Only one day left of September, already feeling the much cooler weather of October. But that doesn’t stop reenactors from doing a hobby they really love. There are a few really great events to point out that have not been posted or mentioned on our website. Our goal for next year is to not let that happen any more, but this year we are letting it slide by.
The Battle of Germantown: It is being held this weekend (October 3rd) at Cliveden which is located in Germantown Avenue Philadelphia Pennsylvania. This is annual event to remember those who fought during the battle for American Liberty.
General George Washington’s daring campaign to liberate the occupied capital city, Philadelphia, came to an abrupt end on the Germantown Road on October 4, 1777. Washington planned a pre-dawn attack on Germantown, where thousands of British soldiers were camped in the fields, living off the crops and livestock of the local residents. Homes were commandeered as headquarters for the British officers, including General William Howe at Stenton. Nearly 12,000 Continental troops were marshaled for the attack, yet 120 British infantrymen proved unbeatable as they barricaded themselves inside the thick stone walls of Cliveden, the summer house of the wealthy Loyalist Benjamin Chew. Fierce fighting raged for several hours throughout the area, but Washington’s troops were eventually forced to retreat back into Montgomery County and the British tightened their hold on the town. After the Battle, local teenagers helped to bury the dead in mass graves. More than 150 American soldiers were killed — about half of them on the grounds of Cliveden — and 70 British. Hundreds more on both sides were wounded. The Battle left indelible scars on the community. Written by: Historic Germantown
The Red Coats Are Coming that is to Jerusalem Mills on October 10th to 11th in upper Baltimore Country Maryland. Due to the rainy weeks in May the event was postponed to a later date. The event will feature sutlers, crafts and a 30 minute battle reenactment.
This event will be held in and around Historic Jerusalem Mill Village, located in the Gunpowder Falls State Park in Kingsville, Maryland. Jerusalem Mill Village is a rural area only minutes from I-95, along the banks of the scenic Little Gunpowder Falls. The land was first patented in the late 1600s, and by 1740 held a dwelling, two tobacco barns, and an orchard. By the time of the Revolutionary War a large part of the village was in place, including the grist mill (one of the largest in Maryland), a sawmill, a blacksmith shop, the gunshop, and presumably one or more dwellings. According to tradition, during the Revolutionary War the Maryland Committee of Safety contracted with David Lee, owner of the mill, to make muskets for the Maryland Militia. It is believed that the work occurred in the small two-story stone building behind the mill now known as the gunshop. It is also possible that David Lee supplied flour to Washington’s army.
Written by: Jerusalem Mill Village.
The Battle of Cedar Creek: Organized by the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation held on October 17 – 18 in Middletown Virginia. This is annual event to remember those who fought during the War between the states.
At dawn, October 19, 1864, the Confederate Army of the Valley under Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early surprised the Federal army at Cedar Creek and routed the VIII and XIX Army Corps. Commander Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan arrived from Winchester to rally his troops, and, in the afternoon, launched a crushing counterattack, which recovered the battlefield. Sheridan’s victory at Cedar Creek broke the back of the Confederate army in the Shenandoah Valley. Lincoln rode the momentum of Sheridan’s victories in the Valley and Sherman’s successes in Georgia to re-election.
Written by: The National Park Service.
This is just a few of the events happening in the Washington D.C. area. For further information on events happening this month and throughout the year please be sure to visit our website.
Only a few more months until the start of 2010 and we are just beginning to redevelop the site. We currently know what has worked and what does not work, its more of a matter of how to improve the problems we face. Currently we are editing the shops, web resources, written resources and directory pages. Soon we will start editing and adding information onto the units and events pages. We hope to have some new events posted for the new year and start listing events world wide. It is still being developed as we try to figure out how to define an event according to time period. We’ll probably will end up color coding the events so that it will help those of you who only like a certain time period find the events you want to participate or travel to.
Currently we’ve got all the blogs to where people can subscribe to them and get e-mails every time we post a new entry. If there are any ways you feel the website needs improvement do not hesitate to let us know. We created the website for you and our goal is to make it where you can find information easily and on the subjects that interest you. Next week I hope to be posting some more entries you’re more used to.
If you’ve just started or thinking about joining a unit this fall, finding appropriate clothing can be sometime difficult. This poll will help you identify what sutlers you should be buying your clothing and which ones to stay far away from. We will post the results on our website within the shops section and a list of accurate sutlers will be posted within the “Reenactors Choice”. We will be posting a poll for Civil War reenactors to vote on their favorite 19th Century sutlers within the next month. If you know of any other sutlers or good places to buy material for clothing please place a comment within this entry.
