Civil War Reenacting: Daguerreotypes

By Matthew Pizzolato

The daguerreotype was the first photographic process and saw widespread use in the 1840's.  It was invented in 1839 by Louis Daguerre. He published a booklet describing the process and by 1850 there were more than 70 studios in New York City. By the 1860's, it was replaced by less expensive techniques such as the ambrotype and the tintype.

The tintype was patented in 1856 by Harold Smith. Photography became instantly popular and many people wanted portraits of their loved ones before they marched off to war.

It was Mathew Brady, considered to be the father of modern photo-journalism, who captured many pictures of the era. Brady photographed many famous Americans of the time period as well took graphic pictures of the casualties of the War. In 1862, he opened a gallery in New York called The Dead of Antietam. It was the first time Americans witnessed the horrors of war in a medium other than artists impressions such as drawings and sketches.

The daguerreotype is taken on a highly polished plate of copper coated with silver and the resulting photo is a mirror image. It was this phenomenon that lead to the myth that Billy the Kid was left handed and even spawned a movie starring Paul Newman called THE LEFT HANDED GUN.

I recently had a daguerreotype taken of myself at a reenactment and the exact same process is used today with the same chemicals that was used during the 1840's. The photographer added the color in my vest by hand after the image had developed, a technique that was commonly used during the time period. I could have reversed the image using software but I tend to prefer it in the original condition. For the record, I'm not left-handed.

During the War, photographers generally charged one dollar per photo. Today, the process will set you back about $50 depending on what size you want the image to be, but I consider it a worthwhile investment.

Matthew Pizzolato's short stories have been published online and in print. He is a member of Western Fictioneers and his work can be found in the Wolf Creek series as well as his own publications, THE WANTED MAN, OUTLAW and TWO OF A KIND. 

He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Western Online, a magazine dedicated to everything Western. He can be contacted through Twitter @mattpizzolato or via his website: 

www.matthew-pizzolato.com

Civil War Reenacting: Children Soldiers

By Matthew Pizzolato

A civil war reenactment is always a family affair, so there are usually children of various ages present. Some of the youngest have to remain in camp during a battle, or join a group of spectators to watch. There are a few tasks for some youngsters who aren't quite old enough to carry a rifle on the battlefield, such as flag-bearers and drummer boys. Some are used as couriers behind the lines to carry messages from one body of troops to another.

However, during the Civil War, the term Children Soldiers had an entirely different meaning. The official age to join the military was eighteen, but a lot of young men lied about their ages and recruiters weren't very strict when the boys looked old enough. Ironically, it was the abundance of boyish-looking men that made it easier for women to disguise themselves as men and join the ranks.

Johnny Clem

Still, a lot of underage soldiers succeeded in enlisting, on both sides of the conflict. A lot of them were assigned as regimental musicians but still managed to see action. Johnny Clem was twelve years old when he joined the Second Michigan regiment as a drummer boy. During the battle of Chicamauga, he was ordered to surrender by a Confederate officer. Clem shot the man and ran back to the Union lines. He was celebrated as a hero throughout the Union and became famous as the "Drummer Boy of Chicamauga."

It is estimated that as many as 20% of the soldiers who fought during the War were under eighteen. Most of them were assigned as musicians and in theory didn't fight. But once a battle started, many of them picked up weapons to defend themselves and their friends. A lot of the boys who joined were runaways who wanted to fight alongside family members and some were orphans.

Private Edwin Francis Jemison

Elisha Stockwell, a soldier from Wisconsin, described his experience during the battle of Shiloh as follows. 

“I want to say, as we lay there and the shells were flying over us, my thoughts went back to my home, and I thought what a foolish boy I was to run away and get into such a mess as I was in. I would have been glad to have seen my father coming after me.”

Private Edwin Francis Jemison, a private in the Confederate Army, was killed at the age of seventeen when fighting at the Battle of Malvern Hill. 

According to U.S. Military records, there were 127 soldiers who were thirteen, 320 who were fourteen, about 800 who were fifteen, 2,758 who were sixteen, and around 6,500 were seventeen. Of course, that is just the numbers for the Union Army. Total figures for the Confederate Army are unknown, but is believed to have been even higher. 

