What C/P/H reenactorisms get on your nerves?

We watch the weather channel too much before events. (You and your gear will dry. I have dried off every day after I shower and, believe it or not I survive.)

We don't know how to take care of our gear.

We carry too much.

When was the last time you carried an, ax, shovel or pick for the entire weekend?(October 2006)

We can't find musicians.

We don't kow our drum and bugle calls.

We buy new stuff because it's cool.

We fry too much food when we should be boiling or roasting. And, we think carrying cooked rations in our haversacks for a weekend will kill us.

We bring filled haversacks to flat haversack events.

We don't use enough tinned or canned foods.  

We think we can sit behind a desk all week and then walk 10 miles carrying 30 pounds of gear wearing a wool suit in 90 degree heat on the weekends.

We don't take the time to read all of the pre event information and historical information, that took someone weeks to put together. Then we bawl when we can't have our knapsacks for a day. (I just had to put that in there.)

We think all c/p/h events are the same.

We don't steal enough pie.


I dunno, that was hard. Most folks I hang out with take extra time so as not to have those kind of things. Got your CRRCII? Do you use it?

 

--Last edited by grumpydave on 2007-04-24 07:24:00 --

Grumpy, that was funny. True, but still funny.

Grumpy, let me add:

An unnatural fixation with insect life.  Anybody remember the horrific wolf spider discussions before Burkittsville '01 and the tick repellent at registration for ITW?

FWIW,

*Rule #53:  Not all spiders are poisonous; most just want to be friends.

*Deep Woods Off works for about 5 hours.  If you're going to be out longer, just be careful.  The CDC says your chances of getting Lyme disease are "extremely small" if the tick's been on for less than 24 hours.

Other CPH reenactorisms:  Unpolished brass (no AoP soldier should ever be much more than a week away from rottenstone-shined brass), and

Insufficient stationery supplies.

Appropos of paperwork (Rich Mountain is SO last year, but since you brought it up), we'd know exactly how many people followed Cupcake down the mountain if someone had taken authenticity to the extreme of completing a consolidated morning report.

Which brings me to perhaps the worst CPH reenactorism -- false machoism.  If somebody can't or doesn't want to hack it at an event, let them go and God bless 'em. The last thing any of us need is for someone to get seriously ill or worse because they were afraid of what the other kids would say about them, or they were trying to prove something about themselves that had little or nothing to do with the civil war.  

Just had to say it.

Grumpy,

I figure items 1,2,5,6,7,11,12 ought to be called "Reenactor Reenactorisms". As I said over on the Mainstream Folder, we're all guilty as charged.

"Unpolished brass (no AoP soldier should ever be much more than a week away from rottenstone-shined brass),"

I know there's never any ash from a fire around either!

Something I notice on the campiagn side is forced accents for first person.

German- Don't hear it alot but have heard this gutteral yelling botched German accent like something from Hogan's heroes at a couple of things

Irish- anytime I hear someone do this I just wanna steal their lucky charms and by that I mean kick them in the crotch

Southern- I am southern and I hate to hear anyone try and fake this accent. They either end up doing some Gone with the Wind genteeeeel BS or sound like they come out of deliverance. Leave my accent alone!

I know there's never any ash from a fire around either!
[quote]

Either one works better than Brasso.  You know, before I became a reenactor, I thought "spit and polish" was just a figure of speech.

Maybe that's a new topic:  "Before I became a reenactor..."

Grumpy and I enjoyed a small event in Pennsylvania last year, and we naturally pinched some ash, and began polishing our brass during one of those dead times during the day. From some of the looks we received, you'd have thought we'd sprouted three heads.

Brown brass is really annoying. Perhaps this is just muscle memory from one too many payday inspections way back when.

I did that at a LH at Spangler's Spring last year -- Sunday morning I took some ash in a spoon, spit in it, and touched up my brass, which tends to cloud over on humid days.  

A soothing sort of activity, like painting toy soldiers, except now Cupcake am his own toy soldier.

