My name is Jason A. Sumner, and I am the Captain of a company of living historians or as many call us, civil war reenactors.
Since my childhood, I have been fascinated with the "war between the states" as its marks were all around me in my formative years. Being a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and having been raised to the immediate Northwest of the city, I came to know Sherman's "March to the Sea" quite well.
As I aged and began my adult life, I thought often about the living history hobby and all that it entailed and wondered quite often what I could do to become involved.
As fate would have it, I would have my opportunity to begin that journey in the summer of 2018. That spring a transformative event occurred in my life, one that has to this day haunted me and reminded me all to well of how fragile and short our lives can be. On Monday, 19th March, 2018 and EF3 Tornado struck my community and damaged my home. We were fortunate to live through the event and to not suffer a complete loss; however, it served as an eye opening event that motivated me to pursue my interests of living history later in the year.
"On to Fiddler's Green"
In May of that year, my fraternity brother and I attended an event being held just north of Jacksonville, AL called Fiddler's Green. The event is a solid mainstream event and is a great deal of fun to attend with many offerings from local vendors, a few mainstream sutlers, and of course, the reenactment of the "Skirmish in the Valley" which is inclusive of an annual burning of a period correct building constructed for the occasion each year. The property in which the event is hosted upon is beautiful and hosts a period inspired home and several otter buildings built in a like manner.
Often, the place is host to weddings and other special occasions; however, it does work well for the purpose of presenting a late war skirmish for spectators. I was quite taken by the event which was the first I had ever attended and made my way over to the camps where the companies of re-enactors were to be found. After speaking to a few of these folks, my fraternity brother and I happened upon a very friendly and welcoming group who asked if we'd be interested in attending one of their events. The group we had stumbled upon was Company F of the 31st Alabama Infantry. It would be with this group that my journey into the world of living history would begin.
"From Farby Beginnings"
As with anything we undertake in our lives, you must begin somewhere, and I did so with a quite decent mainstream impression and kit, Though rough knowing what I know now, I wouldn't know half of what I know about the hobby or quality of the kits and impressions required to do justice the memory of our ancestors without having traveled the road I have.
I purchased my first kit from Crescent City Sutler, the kit was cheap, and the quality was about as mainstream as one can find; therefore, not too historically accurate and of poor construction as the items wore very quickly in the first year of use. But, I was grateful to have them and to be in the field learning about the time period and discovering many unique aspects and nuisances that had never before crossed my mind when thinking on the lives of the soldiers of this period or how they had lived on campaign. What really struck me, was how cumbersome and heavy a full kit could be, and the thought of carrying so many items on the march was painful to consider, which peaked my interests further into how soldiers adapted throughout the course of the war.
"A Natural Progression"
With time, and much dedication to my study of the period, and to the accuracy of my impression, I garnered knowledge that has helped me to better understand as well as honor the lives of the men whom fought throughout this brutal conflict. Further, I have learned a great deal more about how they carried on under the weight of great circumstances and subsisted in horrible conditions.
This has lead to my personal goal to educate others, by sharing the knowledge and experiences I have had over the past few years. From being a total Farb, to transitioning to quality kits in both of my impressions, to learning to camp correctly, to carrying my equipment above the waist as was common practice in the war; all of these small details have made me appreciate so much more the heritage we are working to preserve and honor. I hope that my shared experiences here, inspire and assist others on their journey to knowledge on the hobby and all that it has entailed for me.
Regards,
Jason A. Sumner, MPA, MS.Ed
Captain, 31st Alabama Inf. - Co. F. / 20th Kentucky Vol. Inf. - Co. F.
GEM of the Hills Historian
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