April-May Civil War Reenactments

[Chazz]

April-May Civil War Reenactment

Here's link to a list of Civil War Reenactments, Civil War Battles, Events ect.
http://www.reenactmenthq.com/eventlist.asp

This month I might try to go to one of these events, I never been to one.
Maybe one of you guys can tell us what it's like, what do you bring, type of setup for guns etc..

Battle of Port Jefferson Video

This day in April:
April 15 1861 President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to defend the Union
April 15 President Lincoln died at 7:22 a.m. (146 years ago)

April has been a busy month in history.
A quick run down of dates:

April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783 American Revolutionary War
April 27, 1822 Ulysses S. Grant was born
October 2, 1835 – April 21, 1836 Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence
April 25, 1846 – February 2, 1848 Mexican-American War, Samuel Hamilton Walker died in this war.
April 12 1861 -- Attack on Fort Sumter
April 13, Major Anderson surrendered Fort Sumter, evacuating the garrison on the following day.
April 15 1861 President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to defend the Union
Apr 17, 1861 - Jun 8, 1861 -- Four More States Join the Confederacy.
April 18 1861 Lee turned down an offer to become a major general in the U.S. Army, resigned on April 20 and took up command of the Virginia state forces on April 23

April 19, 1861 - President Lincoln issues a Proclamation of Blockade against Southern ports.
April 6 1862 -- The Battle of Shiloh 13,000 out of 63,000 Union soldiers died, and 11,000 of 40,000 Confederate troops were killed.
April 24, 1862 - 17 Union ships under the command of Flag Officer David Farragut move up the Mississippi River then take New Orleans, the South's greatest seaport.
April 12, 1863 Siege of Suffolk
April 30, 1863 Ulysses S. Grant begins crossing the Mississippi and landing U. S. troops south of Vicksburg
April 12-13, 1864 Blair's Landing / Pleasant Hill Landing
April 13, 1864 - CSA Nathan Bedford Forrest’s cavalry skirmish in Columbus, KY.
April 2 1865, Lee evacuated Richmond, the Confederate capital, and headed west to join with other forces.
April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered
April 10 1865 General Robert E. Lee Farewell address to the Army of Northern Virginia
April 14 On Good Friday, 1865 President Lincoln was shot.
April 15 President Lincoln died at 7:22 a.m. (146 years ago)
1865 April-May -- Remaining Confederate Troops Surrender

I did have much longer list for April
I shorten it leaving only key dates.

 

[ultradoc]

I saw one in Jackson,Mi. several years ago. There must have been about 200 reenactors involved. It was awsome.

 

[Phantom Captain]

Ok, you asked for it!

I've participated in the Jackson, MI event multiple times. It's usually a great event and VERY well attended as long as the weather cooperates. I remember one year a few years back that was really wet and muddy which didn't make things nice for anyone.

That list also doesn't have any Indiana events on it of which I assure you, there are quite a few. In fact, I'm leaving today for an event in Vernon, IN. Vernon was the furthest north Morgan's Raid penetrated during the war. Yep, the Confederates did push up into Indiana but only for a day or two and only a cavalry raid.

I've been reenacting for five years now. Types of reenactors actually fall into a couple different categories. You have mainstreamers, which are the group that bring their families, lots of tents, camp gear galore, modern coolers and conveniences (hidden under blankets and stuff) and generally come out for the camarderie and because they enjoy the atmosphere and burning powder.

Then you have the progressives or "hard cores" as we are called. We are the guys that really try to live and portray what it was the soldiers went through. We pay more attention to authenticity, try to find the right gear which we pay a LOT more for, really do research and base our impressions on the actual units or soldiers we are trying to portray, eat what the soldiers were rationed for a weekend, sleep on the ground under the stars (tents? what's a tent?) and generally carry into and out of an event what we can carry in our knapsacks or in our blanket rolls, exactly as the soldiers would have done. Our passion for all this really comes from our LOVE of history, our desire to portray and remember that history and those men who fought and died and our want to teach and pass on to the public those things that have been forgotten. Most of us are very into battlefield preservation as well (I've been to tons of Civil War battlefields)

My home unit is the 49th Indiana, Co. F. We are a mainly mainstream unit with a good mix of participants and types and we work really well as a group. Inside the unit though a group of us have a "mess". We are the hardcore element inside the main unit. We call ourselves "the Tanglefoot Mess". It's 7 of us good pards who go the extra step with our impressions and camp life. We portray Federal western troops! The eastern units, of course, are much more popular and done by far more than us but we take great pride in portraying our western soldiers, and Indiana soldiers in particular, and doing it well. The western theater is far too often overlooked and they were extremely instrumental in winning the war.

