American Civil War reenactment
[10] That year, Time magazine estimated there were more than 50,000 reenactors in the U.S.[11] In 1998, the 135th-anniversary reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg occurred near the original battlefield.
[12] American Civil War reenactments have drawn a fairly sizable following of enthusiastic participants, young and old, willing to brave the elements and expend money and resources to duplicate the events down to the smallest recorded detail.
Participants may even attend classes by event sponsors where they learn how to dress, cook, eat, and even "die", just as real American Civil War soldiers would have.
Some participants are interested in getting a historical perspective on the turbulent times that gripped the nation, particularly if they can trace their ancestry back to those who fought in the war.
DeAnne Blanton, a Senior Military Archivist at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., is updating her book and believes the number may be closer to seven hundred women.
[16][20] Some, called "Farbs" or "polyester soldiers"[21] are reenactors who spend relatively little of their time or money maintaining authenticity concerning uniforms, accessories, or even period behavior.
The term "FARB" was commonly used during the Bicentennial Celebration of the Revolutionary War and stood for Far Off Resembles British, as a comment on the lack of authenticity of some of the groups who participated at that time.
This includes eating seasonally and regionally appropriate food, undergarments in a period-appropriate manner, and staying in character throughout an event.
Often, character reenactors have extensively researched the person they portray and present a first-person narrative of his story.
This can consist of portrayals as diverse as soldiers' aid societies, sutlers, saloon proprietors, musicians, and insurance salespeople.
A typical American Civil War reenactment occurs over a weekend, with the reenactors arriving on Friday and camping on site while spectators view the event on Saturday and Sunday.
Such events do not necessarily have a mock battle but instead are aimed at portraying the life, and more importantly, the lifestyle, of the average American Civil War soldier.
These outlets for living history utilize museum professionals and trained interpreters to convey the most accurate information available to historians.
Reenactors commonly refer to being killed or wounded as "taking a hit" and are typically left up to the individual's discretion, although greatly influenced by the battle's events.
Because most battles are based on their historical counterparts, it is generally understood when to begin taking hits and to what extent.
As the names imply, these events are held for the personal edification of the reenactors involved, allowing them to spend an extended time marching, eating, and generally living like actual soldiers of the American Civil War.
They have no script, a basic set of agreed-upon rules (physical boundaries, time limit, victory conditions, etc.
[30] Motion picture and television producers often turn to reenactment groups for support; films like Gettysburg, Glory, Field of Lost Shoes, and Gods and Generals benefited greatly from the input of reenactors, who arrived on set fully equipped and steeped in knowledge of military procedures, camp life, and tactics.
Although reenactors for Gettysburg were unpaid, money was contributed on their behalf to a trust for historic preservation; however, some subsequent productions have offered no such compensation.
[38] In 1998, a reenactor at a Battle of Gettysburg recreation borrowed a handgun that contained a "squib" (a bullet lodged halfway down the barrel).
