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| Matthew Pizzolato |
For me, the joys of taking part in civil war reenactments
are more than I could count. It's a way
of stepping back from the hassles of the real world and forgetting all the
worries. It's how I recharge
sometimes. It is a great time with good
friends. It's a lot of things.
There are practical benefits toward my career as a writer as
well. I write Westerns, so being able to
immerse myself in the way of life during in that particular period of time is a
huge benefit. I've learned everything
from how to fire cap and ball weapons to styles of clothing to understanding
marching orders and different manuals of arms.
Reenacting is a lot more than just firing blanks at each
other on a battlefield. That is actually
a very small part of what we do that takes place for an hour or so each day.
A civil war reenactment is a living history event. We camp in A-frame tents and our manner of
living for the weekend is entirely as it would be during the 1860's. Wearing wool in one hundred degree
temperatures is not exactly fun, but it was historically accurate. Needless to say, my favorite events are the
ones during the winter months.
On Fridays, school children tour our camps and we give
demonstrations on different aspects of life during the time period. One of the talks I've given is on the life of
a soldier. Others display the rifles and
pistols and show how to load and fire them, with blanks of course. The favorite among the children happens to be
the cannon demonstration. Visitors can
walk through our camps and ask any kind of questions they desire.
Dances are held every Saturday night to period music and we learn
how to dance in that style as well, from reels to waltzes and even the broom
dance.
Then, once the sun goes down and the spectators leave, we
sit around the campfire telling stories.
There's something about staring into a fire at night that soothes the
soul.
If you've never been to a reenactment, I highly recommend
it, and if you'd like to participate, the more the merrier.
I'll be writing a regular column each month on various topics, but primarily it will be about different
aspects of the reenactments, from the battles to the dances and everything in
between.
Keep your powder dry, friends, and I'll see you next time.
Matthew Pizzolato's short stories have been published online and in print in such publications as: BEAT to a PULP!, The Copperfield Review, Pulp Mondern, Frontier Tales Magazine, The Pink Chameleon Online, Perpetual Magazine, Long Story Short, and The Storyteller. Matthew is the editor and webmaster of The Western Online, a magazine dedicated to everything Western. Matthew can be contacted via his personal website: www.matthew-pizzolato.com or he can be found on Twitter @mattpizzolato.
Ha, Matthew. Now I know where to go with questions about the Late Unpleasantness. One of my characters, a man that goes by the name of Real Lee (Gabriel Winston Lee of the Virginia Lees) was at VMI when the cadets were called to fight with General Breckinridge at New Market. Got a flashback of the fight in the book --
ReplyDeleteDollar a Day.
What a great hobby re-enactment must be. It sounds physically rough and I can see where it helps with your writing westerns. I loved the inage you created of sitting before a campfire in the evening telling stories and how it brought you peace. I did it as a Girl Scout back in the day and it brought back those wonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post and look forward to them in the future.
Interesting post, Matthew. Do you sign up to be one one side or another? That is, is there choice involved? And do you then empathise with the side you are on?
ReplyDeleteKeith
Thanks for the peek behind the scenes, Matt. We visit the camps during the re-enactment of the Battle of Galveston every January, and I always feel so sorry for those folks because they're either 1) roasting in 70 degrees or 2) freezing in a cold drizzle. (Texas weather -- gotta love it.) Nothing destroys the mood more than watching a Confederate officer walk into a convenience store talking on a cell phone, though. :-D
ReplyDeleteHi Matt! I've always thought re-enacting would be sooo much fun. But now I'm seeing another side to it I hadn't considered. LOL I'm afraid I wouldn't do well here in the Oklahoma heat wearing wool. I'm looking forward to your posts on re-enacting, though. I can live vicariously. Do you also use the accents of the place you are "from"? I'm really fascinated with this.
ReplyDeleteCheryl
Looking forward to your posts. I've always been curious about how reeanacters decide on their costumes and props. What a wonderful hobby!
ReplyDeleteChuck, I'll have to check that one out. I know a few things about the Late Unpleasantness and I'd be happy to help any way I can.
ReplyDeleteSarah, it is a lot of fun. The only demanding part is when we have to march a mile or so to get to the battlefield. Other than that, it is a lot of fun and it's actually relaxing.
Keith, a reenactor is generally expected to be able to portray both sides. One day we might be Confederate and the next we will be Union. It depends on the number of reenactors at the event how many of either side they need for the scenario they want to play out.
You're welcome, Kathleen. I'm in Louisiana, so we get a lot of the same weather. Some of the looks we get when we have go to town in period clothes to get something are kind of funny.
Howdy, Cheryl. We don't always use the accents of the places we are from, but when spectators are around, we're not supposed to talk about anything modern, like football. We're supposed to talk about issues from the time period, unless they ask us something specific.
Hi, Natalie. We pick our outfits based on what we are trying to portray. I have a set of clothes for being a soldier, and then another set for going to the dances, but it's all pretty much based on personal tastes.
My great great grandpa died in Andersonville, having been traded out once then caught again. I guess we've never been very fleet of foot. I found his headstone on the web. I'd love to re-enact, but can't stand the wool.
ReplyDeleteThere's a re-enactment every Memorial Day at Greenfield Village in Dearborn Michigan, and we always took our daughter when she was young to see the "fight" and stroll the camps, listen to the cannon roar, etc. FUN, but not in rain or hot weather. Can get pretty humid here. Lots of women strolling around in hoops, too! I never got the itch. Guess a corset never called to me, LOL
ReplyDeleteI've been to a reenactment, too. Loved it, and think it would be really fun. We have a CW group and also an Old West group here. I haven't been to any of the OW events, though.
ReplyDeleteI never knew all that about re-enactments. Yes, I thought they only included battle scenes. The way you describe all the activites makes it a tuly accurate living history lesson. Kids should love that! And grown-ups, too. I've never watched one, except a wild western shoot out in N. Dakota somewhere. Thanks for the lesson and the mental pictures.
ReplyDeleteHey everyone, if you have not followed our blog, please remember to do so, because we are drawing some super prizes at the end of each month from our followers. You never know what you might win, and it only takes one click! (Matt, this was a commercial.)LOL
ReplyDeleteCheryl
"Then, once the sun goes down and the spectators leave, we sit around the campfire telling stories. There's something about staring into a fire at night that soothes the soul."
ReplyDeleteSpoken like a real cowboy!
Great Stuff.
Very interesting, Matt! I'll have to research whether there are any reenactments in Arizona or New Mexico I could get to. Fascinating!
ReplyDeleteI lost ancestors on both sides. Must have been so hard on the families at home.
ReplyDeleteNicely described. The reenactment of the battles gets the most attention in the media, but that sounds like the pretext for immersing oneself with friends in another period of history.
ReplyDeleteFound your post on Twitter and I'll definitely check in to read of your future adventures! My husband has been reenacting for about eight years, most recently at the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Fredericksburg. It's a very worthy pastime.
ReplyDelete