I grew up in Maryland. Not surprising there were ample Union and Confederate re-actor units. I now live in Texas. Now I could be wrong on this, but there seems to be a shortage of blue suiters!
Am I off mark or is there really regional preferences when it comes to this stuff?
Yes there is. I've been looking around and theres more WW1 re-enactor doing Australian lighthorse in the states then in Australa. It would be the same in the South (sarry) but how wonts to be a yankee in the south.not me.
I know that there are union infantry units in Tx. as Ive been to events with them in OK, ARK, MO, LA, and at Palmeto Ranch, Tx and they fell under the Frontier Bde. You can try contacting the state historical society they would know who to contact as for units if the POC is a Johnny he would know who to contact for union. Being a union man in the west you do more powder burning then back east as the numbers are low and the number of johnnys are high so you have more targets of oportunity. Also some events to even out numbers a bunch of johnnies will galvinize. Good luck to you on your endevers and welcome to the Frontier.
Originally posted by 300_Spartans: I grew up in Maryland. Not surprising there were ample Union and Confederate re-actor units. I now live in Texas. Now I could be wrong on this, but there seems to be a shortage of blue suiters!
Am I off mark or is there really regional preferences when it comes to this stuff?
If it is like here in Virginia a lot of the re-enactors are members in Units that thier actual relatives served in. And being as Texas was a Confederate state there probably are not too many Yanky units there.There were a lot of both in Maryland because Maryland could have gone either way and there were several units full of Marylanders on both sides.
While I was at Fort Bragg, I was a member of Co C, 2nd US INF, which as far as I know, is the only reenactor group that portrays only Union in North Carolina. They do not "galvanize" to Confederate. Now that I am here at Fort Eustis, I have joined Co A, 79th New York, which is the same. We do not "galvanize" to do Confederate. I am also a member of Co H, 4th US INF, which only does Union.
What the divil tis wrong with wearin the blue suit. Alot of the events I've been to there arn't enuff of us un the johnnies galvinize to somewhat equal the numbers some. We were at Mill Springs, Ky and due to numbers we'd take a few hits throw em into a wagon and in a short time theyd return as reinforcements. in a 2.5 hour battle I went through almost 300 cartridges before musket fouled and got so hot couldn't hold it proper so I died. However was rejuvinated with a wee taste of the Dr's madicianal libation
As a kid I didn’t mind playing the Indian in Cowboys and Indians. Didn’t mind playing the bad guy in Cops and Robbers. No-one wanted to play the Union soldier so we had to shoot at targets that wasn’t there. In all three we’d use dirt clods for dynamite, cannon fire or smoke bombs. We also used home made rubber band guns that would shoot four or more rubber bands without having to reload the rubber band gun (made from the live rubber of inner tubes). That way when you hit your target you wouldn’t have to tell him he was dead. It was hard to even find a Yankee in Texas back then not to mention having somebody make like one. Soooo many Yankees live in Texas now, (they know a good place to live and work) that I figure you should be able to find someone down in Texas to play a Union soldier there by now…maybe not. I moved away since the crime wave there with the invasion both from the North, (Yankees) and South of the border, Spanish speaking illegals.
Marty ole buddy,if that was the case(decency,honor,virtue)how was it that Sherman wore blue?Remember his little stroll to the sea.Burning,rapeing and killing women and children.You need to rethink this one.The whole thing is about the north invading the south.Its that simple.Do you really think the south wanted a war? NO!Did the north want a war NO!.Now the big question did honest Abe want a war to get him where he wanted to be? YES!
Hey Travis,lets send all the wetbacks up north.They do deserve them.
Dave, sounds like a winner but I've learned to call them Illegal aliens, (sounds more diginified that way). Every Illegal alien sent up North should have a Yankee under each arm.
Now, this is gonna really gets some Yanks up in arms, (POed that is). LOL
It really doesn't bother me to wear either uniform because I had ancestors on both sides. A distant cousin portrays Lincoln, so I portrayed Colonel Lafayette Curry Baker for awhile. My Grandfather's uncles were in the 5th Ohio cavalry. On my father's side we had people who rode with the Confederate cavalry from the Carolinas. In fact one ancestor from Indiana enlisted in an Indiana regiment, deserted and joined the Confederacy. He stole horses and deserted from them also. Seems they were more diligent in rounding up their deserters and horse thieves as they caught him and hung him. For several years I was a trooper in the 8th Kentucky and the 8th Texas, Worton's Texas Rangers. I was asked by several people in Gettysburg to portray JEB Stuart after theu saw me next to the general's painting. I did portray the general for several years, but age caught up and the beard started getting silver and gray. Gets hard to portray a 32 year old man when you're in your fifties. So I retired and just write about the war now. I did attend a Custer event in Monroe, Michigan in October as colonel Baker. Steve Alexander, who is the premier Custer portrayer, in the country is an old friend of mine. (I am from Ohio)
bangfxr.I live in Lawrenceburg about 10 miles from Frankfort down us127 south.I went to Perryville a few years back.They had let the battlefield and cannons run down quite abit.Have they fixed it up any?
I have not been there in a couple of years but some of the boyo's were there year before and said that there are folks working to get things up to par. The ordenance piece's were to be placed on new carriages. I hope to make it down this or next year.
I think you will find this is true in many places. I got out of reenacting for that reason. We would show up and had nobody to skirmish with. Then the arguing would start over who had to Galvanize. After three years I quit going. It just wasn't fun anymore. I was in a C.S.A. unit, I didn't have any Blue Belly uniforms excepting a sack coat and refused to buy them. There are some very good Yankee units out there, Just not enough to go around and they all want to go to the BIG Dances
Yep OLDAO there were some good units out their. But too many fell apart because of too many little boys who didn't know how to lead. They felt leadership was a game to kick a22 and not care about your people. All about "Power." When I portrayed a senior officer I would always go around the first and second night to make sure everybody had enough blankets, coffee and firewood before turning in. I found a very large tinware coffee pot that holds about twenty five cups. I'd walk around the site with it full and a blanket or two over my arm. I always got my blankets back I lent out. But a person can take just so much and my wife and I stopped. I'm going to test the waters again this year. My cousin still does Lincoln and my frock coat is itching to get out of the closet. I have a new Richmond Depot,first Issue Infantry shell jacket raring to go also. Got out the Cook and Bros Carbine and the 3 band Enfield and made sure they're clean. My Colts and Remingtons are oiled and ready. Now if it would warm up!!!!!
Ive been in the hobby for about 22 years and i am still puting on the blue suit. I've galvinized to reb a couple time I just rotated the US plates upside down for Southron Nation (SN) Ive been in alot of units and some split or fell apart becouse there got to be a bunch of altra-authentics (stitch counters) in command possitions and people felt they were to make the hobby thier life. God some units don't even want family members(i.e wifes and so on) there. The last couple units Ive been in have a civilian contingent of wifes, daughters and girl friends and those men (fathers, grandfathers uncles and so on) who would be more for the "Invalide Corps" or the "Veteran Reserve Corps" We have 1 gentleman who has a copy of a Invalide Corps uniform and he'll be our camp guard at Gettysburg. I can see being close to authentic but you can only go so far. I just finished rolling 400 tubes and will be filled before Gettysburg.