What is with this weekend?
Everything seems to be happening this weekend. From French & Indian musters to World War weekends. If you don’t have anything to do this weekend then you haven’t take a look at what is happening in the reenacting world. Make sure to take a look at the events websites for more information regarding cost, location and dates.
The Market at Washingtonburg: Is a French & Indian War 18th Century Faire hosted by the Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, PA.
18th-Century Craft Fair: Mount Vernon re-creates a lively early-American marketplace with demonstrations, crafts and entertainment at its 18th-Century Craft Fair. Fifty juried artisans from across the nation will demonstrate their trades and sell their wares while two stages of family entertainment delight audiences with 18th-century amusements such as Signora Bella the Equilibrist, Otto the Sword Swallower and more!
French and Indian War reenactment: Step back into time. Watch the re-enactors authenticate the
past in a natural hillside amphitheatre. A perfect setting to learn about the French & Indian War and also local history of Howard County and the city of first, Kokomo,IN. which is part of the Wabash Valley area.
John Sevier Days and South Knoxville Arts & Crafts Fair: Will take families and friends back in time! Come enjoy good food, arts, crafts, music and 18th century demonstrations like spinning, candle making and basket weaving.
War of 1812 Reenactment: come experience life on the Chesapeake during the early 1800s with living history demonstrations, live entertainment and battle reenactment.
Trail of Courage Festival: step back in time at this Pre-1840 period event with food, muzzleloading, teepees, wigwams, crafts, entertainment and more. in Rochester, Indiana.
Manly Arts Day at Hampton: Explore the 1880’s art of swordsmanship, fencing, boxing, stick fighting, and more at Hampton National Historic Site on September 20th.
Battle of Standardsville Reenactment: TO ARMS, BOYS! TO ARMS! U.S General George Armstrong Custer is advancing on the peaceful Stanardsville with a mounted cavalry. Will you defend The Cause? Or will you join with the Union army to see that Virginia once again joins the United States of America?
Battle of Tunnel Hill Reenactment: The cannons blast, the horses charge, the soldiers give the Rebel yell as they clash in authentic conflict on the historic grounds of Tunnel Hill! This special event brings to life a past of good times coupled with harsh reality. There’s nothing like it!
World War II Weekend: The National Park Service will sponsor a World War II living history weekend at the Eisenhower National Historic Site. An authentic recreation of both Allied and German army camps, complete with original World War II vehicles, will be set up on the site. Over 200 living history enthusiasts will portray military personnel from the European Theater in 1944.
After posting one long post on just the Southern Maryland counties I realize that their are many more county’s in Maryland to explore that holds a lot of history. I hope to explore Baltimore and Prince George’s County in October. Then later on possible towards the end of this year or the beginning of next year I will explore Washington D.C. and Virginia.
Calvert County:
As you cross the river you come to Calvert County which is filled with farms, parks and beaches. ”Established in 1654, Calvert County is one of the oldest counties in the United States. Native people lived in Calvert County 9,000 years ago, according to evidence unearthed by archaeologists at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum. Calvert County’s earliest identified settlers were Piscataway Indians. Indian tribes established villages at intervals along the river with the largest being at the mouth of Battle Creek. They grew corn and tobacco on rich farmlands that were to prove very attractive to colonists arriving from England in the early 1600’s.John Smith is reported to be the first Western man to lay eyes on Calvert County’s peninsula, describing it in his journal as he saw it in 1608 during his exploration of the Chesapeake Bay. The first English settlement in Southern Maryland dates to somewhere between 1637 and 1642, although the county was actually organized in 1654. Established by Cecelius Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore, English gentry were the first settlers, followed by Puritans, Huguenots, Quakers and Scots. In 1695, Calvert County was partitioned into St. Mary’s, Charles and Prince George’s, and its boundaries became substantially what they are today.” http://www.co.cal.md.us/visitors/profile/history/
| Chesapeake Beach Railroad | Chespeake Beach |
| Kings Landing Park | Huntingtown |
| Calvert Cliffs State Park | Lusby |
| Cove Point Lighthouse | Lusby |
| Flag Ponds Nature Park | Lusby |
| Bayside History Museum | North Beach |
| Battle Creek Cypress Swamp | Prince Frederick |
| Linden/ Historic Socity of Calvert | Prince Frederick |
| Annmarie Gardens | Solomons |
| Calvert Marine Museum | Solomons |
| Drum Point Lighthouse | Solomons |
| Jefferson Patterson Park | St. Leonard |
Charles County:
“It was established in 1658 and was named for third Baron Baltimore, Charles Calvert. Waldorf, Maryland started as a rural crossroads originally called Beantown. The Balitmore and Potomac Railroad added a station to Waldorf in 1872. Benedict was established in 1683 and was one of the first ports on The Patuxent River. The town of La Plata, Maryland was name by Colonel Samuel Chapman, after the La Plata river. Indian Head, Maryland was established 1920 and is named for the Algonquin Indian Tribe. Port Tobacco was established in 1634, and is one of the oldest towns on the East Coast.” http://www.charlescountywebsite.com/index.php
| Purse State Park | Indian Head |
| La Plata Train Station | La Plata |
| Mattawoman Creek Art Center | Marbury |
| Smallwood State Park | Marbury |
| Port Tobacco | Port Tobacco |
| Thomas Stone Historic Site | Port Tobacco |
| American Indian Culture Museum | Waldorf |
| Dr. Samuel A Mudd Museum | Waldorf |
We get asked this a lot… Sometimes we’ve done a lot of the research ourselves and we can simply forward the information we have, but there have been cases that someone has a particular time period they wish to reenact in a particular state that is not really reenacted at all that much in the States (U.S.A.). This weeks blog will discuss the easy but yet difficult steps in finding a group.
