Plus, do you know how hard it is to give a reacharound when you’re face à face ?
I just went out to eat with my son, and I was wondering whether he was a barbarian reenactor eating a lobster…
Yes, there are. They don’t have much in the way of public battles. They used to have a farm in PA that was dug in like WW1 trenches. I’m not sure if that is what they still use.
Most of it is playing with powder bombs and grenades. It has been referred to as a big acorn fight. Perhaps unfairly.
A link:
ECW reenactors are a well trained bunch who can also have a good romp with a Pikeblock rugby scrum.
There’s a lot of reenactors of Napoleonic and other wars on the Continent, but many of the units are parade groups. No real cohesion of drill, just perhaps some marching ability. We scared a few of the groups over there with out skill when we visited. We also embarassed them.
Perhaps it is an embarassment of militarism of the past that they do this.
My personal favorite picture of European Reenactors was a B&W photo of French reenactors of American Indians. As you may have guessed: 12 chiefs, 1 brave.
Thanks Lust4Life, I really didn’t want to have to go into an explanation of this myself.
This is why I will never leave this place.
I was an American Civil War reenactor for five years, in an Ohio Volunteer Infantry company. I skyrocketed to the rank of corporal - huzzah! Had a lot of fun, though. Did small events, school appearances, Memorial Day parades, tacticals (going into the woods and being given situations to respond to), battles big and small (incl. Antietam, Mills Springs and Gettysburg), etc. Yes, the uniforms are hot, but you just sweat your way through it and try to drink a lot of water. My unit wasn’t “superhardcore,” I’d say, but we tried hard to be authentic. Anything the public would see, had to be right. But I’d wear modern underwear, for instance, and wear bug spray when necessary. It was genuinely thrilling to march out onto a battlefield, hear the bugles and drums, and see Old Glory and the regimental colors snapping in the breeze at the head of your column. Hard to describe, but it sent a chill down my spine every time.
I haven’t read Confederates in the Attic, but have heard good things about it from other reenactors.
A friend of mine was once into WWI reenacting and he often went to that farm in W. Penna. that is (or was) dug out like the Somme. He had a great time. Another friend is still into Napoleonic reenacting as a French cavalryman, and has been to Europe several times. He’s even more gung-ho than I was.
I was once at a “history encounter” weekend with reenactors from a number of different eras. The most unusual was a bunch of (American) guys doing a historical impression of Wehrmacht Alpine troops from WW2. They were at pains to emphasize that they weren’t Nazis, didn’t love Hitler and certainly didn’t hate Jews, but were just very interested in that part of history.
Plus they thought the uniforms were cool. 
Okay, that’s taking the re-enactment too far.
Mr. M - where do you re-enact? Is your unit loyalist or traitor?
My whole family other than me is with the NWTA. Will be heading up to Delafield, Wisc this weekend, and had a great time at Under the Redcoat in Williamsburg earlier this month. (I played a lot of golf!)
Loyalist? Traitor? With me its all about the brass mitre baby!
You Hessians have the coolest hats.
Were you at UTR?
Cause I was talking w/ a Hessian fifer there about his brasshat. No chance that was you…?
(I can’t believe my fambly’s geekiness has infected me to the point that I can actually have this type of a discussion!)
You’re daaamn right!
I was not at UTR, haven’t been in years, and I’m a Grenadier not a musician (music requires talent). Our units southern division was there. (I’m in the North) Was the fifer a younger, blond haired kid?
I once slightly knew a guy who basically drew very little distinction between Civil War reenactment and everyday life. He apparently lived a 19th-century life (with a couple of concessions, and not necessarily the obvious ones), and I would see him in period garb on the subway. I do wonder whatever happened to him. Maybe the cholera got him.
What were the circumstances of this incident? I’m assuming (or hoping) that this wasn’t in any actual re-enactment?
I worked with a guy at the Rennaisance Faire in southern California that looked as if he’d let out most of his teeth rot out of his mouth.
I assumed it was for authenticity.
The first couple of pages at this site
have some photos of the guy I thought might be you. He was a grenadier as well, but also fifed.
I think there was a blond kid drumming from the same unit, but I’m not sure.
Those guys are from the Von Bose regiment, IIRC. Can’t say I know them by name, though. I’m in Von Donop
I do know of one person in Philly who wore non-fancy Rennaissance/17th century clothing on a daily basis. He thought it was more comfortable for someone of his frame (he was a bit apple shaped.)
Civil War re-enactments are so old school it hurts. All the cool kids are hading down to the wetlands and pretending they’re in 'nam.
Say what you will about the Nazis, they sure knew how to dress.
All things considered, I think eventually we’ll see re-enactors doing concentration camp prisoners and Hiroshima survivors.