There was a lot of brown brass at Shiloh.  Especially NCO's.  While in garrison, we just know drilling and cleaning were the top dogs on the "to do" list.

Ashes are the way Mess No.1 shines brass in the field.  It really does work.

For that brown brass, an acid wash of handy dandy issue vinegar mixed with a salt as an abrasive works very well. A lot of events issue rottenstone, and that is a good mid-grade abrasive for polishing brass, too. The latter even works well mixed with vinegar.

I wonder if some CW smart aleck ever sewed strips of wool flannel over a grindstone and made a foot operated buffing wheel. Oh, laugh, now but just think how much fun that would be in camp.

Did we just have a conversation with somewhat useful info? Hola! Someone delete this thread!

Knew a sutler back in the 151st NYSV who gave away strips of wool as loss leaders for his obscenely marked-up crocus flour...

One of my best buys ever was a domet flannel remnant -- something like $2 for a half yard.  It makes great gun patches and polishing rags.  Half those issue shirts must have been drawn for that reason alone.

As bum fodder it would be lethal.

Wait, what forum am I on...?

It's okay Mike.

There's nothing like a good piece of wool for scrubbing your dinnerware. Even if it is only a tin can and a spoon. I find a pards issue shirt, which he has left all alone to dry first rate!

Domet flannel is the closest thing to sand paper I've ever found. It's useless as a shirt, but is good for cleaning things, such as your neck and wrists. It removes both dirt and skin.

 

That we like to eat bad meat.  Yeah, like I just pulled the remaining piece of meat out of the refrigerator, and it had a strange spot on it...  I threw it into the garbage.  Now either I'm not a p/h or we don't like to eat bad meat.  

Now if I were portraying that I was in the blockaded South and that was all I had to eat... Nah, I think I'd pass my share to someone else as they're more hungry than I.

Linda Trent
more carnivorous than a Ceratasaurus

1. Federal Army wore a sack coat, kersey blue pants, and a forage cap (East) or slouched hardee (west). Kind of limits the portrayal of the Bloody 1st Wisconsin, 2nd Wisconsin, 10th Wisconsin.....countless Zouave units....

Cost definitely an issue....but it would be nice to see a 400 man regiment in Frock coats...

2. Federal Companies/Battalions used a plethora of weapons at any given time and place. Sure it might be PEC to have 3% of a battalions rifles be come what may.....but half Springfields and half Enfields? As DDB said....oh to have the money to simply issue out a batch of rifles out of crates and have everyone match up. A monetary issue to be sure....and a reproduction issue (as certain models haven't been produced in qty or in an acceptable likeness).

3. We're reenacting a campaign impression (and we're not doing the miles). IMHO this is no different that dismounted cavalry without horses. If BGR taught us anything it's that we can't begin to cover ground authentically. As a society we can run faster, lift more weight, jump higher, run longer, and have better sports medecine and science than they did. Look at our knowledge of hydration, salt/electrolytes, carbohydrates, lactic acid and muscle regeneration. But we can't march (Campaign) like they did. And as far as a static portrayal of men on the move.....pass.

4. Campaigning means no canvas. Horse hockey. lots of quotes about shelter tents, scraps of this and that, wagons carrying flys...and the classic quote about Gettysburg July 2nd 1863: "Cemetery Ridge was awash in a sea of canvas." Once in awhile we need to carry a shelter half or extra rubber blanket along....see #3 on why we don't? Are we just plain out of shape? Don't have the horse power to haul this stuff around? Looks like we did a decent job at Shiloh with the Sibley's...and McDowell with the common tents?

