What if that guy does have syphilis? He's just reenacting to forget about his syphilis related troubles, and along comes Cpt. Whitehall who thinks he's so goddamn funny.
Talking about the private being the backbone of the army, I had an ancestor in the 13th SC Infantry. He enlisted in '61 and was paroled at Appomattox and surprise...he was a private for the duration of the war. Nothing wrong with being a private in reenacting, they were the ones doing the heavy fighting.
As a Drummer, who was in 4 years of marching band, it HURTS to see people out if step!! Also, can you guys do an interview with some musicians? Currently trying ti get involved in a Re-enactment unit as a Drummer and really want to hear from some musicians who have been in the activity for a while so i can really get my impression right!
Awesome video idea. We have a bugler in our unit and do know a few reenactor musicians. We'll have to see how the pandemic plays out to know when our next big event will be but rest assured it's on our list.
I can do some fife and drum. I am a better fifer myself, as it is in line with my other woodwind skills (I am a trained clarinetist). Question for you: do you let the stick bounce for roll rudiments, or do you use an actual double stroke? I have had a hard time figuring out what drummers actually did with those rope tension drums, as I have some sources that say they would not have let it bounce, but then others that indicate that the tension was indeed enough to play bounced strokes, and drummers took advantage of that. I am also more successful in running down my rolls when I don't change from true double strokes to allowing the stick to bounce. Just wondered what the historical perspective was on that.
My reenactment organization had rank ratio rules. Based on how many people from your company showed up at the reenactment, that determined how many corporals and sergeants you were allowed.
Some new kid showed up to our unit (4th US infantry) with a cavalry hat and armed with a replica lemat revolver , he was given some new kit very quickly.
I don't quite know why this was recommended to me - my only connection to re-enactment is as a performer at Renaissance Faires, where some of us really do try to give the customers history. But the anecdote about the unit that was top-heavy with officers reminds me that L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, wrote another Oz book (which he sort of hoped could be a stage musical, after the success of the Wizard of Oz musical of 1903) in which the Royal Army Of Oz consists of 27 soldiers: Eight generals, six colonels, seven majors, five captains, and one private. The generals yell 'charge!' whereupon the colonels yell 'charge!' whereupon the majors, then the captains repeat the order, and finally the private bravely rushes forward on his own. The book did form the basis of a stage musical (and the army business must have been fun on stage), and in turn, that musical suggested another Oz book, so Baum got to run the same gag again with a different set of characters and incidents. I wonder if he had once encountered some top-heavy hierarchy like that in real life?
I was 14 when i participated in my first reenactment and the first thing i bought at the sutlers was a pair or repro tinted spectacles and it did not take long for someone in my unit to pull me to the side and fill me in on why sunglasses were not a common thing in the 1800's. 😂
I love reenacting, Im a southerner from Florida and honselty I was a bit shocked to hear some of that, like 4 revolvers per man our boys mostly use Carbines and some revolers and we in all units have mass majority of privates me being on of them. Whats funny is the Yankees here do the same thing with the green if they're sharp shooters. But I love the hobbie and really found this video to be very interesting I love hearing stories and experiances from fellow reenactors.
@@CompanyD2ndUSSS How about Farby things laying about in the camp, Cristo plastic bottles, and modern pans and etc all day long. This drives me crazy!! Oh yes those guys in the Confederate Dismounted Cavalry, Bush Wackers with 3 or 6 pistols.
And thre is always that one guy. Back in the early 90s after the Battle, etc (Selma, Albama() we are all sitting around cooling off (105 degrees) and one of our guys comes out of the tent wearing flip flops and red jogging shorts. We all got on to him and after he ignored the sergeant saying it was hot, the Capt finally ordered him to get into uniform or leave the event. The same guy would never carry or wear his own canteen, saying it was heavy, but yet in the heat of battle he was always bumming swallows from your canteen. Jeesh!
As a up-incoming recruit for a re-enacting unit, the first two particularly hit me. Being a teenager, those hits of having to pay for having my prescription put into period frames to fix my poor vision is somewhat annoying but understandable. Luckily for the second one, I’ve been in marching band for two years and will go into another one of the end of summer, so marching won’t be a problem.
I offer a solution to the rank issue (27:07) as an artilleryman. In our battery, we only have 3 Corporals (one for each of our primary guns), and we eliminated Sergeants (with the exception of 1st Sergeant) as we don't have caissons on the field. Our 1SG, CPT, and I (1LT) also travel with a complete Private's uniform so as to fall in on a gun crew and eliminate the excess rank at an event.
Too many officers? LOL. I was told this by a man that will remain anonymous: "The higher the rank in the reenacting world - the lower the status in the real world. Burger Flippers portray generals"'.
its true until you see that old man whos been doing it since the 70s and went through the ranks the old fashioned way, he was the only guy there that no one complained about his 2 stars
Exactly. I was the manager at my real job and could case less about rank. I enjoy being a private and have a pretty easy going attitude until some rank conscious person literally pushes or pulls me to move....
@@antoniokontos5677 this is the only way I would want to gain rank: in the field, through experience or heroic action in RP. Many people remained privates their whole military service, and that service was entirely honorable.
Most people spend less than 2 months out of 12, reenacting. They’re not going to change, and give up something which they prefer in civilian life just for a fraction of their time. Hair and beards take to long to grow out, just to turn around a cut.
Yeah I find hair a bit difficult because each reenactor has a different order of priorities where reenacting lies, and also everyone just has a different personal preference of how they like to wear their facial hair in life. I guess the best solution is to have different groups, different units, etc. where there are different standards required of their reenactors. Where if people really want to be in a group where everyone has to go all the way, be in shape, proper hairstyles, etc. they can, and if people who don't want to go that far they can join a unit or group without those standards. Obviously that sort of solution requires your area have quite a few people interested in reenacting, where there are multiple groups to choose from, so not ideal, but that's all I got.
@Chris Jacksom I'm a guy with long hair but I always have my girlfriend put it into a tiny bun and I can " hide it " under my forage cap or hardee very easily. You wouldnt know i had long hair unless you knew me personally. Like some else said I only reenact 1 or 2 weekends a month and I like my long hair so I'm not gonna cut it for a one day event. I feel as long as someone goes through the effort to hide it, it's fine. But I 100% agree with you . I hate when people just let their hair flow and it's past their shoulder it looks terrible. Another one I see alot is the 1863 mullet.
Typical "bandido" units I've come in contact with were confederate "dismounted" cavalry units, 5 pistols 2 rifles and a saber, yep way out in left field
Excellent video, 1st Sgt. is rocking a waxed stash. ;) It is good to talk about these issues. The ability to immerse yourself into the time period and the roll creates a better experience for those watching. I very much agree with your take on drill. Very important. Last everyone that wants to be an officer without the work. Hahaha. You guys were just spot on when describing a Cav unit. We have a local rebel artillery group. They offer er the years have gone from really good to sos to really good to good, because of natural attrition. All great guys, as personnel changes occur there is a learning curve. Most likely just as in the war. I know a horse has to be taken care of year around but feeding the field piece for 30 to 60 shots over a weekend at pounds of powder is no small feat. I just appreciate all the time these volunteers of all the units put in to make it a great experience. Definitely going to get to some of your events this year. Going to be a good time. THANKS GUYS, PRIVATES TO THE CAPTAINS.