Matthew Pizzolato's short stories have been published online and in print. He is a member of Western Fictioneers and his work can be found in the Wolf Creek series as well as his own publications, THE WANTED MAN, OUTLAW and TWO OF A KIND. 

He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Western Online, a magazine dedicated to everything Western. He can be contacted through Twitter @mattpizzolato or via his website: 

www.matthew-pizzolato.com

Civil War Reenacting: Hardtack and Johnny Cakes

By Matthew Pizzolato

Preserved hardtack from U.S. Civil War,
Wentworth Museum, Pensacola, Florida.

Hardtack has been around for several thousand years. The ancient Romans ate it and it has been a common form of sustenance on ships. Sometimes its referred to as sea biscuit or ship's bread. It is made of flour and water, sometimes with a little salt or sugar added. An added benefit is that it lasts for a really long time. At the onset of the Civil War, hardtack rationed to the soldiers was left over from the Mexican-American War, fifteen years earlier. In fact, hardtack from the Civil War still exists today.

Soldiers of the American Civil War had more colorful names for the cracker, such as: sheet iron, worm castles, teeth dullers and molar breakers. None of them were very fond of it, but in a lot of cases it was all that kept them from starving. 

Johnny Cakes were the Confederate equivalent of hardtack. Because of the Union blockade, flour was not readily available in the South and corn meal was substituted. 

This first hand account of the delicacy known as hardtack was taken from HARDTACK AND COFFEE published in 1887 by John D. Billings, a Union veteran who served in the 10th Massachusetts Volunteer Artillery Battery of the Army of the Potomac.

What was hardtack? It was a plain flour-and-water biscuit. Two which I have in my possession as mementos measure three and one-eighth by two and seven-eighths inches, and are nearly half an inch thick. Although these biscuits were furnished to organizations by weight, they were dealt out to the men by number, nine constituting a ration in some regiments, and ten in others; but there were usually enough for those who wanted more, as some men would not draw them. While hardtack was nutritious, yet a hungry man could eat his ten in a short time and still be hungry. When they were poor and fit objects for the soldiers’ wrath, it was due to one of three conditions: first, they may have been so hard that they could not be bitten; it then required a very strong blow of the fist to break them; the second condition was when they were moldy or wet, as sometimes happened, and should not have been given to the soldiers: the third condition was when from storage they had become infested with maggots.

When the bread was moldy or moist, it was thrown away and made good at the next drawing, so that the men were not the losers; but in the case of its being infested with the weevils, they had to stand it as a rule ; but hardtack was not so bad an article of food, even when traversed by insects, as may be supposed. Eaten in the dark, no one could tell the difference between it and hardtack that was untenanted. It was no uncommon occurrence for a man to find the surface of his pot of coffee swimming with weevils, after breaking up hardtack in it, which had come out of the fragments only to drown; but they were easily skimmed off, and left no distinctive flavor behind.

Having gone so far, I know the reader will be interested to learn of the styles in which this particular article was served up by the soldiers. Of course, many of them were eaten just as they were received — hardtack plain; then I have already spoken of their being crumbed in coffee, giving the “hardtack and coffee.”

Probably more were eaten in this way than in any other, for they thus frequently furnished the soldier his breakfast and supper. But there were other and more appetizing ways of preparing them. Many of the soldiers, partly through a slight taste for the business but more from force of circumstances, became in their way and opinion experts in the art of cooking the greatest variety of dishes with the smallest amount of capital.

Some of these crumbed them in soups for want of other thickening. For this purpose they served very well. Some crumbed them in cold water, then fried the crumbs in the juice and fat of meat. A dish akin to this one which was said to make the hair curl, and certainly was indigestible enough to satisfy the cravings of the most ambitious dyspeptic, was prepared by soaking hardtack in cold water, then frying them brown in pork fat, salting to taste. Another name for this dish was skillygalee. Some liked them toasted, either to crumb in coffee, or if a sutler was at hand whom they could patronize, to butter. The toasting generally took place from the end of a split stick.

