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Marc wrote : I have also seen at Cedar Creek (artillery unit) a complete breakfast buffet setup with propane gas cookers etc etc....eggs to order

Marc,

I'll have to look these guys up. Eggs to order, you say?    

ill cook eggs to order... but they will be cooked on my ahem... cast iron on the fire. dont shoot me for the cast iron

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Bill wrote :  I have to say I've never attended an event that included microwaves, DVD's, and sweat pants. Pretty tough to do when you are trying to maintain a period correct campsite!

To be clear, I have attended any number of events with about every form of anachronism you can amagine. The living histories I mentioned do not fall into that catagory.  

These living histories are run with very few anachronisms while the spectators are on site. What happens after they go home is another matter. The attendees understand the rules of these events upfront.

Some years ago I saw a pizza delivered in Biloxi, MS, at Beauvoir Fall Muster.  This incident occured in dear old Jeff Davis' back yard.  That pizza delivery ruffled quite a few feathers and caused a near insurrection.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. If one would like to try something a little more "historically accurate," there's a few things to think about you can't go wrong with. First, proper guidance form someone who's done it before. Then, an event that fits into the scheme of "what you want to get out of an event and your hobby." And, finally, folks around you who want the same things out of that event. Fir Pir is not easy and, it's especially difficult if those around aren't schooled in or, have never done Fir Per before. I've done it at events and I find sticking to discussing the day to day business of an infantry unit and the things that are happining around you in reference to that, is the easiest thing to stick to. I participated in a full formal dinner at Belle Grove a few years back where I was a young Lieutenant, visiting family, in March of 1861. that literally took me two months to develop. Lots of research into what the military was doing at the time and, lots of research into manners and protocol of such a dinner. I think it turned out quite well. Hand servants everywhere. Food cooked fresh in the basement kitchen and brought upstairs to the formal dining room. We had to get up twice for the servants to totally change the table. I enjoyed the between course parlor games. And, boyo, was I stuffed. I'd take another shot at one of those anytime!