I just did a invent in South Louisiana and there was a Sargent that had 4 revolvers and a navy sord portraying federal infantry and had a Scottish tartan hat on
There are a number of American Civil War reenacting groups: The National Civil War Association, the American Civil War Association, and the Reenactors of the American Civil War. Mostly reenact from Fresno north to the Oregon border.
These are all great gripes. My biggest gripe is being folded in with a unit who has no idea or care to drill. They will always do things in two ranks, they will never double, and they can't even march in a cohesive manner. Modern footwear drives me nuts. Modern eyewear drives me nuts to the point I actually went out and bought a guy a repro pair of specs so all he had to do was get his prescription put in. My biggest gripe, Gal Troops. Women who refuse to mask their sex do a massive disservice to those women who served during the war.
Great shares, thanks for putting it out there. You buying a pair of glasses for someone is so huge. As reenactors, we may gripe about Farb but how many people are doing something about it? You made a difference for someone and the hobby. It's a great example.
At the Gettysburg re-enactment for 2018 there was 2 berdan officers with swords only and only one private with a sharps rifle that’s it and the berdan officer was doing sword directional commands. It’s like there 3 of you and only ones shooting *slaps self on forehead *
If you need all that modern stuff, reenacting isn’t the hobby for you. The whole point is to portray the soldiers as accurate as possible. It’s fine to have some modern stuff but do your best to hide it. Great video y’all!
Been reenacting different time periods for most of my life - 40+ years, getting too old for most and leaning toward GAR/UCV impressions - but IMO problems happen when people decide to 1) improvise instead of being patient and do some research, 2) be cheap and improvise, 3) get a little to creative or be individuals and stand out from the crowd, 4) do not know where to get the proper stuff (cloth, uniforms, equipment, etc) and need guidance, 5) hang around with the wrong crowd. Many do not seem to realize that "doing it right" is fairly easy because all you really need to do is do what they did. Have what they had. Look at photographs, understand what you are looking at, find anything and everything on-line that has to do with your impression, read books!!!! At this point in time everything a person needs to know is readily available. When I started in roughly 1976 at 13 years old we had a few books in the library, the collection in our local museum, some crappy movies. Our family did not travel so it was HUGE when my older brother and I forced our dad to take us to Gettysburg the first time and we could see first hand all the civil war stuff we always wanted to see, but there was still much we did not understand. There were no sutlers selling authentic uniforms and accoutrements. When we would go to the fabric stores with photographs and books to show the sales people what we needed they thought we were crazy or weird - two guys in their teens looking to buy cloth to make Civil War uniforms?????
It's interesting to hear these and it gets me thinking of my own group and such. One thing y'all pointed out was sunglasses and I'll admit, I've only once seen anyone with sunglasses and they were dressed as a really wealthy civilian. And I live in FL so you'd think it would be more common but I've never seen it. One of the things that gets me ( and this might be addressed in your pt 2, I've not seen it yet) is enlisted using items that they wouldn't have been able to afford. I'm in a Confederate unit. 8th Florida Co. G. So our enlisted would not have amazing stuff and it drives me up the wall when I see a Private smoking a giant cigar and wearing a gold pocket watch with a double chain and a bunch of filigree and such on it. He's in perfectly tailored clothing and everything looks brand new even though I know for a fact he's been out there for 4 or 5 years, and I'm like..."So um....did your plantation owning dad not let you have a commission or something?" An officer looking wealthy is fine. A private looking like he has a butler waiting in his tent is ridiculous.
As someone who has always been taught to do "countermarch" as a big U turn, what is one of the better ways you mentioned? I would like to implement it in my own unit.
I know this is an elder video I'm just a fella in northeast PA who recently acquired a sharps replica just trying to learn more about them I do a lot of rendezvous stuff and hunt with flintlocks in my spare time also had the privelage of spending a lot of my youth in Charleston SC so the civil war in general has always held interest to me as a shooting/history enthusiast. In regards to the bright red kepi hats i decidedly sat down to watch the film glory and immediately thought of this discussion when I saw both artillery men and a group towards the right center of the screen briefly wearing a garish red kepi in the films version of the battle of Antietam later on theres a close up of this headgear on the head of a man laying on a stretcher. I think this may be the point of origin however if its present on film here for what was kind of a larger production tri star picture at the time it may have been an established thing present in the reenactment scene prior to them acquiring costume, consulting a group of reenactors for these scenes. I'm not doubting it as a farb and I would think a bright red hat would be the last thing a soldier might want on his person on any backdrop other than maybe late fall foliage it sounds like an easy mark for sharpshooters unironically it's almost on the opposite train of thought of your green ones or others we see during this time. I come out to Gettysburg from time to time I'd love to catch a big reenactment one of these days keep doing what your doing!
I actually own a pair of ultra rare antique Pince-nez Sharpshooter glasses but have only worn them a few times when dressing Steampunk and wouldn't wear them with a Civil War Impression.
*LIKED* the video and your light hearted humor. *1st Minnesota SharpShooters* channel with Civil War reenactor live fire, hard marching, and rustic adventure ... enlist today.
Oh Good Lord all the red on Artillery! Here in Texas they have red shirts, red suspenders, red kepis, red stripes on the trousers, red canvas chairs, and I'm conviced if a sutler sold a red canvas tent there'd be a sea of red in camp! Bad part is, here in Texas along with other States, red flannel shirts were real popular with all branches and ranks through the whole war, but at events there's only artillery wearing red cotton shirts from India. Great lists, love the video.
I've only reenacted back east once, but I remember marching back to camp after a Gettysburg battle and seeing an 8 foot long table completely loaded with Chick-fil-a sandwiches waiting for their unit to return. I cracked up.
I normally wear glasses (Bifocals) and I am smart enough to take them off until the public is gone for the day. I have a nice pair of period frames that I will have lenses with my distance prescription put in the frames, however I will have to take them off to read as I can read without glasses. You can always find a way to improve your impression if you try.
Some solid advice I've received is that you can't hold others accountable to your personal values, you can only hold them accountable to the shared/group/agreed upon values. With that being said, is there a single source/rulebook for the hobby? It seems like having a basic set of standards would be helpful for everyone involved, especially new folks. Additionally, the phrase "do the research" isn't really helpful for nee folks. Having a basic reading list or where to find these sources would be helpful. Being new to the hobby I do appreciate your group's willingness to share information and helping point newbies in the right direction. I guess I just want to urge everyone to have patience with folks as this hobby is a big investment and wouldn't be any fun if one can't participate until they drop $2k+ in equipment.
One guy who said we messed it up had his cartridge box on the left. When asked he replied we are in the Army of Tennessee we do it differently. Wait wasn’t Hardee a commander in the Army of Tennessee? Lol it was definitely a day I’ll never forget.