Then they worked into milk-toast made of condensed milk at seventy-five cents a can; but only a recruit with a big bounty, or an old vet, the child of wealthy parents, or a reenlisted man did much in that way. A few who succeeded by hook or by crook in saving up a portion of their sugar ration spread it upon hardtack. And so in various ways the ingenuity of the men was taxed to make this plainest and commonest, yet most serviceable of army food, to do duty in every conceivable combination.

Out of the goodness of my heart, I've provided a modern recipe for hardtack that I got from the Arkansas History Hub website should you like to try this exquisite Civil War cuisine. There's also a recipe there for making Johnny Cakes, if'n you're interested.

2 cups flour
½ to ¾ cup water
Salt (5-6 pinches)
Mixing bowl
Rolling pin
Cookie Sheet
Fork

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add all dry ingredients into the mixing bowl, and then add wet ingredients. Mix all ingredients together. Use extra flour if necessary to make sure the dough is no longer sticky. However, be careful not to make the dough too dry. If you add too much flour, add slightly more water.
3. Knead the dough until it is easy to work with.
4. Spread the dough onto the ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Use the rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangular shape. Hardtack was around a half inch thick, so don’t worry about making the dough thin.
6. Bake the dough for 30 minutes.
7. Take the dough out of the oven and cut it into large squares (around 3 inches by 3 inches). Use a fork to poke 16 to 20 holes into each square.
8. Flip the squares and return to the oven for 30 more minutes.
9. Allow the hardtack to completely cool inside the oven. Be careful when biting into a cracker, as they do get very hard when completely cool.

I have tried some homemade hardtack at the reenactments and it is every bit as hard as described. It's much easier to eat by breaking it up into pieces first, using the butt of a gun or an axe. Proceed at your own risk.

Matthew Pizzolato's short stories have been published online and in print. He is a member of Western Fictioneers and his work can be found in the Wolf Creek series as well as his own publications, THE WANTED MAN, OUTLAW and TWO OF A KIND. 

He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Western Online, a magazine dedicated to everything Western. He can be contacted through Twitter @mattpizzolato or via his website: 

www.matthew-pizzolato.com

Civil War Reenacting: Camp Followers

By Matthew Pizzolato

The term 'camp follower' is a broad term that encompassed many different types and classes of people. In general, it is defined as a civilian who follows an army.  Large groups of people followed the armies of both the American Revolution and the War Between the States and camp followers have existed since the beginning of organized warfare.

During the War Between the States, there were many different classes of camp followers. Some were the wives and children of the soldiers who followed their husbands and fathers because they had no way of supporting themselves with the men at war.

The sutlers, who provided goods to the soldiers that the Army didn't supply, were another class of camp follower. They sold items like eggs, cheese, butter and fresh or canned meat. They also sold dry goods such as playing cards, stationary, needles and thread, toothbrushes and straight razors.

Clara Barton

Another group of camp followers were the nurses. Perhaps the most famous of these was the "Angel of the Battlefield" Clara Barton, who would later become the founder of the American Red Cross.  The care she provided the soldiers of the War was mostly self taught. In addition to medical care, Clara would also write down the words of some of the dying soldiers and pass them along to their families.

But there were many nurses more exceptional than Barton, some who even came under fire with their regiments. The Union army alone had more than 21,000 women on their payrolls as nurses, cooks, laundresses, seamstresses and chambermaids.

And of course, some of the camp followers were prostitutes. The term "hooker" is alleged to have originated because of Union Major General Joseph Hooker. He became notorious for throwing parties attended by fallen doves and there was even a red-light district in Washington DC that was referred to as Hooker's Division. However, that story that the term originated with him is largely a myth. "Hooker" was in use as a reference to prostitutes before the War, but the Major General surely contributed to spreading it's use.

Matthew Pizzolato's short stories have been published online and in print. He is a member of Western Fictioneers and his work can be found in the Wolf Creek series as well as his own publications, THE WANTED MAN, OUTLAW and TWO OF A KIND. 

He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Western Online, a magazine dedicated to everything Western. He can be contacted through Twitter @mattpizzolato or via his website: 

www.matthew-pizzolato.com

Civil War Reenacting: Photography

By Matthew Pizzolato

Mathew Brady, 1875.