STEP ONE: Before trying to find a group you have to figure out what time period you wish to portray. This is an easy decision because most people know what time period they are most interested in.
STEP TWO: What kind of Impression you wish to portray. You can’t one day and wake up that you would like to portray an elvish warrior scoping out the American Civil War. This step takes some sort of research.
STEP THREE: What activities or events are you most interested in participating in. This will determine what kind of group you’re interested in are you interested in a guild or Living History or strictly Battle Reenactments. Not all groups are created equal. There are groups out there that just focus on Battle Reenactments and their are groups that do both Living History and Battle Reenactments.
STEP FOUR: Find the Group! This is the most difficult part of finding a group. The first three steps are easy compared to actually finding a group. Here is what I do when someone comes to me and maybe it will help you. If you still need additional help, don’t hesitate to ask me for additional help.
~ TIME PERIOD & LOCATION: First I consider the time period the person wants to portray than their located (that will heavily determine the amount of information I will find.
~ DIRECTORIES: Most time periods will have a core directory that displays all the organizations they know of according to state/country .
~ LOCATION: If someone is more interested in what events are happening within their state/country I go straight to the source.
Most countries and states in the U.S. have a website.
~ GOOGLE SEARCH: If I still can not find information I do a heavy google search. (Most people pretty much quite…).
I end up finding more information to add onto my website than finding the information I want.
~ FACEBOOK: If I still can not find any information than I simply ask my friends on facebook. Most of them have done the hobby for a long time and they come from all around the world and time periods. If anyone would know it would be them.
STEP FOUR: You’re not quite done yet…. After coming up with a list of 4 groups you’re interested in if you can find that many there is looking over their website. (Yes finding out when their website was last updated is important, because it determines the groups who are currently active to the ones who are not).
STEP FIVE: Contacting the group via e-mail or by phone. Most groups have either their webmaster or leader of the group’s contact info. What ever e-mail you use the person on the other end will forward you’re e-mail to the correct person. If you’re not quite sure what questions to ask click here to review some questions you may want to ask.
STEP SIX: Meeting the group. This can be pretty scary for new comers of the hobby because on one hand your excited to participate in a really rewarding hobby but then you ask yourself “WHAT IF???” This is when you have to just conquer your fear and do it no matter what.
STEP SEVEN: Joining the group. If everything goes according to plan you will be part of a group of people who enjoy learning and teaching others about the time period they enjoy. If you’re one of the lucky ones you will be doing it for many years to come.
I hope this entry has helped everyone who either has e-mailed me in the past about finding a group for them, who are new to the hobby, returning to the hobby or just interested in learning more about the hobby. ~ Good luck!
For this week’s entry I’ll be discussing about the various impressions living historians portray. Asuming you know what time period you would like to portray. Many different time periods have very similar impressions but all have many different impressions one can portray. There is no possible way I can discuss all the impressions within one entry but here is a basic list to go by. When deciding an impression you first should get to know the time period you’re portraying. With that said here are the different impressions…
The type of person or role the reenactor is portraying. For instance, among my impressions are “WWII Soviet medic” and “F&I French Habitant campfollower”. Sometimes these are more general categories (”Hey! When’d you start doing German?!”), and sometimes are more specific (”Well, this isn’t German – this is Yugoslavian volunteers in the German army.”) but in general, it is used to refer to whatever the reenactor is portraying. ~ driftingfocus
Depending on the time period you interpret there maybe more impressions you can portray. No matter what time period you portray it is important that all aspects and view points in history be heard.