Most of us (progressives) will also have "defarbed" weapons. That is all the modern markings removed and the guns put into the configurations that they would have come from the armories. I have three that I use depending on the impression I'm doing, that is early war, militia, late war, etc. My main rifle, and the one the 49th Indiana was issued is an 1854 Austrian Lorenz, .58 caliber. I also have a beautiful Model 1855 Harpers Ferry Rifle, .58 caliber. This was the one with the Maynard priming system. Mine is a dummy system though as it's a reproduction. For militia or early war impression I also have a Springfield Model 1842 .69 caliber smoothbore. Love the smoothbore and love live firing buck and ball with it when I take it to the range!

Here's the tools of my trade!
Top to bottom, 1842 Springfield smoothbore
Model 1855 Harpers Ferry Rifle
Model 1861 Springfield Rifle (this is my dedicated shooter, it's a Pedersoli and I don't reenact with it.)
1854 Lorenz Rifle

Little closer views of the locks

'42 Smoothbore lock and '55 Harpers Ferry

Here's the Lorenz

 

[Phantom Captain]

And here are some pics of us in action!

This is my company at our annual camp of instruction from two weekends ago. Notice my impeccable form on the firing line!

Me doing bayonet drill

Me and my 1st sgt marching in column. Just from this picture alone you can see how we stand out a bit more from the regular crowd in full battle gear. What you see us carrying here is pretty much what we walk into and out of an event with.

Me and some of my mess doing Iron Brigade, 6th Wisconsin, Co. I, last October for a living histroy event on the actual Antietam Battlefield. This is the Dunker Church.

Full gear.

Here's the entire 6th Wisconsin at Antietam. Our company had the actual number of men as the real 6th after the battle. They went into the fight on Sept 17, 1862 with just over 300 men and came out with just over 130.

Western Feds at Conner Prairie, Indiana.

Me dozing in the woods on a break from marching. This was a hardcore only event, no public spectators. We did a weekend event in the woods of Tennessee in March. Tried to really recreate a company on the move. Awesome!

 

[Phantom Captain]

This on the Nash Farm Battlefield just south of Atlanta. It was a national event a couple years ago.

This is also the Nash Farm Battlefield and was taken on a period camera with period developing. The actual photo is a real tintype. Looks totally authentic.

My 1st Sgt and me in position on the fenceline.

Forward March!

 

[junkman_01]

Great photos. Thanks.

 

[ClemBert]

Kewl photos. Thanks for sharing.

Too bad we don't have these "more regular" type events down in central Florida. I'd like to attend one as a spectator.

I was looking at the list of major events....specifically these three:

April 12 1861 -- Attack on Fort Sumter
April 13, Major Anderson surrendered Fort Sumter, evacuating the garrison on the following day.
April 15 1861 President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to defend the Union

Lincoln needed 75,000 volunteers to defend the union from whom? Was the union under attack? I'm not looking for a pros and cons rehash of the War Between the States. Just from a logical point of view I thought those major event comments interesting.

 

[Phantom Captain]

Fort Sumter, property of the US government and garrisoned by United States Soldiers. Fired on by the rebels with intent to kill US soldiers. Logically then, the US was under attack by the Rebels. I know who started it and fired first. Revisionist history doesn't count, sorry! If you want to call it the War of Northern Aggression, which is false, then I'll counter and call it what it really was, The War of the Rebellion of the Slave Holders.

Not starting an argument either but I know how this all goes so I'll just leave it at that. It's been done to death ad nauseum. If you want to argue the "Lost Cause - Revisionist History" let's do it in another thread. This one is about reenacting and our experiences doing that.

 

[ElvinWarrior]

ClemBert,

Even though Robert E. Lee had already surrendered there were still battles, and men in the field. Lincoln, and his generals, both greatly feared that if a sucessful surrender with all of the South, and all of their forces was not sucessful in the short term, that the southern rebels may very well go to using guerilla warfare tatics, completely avoiding line battles and confrontations. If they had done this, this would have dragged out the war a great deal longer, with an uncertain end in sight. I think he called upon the 75,000 new troops, as a show of resolve, to convince the southern armies, that the north was prepared to fight as long as necessary. And, in addition to that, to have the recruits comming in, in case, they were in fact needed, as fighting by guerilla tactics is much more difficult to root out, and generally requires fewer men to launch an attack, but more men to defeat.