Modern photography was invented just prior to the Civil War and became the primary means we have of recording that era in history. The daguerreotype was invented in 1839 by Louis Daguerre. He published a booklet describing the process and by 1850 there were more than 70 studios in New York city. The tintype was patented in 1856 by Harold Smith. Both means became popular and many people wanted portraits of their loved ones before they marched off to war.

The most famous of the photographers of the War was Mathew Brady, considered by many to be the father of a photojournalism. Brady took pictures of many famous Americans, including 18 presidents, Civil War officers on both sides of the conflict from Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, to Ulysses S. Grant and George Custer and many more. He also photographed battle scenes and the dead and wounded casualties of the war.

Mathew Brady photograph at Devils Den at Gettysburg.

For some, photography was a money making endeavor as this quote from Scientific American illustrates.

Decidedly one of the institutions of our army is the traveling portrait gallery. A camp is hardly pitched before one of the omnipresent artists in collodion and amber bead varnish drives up his two-horse wagon, pitches his canvas gallery, and unpacks his chemicals. Our army here (Fredericksburg.) is now so large that quite a company of these gentlemen have gathered about us. The amount of business they find is remarkable. Their tents are thronged from morning to night, and "while the day lasteth" their golden harvest runs on. Here, for instance near Gen. Burnside's headquarters, are the combined establishments of two brothers from Pennsylvania, who rejoice in the wonderful name Bergstresser. They have followed the army for more than a year, and have taken, the lord only knows, how many thousand portraits. In one day since they came here they took in one of the galleries, so I am told, 160 odd pictures at $1 each. The style of portrait affected by these traveling army portrait makers is that know to the profession as the melainotype, which is made by the collodion process on a sheet-iron plate and afterward set with amber-bead varnish.

Scientific American, October 18, 1862

One hundred and sixty dollars a day was a veritable fortune at a time when a private made thirteen dollars a month. Mathew Brady, on the other hand, went bankrupt as a result of photography business. During the war, he spent over $100,000 developing his photographic plates and expected the United States government to buy the photographs after the War was over. The government refused.  Brady was forced to sell his business and died penniless on January 15, 1896 following a streetcar accident.

At the reenactments, there are a lot of pictures taken. However, we use modern techniques. Just about everyone at a reenactment will have a camera, especially the spectators. I have been known to sneak a camera onto the battlefield and have gotten a lot of real cool pictures. I've been to Devils Den at Gettysburg and have visited the exact spot where Brady's photo was taken.

At some events, especially the larger ones, there will be people who can take a tintype of you. They use the exact same process that was used during the War. I haven't had a tintype made yet, but that is something that I fully intend to do.

Matthew Pizzolato's short stories have been published online and in print. He is a member of Western Fictioneers and his work can be found in the Wolf Creek series as well as his own publications, THE WANTED MAN, OUTLAW and TWO OF A KIND. 

He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Western Online, a magazine dedicated to everything Western. He can be contacted through Twitter @mattpizzolato or via his website: 

www.matthew-pizzolato.com

Civil War Reenacting: Safety

By Matthew Pizzolato

Safety at a civil war reenactment is a point of concern that encompasses more than just firearm safety, and it is the primary focus at every event.

Although the rifles that we use are replicas, they can be live fired. However, at the reenactments, all we do is burn powder in them.  No projectiles of any kind are permitted at an event.  All weapons are inspected before each battle to make sure they are in good working order and to make sure they are cleared.

Even though there are no projectiles, burning black powder still shoots a spout of flame from the end of the barrel.  All firing is done at an elevated angle and never aimed directly at another person.  Weapons are also never fired within 25 yards of the opposing forces.

Cannons also add another element of danger and some events feature pyrotechnics to simulate the blast of a cannon ball, but those areas are always away from where the reenactors and are clearly marked off.

The other risks are the same kinds of things that are inherent in any outdoor activity.  Sometimes people step into holes marching across a field. Reenacting during summer months raises the risks of dehydration. Threatening weather always shuts down an event because we don't want to be carrying rifles or swords while lightning is striking.

Some reenactments feature cavalry battles and there's always the chance of a horse being spooked.  There are always EMTs on hand in case something does happen.

