Civil War Reenactors ?

Anyone here a Civil War reenactor or know someone that is? I have always been interested in this, just live in the wrong part of the country. Would be interesting to hear your stories and how you became a member. How is the rank for individuals also - do you pick your own or work and earn it like the real soldiers. Post your pictures if you have some.

Years ago when I worked on a ranch in Gunnison Co there was a somewhat local US Calvary reenactor group for parades that caught my interest but never got into it.

I don't know any civil war re-enactors on a personal basis but I have a friend that really enjoys civil war books. I'm close to battlefields out the whazoo. New Market ,VA is a civil war enthusiast town. For me personally, the memories are too painful.

Well played, run, well played

They put on some magnificent shows. All volunteers.anyone ever get a chance to go to Gettysburg and watch the reenactment there... Yes it will bring tears to your eyes.

Thanks Hoppy for the Gettysburg recommendation

I looked into once. It takes a good bit of dedication to do it right. It's literally trying to resurrect history in every little detail to get it right.
Unfortunately though in our current political climate there are moves afoot to destroy any memory of the sacrifice our forebearers made. Locally we have a preserved battlefield that was part of the Atlanta campaign. Until recently an encampment of reenactors was held annually to commemorate the battle (actually a calvary skirmish/raid). The last election cycle changed the demographic of the county commission and ever since it's been an uncivil war to remove any recognition the battlefield deserves.

What Warrior says is correct.

Have a friend that is into it ..big time for the last 30 years....and he switched gears ..
to now doing WW1 ...re-enactment.

If you've never seen a bunch of overweight, middleaged men running across a field with bayonets...…...don't cheat yourself.
There are more casualties during the reenactments than there was in the actual civil war itself.

Funny!

As a kid there seemed to be plenty of reenactors for both the civil and revolutionary war. Hardly see anyone get into it anymore.

I do see more precivil war mountain man and some Rogers rangers types now. Suppose its easier to sit under a tent rather than run across a field but more seriously its probably more historically easier to get a few guys together to set those up rather than 100s or 1,000s of guys in uniform and coordinate.

Hopefully the link works. If not, go to youtube and search for the Gettysburg 150th camp dance. The 2nd South Carolina String Band does a super job with "Southern Soldier" and "Dixie." The crowd really gets into it as you will see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl16zDNELec

I know a few former reenactors who took part in the movie. They said half the day they were in a union uniform, and the other half confederate. One was on a canon crew.

That's another thing. To do it right you have to be willing to reenact both sides with equal respect. I couldn't do that.
Many try to reenact a direct ancestor and none of mine ever wore blue.

There is a lot of 1790 to 1810 reenactors too. The Fair at New Boston, at George Rogers Clark Park, near Springfield, Ohio is fun to attend on Labor Day Weekend. Many of the reenactors are very good performers and pretty well paid. I was paid to run and teach period dance there, one year. I taught dance classes to the fair goers during the day and ran and called the balls for the after hours parties for the participants.

There is a battle, with cannons, muskets and a cavalry charge, working oxen, blacksmiths, silversmiths, medicine shows, an old fashioned Christian revival, slack rope walkers, contortionists, food and more.

The costumes are all peer reviewed and people can be complete and utter cads, to new people helping them out, who they don't feel are dressed correctly, by being 10 years out of fashion.

Keith

Interesting thread. I have seen them put on a show at Bentonville Battleground, NC(last major battle of the civil war), near me and it is realistic, I would like to see Gettysburg one day

My cousin gets in on the New Boston Fair. I go every year, the Scotch Eggs were a hit with my kids and I last year. My favorite is the indians and those yuge oxen that guy drives around. Oh and Timothy the Weaver.

I have a long-time friend who used to do it. He was even in the movie "Gettysburg". In one scene you can see him clearly, standing right behind one of the starring actors.

He was into it big-time and the "regiment" or whatever they called his unit was a very tight-knit group. He made some very close and life-long friends there. I think his hearing was eventually damaged by all the battle re-enactments in which he participated.

He was also a serious student of Civil War history. He's a registered tour guide with the Gettysburg battle field and has led friends on several trips there. He personally gave my wife and I a tour of the Chickamauga battlefield near Lookout Mountain. He really knew the history and had fascinating stories to tell about things that happened right on the very spots where he was standing.

I went to a re-enactment of a War of 1812 battle at Missessenwa, Indiana one time. I remember seeing this "indian" who looked like one of the fiercest savages I could imagine. This re-enactor was dark-skinned, super-lean, and wiry looking. He had an indian hairut, scalps hanging off his belt, war paint, and carried a tomahawk. He sure looked the part and appeared like he was pretty eager to bust some skulls with that tomahawk. The river pirate camp and the trappers camps were really cool to see also. My little son HATED the sound of the cannons and asked me to promise I would never to take him to the indian fights again.

You can spend as little, or as much time in it as you want.
The big thing is the cost. With uniform costs, travel expenses, and other sorted costs. My cousin has over $1000 in his uniform and other period accessories.

He's into it big time and travels all over doing re-enactments.

As for rank, unless you are "playing" a certain person you'll be assigned one by your regiment. Generally if your relative was in a unit you'll get their rank. My cousin played our great-great uncle, who was a lieutenant. So he had that rank. When he first got into it he played our great grandfather and was his rank of private.

There's a battle scene in Braveheart where the combatants start tinkling their swords before the director yelled cut. It made it into the finished product. I can't imagine a harder scene to pull off than filming a bunch of guys who can't decide who is supposed to be dead.

In live close to Sycamore Shoals state park in east Tennessee where the Transylvania purchase was made in 1775, and in 1772 it was the first colonized community on the continent, and where the over Mountain men left out to defeat the British at King's Mountain. They do a reenactment every year, pretty cool history

My brother Big Time in it, he in a artillery unit. They camp out 1861 so does his wife and kids. They love it and travel all over doing it. We had a great grand dad who was in the 26 and 27 Alabama and shot up and wounded in TN. and took prisoner for the rest of the war. If you want I can PM you his number, he love to talk about and knows a pile about that war.

I'd Google the reenactments at Ft Fizzle and Ft Missoula if I wanted to get involved.

Ttt.