24:21 - "homemade weapons"...At one Gettysburg reenactment many years ago, one CS artillery unit showed up - all 6 guys wore matching straw hats with red hat bands, red checkered shirts, red neckerchiefs, grey cotton work pants with wide red stripes, sunglasses, sneaker or work boots. Their "cannon" was a shiny metal tube made from a piece of machinery on a welded scrap metal carriage with large rubber tires. Many of us refused to participate if they were allowed in the reenactment.
I cant stand is artillerymen wearing NO coats and red battle shirts. Infantry wears frocks and sack coats all the time but God forbid they wear a coat. Red shirts as you pointed out were extremely uncommon, it was issued white dommett flannel, gray flannel or a printed shirt sent from home. In my research only one battery from like Massachusetts had their jackets off and a couple people had red shirts....
The First Minnesota Infantry were issued red shirts and black slouch hats right at the beginning of their enlistment, but that was mainly because of supply and funding issues that they weren't issued the proper uniforms right away. They were finally issued proper uniforms after First Bull Run when they were back in D.C.
I’ve accidentally wore mt daily transitions glasses to a company event and photo, i never realized it until my captain said something, i was so ashamed the picture looks terrible and i had to march the rest of the day nearly blind
on the marching have you taught the troops "change step"(the shuffle) I hate having to have sunglasses but like some people I am extremely photosensitive but people should spend a little bit and purchase period correct glasses.
Was it syphilis or glaucoma that they had? I've heard that it was they were "night blind" if they wore sunglasses, but yeah definitely agree that they're a reenactorism.
I would imagine both. One of the painful symptoms of syphilis in the 19th century was light sensitivity. Some people back then did legitimately own sunglasses, it's just uncommon to see it actually fit the impression.
Recently, there's been discussions of using ramrods at events. I used to be a firm believer that they were dangerous and should not be pulled at all. Until I did my homework. This falls under drill. If you know the manual of arms down perfectly, drawing a ramrod isn't dangerous and shouldn't be dangerous. If you know what you're doing, you wouldn't forget the ramrod was there. It comes down to drilling and knowing what to do. The people that make the argument that they shouldn't be used are the ones that only drill for 15 to 30 minutes at an event the entire weekend, if that. You can't expect to go to an event and learn the drill in one day. It should be something you practice on your own at home. Even just 15 minutes every day is better than 15 minutes just at the event. When you know the drill and manual of arms, you become much more comfortable handling your rifle. You have confidence in your abilities and won't second guess yourself. It makes it a more fun and safer experience for you and everybody around you.
Davis Jacobs I personally feel the same way about the ramrod/drill issue and couldn't have stated your explanation any better. It really does come down to drilling to the point of reflex and muscle memory which is the safest route of using the ramrod. Not to mention it would make battles look more period and would slow the rates of fire from four to five volleys per minute down the the two or three like it should be. Capt Whitehall
That’s all fine and dandy until a ramrod comes across the field and sticks in your head. I have seen ram rods come across the field, not only musket but also artillery. It’s a scary thing. Have you seen some of the idiots that show up to events? And you are going to trust them to return their rammer? You gotta be crazy.
Townsends has reproduction frames for about $40 and I have another pair of reproduction frames called Battlefield McAllisters that I paid maybe $100 for. You can often find originals on Ebay affordably with some patience. The tricky part would be to find an optometrist who would put lenses in historic frames.
Historiceyewearcompany has a good choice. Original ones from ebay may not fit since our heads are bigger than 160 years ago, at least the pair I bought looked tiny.. I wear mine for everyday use.
Howdy fellows, I've been wondering for some time now about the use of the "Sam brown" shoulder strap. Was it for enlisted cavalry only or can officers wear it out of preference if carrying a pistol?
Fletcher Goddard there's quite a few images of officers wearing the "Sam Brown" straps. Most of the studio images they aren't worn (my guess is due to them wanting to show off the uniform and strap getting in the way). To me they make sense because they keep the belt up, especially the side that your sword is on. Personally I wear one mainly because I am on the skinny side of things and want to keep my belt from going "John Wayne" style.
Some of the privates had better records than the Generals: Private Albert Cashier in the 95th Illinois fought in 40 battles and skirmishes, while there were Brigadier Generals that never made it out of Washington, D.C.
Each rank the from rank and rear rank are your two ranks. Each file is each row of men. So for example when fronted ignoring your first sgt your first file is the first corporal and the man behind him. To their left is he second file, than third and so on and so fourth.
By the Civil War synthetic dyes and mordants were already widely used (including many that remained lightfast over time), particularly in industrial-scale production. If the fabric of your clothing was factory-made, there was a good chance it was dyed with a synthetic. Also, some natural dyes or combinations of dyes, mordants, and fibers are more lightfast than others (indigo is actually a good example). Obviously, it also depended on the color they were trying to achieve and the availability of synthetic dyes, so the Confederates definitely had less access to synthetically dyed cloth except through imports from Europe. I guess my point is that not all of the cloth used during the war would have necessarily had a faded appearance over time. You might want to do some research into 19th-century textiles and dye materials. It's pretty fascinating.
Improper commands! That drives me crazy. I'm not talking about the plurals. I'm talking about not knowing entirely what the command should be so they make something up.
I can march when im with people who can from doing four years of intensive marching band. But my unit cannot keep time, so there are four or five different marching paces. There is no way to be in step with a unit that cannot march.
I’m dismounted Cav bit we keep it tight we don’t carry more than 2 pistols and even then that’s rare we mainly use our carbines but I did see a dude from a Texas dismount unit pull out multiple revolvers shoot off a bunch of shots running towards the yankee line then died .. he pretty much ruined the emersion people need to stay true to history or else what’s the point if you want to go shoot of rounds do something like cowboy action shooting- and we have a lieutenant a Sargent and 2 corparels for about 20 people everyone else are privates and that’s between mounted and dismounted
Co. G 7th TN cavalry, we are one of Forests companies, some of the bushwackers you were talking about, thank you for acknowledging we exist, enjoyed your video sorry you have seen so much bad dismounted impression, please don't let it urge you to put us all in the same bin sir, we have been representing this guerilla company since 89 and I will agree what we do has been taken as general practice throughout other units and agreed some over carry for the unit they represent I believe ours and Mosby's besides Quantrell or Bloody Bill would be the only outfits you would have seen carrying multiple revolvers and cylinders and fighting so many dismounted for so long and most of us having not been converted to infantry. Appreciate yalls work work thanks for not beating up us mainstreamers too bad, btw thank you for presenting your other material to the public as I believe it very informative and expertly done, be safe sirs
Thanks so much for sharing. A lot of people throw shade on specialty units or put them under a microscope. It takes a lot of work to do a specialty impression right and it's important to acknowledge those who do their research and try their best. All our best to Co. G 7th TN.
hey fellas thanks for the response glad you said that, we are blessed with not having much of any variation in our outfits history if you read its pretty much, raid, flank and get away alot of other groups did alot more variations of this and have to present themselves accordingly. But yes sir we have observed what yall were describing right down to meeting a whole company of confederate dismounted and everyone had a Henry and a couple of Walkers a piece when asked they would say that their bunch discovered then during a raid that did not occur or was not recorded in history and they would be representing regular rebel cavalry if there was such a thing and then commence to firing them on-line Chuck Conners style. So I personally appreciate the way yall addressed all that and I will pass on your best to the rest of the company as there is several of us that follow yall down here and appreciate your time, work and fairness, not to mention how jealous some of the fellas are about that nice shop you got too sir! Much Love and respect from West Tennessee sirs
Do you throw shade at people who are new to reenacting who might not know any better? I'm about to join a batallion that does both CSA/ and federal depending on the event. What are some tips you can give a newbie?