Taking hits during a battle is usually done at the individual's discretion, but care is taken when falling not to land in an ant bed or to fall in someone else's way. 

Hearing protection is worn a lot of times using flesh colored ear plugs that can't be seen or by using pieces of cotton because everything has to be as historically accurate as possible. 

As reenactors, we are portraying something that was originally done with deadly serious intent, yet we strive to be as safe as possible.  Sometimes accidents do happen, but they are few and far between.

Matthew Pizzolato's short stories have been published online and in print.  He writes Western fiction that can be found in his story collections, THE WANTED MAN and TWO OF A KIND as well and the novella, OUTLAW.

Matthew is the Editor-in-Chief of The Western Online, a magazine dedicated to everything Western. He can be contacted via his website or on Twitter @mattpizzolato.

Civil War Reenacting: Sutlers

By Matthew Pizzolato

A sutler's tent during the
Battle of Petersburg

Sutlery during the Civil War highlights one of the vast differences between the availability of supplies in the Union and Confederacy.  The majority of Union regiments were appointed their own sutlers, while very few Confederate regiments had one.  There were sutlers in the South, but they were rare. 

Sutlers provided a valuable service for the soldiers during the War, but there were regarded as more of a necessary evil.  The line of tents where the sutlers set up shop was often referred to as Robber's Row.

They made goods available that weren't provided by the Army.  They were authorized to sell goods on credit but weren't allowed to issue credit that exceeded one-third of a man's monthly pay without the permission of a commanding officer.  Pay for a Union private during the war was exactly $13.00 per month. 

Whenever the paymaster showed up, the sutler set up a table next to his and a large portion of the payroll went directly to the sutler. 

The goods that the sutlers provided included grocery items like eggs, fruit, butter, cheese, and fresh or canned meat.  They also provided dry goods such as playing cards, stationary, needles and thread, toothbrushes, straight razors and everyday items that couldn't be done without. 

The sale of liquor was forbidden but creative sutlers dropped sliced peaches into their whiskey bottles and would sell "pickled peaches." 

Prices were set by the Inspector General Department, but most of the enlisted men couldn't afford the nicer items.  As a way of increasing profits, a lot of sutlers issued change in scrip or tokens that were only redeemable at their establishments.

Sutler's Row at the reenactments of today is an entirely different animal.  By necessity, they cater to both the reenactors and the spectators.  There are modern day foods available as well as toys for the folks who bring their children out to watch. 

The majority of what they sell are period items ranging from any type of clothing to any type of firearm and everything in between. 

The sutlers are the equivalent of "going to town" during a reenactment.  It's one of the ways we pass the time before or after a battle.  

  

Matthew Pizzolato's short stories have been published online and in print. He writes Western fiction that can be found in his story collection, The Wanted Man and the novella Outlaw as well as his newest release, Two of a Kind.

Matthew is the editor and webmaster of The Western Online, a magazine dedicated to everything Western and can be contacted via his personal website or on Twitter @mattpizzolato.

Civil War Reenacting: Camp Life

By Matthew Pizzolato

The typical day for a soldier during the War began at 5 A.M when the bugler played Reveille. If you've never heard the tune, it's not something that can be slept through.

Soldiers actually spent very little of their time fighting.  The primary activity for a soldier was drilling. They would drill as many as five times a day, often for an hour or two at a time.  One soldier described his day in the following manner. "The first thing in the morning is drill. Then drill, then drill again. Then drill, drill, a little more drill. Then drill, and lastly drill."

Of course, there was the normal activity of camp life, such as cooking and chopping firewood and other routine tasks.

When they weren't drilling, they had to find ways to entertain themselves and for young men who were restricted to a military camp, there wasn't much to do.  Therefore, they had to find ways to alleviate their boredom. 

The number one activity was writing letters to their loved ones at home or reading letters they had received.  Sometimes they found distraction from their boredom by playing card games, mostly whist or euchre, or even having boxing matches.  One activity involved staging races between lice or cock roaches across a strip of canvas.

Alcohol was forbidden, but many managed to smuggle it past the guards.   If they couldn't buy liquor, they made their own.  Sometimes men would seek "horizontal refreshments." By the second year of the War, Washington, D.C. had 450 bordellos and more than 7,500 full time prostitutes. Venereal disease was a common ailment among soldiers. 

