Dear People Who Do Civil War Reenactments,
So uh, what’s that like? You just like, get dressed up in your 1860s best and fight other dudes who are dressed up in their 1860s best and you’re all posting Facebook status updates like “Let’s crush those Union communist socialist Marxists all the way to Massachusetts!” (I may be getting my wartime social movements confused) and taking TwitPics of your friends in battle?
I don’t mean to make fun, I just don’t actually believe Civil War Reenactments are a real thing, I think they are a made up thing that we see in movies to give wacky sidekick characters strange hobbies. Other strange and possibly made-up movie hobbies could include (but are not limited to):
- LARPing
- CosPlay (which could be the same thing as LARPing I’m not sure)
- needlepoint clubs
- stamp collecting
- being an architect
- Renaissance Faire-Going
- Parkour
- stalking people
- Drinking a glass of wine in a bubble bath
- Fencing
- keeping a food diary
I mean these aren’t things people do in real life. Like Civil War Reenactments. We just think it’s true because we all saw Sweet Home Alabama and everyone remembers that scene when Reese Witherspoon interrupts the Civil War Reenactment!
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t want Civil War Reenactments to exist, it’s just I’ve never met any of you who actually partake. It sounds marvelous, in fact. See, I’m really into historical things right now because I’ve been watching that show Downton Abbey and it’s really spiraled into an obsessive hobby for me (see, that is something people do for a hobby; obsess over television and then watch lots of television and only talk about television — let’s see a character in a movie do that! Actually let’s not, that’s boring. Okay, I get it now).
What happens if you are someone who does Civil War Reenactments and you have to be one of the people fighting for the South and then that means you are fighting for slavery don’t you feel terrible about yourself then I mean honestly how do you go on?
Anyway if you or someone close to you participates in Civil War Reenactments I have a lot of questions.
Kind Regards,
Stamos
Civil War Reenactment photo via ShutterStock
My Aunt, Uncle and late Grandfather were all Civi War reenactors. I attended one once and it was so much fun. They gave me clothes to wear and I helped prepare food rations to pass out to the soilders. The best part was there was a dance at the end of the night that was so magical because everyone was in costume and dancing old, traditional group dances. I loved it.
I believe that people who write articles that are gnorantly offensive aren’t real too. We’ve both been proven wrong today.
Come to Gettysburg, PA…they’re every where, and let me tell you, from someone who has lived around it my whole life, it’s not that interesting. The history of it is, but watching the reenactors gets boring quite fast…and they tend to smell. That’s just my opinion though : )
Oh my God I love this Open letter. soooo good
When I was about 13, I joined my good friend and her mom (who was an avid Civil War reenactor) for a long weekend reenactment in the hills of Washington state (ha, go figure). We donned dingy cotton dresses (that her mother had had made in the exact style of the 1860s), set up a canvas tent, and rather unceremoniously transitioned into “The Reenactment” (aka locked up and walked away from the van). I felt like I was in a museum exhibit, as families filed past our camp, watching us knead dough, “play” with rag dolls (boring, if you’re wondering), and help bandage “wounded” soldiers. As crazy as it seems, being a very imaginative child, I remember thinking it was just about the most exhilarating thing I’d ever done. Later that year, I attended a Civil War Ball, dressed in full regalia with hoop skirt and bonnet. My friend and I sipped punch, giggled at the handsome older boys in authentic military uniforms, and tirelessly tried to fill our dance cards. I haven’t reenacted since, but I am completely confident that the reason I enjoyed these events so much (aside from my wild imagination) can be 100% attributed to Winona Ryder and Little Women. We felt just like Amy March (except I wouldn’t dream of stealing Laurie from Jo).
Also, I am an architect. I can assure you, it’s real!