For newbies we don't, they are learning and may not have had the best instruction or guidance on where to go or what to get. This is more of the reenactors who have done things for a while. For a new guy such as yourself, research as much as you can be it gear, uniforms, mess ware. After that look up where the quality vendors are and look for good deals on the trade blanket pages on Facebook if you have it. You can get some pretty good deals for a fair price.
Super late but if you ever see this comment what's your opinion on reenactors, especially federal privates, carrying Bowie knives and belt axes on them as camp tools? I used to work at a living history museum and my commanding officer was quite convinced that only confederates were allowed to carry personal melee weapons.
i also step off with my right. i try so fricken hard to remember. but alot of the other guys are also taller. so i tend to have to walk faster and it messes up my step
Company D 2nd USSS how many men do you need to have in order to have two Junior Officers or just one like you guys. I would also be interested to know how many enlisted men would justify two Junior officers . just curious THANKS!☺
For two junior officers I would say no less than 20 to 25 actively on the field. For us, theres myself who overall commands the company, 1st sgt. Koepp who oversees half of the company on the field an runs it in camp and two corporals to run squads on the field and work details in camp for a company like ours numbering around 16 to 18. As light infantry/ skirmishes having a second corporal on the skirmish line helps greatly.
Since you're picking, what cavalry would have privates - troopers surely. If the private is the backbone, don't the privates locate the NCOs just below the backbone.
Captain, I love all y'all's videos, but I do hae a question about the way you are wearing your rank. Aren't your captain bars modern and worn in the modern position? I thought CW captains, *UNion) wore their rank on shoulder straps or bars. No offense and forgive me of any ignorance on my part.
Always a good question and always fun to answer. Through out the war many officers did wear their rank in the standard regulation of the shoulder boards. However, as the war went on and the threat of sharpshooters and the need to stand out less in the field officers wore whats called subdued rank. It could have been a circlet (a round disk with rank in the center typically worn on enlisted over coats) the rank only with no border on the shoulders or on the collar as I have mine. There's a few good images of USSS officers wearing different variations of subdued rank with some being on the collar of frocks and private purchase blouse such as mine. Thank you for the great question! Capt. Whitehall
Very interesting and thank you. Reminds of Sedgwick standing up in the open with all his rank showing daring the CS ssharpshooters until a Whitworth round hit him below his left eye. @@CompanyD2ndUSSS
oldreb co.b I think earning is a broad term. Some are earning by how much money they put into an impression or how long they have been reenacting and many other factors. We "earn" ours so to speak by knowing drill in carrying degrees, weapons knowledge and safety, unit and civil war history and capabilities to hold the position. They are trying to get or have been promoted to. I do find it funny when reenactors assume their rank has an actual position in a fake army. In company D it can certainly be earned by members.
I would think that rank should be in line with ability and time put in just with the real military. .or really any occupation or organization. A brand new civilian with no prior military eperience or even reenacting experience could not carry out the responsibility of giving even the simplest military commands or assigning tasks that the Capt. and First Sgt. deal with daily. Dime store Generals and wannabe Sergeant Majors are quickly seen for what they are. .battle field Prima Donna's with no previous skin in the game.
What is the correct sequence of orders for hoisting the camp flag in the morning and lowering it in the evening at an infantry camp? Is there a certain description available?
Here is something I have seen at a few events. A neighboring company throwing their ground cloths over the wood pile (which is intended for use by ALL participants) and claiming it for themselves. It's a very nice gesture to cover the wood pile so to keep it dry but it's not yours.
What if that guy does have syphilis? He's just reenacting to forget about his syphilis related troubles, and along comes Cpt. Whitehall who thinks he's so goddamn funny.
That's SO insensitive!
As Monty Python may have said, "I discharge gunpowder in your general direction!"
26:45 I had a mouth full of Mt. Dew...You good sirs need to come by and clean my keyboard.
Talking about the private being the backbone of the army, I had an ancestor in the 13th SC Infantry. He enlisted in '61 and was paroled at Appomattox and surprise...he was a private for the duration of the war. Nothing wrong with being a private in reenacting, they were the ones doing the heavy fighting.
I love the units where every soldier is an NCO, not even one private in the group
Lol I remember when I reenacted Civil War and I legit saw a unit with 5 idiots with Aviators
As a Drummer, who was in 4 years of marching band, it HURTS to see people out if step!!
Also, can you guys do an interview with some musicians? Currently trying ti get involved in a Re-enactment unit as a Drummer and really want to hear from some musicians who have been in the activity for a while so i can really get my impression right!
Awesome video idea. We have a bugler in our unit and do know a few reenactor musicians. We'll have to see how the pandemic plays out to know when our next big event will be but rest assured it's on our list.
I can do some fife and drum. I am a better fifer myself, as it is in line with my other woodwind skills (I am a trained clarinetist). Question for you: do you let the stick bounce for roll rudiments, or do you use an actual double stroke? I have had a hard time figuring out what drummers actually did with those rope tension drums, as I have some sources that say they would not have let it bounce, but then others that indicate that the tension was indeed enough to play bounced strokes, and drummers took advantage of that. I am also more successful in running down my rolls when I don't change from true double strokes to allowing the stick to bounce. Just wondered what the historical perspective was on that.
My reenactment organization had rank ratio rules. Based on how many people from your company showed up at the reenactment, that determined how many corporals and sergeants you were allowed.
Some new kid showed up to our unit (4th US infantry) with a cavalry hat and armed with a replica lemat revolver , he was given some new kit very quickly.
I don't quite know why this was recommended to me - my only connection to re-enactment is as a performer at Renaissance Faires, where some of us really do try to give the customers history. But the anecdote about the unit that was top-heavy with officers reminds me that L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, wrote another Oz book (which he sort of hoped could be a stage musical, after the success of the Wizard of Oz musical of 1903) in which the Royal Army Of Oz consists of 27 soldiers: Eight generals, six colonels, seven majors, five captains, and one private. The generals yell 'charge!' whereupon the colonels yell 'charge!' whereupon the majors, then the captains repeat the order, and finally the private bravely rushes forward on his own. The book did form the basis of a stage musical (and the army business must have been fun on stage), and in turn, that musical suggested another Oz book, so Baum got to run the same gag again with a different set of characters and incidents. I wonder if he had once encountered some top-heavy hierarchy like that in real life?