A lot of soldiers suffered from homesickness and many of them left their regiments, a crime that was severely frowned upon.  During the War, the Union Army executed 141 men for desertion.  

On the other hand, camp life for a reactor involves a lot less drilling.  We drill on occasion, practice different marching commands or go through the manual of arms to keep ourselves sharp, but we don't do it nearly on the scale the soldiers did.   

During the day and evening when we are not on the battlefield, we tend to relax as much as possible.  We cook our meals and tell stories around the campfire.  We will leave camp for a while to visit the sutlers for supplies to augment our reenacting gear. On Saturday nights, dances are held where we put on our best bib and tucker and the ladies wear ball gowns and hoop skirts. 

Sometimes during the afternoons, I have been known to take a nap because when we march to battle, it tends to be uphill both ways.  

Matthew Pizzolato's short stories have been published online and in print. He writes Western fiction featuring his antihero character, Wesley Quaid, that can be found in his story collection, The Wanted Man and the novella Outlaw. 

Matthew is the editor and webmaster of The Western Online, a magazine dedicated to everything Western and can be contacted via his personal website or on Twitter @mattpizzolato. 

Civil War Reenacting: Getting Started

By Matthew Pizzolato

The first step to getting started with reenacting is pretty simple. Attend an event.  Reenactments take place all over the country, pretty much year round.  The majority of reenactments are during the fall and winter months, because wearing wool during the heat of the summer isn't exactly fun.

Once you are there, talk to a reenactor.  All of us are pretty friendly and love talking about what we do.  We are always looking for new recruits to swell the ranks.  Anyone can be involved, young or old, male or female.  It's something the whole family can do.

My little baby
sister and I standing in front
of an A-Frame tent.

Most reenactments require participants to be registered before they can take part in an event.  So if immersing yourself in the time period seems like something you'd enjoy, make plans to attend the next local event. 

I can say from personal experience that the first article a new reenactor should acquire is a canteen.  Regardless of the time of year, marching to and from a battlefield is thirsty work.  Unless of course you choose to join the artillery, then you can ride everywhere you go.

The next thing would be clothing.  Period correct clothing can be ordered online or purchased at the events from one of the sutlers.  The next would be a tent.  Tents come in all sorts of sizes, from the Shelter tents, to the A-Frames.  Then there are Wall Tents and even the Hospital Tents, which are huge. It just depends on how much space you want or need. Most of us use the A-Frame, although the average soldier of the time didn't have anything as grand.  When they had tents, it was the Shelter Tent that was little more than a piece of canvas strung across some branches to keep them out of the rain. 

The most expensive thing to acquire would be the musket. There is a wide assortment of firearms that can be used depending on which branch you join. Most infantry use the replicas of the Springfield or Enfield muskets.  The best way is to start small and gradually acquire your gear over a period of time. 

If you are just looking to try out the experience, most reacting groups are willing to outfit newcomers completely their first time, so stop by an event, make some new friends, and then see the elephant!

Matthew Pizzolato's short stories have been published online and in print. He writes Western fiction featuring his antihero character, Wesley Quaid, that can be found in his story collection, The Wanted Man and the novella Outlaw. 

Matthew is the editor and webmaster of The Western Online, a magazine dedicated to everything Western and can be contacted via his personal website or on Twitter @mattpizzolato. 

Civil War Reenacting: Gettysburg

By Matthew Pizzolato

Perhaps the most pivotal battle in American military history is the Battle of Gettysburg. It defined the outcome of the War. Its effects have resonated throughout history and are felt even today. 

The first notable reenactment also took place at Gettysburg and the participants were War Veterans. The Great Reunion of 1913 marked the 50^th Anniversary of the battle and more than 50,000 Union and Confederate veterans participated.

The Chief Surgeon of the event was quoted as saying that, "Never before in the world's history had so great a number of men advanced in years been assembled under field conditions." Most of the men were in their seventies and eighties, and some were more than 100 years old.

