|
Post by Crowfan on Apr 3, 2011 13:37:23 GMT -5
We are starting up with events next weekend. These next four years are going to be really full of events.
|
|
|
Post by caucasoididiot on Apr 3, 2011 15:07:21 GMT -5
This year, 2011, marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, or if you prefer, the War Between The States, or The War Of Northern Aggression(I don't think I've left anyone out now). Heh heh, the American Civil War, as the Sealed Knot guys would point out that theirs came first. I had sort of lost track of your blog, but just read back over it. Interesting about the medical re-enactments. That does seem a worthwhile point to make, that in the for real not everyone packed up and went home at the end. I'm curious about how the events are planned and what you strive for in them. One of the things you see in a lot of movies is spatial compression, soldiers clumping up and being closer to the enemy than was usual, but in part that's just to keep everyone on camera. I definitely saw some of that at a WW2 re-enactment I once watched. Seems like your era would be more forgiving, given that formations were often still pretty tight and some of the firefights do seem to have been at pretty close range, but are there points were you can't really avoid a bit of license? Does it vary from event to event, depending on your intended audience?
|
|
|
Post by Crowfan on Apr 3, 2011 20:45:58 GMT -5
At the smaller events, we try to educate the public. You would be surprised how many Americans don't know who won the war or what it was about. Our National Event this year is First Manassas/Bull Run, depending on whether you were Confederate or Yankee, and of course that will be just like the original battle.
When doing the battles, we try to make it look as realistic as possible. I do like the fact that they will do medical presentations to show the effects of the battle. I think that's important. Some people think it's all fun and games and we try to show that war isn't fun and games. Last fall, we did a scripted skirmish where the rebs took our flag and we did some hand-to-hand combat, but we practiced that so everyone would know what they were supposed to do.
|
|
|
Post by caucasoididiot on Apr 3, 2011 21:35:55 GMT -5
Is that one of the well-preserved battle sites? I remember reading some things in recent years about attempting to limit urban sprawl into them. As I remember, there was a lot of confusion at First Manassas because the uniforms hadn't been standardized yet. Are there many groups that model the zouaves and such? Seems like that would be the battle for them.
Sadly, I'm afraid I wouldn't be surprised at all how poor the general recollection is. Hopefully these events will help with that.
|
|
|
Post by Crowfan on Apr 4, 2011 7:47:40 GMT -5
Preservation is a whole other can of worms. Many of the battlefields have urban sprawl. Manassas is fairly well preserved. You're right, the uniforms weren't standardized, many Union units wore grey and there were Confederate units that wore blue. It's also always fun to go to an 1861 battle and see 1863 muskets too. Hopefully for the 150th, that will be taken care of.
One of the worst preserved battlefields is the Wilderness, also in Virginia. The reenactors finally defeated a plan to put a Walmart on the battlefield. I'm not against Walmarts, per se, but if we really need another one, why does it have to be on a Civil War battlefield??(gets off soap box).
|
|
|
Post by caucasoididiot on Apr 4, 2011 9:57:56 GMT -5
It's also always fun to go to an 1861 battle and see 1863 muskets too. Hopefully for the 150th, that will be taken care of. Now you're being a thread-counter, but I know what you mean. (^_^) I always thought it must be frustrating for the units out here in California, with our scenery looking so distinctly different from the Eastern US. It probably feels a little like those older (or cheaper) Hollywood movies where every locale on Earth (and beyond, for that matter) has golden grass and scrub oak. That WW2 re-enactment I saw selected an Italian campaign situation to do, which fit pretty well. Poor guys, though. Muzzle-flash started a grass fire and next thing you knew the airbase fire truck (it was done as part of a base open house) came wailing up. Exciting, but kind of anachronistic.
|
|
|
Post by Crowfan on Apr 4, 2011 18:35:02 GMT -5
Yeah, I know it's stitch counting but one thing I can't stand is the double standard that some of the events have. Like you can't have women in the ranks, but 400 lb soldiers are fine. I guess cause I wasn't popular in school that I'm kind of sensitive that way. Most people wouldn't even know the difference between a 1861 and 1863 model of musket anyway
I've been to several WW2 events and I have to say that they're pretty cool. There is an annual WW2 event at Midway Village in Rockford IL that I try to get to every year. And of course their weapons are a bit easier to load and fire.
|
|
|
Post by caucasoididiot on Apr 5, 2011 10:45:03 GMT -5
Oh, I'm just funnin' ya. It's exactly that kind of detail that bugs me too, even when it's barely noticeable. I don't know it from re-enacting, but I think movies display a lot of that double-standard kind of thing too. I remember the director of The Last Samurai talking about how every sign in the background was based on a period photo. Which is nice, but since the movie shows 16th century samurai using 14th century tactics in 1877 (not to mention making a complete hash of the politics of the Meiji Restoration), that's kind of a "so what?" for me.
Have you seen the DVD of Platoon? It has two commentary tracks, one by Stone and the other by Dale Dye, the jarhead that was their technical adviser. He not only goes into some interesting background on the lengths they went to for accuracy, but is also quick to point out the cheats they did do and explain why (usually just that you wouldn't have been able to see what was going on).
It does seem like the WW2 guys have more "toys" in the box; the guys who put that one on even had a light armoured car. Seems like that could cut both ways, though. You need fully automatic weapons to portray a squad, and the legal hassle of owning those is a nightmare. I don't know how it would be for light mortars and such you'd need to represent a platoon, but probably the same or worse.
|
|
|
Post by Crowfan on Oct 20, 2012 7:22:04 GMT -5
Our last event of the season is this weekend, and I'm heading out shortly. Our unit has been doing a lot of events and getting many new recruits. Next year, the big 150th Anniversary event will be Gettysburg. I hope that we will go, but we vote on our schedule over the winter and will go from there. I will post some more when I get back from the event today.
|
|
|
Post by nondescript spice on Oct 22, 2012 19:43:57 GMT -5
i know you must hate to see the last event of the season. did'ja at least kill a mess of my ancestors?
|
|
|
Post by Crowfan on Oct 23, 2012 0:06:47 GMT -5
If I did, should I say I'm sorry? Yeah, it's always sad when another year comes to an end. This year seemed to go especially fast, and we had about 25 events this year, with small local events, and big events. We do one national event a year, this year it was 150th Shilo. Next year, the really, really big one is 150th Gettysburg.
|
|
|
Post by Crowfan on Jan 27, 2013 10:06:00 GMT -5
Today we have our Regimental Business Meeting where we vote on our schedule of events. The big trip this year is 150th Gettysburg. I really hope to go, but it's going to depend on whether or not I can get the time off from work. I hate it when reality intrudes on every aspect of life.
|
|
|
Post by Crowfan on May 1, 2013 14:53:33 GMT -5
Our first event got rained out, with the flooding in Illinois, but now things are drying out and we start picking it up. We have two event, plus Memorial Day parade and cemetery dedication in May, and I'm looking forward to getting going. The only real bummer is that I won't be able to do 150th Gettysburg, due to having to work.
|
|
|
Post by Mod City on May 1, 2013 23:47:15 GMT -5
Glad to see you're still doing this, crowfan. I love the historical/theatrical hybrid nature of it all. I've never seen a real re-enactment on the scale you guys do but would definitely check one out.
That sucks about the work and weather, too, but at least it sounds like you'll be busy again soon.
|
|
|
Post by nondescript spice on May 2, 2013 9:38:02 GMT -5
i can't believe they wouldn't accommodate you on this. take your musket in, let it do the talking.
|
|