I was honored to speak at the Calhoun County Historical Society at the Calhoun County / Anniston Public Library in Anniston, Alabama on Tuesday, November 8th.
I began my presentation with information regarding the reason we go to great lengths to recreate the past. I spoke seriously of the time, effort, research, and passion for our past that are required to bring honor and accurate portrayal to this undertaking.
My company is working diligently to educate the public at numerous events regarding the lives of the men who bravely fought and struggled throughout the war between the states. In my lecture, I tend to express the amount of preparation and planning that must go into each event undertaken by the company to ensure that we do our part for the benefit of the public.
Calhoun County, Alabama hosts two annual events, one being held annually at Janney Furnace (Ohatchee, AL) and the other held at Fidler's Green (Jacksonville, AL). My company attends each event annually and we are strong advocates for the continuation of these events in Calhoun County as they give us an opportunity to continue working with the local population to remember and preserve the past.
In speaking on Janney Furnace, I mentioned the historical basis of the event in the skirmish at the Ten Islands Ford. This is important to what we do at the park as it informs how the scenario will be planned and executed as well as what tactics should be employed in the execution of such.
The actual battle or skirmish in this case, being fought late war, makes a difference in the depiction of conflict that takes place and how we should express the fighting in the recreation of the event. To be more descriptive: Late war tactics are not like those of the early war. In this particular event in history, the fighting occurred in loose formations or skirmish order, involving fewer men and on a much smaller scale than the larger battles many have read about and are familiar with from the period which reflected Napoleonic tactics and were abandoned as the war progressed.
The innovation in technology, weapons, and methods of movement by each army also contributes greatly to the changes in the way the war is fought towards its inevitable end with the invasion of the southern states.
I followed my remarks on Janney Furnace with information about my very first experience at a Civil War Reenactment, which was at Fiddler's Green in Jacksonville, AL. Not only did I greatly enjoy attending the event there, I discovered my company at there.
This particular event, though not rooted in a specific battle or skirmish that occurred, is meant to recreate a late period skirmish of the war, such as a delaying action that would have been commonly undertaken in an effort to stop Rousseau's Raid through the state.
The "Skirmish in the Valley" entails a depiction of a Federal Infantry column moving into the area for the purposes of raiding the local homes and farmsteads in an effort to demoralize the population and seize as well as destroy resources which would support the continuation of the conflict.
One of my favorite items to speak on and one of the highlights of the program was that of the uniforms. I spoke at briefly about uniform selection and why knowing the theatre of the war as well as the particulars of one's unit mattered greatly in the building out of one's impression.
I mentioned the commutation system in the confederacy as opposed to that of the United States which issued uniforms throughout the war. The differences between the two armies and the distribution of uniforms greatly contributed to the diversity of the uniforms present within the conflict as is evidenced in many different primary source materials.
I mentioned that is the use of primary source materials that greatly informs our efforts within the hobby and leads us in the selection and adoption of certain implements and items for our impressions.
I briefly made mention of how we evaluate the quality of our uniforms and the materials utilized in their construction to ensure that we give the most accurate impression possible to the public.
I rounded off my presentation with an open floor for questions and comments from those at the Calhoun County Historical Society. I very much enjoyed the questions I did receive and the feedback that was given to me about the program.
Most notably, my questions revolved mostly around the amount of time and preparation that was necessary to prepare an impression and to plan as well as put on events. Further, I did receive a few questions on the equipment we used and where it was that procured our items.
I concluded my presentation with information about my website and directed members to take notice of the calendar as well as the information about how to join our company.
Overall, I felt that the presentation was well received and I was quite honored to have the opportunity to meet with and speak with the Calhoun County Historical Society. I attribute such to my dear friend and fellow St. Luke's Parishioner, Dennis and to Mrs. Folsom of the Calhoun County Historical Society.
I am also additionally grateful to my Quartermaster Sergeant, Levi Jennings and to my students who attended the event. Without Levi, the demonstration would not have gone so well and I am particularly glad that my students attended to support me and claimed to have even learned something about the conflict.
留言