It was not an actual battle reenactment like the modern reenactments we have today. Instead, the Confederate Veterans walked the path of Pickett's charge and were greeted with handshakes by the Union Veterans.

President Woodrow Wilson addressed the gathering on July 4^th, 1913.   

“These venerable men crowding here to this famous field have set us a great example of devotion and utter sacrifice. They were willing to die that the people might live. But their task is done. Their day is turned into evening," Wilson said. "They look to us to perfect what they established. Their work is handed to us, to be done in another way but not in another spirit. Our day is not over; it is upon us in full tide."

Modern civil war reenacting is believed to have begun during the Centennial Commemoration activities that lasted from 1961 – 1965 and has evolved over the years into what it is today.  

Regardless of the fun and enjoyment we have at the reenactments, the primary reason that we do what we do is to honor those men, our ancestors, who fought and died and suffered for their beliefs, regardless of the side they fought on.

This year marks the 150^th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.



Matthew Pizzolato's short stories have been published online and in print. He writes Western fiction featuring his antihero character, Wesley Quaid, that can be found in his story collection, The Wanted Man and the novella Outlaw. 

Matthew is the editor and webmaster of The Western Online, a magazine dedicated to everything Western and can be contacted via his personal website or on Twitter @mattpizzolato. 

Civil War Reenacting: Firing a Musket

By Matthew Pizzolato

There were many different styles of firearms used during the Late Unpleasantness ranging from converted flintlocks to carbines, shotguns and repeaters, but the most common for the infantry soldier was the muzzle loading rifle, or musket. 

When the War began, both sides used .69 caliber rifles converted from the old smoothbore muskets.  A smoothbore was only accurate at ranges of less than one hundred yards, but with the advent of rifled barrels, accuracy increased to five hundred yards.

The Model 1861 Springfield in .58 caliber was the most common for the Union forces, while the Confederacy relied on the imported British made 1853 Enfield, also in .58 caliber.

 

1853 Enfield rifle

Toward the end of the War, some of the Union regiments used Spencer repeater rifles that once loaded could fire seven rounds in thirty seconds.  Confederate soldiers often lamented the Union's firepower superiority, saying about the Spencer that it could be loaded on Sunday and fired all week long.

 

Loading and firing a muzzle loader, especially under combat conditions is not as easy as it sounds.  It's quite a complicated process.  Ammunition consisted of paper cartridges that contained a pre-measured amount of powder and a Minie ball. 

Minie balls recovered from Civil War battlefields
Bullet on left is unfired, the other has been fired.

First, the stock of the gun was placed on the ground.  Then a cartridge taken from the satchel, the end torn off, usually with the teeth before pouring the powder down the barrel. Then the bullet could be inserted.

Next, the ramrod had to be removed from the underside of the barrel, reversed and inserted down the barrel, ramming the bullet all the way down. Then the ramrod had to be removed and replaced on the bottom of the barrel. Once that was completed, the gun had to be primed by placing a percussion cap on the nipple of the gun. Only then could it be fired.

It's commonly believed that a good soldier could load and fire three times a minute.  Imagine trying to do that while bullets are whizzing past you.

In reenacting, we skip the step of using the ramrod and loading a bullet. All we do is burn powder, but there are still several steps to go through.

The stock of the rifle is placed on the ground, a cartridge taken out of the pouch, the end bitten off and powder poured down the barrel.  Then gun is raised and a cap placed on the nipple of the gun. Then we await the order to fire, unless of course the order is to fire at will.  I still haven't figured out which one of the opposing soldiers is named Will. 

Matthew Pizzolato's short stories have been published online and in print. He writes Western fiction featuring his antihero character, Wesley Quaid, that can be found in his story collection, The Wanted Man and the novella Outlaw. 

Matthew is the editor and webmaster of The Western Online, a magazine dedicated to everything Western and can be contacted via his personal website or on Twitter @mattpizzolato. 

Civil War Reenacting: Cooking

By Matthew Pizzolato

During the War, soldiers didn't always have access to the best of foods.  They ate what they could and were happy to get anything edible. 

The main fare of a Union soldier was hardtack.  It was made from flour, salt and water in Northern factories and distributed among the armies.  The issues the soldiers had with hardtack wasn't its longevity. In fact, there is hardtack that was made during the civil war that is still around today.