I was 14 when i participated in my first reenactment and the first thing i bought at the sutlers was a pair or repro tinted spectacles and it did not take long for someone in my unit to pull me to the side and fill me in on why sunglasses were not a common thing in the 1800's. 😂
There these reenactors where I'm from in New York only two union cavalry guys and they are both are Sargent majors
FIRST REENACTMENT SERIOUSLY ENLIST NOW ITS AMAZING. THANK YOU TO CO. D FOR ALL YOU'VE TAUGHT
I love reenacting, Im a southerner from Florida and honselty I was a bit shocked to hear some of that, like 4 revolvers per man our boys mostly use Carbines and some revolers and we in all units have mass majority of privates me being on of them. Whats funny is the Yankees here do the same thing with the green if they're sharp shooters. But I love the hobbie and really found this video to be very interesting I love hearing stories and experiances from fellow reenactors.
number 1 farby dismounted and mounted cavalry giving all cavalry a bad name .
So right. Last time we were back east, we got to see some of the good units. We just stared in awe.
Overheard at Gettysburg:"Sir where should the dismounted cavalry go?" "Oh God, just go over on the left somewhere".
@@CompanyD2ndUSSS How about Farby things laying about in the camp, Cristo plastic bottles, and modern pans and etc all day long. This drives me crazy!! Oh yes those guys in the Confederate Dismounted Cavalry, Bush Wackers with 3 or 6 pistols.
And thre is always that one guy. Back in the early 90s after the Battle, etc (Selma, Albama() we are all sitting around cooling off (105 degrees) and one of our guys comes out of the tent wearing flip flops and red jogging shorts. We all got on to him and after he ignored the sergeant saying it was hot, the Capt finally ordered him to get into uniform or leave the event. The same guy would never carry or wear his own canteen, saying it was heavy, but yet in the heat of battle he was always bumming swallows from your canteen. Jeesh!
As a up-incoming recruit for a re-enacting unit, the first two particularly hit me. Being a teenager, those hits of having to pay for having my prescription put into period frames to fix my poor vision is somewhat annoying but understandable. Luckily for the second one, I’ve been in marching band for two years and will go into another one of the end of summer, so marching won’t be a problem.
Too many sharpshooters 😜
Make a part 3 these are awesome to watch
I offer a solution to the rank issue (27:07) as an artilleryman. In our battery, we only have 3 Corporals (one for each of our primary guns), and we eliminated Sergeants (with the exception of 1st Sergeant) as we don't have caissons on the field. Our 1SG, CPT, and I (1LT) also travel with a complete Private's uniform so as to fall in on a gun crew and eliminate the excess rank at an event.
Too many officers? LOL. I was told this by a man that will remain anonymous: "The higher the rank in the reenacting world - the lower the status in the real world. Burger Flippers portray generals"'.
Must have been a wise man, it seems so true.
its true until you see that old man whos been doing it since the 70s and went through the ranks the old fashioned way, he was the only guy there that no one complained about his 2 stars
Exactly. I was the manager at my real job and could case less about rank. I enjoy being a private and have a pretty easy going attitude until some rank conscious person literally pushes or pulls me to move....
@@antoniokontos5677 this is the only way I would want to gain rank: in the field, through experience or heroic action in RP. Many people remained privates their whole military service, and that service was entirely honorable.
I'm with the 108th. Ill. Medical. My pet peeve is reenactors walking around wearing WHITE SNEEKERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Drives me up the wall.
White sneakers!? Haven't seen that one yet. Gosh.
Never enough privates, everybody wants to be an nco. Long hair and beards are also a peeve of mine, I wish they would keep it shorter.
Most people spend less than 2 months out of 12, reenacting. They’re not going to change, and give up something which they prefer in civilian life just for a fraction of their time. Hair and beards take to long to grow out, just to turn around a cut.
Yeah I find hair a bit difficult because each reenactor has a different order of priorities where reenacting lies, and also everyone just has a different personal preference of how they like to wear their facial hair in life.
I guess the best solution is to have different groups, different units, etc. where there are different standards required of their reenactors. Where if people really want to be in a group where everyone has to go all the way, be in shape, proper hairstyles, etc. they can, and if people who don't want to go that far they can join a unit or group without those standards.
Obviously that sort of solution requires your area have quite a few people interested in reenacting, where there are multiple groups to choose from, so not ideal, but that's all I got.
@Chris Jacksom I'm a guy with long hair but I always have my girlfriend put it into a tiny bun and I can " hide it " under my forage cap or hardee very easily. You wouldnt know i had long hair unless you knew me personally. Like some else said I only reenact 1 or 2 weekends a month and I like my long hair so I'm not gonna cut it for a one day event. I feel as long as someone goes through the effort to hide it, it's fine. But I 100% agree with you . I hate when people just let their hair flow and it's past their shoulder it looks terrible. Another one I see alot is the 1863 mullet.
Typical "bandido" units I've come in contact with were confederate "dismounted" cavalry units, 5 pistols 2 rifles and a saber, yep way out in left field
They're usually pretty good for a chuckle.
Yeah I’ve come across artillery soldiers with 4 pistols a rifle and Sabre while moving a cannon. SMH
Excellent video, 1st Sgt. is rocking a waxed stash. ;) It is good to talk about these issues. The ability to immerse yourself into the time period and the roll creates a better experience for those watching. I very much agree with your take on drill. Very important. Last everyone that wants to be an officer without the work. Hahaha. You guys were just spot on when describing a Cav unit. We have a local rebel artillery group. They offer er the years have gone from really good to sos to really good to good, because of natural attrition. All great guys, as personnel changes occur there is a learning curve. Most likely just as in the war. I know a horse has to be taken care of year around but feeding the field piece for 30 to 60 shots over a weekend at pounds of powder is no small feat. I just appreciate all the time these volunteers of all the units put in to make it a great experience. Definitely going to get to some of your events this year. Going to be a good time. THANKS GUYS, PRIVATES TO THE CAPTAINS.
weren't the 'sharp shooter' glasses often earned as a reward for being the top shot in the company?
I just did a invent in South Louisiana and there was a Sargent that had 4 revolvers and a navy sord portraying federal infantry and had a Scottish tartan hat on
Oh my gosh! What a terrible sight to behold!
Man I love learning so much about the hobby from you guys. Sadly I'm not a reenactor though cause I live in California.
I’ve actually seen some cool videos of California re-enactments... I’m sure you can find a unit if you look hard enough.
There are a number of American Civil War reenacting groups: The National Civil War Association, the American Civil War Association, and the Reenactors of the American Civil War. Mostly reenact from Fresno north to the Oregon border.
Join the NCWA
Here is something I can add to the list. Captain, the word is Cavalry, not Calvary.
Hear hear! I hear this so often and it always sticks in my craw. I even hear historians doing it.
These are all great gripes. My biggest gripe is being folded in with a unit who has no idea or care to drill. They will always do things in two ranks, they will never double, and they can't even march in a cohesive manner.
Modern footwear drives me nuts. Modern eyewear drives me nuts to the point I actually went out and bought a guy a repro pair of specs so all he had to do was get his prescription put in.
My biggest gripe, Gal Troops. Women who refuse to mask their sex do a massive disservice to those women who served during the war.
