Hodge Podge

    According to Wikipedia a hodge podge is " a word used to describe a confused or disorderly mass or collection of things; a 'mess' or a 'jumble.'" 

    I would like to present a hodge podge of images from my Saturday at the Civil War reenactment. 

    Reenacting. It's not just for adults.

    I like close ups of the gear. Here you can see his knife, belt buckle and bayonet.

    An officer shouts commands to his troops. Most officers eventually sent their swords home for safe keeping, preferring instead to carry more useful weapons such as revolvers or rifles.

    I was surprised to learn that wooden canteens were common, especially among the Confederate troops. Any areas that leaked were sealed with bee's wax.

    Even the metal canteens had cork stoppers.

    The blacksmith made this grill so that it disassembled into many long pieces. It was then easy to pack for transport on a wagon.

    

    My research assistant, otherwise known as my daughter, found all sorts of explanations on the internet for the upside down US belt buckles. Some sources say that the practice, while common during reenactments, may not have commonly occurred in history. 

    Even the most devoted reenactor needs a cold Pepsi on a hot day.

    For a calendar of events commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War in the state of North Carolina go to www.nccivilwar150.com.

Orphans and Dulcimers

       Each March there is a reenactment at a Civil War battlefield site near my home. During this year's visit  I  came upon a reenactor as he listened to a young girl playing a haunting tune on her dulcimer. He seemed familiar with the music and had a faraway look in his eyes as he softly sang the words.
     I felt as if I had been transported back in time. Here was a Confederate soldier longing for home while remembering a more carefree time.
    Perhaps this soldier is a member of the 4th Kentucky Infantry. They were called the "Orphan Brigade" because once they left Kentucky they did not see their homes again until the war ended. Members of this reenactment unit  portray original members of Company "F", 4th Kentucky Infantry and assume the identity (alter ego) of those original soldiers during events. The 4th began the war with 5,000 men. At the end of the war they numbered 500.

Information for this post comes from the book "Uniform, Weapons, and Equipment of the Civil War" by Miller, and the web site for the 4th Kentucky Infantry reenactors, http://www.4thkycs.com/

Boys to Men

    No one knows how many soldiers in the American Civil War were under the age of seventeen at enlistment. The majority of records do not list age or date of birth. From the information we do have it is safe to say that tens of thousands of soldiers were between the ages of 11 and 17.

    Many entered the service as musicians. Some of the drummers were so short that their regulation drums dragged the ground as they marched. Smaller drums had to be obtained for them to use. A large number of these young buglers, fifers and drummers became members of fighting units soon after being mustered in.

    William Horsfall was 14 years old when he ran away from his home in Kentucky to join the Confederate Army as a drummer. Just one year later he fought as a sharpshooter in Mississippi where he earned the Medal of Honor for dragging a wounded captain off the battlefield. It is interesting to note that he did so after being asked by a lieutenant who was probably older and stronger than William.

    As always, the photos on this blog are mine. The information is taken from the book "Babes in Arms. Boy Soldiers in the Civil War" by Anne Palagruto, published in 2010, pages 112-113.

From Zero to Sixty to 1865

Have you ever just been sitting around the house chilling and then, in the blink of an eye, everything changes?

One Sunday in March I poured my little cup of coffee and sprawled out on the recliner with the laptop to check the news.

Lo and behold, there was a civil war reenactment going on!

I jumped in the shower (mustn't show up smelly for such a social event) printed out a map, grabbed my camera, arranged a dog sitter, and took off at 60 mph to the year 1865.

In spite of all my efforts I was late. The battle had started without me. I had to boogie down to the battlefield but boy was it worth it. The bright colors, the noise, the horses, the excitement.......

I have been told, I'm not sure if it is entirely true, that here in the south they have trouble getting enough Yankees to come to the battle.

The old farm house that served as a hospital for both Yanks and Rebs is said to be haunted. Since the reenactment was on the same day of the year as the battle was actually fought I wondered if the ghosts would be especially stirred up by the rifle and cannon fire. After all, I believe in ghosts, don't you?