The problem with hardtack was that soldiers often broke their teeth trying to eat it.  Nicknames for the vile stuff ranged from sheet-iron crackers to teeth-dullers.  It was also called worm castles because weevils and maggots sometimes took up residence in it. 

Since it was just about impossible to eat, soldiers broke it up with their rifle butts or softened it in their coffee or in grease from other foods.

The main sustenance of the Confederate army was cornmeal.  They used it in making Cush, which was beef and cornmeal fried with bacon grease, when they had beef and bacon grease. When they didn't, they made Johnny cakes, a concoction of cornmeal and wheat flour mixed in hot water or sometimes fried in animal fat.

Because of Union blockades, coffee beans weren't available in the South, so soldiers made their coffee from things like burnt corn, chicory, potatoes or even goober peas. Don't know what goober peas are? They even made a song about them, but that's a story for another blog.

In reenacting, we are much more fortunate than the soldiers to which we are paying tribute in that we aren't lacking for food. 

We still do all of our cooking using cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens, but our foods are a bit more extravagant. In the mornings, we fry bacon or sausage and then scramble eggs in a cast iron skillet. 

For other meals, we cook pork chops or chicken breasts on iron grates.  There is something about food cooked over an open flame that just makes it taste better.  Some of us bake cakes or make cobblers in Dutch ovens.  There's all kinds of great foods to eat.  At a reenactment, we don't go hungry.

Matthew Pizzolato's short stories have been published online and in print. He writes Western fiction featuring his antihero character, Wesley Quaid, that can be found in his story collection, The Wanted Man and the novella Outlaw.  

Matthew is the editor and webmaster of The Western Online, a magazine dedicated to everything Western and can be contacted via his personal website or on Twitter @mattpizzolato. 

Civil War Reenacting: Bayonets

By Matthew Pizzolato

At a civil war reenactment, after we march out of camp and get into position for a battle, the next thing we do is to hurry up and wait.  We always get there early and have nothing to do but stand around.  Of course, the bayonet comes into use then so that we can stack arms, which is the only use we have for one at a reenactment.

During the War, however, the bayonet was the equivalent of a multi-purpose tool.  While it was used on the battlefield, bayonets are generally believed to have caused between 1% - 2% of the wounds suffered during the conflict.

General John Gordon wrote of the bayonet, "The bristling points and the glitter of bayonets were fearful to look upon as they were leveled in front of a charging line, but they were rarely reddened with blood."

Three-sided socket bayonet

There are many different kinds of bayonets, but the one most commonly used by both sides during the War was the three-sided socket bayonet that fit over the end of the Enfield rifle used by the Confederate forces or the Springfield used by the Union. 

Everyday Use

The bayonet saw much more use during the every day life of the soldier.  They were used around camp as an entrenching tools or tent pegs.  Soldiers used them as roasting spits or even meat tenderizers.  Bayonets sometimes saw service as can openers and fire pokers. 

Bayonet attached to rifle

Once darkness fell, soldiers often drove the pointed ends into the ground and placed a candle in the socket end for reading or writing letters home. 

Their use did not end in camp life.  Bayonets have been recovered that were heated over fires and shaped into hooks.  This use was much gorier.  A lot of soldiers of did not like touching bodies, so these "hooks" were used for dragging dead men from the battlefield. 

Combat Use

When they were used in combat, it was primarily as a weapon of intimidation or of desperation, if the regiment was out of ammunition.  Not many men would withstand a bayonet charge. 

The most popular bayonet charge of the War would probably be the one made by the 20^th Maine at Gettysburg on Little Round Top, but occurrences like that were few and far between.

Matthew Pizzolato's short stories have been published online and in print. He writes Western fiction featuring his antihero character, Wesley Quaid, that can be found in his story collection, The Wanted Man and the novella Outlaw.  

Matthew is the editor and webmaster of The Western Online, a magazine dedicated to everything Western and can be contacted via his personal website: www.matthew-pizzolato.com or he can be found on Twitter @mattpizzolato. 

The Benefits of Civil War Reenacting

Matthew Pizzolato

By 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.