Great shares, thanks for putting it out there. You buying a pair of glasses for someone is so huge. As reenactors, we may gripe about Farb but how many people are doing something about it? You made a difference for someone and the hobby. It's a great example.
At the Gettysburg re-enactment for 2018 there was 2 berdan officers with swords only and only one private with a sharps rifle that’s it and the berdan officer was doing sword directional commands. It’s like there 3 of you and only ones shooting *slaps self on forehead *
If you need all that modern stuff, reenacting isn’t the hobby for you. The whole point is to portray the soldiers as accurate as possible. It’s fine to have some modern stuff but do your best to hide it. Great video y’all!
Been reenacting different time periods for most of my life - 40+ years, getting too old for most and leaning toward GAR/UCV impressions - but IMO problems happen when people decide to 1) improvise instead of being patient and do some research, 2) be cheap and improvise, 3) get a little to creative or be individuals and stand out from the crowd, 4) do not know where to get the proper stuff (cloth, uniforms, equipment, etc) and need guidance, 5) hang around with the wrong crowd. Many do not seem to realize that "doing it right" is fairly easy because all you really need to do is do what they did. Have what they had. Look at photographs, understand what you are looking at, find anything and everything on-line that has to do with your impression, read books!!!! At this point in time everything a person needs to know is readily available. When I started in roughly 1976 at 13 years old we had a few books in the library, the collection in our local museum, some crappy movies. Our family did not travel so it was HUGE when my older brother and I forced our dad to take us to Gettysburg the first time and we could see first hand all the civil war stuff we always wanted to see, but there was still much we did not understand. There were no sutlers selling authentic uniforms and accoutrements. When we would go to the fabric stores with photographs and books to show the sales people what we needed they thought we were crazy or weird - two guys in their teens looking to buy cloth to make Civil War uniforms?????
It's interesting to hear these and it gets me thinking of my own group and such. One thing y'all pointed out was sunglasses and I'll admit, I've only once seen anyone with sunglasses and they were dressed as a really wealthy civilian. And I live in FL so you'd think it would be more common but I've never seen it. One of the things that gets me ( and this might be addressed in your pt 2, I've not seen it yet) is enlisted using items that they wouldn't have been able to afford. I'm in a Confederate unit. 8th Florida Co. G. So our enlisted would not have amazing stuff and it drives me up the wall when I see a Private smoking a giant cigar and wearing a gold pocket watch with a double chain and a bunch of filigree and such on it. He's in perfectly tailored clothing and everything looks brand new even though I know for a fact he's been out there for 4 or 5 years, and I'm like..."So um....did your plantation owning dad not let you have a commission or something?" An officer looking wealthy is fine. A private looking like he has a butler waiting in his tent is ridiculous.
As someone who has always been taught to do "countermarch" as a big U turn, what is one of the better ways you mentioned? I would like to implement it in my own unit.
I know this is an elder video I'm just a fella in northeast PA who recently acquired a sharps replica just trying to learn more about them I do a lot of rendezvous stuff and hunt with flintlocks in my spare time also had the privelage of spending a lot of my youth in Charleston SC so the civil war in general has always held interest to me as a shooting/history enthusiast. In regards to the bright red kepi hats i decidedly sat down to watch the film glory and immediately thought of this discussion when I saw both artillery men and a group towards the right center of the screen briefly wearing a garish red kepi in the films version of the battle of Antietam later on theres a close up of this headgear on the head of a man laying on a stretcher. I think this may be the point of origin however if its present on film here for what was kind of a larger production tri star picture at the time it may have been an established thing present in the reenactment scene prior to them acquiring costume, consulting a group of reenactors for these scenes. I'm not doubting it as a farb and I would think a bright red hat would be the last thing a soldier might want on his person on any backdrop other than maybe late fall foliage it sounds like an easy mark for sharpshooters unironically it's almost on the opposite train of thought of your green ones or others we see during this time. I come out to Gettysburg from time to time I'd love to catch a big reenactment one of these days keep doing what your doing!
Hats on under arms/ present arms is still a thing in the Active Service.
I actually own a pair of ultra rare antique Pince-nez Sharpshooter glasses but have only worn them a few times when dressing Steampunk and wouldn't wear them with a Civil War Impression.
21:30 "Oooh yeah! The pumpkin uniform!"
*LIKED* the video and your light hearted humor. *1st Minnesota SharpShooters* channel with Civil War reenactor live fire, hard marching, and rustic adventure ... enlist today.
But, you mean I can't wear my Elton John sunglasses? They're fabulous!
Oh Good Lord all the red on Artillery! Here in Texas they have red shirts, red suspenders, red kepis, red stripes on the trousers, red canvas chairs, and I'm conviced if a sutler sold a red canvas tent there'd be a sea of red in camp!
Bad part is, here in Texas along with other States, red flannel shirts were real popular with all branches and ranks through the whole war, but at events there's only artillery wearing red cotton shirts from India.
Great lists, love the video.
I am in the eastern theater and my god it's the same out here as it is for you.
I've only reenacted back east once, but I remember marching back to camp after a Gettysburg battle and seeing an 8 foot long table completely loaded with Chick-fil-a sandwiches waiting for their unit to return. I cracked up.
Oh yeah. Not being able to march. That irritates the hell out of me having been a REAL soldier myself.
I normally wear glasses (Bifocals) and I am smart enough to take them off until the public is gone for the day. I have a nice pair of period frames that I will have lenses with my distance prescription put in the frames, however I will have to take them off to read as I can read without glasses. You can always find a way to improve your impression if you try.
Some solid advice I've received is that you can't hold others accountable to your personal values, you can only hold them accountable to the shared/group/agreed upon values. With that being said, is there a single source/rulebook for the hobby? It seems like having a basic set of standards would be helpful for everyone involved, especially new folks. Additionally, the phrase "do the research" isn't really helpful for nee folks. Having a basic reading list or where to find these sources would be helpful. Being new to the hobby I do appreciate your group's willingness to share information and helping point newbies in the right direction. I guess I just want to urge everyone to have patience with folks as this hobby is a big investment and wouldn't be any fun if one can't participate until they drop $2k+ in equipment.
Now I gotta see a sharpshooter wearing green everything
Our Captain has a legit medical problem with his eyes so he has to wear sunglasses. But they are period ones. Not aviators! Lol. That's hilarious!
Good mention on glasses, I personally wear glasses but I don't wear them while reenacting since my glasses aren't period. Will be changing that
I don't suppose you would publish a schedule of your upcoming reenactments, would you?
OK, I may have answered my own question: www.wcwa.net/events/
Anything else not listed there?
We have a living history event at Ft. Stevens near Astoria Oregon July 7th-8th
We also keep our company's event schedule on our homepage at www.2ndusss.com. It has the event that Ethan shared on it, too.
Once heard the command by files from the left, fire! There were 3 of us on the end of the line going what!! Then we were told we messed it up!
Holy cow! Isn't that the way it goes sometimes? I'm sure you had a great look on your face when you heard that one.
