I was born in California and grew up a Union sympathizer just because it seemed so obviously the right cause. After reading the Shaara novels, (Gods and Generals, Killer Angels, Last Full Measure) my feelings changed to the point where I now honor both the Union and Confederates. I love my country, but I feel that if California were to secede from the Union, well, “I have no greater duty than to my home.”
(I’m already braced for those who will encourage CA to secede; take your best shot.)
Q: Are there CW recreationists who have both a blue and a grey uniform? I’m sure there are those who are adamantly one or the other, but are there some who honor both sides? Is this rare or is it just me?
I suppose it’s possible, but a quick look around the internet will show you that the people that do civil war re-enactments do not take it on lightly. The members of the unit are required to buy or make all their own gear, which can easily run into the thousands of dollars. They are also required to memorize the history of the real unit the recreated unit is based on, as well as have an intimate knowledge of the conditions that particular unit lived under.
Given the huge time and monetary investment needed to recreate one soldier in one unit, I imagine it would take a very dedicated individual to try to do it for both sides.
Also, after all that work it seems likely that the recreator would begin to identify strongly with their unit and not be interested in becoming a member of the opposition.
I gave been to many re-enactment events, most notably the ones at Kirby Hall in the UK, the biggest in Europe. On chatting to several of the participants (not just US CW, but all periods) I would agree with racekarl.
They are very much ‘into it’ and seem very committed to whichever unit they have decided to belong to. I did however hear of several moving from ‘one side to the other’, or even to a different period altogether. SO it does happen sometimes. Some of the re-enactors cover quite a wide period, one guy I talked to, did anything from ZULU period British infantry, through to Boer War British Infantry - Ok thats only 25 odd years I guess, but it gives some idea.
Many Civil War reenactors are involved in the hobby because they feel strongly abou the war, and would never even think of representing the other side. My dad was a Union reenactor when he lived in Atlanta, and it got to the point where he’d start calling mullet-headed rednecks “seesesh” which was the period slur for secessionists. Are there people who reenact for both sides? Probably, but they keep their mouths shut so their comrades for the weekend don’t shun them.
P.S. I like Shara’s books too, but they are a bit of a whitewash when it comes to the South. They’re good fun reads but I would never use them to pick what side I decided to support. Especially not after spending some times with some at Andersonville and talking to reenactors from the 54th Mass.
While I would agree that re-enactors get very involved in their units, I do not believe that it is typical to get really emotionally attached to the philosophical positions of their respective sides. I am not claiming that no one gets that involved, but like ChalkPit, I know of several guys with enough time on their hands (and money) to join more than one unit and a couple of them are members of both Union and Confederate outfits.
Since it is a lot of work putting together a wekend bivouac, few outfits perform in more than a few re-enactments per year. Someone who wants to do more will join multiple outfits to take up the slack.
I guess I can see how these people would “get into” supporting the unit they are representing, but hey the real thing happened almost 150 years ago. By birth I am irrevocably a “Damn Yankee”, but having lived in the south most of my life I will defend it to the death. However, that is the south of today not that of many years ago. History has proven that the right side won, but that doesn’t mean that the side that won was always right.
I’m not a real reenactor, but I did join a group a weekend outing once. By and large, they did not seem bound by allegience to one side or the other. Several had, at one time, switched from blue to grey or vice versa. For financial reasons, most of them did not maintain full acouterments for both sides at the same time, however. Of course, I have met those who wouldn’t be caught dead on the other side, but they seemed fewer.
I have a friend who gets into it pretty well. He prefers the Southern side, but here in the deep South, he admits that without someone to play Yankee, the events would be kind of boring, so he has some Northern gear for such occasions.
IMHO, those who can find “honor” on both sides are much more pleasant to hang out with.
Meh. CWRS folks are no worse than SCA or Renfaire. They have some pretty cool toys to.
My ex-father in law used to be really into Civil War re-enactment… which makes sense, since his mother in law had helped form the California branch of one of the larger Civil War reenactment groups.
He started out a Union Artilleryman, then flopped about some, then finally went to CSA Infantry.
His mother in law still calls him “Yahoo”, as I have heard that his rebel yell was something to be seen.
What is this “rebel yell,” anyway? I’ve lived in the South most of my life and I’ve never heard it – not even in a Civil War movie. Sometimes it’s mentioned in a novel.
Well, it ssems like th eCivil war is more popular with Southern Sympathizers than “Yankees”. Sometimes they have to make some dudes wear the blue just so the sides will be something close to even.
At the Kirby Hall re-enactment event I mentioned earlier, there were about 800 USCW soldiers/artillery/cavalry (mostly Europeans but with a large contingent from the US this year). Sides seemed pretty even in numbers to me.
They did a massed volley fire toward the crowd, which was quite something.
I have friends who are reenactors and have uniforms for both sides. Most here in the south would like to be Rebs but you have to fight someone. Sometimes you just can’t import enough Yankess to kill.
I don’t want to get into this, those hoop skirts look unconfortable!
Tarantara. something in your post really resonated. When I was growing up in the Midwest, I always got the impression in history class that the Union was the side to root for, that they were the good guys, and, most strikingly, that beating the South was a big victory.
It wasn’t until I moved to the South that I came to see that the entire thing was a tragedy for everyone, and the end of the war shouldn’t be lauded so much a “victory” as a long-overdue end to a horrible chapter in American history.
Appomattox Court House is such a sad place, for this reason.
According to Billy Idol, it goes “Mankh, Mankh, Moe!”
Ok, but seriously
Jackson told his troops, “When you charge, yell like furies!”
The actual yell is supposed to be an imitation of a Native American war cry, “YEE-HAW!”
Q: Is the proper term “re-enactor” or “recreationist?”
I’m a Renaissance Faire man myself. All this is still new to me, but I understand the passion (and the money for costume) folks put into bringing history to life.
[sup]George should have retired years ago.[/sup]