I’ve never done battlefield reenactments but some of my co-workers do it. I’m a Historical Interpreter in Philadelphia. We don’t call ourselves re-enactors because that’s not what we do. Basically my job is to supplement programming we produce in the Historic district (the company I work for does programming for Independence National Historical Park and the Betsy Ross house). It’s different from reenactments because we don’t reenact major battles. Rather, we interpret what life would be like for people living in the time period (we range from 1770s to 1830s), and I get paid pretty well for it! I also take part in a “reenactment” of the Storming of the Bastille every year at Eastern State Pen. I use “quotes” because we basically shoot muskets from the roof of the prison, throw tastykakes on the crowd and get drunk afterwards! It’s a lot of fun! If you go into interpretation/reenactments with an open mind, it’s can be great!
Yes, reenactments are real. I live in Virginia, and we have them at different times. I have not gone yet, but I am dying to check it out.
Other things on your list that are real are: LARPing/CosPlay (another thing I want to do and know people who do), stamp collecting (had a roommate who did this), Renaissance Faire-going (it’s totally awesome! You have to go!), Fencing (took a class in college).
tony horwitz’s confederates in the attic is an extremely interesting take on this!
I grew up near Gettysburg, PA and I can tell you that sadly they are very, very real.
i dont think id dress up in civil war era clothing but i would def. dress up in colonial time clothing if i had the chance, the dresses are awesome lol i would love to dress up and give tours of living museums like williamsburg or gettysburg!
These are the kinds of HG articles that are making me lose my enthusiasm for this website. I couldn’t get enough before but the articles seem to be getting less giggly and more catty, like the one around Christmas making fun of people with the Rudolph car kits. Writing “I don’t mean to make fun” of civil war re-enactors means you’re probably making fun of them. I like to giggle but not at someone else’s expense.
I totally agree! and yes Larping and Cos-play are real life things and no, they are not the same thing. Larping is live action role playing and it’s an ongoing character you play at ‘events.’ You can also NPC – meaning act as a non-player character – to get into the larping scene. Larping is a big deal in Massachusetts where my good friend larps as this totally awesome character with an eyepatch and an austracian accent in a steam punk larp. They have sword fights, gun fights and everything! Cos-play is a little different, you get to dressing up as a character you wish to portray and you are still role playing but not in a live action situation with on going plot and other characters (although running into another cos-player as a character from the same movie,tv series, video game, comic or other wise at a con is always awesome cause hen you can role play and geek out together). Any way, I hope this clarified the difference between larping and cos-play. In my opinion, larpers are some of the best people ever. They are super nice, witty, creative and accepting, plus they’ll help you figure out the ropes if you want to get started.. Also, Renaissance fairs are a real thing and a couple of friends have been to one and from what I hear they are awesome!
As a young boy… reenacting was my thing. My escape into the stories and adventures I loved. Albiet I was an extremely nerdy, and home schooled child at the time. And I fought for the south… not for slavery though. lol.
But in all honesty, the feeling you get from charging alongside 2000 other men in a battle line across the same field that my great-great-great-great grandfather ran across; and feeling the thunder in your chest as a line of artillery drowns out your battle cry… is an unforgettable and amazing experience.
And it may sound funny but I think it’s important to not forget the stories of those who made our country what it is in a world that is forgetting it’s past in an ever quickening deluge of new information.
My Finace has been a Civil War re-enactor since he was 9 years old. I joined him one summer for all the events he was going to. It is a very interesting experience. The people that do re-enacting are a very different breed of people. They are some of the most welcoming and warm people I have ever met. These individual groups that they are portraying are like little families. The summer that I accompanied him he was re-emacting a Confederate unit. I can say that there is no guilt for having portrayed that particular side. We live in Pennsylvania and there are A LOT of Union groups; it would not be a re-enactment without both.
The real re-enactor goes into this hobby to acurately portray a time period/sepecific person. I like the “living history” side of things. I am fascintaed by the stories about people and the happenings of that time period. We live only about 45 minutes Gettysburg . Some of my fondest memories are going there and taking tous of some of the houses and hearing the tales of the families who lived in them at the time of the Civil War.
Re-enactors choose this hobby because of a love of history and wanting to preserve a piece of the past.