One guy who said we messed it up had his cartridge box on the left. When asked he replied we are in the Army of Tennessee we do it differently. Wait wasn’t Hardee a commander in the Army of Tennessee? Lol it was definitely a day I’ll never forget.
24:21 - "homemade weapons"...At one Gettysburg reenactment many years ago, one CS artillery unit showed up - all 6 guys wore matching straw hats with red hat bands, red checkered shirts, red neckerchiefs, grey cotton work pants with wide red stripes, sunglasses, sneaker or work boots. Their "cannon" was a shiny metal tube made from a piece of machinery on a welded scrap metal carriage with large rubber tires. Many of us refused to participate if they were allowed in the reenactment.
Anybody wearing sunglasses gets a syphilis joke from me. And marching is not difficult.
I cant stand is artillerymen wearing NO coats and red battle shirts. Infantry wears frocks and sack coats all the time but God forbid they wear a coat. Red shirts as you pointed out were extremely uncommon, it was issued white dommett flannel, gray flannel or a printed shirt sent from home. In my research only one battery from like Massachusetts had their jackets off and a couple people had red shirts....
Thank you for pointing out the missing coats! We overlooked that one. You're the best, Ian.
The First Minnesota Infantry were issued red shirts and black slouch hats right at the beginning of their enlistment, but that was mainly because of supply and funding issues that they weren't issued the proper uniforms right away. They were finally issued proper uniforms after First Bull Run when they were back in D.C.
Definitely guilty of removing my cap during taps. Ill be sure to rest on arms in the future
Our artillery unit has specifically banned red undershirts for that reason 🤣
I’ve accidentally wore mt daily transitions glasses to a company event and photo, i never realized it until my captain said something, i was so ashamed the picture looks terrible and i had to march the rest of the day nearly blind
According to Eve, "Ethan looks silly!"
on the marching have you taught the troops "change step"(the shuffle) I hate having to have sunglasses but like some people I am extremely photosensitive but people should spend a little bit and purchase period correct glasses.
Was it syphilis or glaucoma that they had? I've heard that it was they were "night blind" if they wore sunglasses, but yeah definitely agree that they're a reenactorism.
I would imagine both. One of the painful symptoms of syphilis in the 19th century was light sensitivity. Some people back then did legitimately own sunglasses, it's just uncommon to see it actually fit the impression.
Recently, there's been discussions of using ramrods at events. I used to be a firm believer that they were dangerous and should not be pulled at all. Until I did my homework. This falls under drill. If you know the manual of arms down perfectly, drawing a ramrod isn't dangerous and shouldn't be dangerous. If you know what you're doing, you wouldn't forget the ramrod was there. It comes down to drilling and knowing what to do. The people that make the argument that they shouldn't be used are the ones that only drill for 15 to 30 minutes at an event the entire weekend, if that. You can't expect to go to an event and learn the drill in one day. It should be something you practice on your own at home. Even just 15 minutes every day is better than 15 minutes just at the event. When you know the drill and manual of arms, you become much more comfortable handling your rifle. You have confidence in your abilities and won't second guess yourself. It makes it a more fun and safer experience for you and everybody around you.
Davis Jacobs I personally feel the same way about the ramrod/drill issue and couldn't have stated your explanation any better. It really does come down to drilling to the point of reflex and muscle memory which is the safest route of using the ramrod. Not to mention it would make battles look more period and would slow the rates of fire from four to five volleys per minute down the the two or three like it should be.
Capt Whitehall
That’s all fine and dandy until a ramrod comes across the field and sticks in your head. I have seen ram rods come across the field, not only musket but also artillery. It’s a scary thing. Have you seen some of the idiots that show up to events? And you are going to trust them to return their rammer? You gotta be crazy.
Where on earth did you find 19th-century period-correct frames for 150USD? You'd be lucky to find them for twice that!!!
Townsends has reproduction frames for about $40 and I have another pair of reproduction frames called Battlefield McAllisters that I paid maybe $100 for. You can often find originals on Ebay affordably with some patience. The tricky part would be to find an optometrist who would put lenses in historic frames.
Historiceyewearcompany has a good choice. Original ones from ebay may not fit since our heads are bigger than 160 years ago, at least the pair I bought looked tiny.. I wear mine for everyday use.
Howdy fellows, I've been wondering for some time now about the use of the "Sam brown" shoulder strap. Was it for enlisted cavalry only or can officers wear it out of preference if carrying a pistol?
Fletcher Goddard there's quite a few images of officers wearing the "Sam Brown" straps. Most of the studio images they aren't worn (my guess is due to them wanting to show off the uniform and strap getting in the way). To me they make sense because they keep the belt up, especially the side that your sword is on. Personally I wear one mainly because I am on the skinny side of things and want to keep my belt from going "John Wayne" style.
Oh man I would love to join you guys...
Darkythefox 100 if you live in Washington, Oregon or Idaho feel free
No love for Californians?
Some of the privates had better records than the Generals: Private Albert Cashier in the 95th Illinois fought in 40 battles and skirmishes, while there were Brigadier Generals that never made it out of Washington, D.C.
Each rank the from rank and rear rank are your two ranks. Each file is each row of men. So for example when fronted ignoring your first sgt your first file is the first corporal and the man behind him. To their left is he second file, than third and so on and so fourth.
By the Civil War synthetic dyes and mordants were already widely used (including many that remained lightfast over time), particularly in industrial-scale production. If the fabric of your clothing was factory-made, there was a good chance it was dyed with a synthetic. Also, some natural dyes or combinations of dyes, mordants, and fibers are more lightfast than others (indigo is actually a good example). Obviously, it also depended on the color they were trying to achieve and the availability of synthetic dyes, so the Confederates definitely had less access to synthetically dyed cloth except through imports from Europe. I guess my point is that not all of the cloth used during the war would have necessarily had a faded appearance over time. You might want to do some research into 19th-century textiles and dye materials. It's pretty fascinating.
lets do redcoats vs Union
😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀
Improper commands! That drives me crazy. I'm not talking about the plurals. I'm talking about not knowing entirely what the command should be so they make something up.
A lot of the troops from Ohio had syphilis
John Stacy lots of troops had VD from visiting brothels.
Confederates with fed trousers and I'm working on no longer being guilty of it myself...
Thats historically accurate tho
I'm curious about the embroidered captains bars, when did that come about????
I can march when im with people who can from doing four years of intensive marching band. But my unit cannot keep time, so there are four or five different marching paces. There is no way to be in step with a unit that cannot march.
