a military unit during the day and only put the game face on an hour before the battle. I don’t mean tents or civilians in camp. I mean no detail to paperwork, roll call, drill, work details etc.

-School of the Company and the Battalion that are basically made up from parts of the real manuals and were made and formed twenty years ago by “Gen. Whoever started the Unit”.  I have pointed many flaws out to some units who shrug it off as “that is the way this unit does it”  and doesn’t care what the real way was.

-Which brings me to…..” We use this manual so yours sucks.” Well here is the heart breaker, take the covers off and  most folks couldn’t tell you which was which. (This is not just a MS thing)

-Doing ANYTHING because they done it in the Gettysburg or Gods and Generals. Please stop. Please. Not that I don’t own and still watch both(though its painful in some scenes, ok a lot) it should never be used to actually portray history.

-Not moving like a real company/battalion/brigade would move. (No advance/rear guard and flankers) This is things that have been written about and are available to all that want to learn. No excuse for not trying to too do that .

-Tight single sound volleys in battle along with never turning your back to the enemy. Lets get real, in a battle with real bullets flying you didn’t care how crisp your volley was or that the enemy saw your back for 10 seconds while you reformed the line.

-Not enough wounded in battles.

In short  I understand the mainstream things that the MS side gets jabbed at for and am ok with them(tents, coolers, family’s etc.) But the things that are right as far as the military side goes on the field is not a MS or CPH issue. To me it not excuse for not having the things of that nature right.

NOTE: I AM NOT TALKING OF ALL MAINSTREAM UNITS, JUST SOME. I have seen many MS units that drill, maneuver, and keep there general conduct as good as ANYONE out there. Please don’t think that I am referring to everyone.

Chris,

Fire up Flivver and get to Outpost.  

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I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.  Howsomever, this situation occurs with such frequency it has gotten to be predictable.  Is it possible to remain tactful, pleasant, and non-confrontational, but simultaneously address this situation?

Yassir Curtis,  I did notice things were a bit cluttered when I sashayed through a few months ago.

Time for the boss man to reel in that leash.  You know he's done it before to good effect.  Might be time to say something like: "Spectators are welcome at our events, but we strive to maintain the appearance of a period camp.  Accordingly, those family members in modern dress or carrying modern lawn chairs will need to keep those items out of the camp area"  

Its essentially the same speech he makes when he says 'get dressed no later than breakfast Saturday morning, and stay dressed out until the event is over on Sunday'.  The unit has acquired a number of new members here lately, and the speech just needs making again.  

If all else fails, you can post one of those accounts that refers to folks eating 'poor pig'.  I was about to roast me one of those little dogs, or whack it with my cane the last time I was there.  If I fall over it, its going in the pot......  

--Last edited by Spinster on 2007-10-09 02:53:24 --