At least, this is what I have picked up by historical, and modern, interpretations of the event.

Sincerely,

ElvinWarrior... aka... David, "EW"

 

[ClemBert]

Fort Sumter, property of the US government and garrisoned by United States Soldiers. Fired on by the rebels with intent to kill US soldiers. Logically then, the US was under attack by the Rebels. I know who started it and fired first. Revisionist history doesn't count, sorry! If you want to call it the War of Northern Aggression, which is false, then I'll counter and call it what it really was, The War of the Rebellion of the Slave Holders.

Not starting an argument either but I know how this all goes so I'll just leave it at that. It's been done to death ad nauseum. If you want to argue the "Lost Cause - Revisionist History" let's do it in another thread. This one is about reenacting and our experiences doing that.

The OP posted this:

April 12 1861 -- Attack on Fort Sumter
April 13, Major Anderson surrendered Fort Sumter, evacuating the garrison on the following day.
April 15 1861 President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to defend the Union

I posted this:

Lincoln needed 75,000 volunteers to defend the union from whom? Was the union under attack? I'm not looking for a pros and cons rehash of the War Between the States. Just from a logical point of view I thought those major event comments interesting.

I just asked a simple question and stated I didn't want to rehash the pros and cons. Lincoln needed 75,000 soldiers to take back Ft. Sumter? Is that the reason he needed the volunteers or was he afraid South Carolina was going to attack another state's territory?

You clearly play your "role" very well as a union soldier. But we aren't at a reenactment so you might want to chillax. I haven't revised anything. I asked a simple question. Don't get all emotional on me. I'm trying to have a civil discussion on what the OP posted.

 

[ClemBert]

I think he called upon the 75,000 new troops, as a show of resolve, to convince the southern armies, that the north was prepared to fight as long as necessary.

Huh????

The OP posted this:

April 12 1861 -- Attack on Fort Sumter
April 13, Major Anderson surrendered Fort Sumter, evacuating the garrison on the following day.
April 15 1861 President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to defend the Union

On April 15, 1861 there were no "southern armies". Just SC at the time trying to maintain it's sovereignty over it's territory. Three days after the attack on Fort Sumter he needed 75,000 volunteers to defend what part of the union? That was the gist of my question.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Phantom Captain - Nice wood on that Pedersoli.

 

[Phantom Captain]

Oh no worries, I'm not being argumentative but your question was pointed and implying that the south was innocent of anything. And I know you didn't call it the WONA, I just preempted it before someone did. I get tired of hearing it. As I stated I didn't want to argue so I wasn't being "prickly". That's why I put smileys and stuff. Emotional?? Ha. Far from it. Passionate about the truth is closer to the mark.

If you want the straight historical answer, Lincoln called up the 75,000 troops because after the Rebels fired on Sumter he knew the rebellion would have to be put down with force as it was the Confederates who now showed their willingness to secede by force. Lincoln vowed he would not let the country be ripped apart.

Elvin Warrior, you are mixing your facts all over the place. Clembart was asking about the 75,000 troops called up at the beginning of the war. Lee wasn't even in command of any army at the beginning. In fact he was a Colonel in the US army as was offered a command in the army which he declined. We weren't close to talking about the end of the war.

 

[Phantom Captain]

And of course I play the role of Union Soldier well. I'm proud of my heritage and my country! I hade a relative in the Revolution and one killed at the Battle of Tippacanoe in the War of 1812. I had six relatives who fought in the western Federal armies during the Civil War, two of whom made Sherman's March. My great Uncle was a soldier in WWI, my grandfather was a BAR gunner in the Merrill's Marauders, Orange Combat Team in WWII. If you don't know them, look them up! Their story is amazing and he was there through it all. My Dad's half brother was a captain on a B-25 in WWII and my uncle was in the Navy off of Vietnam.

So yeah, I get a bit incensed when people casually talk about killing US soldiers.

 

[Phantom Captain]

Phantom Captain - Nice wood on that Pedersoli.

Thanks! It's a real beauty and shoots great!

 

[Phantom Captain]

And just so you know, we'll play the other side too! (Just not with the same enthusiasm, )

 

[arcticap]

New England's largest Civil War reenactment/encampment will be held at one of the local city parks here this weekend that's being sponsored by the local state university.