For Yankees I like your vids allot! Even for a confederate Cav member your videos can be helpful!
glasses. I'm (retired) very low budget. I just pocket my regular glasses. not a sharpshooter anyway!
great video guys
I’m dismounted Cav bit we keep it tight we don’t carry more than 2 pistols and even then that’s rare we mainly use our carbines but I did see a dude from a Texas dismount unit pull out multiple revolvers shoot off a bunch of shots running towards the yankee line then died .. he pretty much ruined the emersion people need to stay true to history or else what’s the point if you want to go shoot of rounds do something like cowboy action shooting- and we have a lieutenant a Sargent and 2 corparels for about 20 people everyone else are privates and that’s between mounted and dismounted
Co. G 7th TN cavalry, we are one of Forests companies, some of the bushwackers you were talking about, thank you for acknowledging we exist, enjoyed your video sorry you have seen so much bad dismounted impression, please don't let it urge you to put us all in the same bin sir, we have been representing this guerilla company since 89 and I will agree what we do has been taken as general practice throughout other units and agreed some over carry for the unit they represent I believe ours and Mosby's besides Quantrell or Bloody Bill would be the only outfits you would have seen carrying multiple revolvers and cylinders and fighting so many dismounted for so long and most of us having not been converted to infantry. Appreciate yalls work work thanks for not beating up us mainstreamers too bad, btw thank you for presenting your other material to the public as I believe it very informative and expertly done, be safe sirs
Thanks so much for sharing. A lot of people throw shade on specialty units or put them under a microscope. It takes a lot of work to do a specialty impression right and it's important to acknowledge those who do their research and try their best. All our best to Co. G 7th TN.
hey fellas thanks for the response glad you said that, we are blessed with not having much of any variation in our outfits history if you read its pretty much, raid, flank and get away alot of other groups did alot more variations of this and have to present themselves accordingly. But yes sir we have observed what yall were describing right down to meeting a whole company of confederate dismounted and everyone had a Henry and a couple of Walkers a piece when asked they would say that their bunch discovered then during a raid that did not occur or was not recorded in history and they would be representing regular rebel cavalry if there was such a thing and then commence to firing them on-line Chuck Conners style. So I personally appreciate the way yall addressed all that and I will pass on your best to the rest of the company as there is several of us that follow yall down here and appreciate your time, work and fairness, not to mention how jealous some of the fellas are about that nice shop you got too sir! Much Love and respect from West Tennessee sirs
#1 guys that wear T-shirts under their uniform coats ... LOL
Do you guys use the roll step or is it just a natural walking step?
im interested in portraying a provost guard not many do that impression
That would be great!
Do you throw shade at people who are new to reenacting who might not know any better? I'm about to join a batallion that does both CSA/ and federal depending on the event. What are some tips you can give a newbie?
For newbies we don't, they are learning and may not have had the best instruction or guidance on where to go or what to get. This is more of the reenactors who have done things for a while. For a new guy such as yourself, research as much as you can be it gear, uniforms, mess ware. After that look up where the quality vendors are and look for good deals on the trade blanket pages on Facebook if you have it. You can get some pretty good deals for a fair price.
Super late but if you ever see this comment what's your opinion on reenactors, especially federal privates, carrying Bowie knives and belt axes on them as camp tools? I used to work at a living history museum and my commanding officer was quite convinced that only confederates were allowed to carry personal melee weapons.
i also step off with my right. i try so fricken hard to remember. but alot of the other guys are also taller. so i tend to have to walk faster and it messes up my step
What about union infantry who carry a huge Bowie knife that can double as a machete?
It comes from seeing ferrotypes where the private is holding such a knife, not realizing it's a prop at the photographer's.
In each rank count two's when last person "counts" he say's "end of file" has anyone seen this in a CW manual??
Never did that when I was with Holme's Brigade during the 125th Anniversary. And I've had copies of Hardee's and Casy's.
nope.
If you have 8 people in your unit what should the highest rank be?
Corporal or MAYBE a sergeant realistically. In our club, 8 members on the field makes a "unit" or "company".
Company D 2nd USSS how many men do you need to have in order to have two Junior Officers or just one like you guys. I would also be interested to know how many enlisted men would justify two Junior officers . just curious THANKS!☺
For two junior officers I would say no less than 20 to 25 actively on the field. For us, theres myself who overall commands the company, 1st sgt. Koepp who oversees half of the company on the field an runs it in camp and two corporals to run squads on the field and work details in camp for a company like ours numbering around 16 to 18. As light infantry/ skirmishes having a second corporal on the skirmish line helps greatly.
Since you're picking, what cavalry would have privates - troopers surely. If the private is the backbone, don't the privates locate the NCOs just below the backbone.
My favorite farb pet peeve? 18th century re-enactors (especially military re-enactors) with beards.
Ethans vaaaaaaape we get it you vape bro xD ruining muh immersion
Mostly you see that yellow on the dismounted confederate cav. We always make fun of those guys. Lol
Captain, I love all y'all's videos, but I do hae a question about the way you are wearing your rank. Aren't your captain bars modern and worn in the modern position? I thought CW captains, *UNion) wore their rank on shoulder straps or bars. No offense and forgive me of any ignorance on my part.
Always a good question and always fun to answer. Through out the war many officers did wear their rank in the standard regulation of the shoulder boards. However, as the war went on and the threat of sharpshooters and the need to stand out less in the field officers wore whats called subdued rank. It could have been a circlet (a round disk with rank in the center typically worn on enlisted over coats) the rank only with no border on the shoulders or on the collar as I have mine. There's a few good images of USSS officers wearing different variations of subdued rank with some being on the collar of frocks and private purchase blouse such as mine. Thank you for the great question!
Capt. Whitehall
Very interesting and thank you. Reminds of Sedgwick standing up in the open with all his rank showing daring the CS ssharpshooters until a Whitworth round hit him below his left eye. @@CompanyD2ndUSSS
Sutler row guys who are content with that newbie garrison look. Our unit - 9th Texas/37th Illinois do campaigner events or better mainstream.
here's a gripe, units who think rank is earned! its a fake rank you haven't earned anything.
oldreb co.b I think earning is a broad term. Some are earning by how much money they put into an impression or how long they have been reenacting and many other factors. We "earn" ours so to speak by knowing drill in carrying degrees, weapons knowledge and safety, unit and civil war history and capabilities to hold the position. They are trying to get or have been promoted to. I do find it funny when reenactors assume their rank has an actual position in a fake army. In company D it can certainly be earned by members.
I would think that rank should be in line with ability and time put in just with the real military. .or really any occupation or organization. A brand new civilian with no prior military eperience or even reenacting experience could not carry out the responsibility of giving even the simplest military commands or assigning tasks that the Capt. and First Sgt. deal with daily. Dime store Generals and wannabe Sergeant Majors are quickly seen for what they are. .battle field Prima Donna's with no previous skin in the game.
What is the correct sequence of orders for hoisting the camp flag in the morning and lowering it in the evening at an infantry camp? Is there a certain description available?
The redshirts aren't as bad in the Carolinas from the look of it, the most farbed thing is lack of seriousness
Here is something I have seen at a few events. A neighboring company throwing their ground cloths over the wood pile (which is intended for use by ALL participants) and claiming it for themselves. It's a very nice gesture to cover the wood pile so to keep it dry but it's not yours.
Ugh! Don't get me started on woodpile hoarders! I haven't seen that one before, though.
So, what is the alternative to "countermarch"?
marching the other way..
The one that really annoys me is where people put black powder on The new guys
What!? That's a new one on me. Gosh, sorry that happens. Thanks for sharing and putting that out there.
Like your eye glasses?