5. Powder Burning is not authentic. I don't get this...I'm into Civil WAR reenacting, not a picnic, shuetzenfest, period fishing expedition, murder of a cheating husband, wedding, trial, public debate, mustering in/out or pay day reenactment. Understand about 10-60 yard firing distances without mass casualties and skeedaddling in a rout. But there are plenty of times when the troops fired off 40, 60, 100 rounds and even resupplied on top of that! Every event/impression portrayal is different....but if it's a Snodgrass Hill, Hornet's Nest, Wheatfield, et al.....there's got to be a time when  you simply blaze away for 30 minutes to an hour. The barrel gets so hot you have to grab a cloth for your hand. Muzzle gets so fouled you need to grab a dead comrades piece. Stories abound of rocks driving in ramrods, field cleaning a weapon (pond water or urine?), would love to see some magic burnable dust in the FFFg to simulate a Williams Round. too much attitude about "never fired a round all weekend, didn't have to clean my rifle".....and I don't think They felt that way.....some of 'em were down right itchin' to fire away. How about that young Texan having weapons handed too him up on the rock at the triangular stone fenced field near Houck's Ridge? Or General Gibbon firing off 6 rounds at a group of CSA staff officer's at Sharpsburg?

6. It used to be a CPH deal that at the first hint of rain they'd be the first to leave.... I'm seing less of this attitude, and less of the posers at events nationwide. And that's a good thing.

7. Silence is golden. Maybe in the ranks...but don't think for a moment that one key to a first person impression is too keep your mouth shut. They told jokes, swapped tales, commented on girls/officers/land/crops/manhood of another unit/general soldier bitching about (you name it, it hasn't changed in Eons)....yes, forget the fake Dutch, Irish, Brit, Canadian accents....and don't talk about NASCAR or the Internet.....but they talked. Remember Ayers Regulars crossing Plum Run creek July 2nd 1863? An entire company chanting W A X ....W A X (their Lt. had been a barber before the war). Oliver Norton THIRSTED for intelligent conversation in his book "Army Letters". he attended and participated in a social club meeting....where a lively debate had been planned, the question: "Who was the more consistent editor: and then the names of two famous magazine/newspaper men.

Speak up, they didn't go for years without saying anything....or a weekend.

8. Small Scale is more authentic. Yep, you can have better impressions, drill, teamwork, etc. but it's not the American Civil War. 44 man brigades, 80 man battalions, and two 'armies' walking 20 miles in 4-5 days might be your cup of tea. But if the ACW was anything...it was a BIG THING. it was a BIG TIME. and it was a big deal, the big show. 10,000 campfires.....a sea of canvas, thousands of horses.....100,000 rifles firing....
Hand stitched rags in a haversack might be authentic....but so is x,000 rifles. True they can' t look bad at 50 yards.....but I tell you, some of the big events have had some real moments for me....4AM at A135 when the 2nd Wisconsin formed up (400+ rifles) and then marched to the cornfield....and then got mowed down by the Texas Division (that was a RIP of a volley).....awesome....authentic.

Am awfully tired of going to events (mainstream or CPH) where 4 - 6 companies is a regiment....a battalion is 80-100 rifles... would much rather see a 350 rifle regiment than a 350 rifle Brigade...or Division.

9. Officer's without horses.....Adjutants, Surgeons', Field Grade Officer's....Staff. MOUNT UP. No horse? Become a Captain or Lt. Really fast.

10. time to go to my son's volleyball game....at least we don't have flat gabled front porches and no fly over the wall tent on our company street.....

RJ,

Most of the stuff you point out are more misconceptions about CPH events than reenactorisms. Although many events are smaller than the original campaign, they are usually designed to be a vignette or snapshot of a specific event during the larger campaign. As to numbers, I have yet to go to ANY event where accurate numbers are present so this plagues all parts of the hobby including the mega events like last years Mannassas (lots of people but nowhere near as many as were actually there at the original battle).

Almost everything else you pointed to such as wearing frocks, carrying some canvas, firing many shots, et al do happen if the scenario calls for it. As to non battle activities, (i.e civilian issues, mail call, pay distribution etc) these were also part of the era and are part of the overall experience.

Quote :

RJSamp wrote : ...would much rather see a 350 rifle regiment than a 350 rifle Brigade...or Division.

On July 2nd, 1863, the 157th New York was reduced in size to 124 effectives - a whole regiment consisting of 124 officers and men. This is about as authentic as you can get... I am certain that they would have loved to have had 350, as well.