600 reenactors are going to participate, the Governor is coming and there will be a vintage baseball game.
The article states that it's being held rain or shine since “The Civil War did not stop for bad weather”. However I've heard that battles were actually stopped due to bad weather because their powder would get wet.
The park where it's being held is only about a mile away from my house and 10,000 spectators are expected to attend.
It's the Civil War commemorative "kick off" for the whole state. The local university also happens to be the oldest CT state university.

http://www.newbritainherald.com/articles/2011/03/02/news/doc4d6f0b1094200056628115.txt

http://finalsite.ccsu.edu/page.cfm?p=2296

http://cthistoryconnection.com/2011...new-britain-mark-civil-war-150th-anniversary/

http://www.newenglandcivilwarevents.com/150th-Connecticut-Civil-War.html

 

[A. Walker]

Chazz & Phantom Captain, thanks so much for posting this information and these excellent pictures here on the sesquicentennial of the start of the War (too bad it never really ended, as is evidenced by the above posts! ). I live in Colorado, so not much happens here; closest battlefield is in New Mexico, so I really envy you guys who live where it all happened. Surprisingly, there's not much re-enacting for periods post-1847 going on here. Lots of Mountain Man and Trapper stuff, though...

PC, are there plans to re-enact all the major battles as they occurred, and, if so, how many are you going to attend? I would love to see more of these great pics, too. If I can't participate, the least I can do is live vicariously through those who can!

Paint me green with envy!

 

[Phantom Captain]

PC, are there plans to re-enact all the major battles as they occurred, and, if so, how many are you going to attend? I would love to see more of these great pics, too. If I can't participate, the least I can do is live vicariously through those who can!

Paint me green with envy!

You're welcome! I'm always happy to talk about one of my favorite hobbies and share knowledge on one of my favorite time periods. I love how a love of the holy black really does tie it all together too!

Anyway, there aren't plans, yet, to reenact ALL the major battles but certainly a lot of them and of course the most famous. We vote as a unit on which to attend and will certainly attend one or two of the major national events for each year in this 150th cycle.

This year, of course, is Manassass which my unit is attending. We plan on portraying the 1st Minnesota for that one. Blue pants, enlisted men in red battle shirts, NCOs in blue battle shirts with our chevrons sewn on, and either civillian black hats or blue forage caps. It looks, right now, like there should be around 15,000 reenactors for this event. It's over the weekend of July 21-24, the actual anniversary of the battle. The reenactment is taking place on ground right next to Brawners Farm which is where, during the battle of 2nd Manassass the Iron Brigade had their baptism of fire. I love Brawner's Farm and have been there a couple times!

For the west the Battle of Wilson's Creek will take place in Missouri!

Next year, 2012 (1862), for sure the two major battles will be Shiloh and Antietam, both of which I'm planning on attending.

All I know about so far for 2013 are Gettysburg and Chickamauga. Gettysburg will be the largest most intense reenactment of them all. Even now they are forecasting 25-30,000 reenactors for that. I am planning on attending both of these as well.

Even if my base unit doesn't attend all of them I have open invitations to fall in with other hardcore units which will be going!

 

[junkman_01]

Phantom Captain wrote:

And just so you know, we'll play the other side too! (Just not with the same enthusiasm)

I see that, since you are wearing a U.S. belt buckle, albeit upside down!

 

[Phantom Captain]

A lot of Confederates actually did that since, in the early war at least, most of their gear was from US armories that were in the south. They used what they had access to. Many of the soldiers, or at least so it's told, turned the buckles upside down and instead claimed the letters then formed "sn" which they would say stood for "southern nation".

They would also scavenge Federal gear off the battlefields to supplement their own supplies. Springfield rifles especially!

 

[Armored farmer]

One of my family members rode off from this very farm and he (and his horse) joined th 5th Illinois cavalry. He (and his horse) were captured while on a foraging detail. He died on a campaign in the South.
Ironically, the family was reimbursed for the horse...but not the son.

 

[Kaeto]

Phantom Captain: I love that one of your muskets has the rather rare Maynard Tape Primer. That's just another level of accuracy.

 

[Newfoundlander]

Living in Canada heading south for a visit april/may 2012. I am trying to find out if there are any reenactments planned for that timeframe.
Primarily looking at somewhere south of Washington so that we may also enjoy some warmer temperatures at the same time.
Have become a mini civil war buff since I have begun to do more travelling

Presently we are looking at Edisto Beach (Charleston/Savannah). But trying to find out if there is anything else going on

Ted

 

[DrLaw]

Keokuk, Iowa has a re-enactment going on at the end of the month of April. It was the battle of Pea Ridge re-enactment since a General from Keokuk was there.

You can probably find more info on the date and times at the Keokuk city website.

The Doc is out now.