Torey
Definitely exist and definitely are cool. Part of my family participates and it’s a lot more complicated than putting on a costume and heading out to a field. There are choreographed and planned theatrics and showmanship. There are politics, rankings, regiments and rules. Far from having anything to do with slavery or opinions on that though, these reenactments in my mind are just an ode to the southern culture that was and a way to continue a strong tie to their ancestors and heritage. It’s really interesting and if you have the chance to watch one, make sure you take sunscreen and bottled water.
Yup, I have a friend who does reenactments, and they are awesome. He does them in St. Augustine, Florida, and there’s pirates, and they fake burn down the town. Sometimes they get the names of actual soldiers that served on whatever side they’re playing, and then he researches them like crazy. I wish it was how they taught history in school.
Well you are about to meet your first actual costumer, at least that’s what I and my friends call ourselves. Hello, names Amanda and I live in KY which is an area that does a lot of reenactments. I am a professional seamstress and I make costumes for people and myself for cosplay, reenactments, Larping, and other various adventures..aka COMIC CON(s). Including a costumers high time…Halloween.
I have seen these reenactments and I am pretty sure you would enjoy them. Especially if you love heavy historical costume shows and movies such as Downton Abbey, which I am obsessed with also. My next project to produce are Mary’s outfits, after I finish a Darth Maul reproduction costume for the premiere of Star Wars Ep1 in 3D. There are several costuming groups that exist for the fun of it, because geeks like me love to get together in our costumes, amaze people, take pictures with them, and become a different character for a day.
It’s a chance to be someone you are not and experience the world through a Civil War wife watching her husband fighting the Yankees on the field or through a Darth Vader mask and challenge a young boy to a lightsaber duel to make his day since he is your biggest fan. It’s that feeling we reenacters, costumers, Larpers, and Cosplayers live for.
There are many reenactment groups like the 501st legion and Rebel legion but are Star Wars costuming groups that do everything from attending Comic cons to charity work at local kid hospitals. They are great groups. As well as Rennactor dot net I think, its the rennactors mecca. In the area were I live, a lot of this takes place because we are surrounded by a lot of civil war fields and other historical places.
Anyways, I’m just hear to tell you and other helloGiggles readers that we do exist and love what we do. If you have anymore questions and costuming for reenactments feel free to ask me
Amanda
I’ve been to a real, live civil war reenactment. It was awesome. They use blanks in the guns and cannons. The deaths are dramatic. There is much yelling and smoke obscures the field. They also have camps where they’re cooking and acting out other things people did in civil war camps. And horses wearing civil war style equipment.
Well you are about to meet your first actually costumer, at least that’s what I and my friends call ourselves. Hello, names Amanda and I live in KY which is an area that does a lot of reenactments. I am a professional seamstress and I make costumes for people and myself for cosplay, reenactments, Larping, and other various adventures..aka COMIC CON(s). Including a costumers high time…Halloween.
I have seen these reenactments and I am pretty sure you would enjoy them. Especially if you love heavy historical costume shows and movies such as Downton Abbey, which I am obsessed with also. My next project to produce are Mary’s outfits, after I finish a Darth Maul reproduction costume for the premiere of Star Wars Ep1 in 3D. There are several costuming groups that exist for the fun of it, because geeks like me love to get together in our costumes, amaze people, take pictures with them, and become a different character for a day.
It’s a chance to be someone you are not and experience the world through a Civil War wife watching her husband fighting the Yankees on the field or through a Darth Vader mask and challenge a young boy to a lightsaber duel to make his day since he is your biggest fan. It’s that feeling we reenacters, costumers, Larpers, and Cosplayers live for.
Check out some of these costumer websites that I read and belong to, you would be amazed.
http://www.501st.com/ (They do more charity work than most celebrities)
http://www.rebellegion.com/ (same here)
http://www.corydonbattlepark.com/reenactment.html (This is a huge reenactment every year) Watch the YouTube video, pretty sweet.
http://www.reenactor.net/ (reenactor’s mecca)
Anyways, I’m just hear to tell you and other helloGiggles readers that we do exist and love what we do. If you have anymore questions and costuming for reenactments feel free to ask me
Have a giggly day!
Amanda
The comments on this post are going to be good, I can already tell.