Military: of, for, or pertaining to the army or armed forces.
| Soldier | Private | General |
| Colonel | Officer | Field Marshal |
| Lieutenant | Sergeant | Enlisted Men |
| Gunner | Sharpshooter | Sentinels |
| Guard | Powder Monkey | Knight |
| Field Musicians | Fifer | Drummer |
| Bugler | Flag Bearer | Signal Men |
| Spy | Riflemen | Field Pastor |
Civilian: one not on active duty in the armed services or not on a police or firefighting force.
| King | Queen | Noblemen |
| Steward | Night Watchmen | Town Crier |
| Maiden | Wench | Rogue |
| Peasant | Artisans | Sutler |
| Musician | Prisoner | Refuges |
| Camp Follower | Laundress | Surgeon |
| Surgeon Assistant | Nurse | Refuges |
| Journalist | Photographer | Natives |
| Tradesmen | Sutlers | Apprentice |
| Indentured Servant | Slave | Civilian |
| School Teacher | Nun | Priest |
| Urchins | Orphan | Gamblers |
| Towns People | Square |
Individuals: there are people in the reenacting/living history world who focus on one individual person’s life many of whom are well know individuals such as Robert E. Lee, George Washington Abraham Lincoln and many others are being portrayed by dedicated individuals. This form of reenacting takes a lot of dedication and time.
This is just a basic list of impressions you can portray.
To review the definition of some of these impressions please visit the following website…
At the National Gallery of Art
from June 28 – November 1st 2009
Explore Imperial Spain’s history through the armor and portraits of the late Medieval to early Italian Renaissance era. This weekend we were so fortune to visit the National Gallery of Art in our Nation’s Capital. The armor of this period in Spain’s history is something you can view in a book. The amount of detail that the artist took to create the armor is something you can only view in three dimensional. The portraits tell the story of the people who wore the armor and that when given the armor by a relative it was a significant gift to be treasured. To have the armor and the portraits themselves is something that should be treasured because much of the armor and the portraits of the time are lost and sometimes are never found. It was two hours well spent.
Written In Bones
At the National Museum of Natural History
February 7, 2009 – February 6, 2011
Explore one of the elements of Forensic Science as historians and scientists join together to find the identities of individuals from the 18th Century. Visitors explore how Forensic Scientist read bones to determine the sex, cause of death and the time a person dies. Explore the actual burial site to the scientist identify the individual. By the end of the exhibit you learn more about the individuals and have a greater respect for them as well as how you can better care for your bones.
What was supposed to be the post for last week was actually not typed up and posted until this week. Therefore I am technically writing twice for this week. This weeks posting is about the best places in Maryland to find living history events. For you fellow Southern Marylanders it is a challenge, considering there are three known places in the area where you can go to living history events.
Southern Maryland Living History: Point Lookout State Park located in St. Mary’s County has a Civil War fort and was known to be a prison at one time during the course of the Civil War. If you’re like anyone else I know you probably know of the folklore and ghost stories that comes with this place. Away from the folklore it hosts two living history events. One that is held sometime in June and the other is a field hospital/ghost walk that is held in October. Another place where you can find events is at Jefferson Patterson Park where they host the annual Southern Maryland Celtic Festival held in April and the 1812 Reenactment which is coming up on September 19, 2009. It also holds annual farm day (children event), and its own lecture series. Historic St. Mary’s City has its own programs throughout the year and has its own unique living history programs. The two times I’ve gone there they had interpreters show you the life of Colonial Maryland and recently they have completed rebuilding one of the churches. It is a mini version of the Jamestown Settlement.
Maryland Area Living History: For the rest of Maryland there are a few spots that have annual living history events and demos. They occur throughout the year but the major battle reenactments don’t occur in state but out state sites. Antietam Battlefield hosts many living history days and demos but never has had an actual big battle reenactment. While you are around the northern part of Maryland you can visit Fort Frederick located in Big Pool. Each year it hosts one of the biggest 18th Century Faires in the area and several living history encampments that focuses on the 18th Century life and the French and Indian War. Also located in Frederick County is the Rosehill Manor children’s museum, but don’t let it fool you. Every summer they have a Civil War weekend where reenactors of the time period portray soldiers and show off their weapon through different demos and a 30 minute battle reenactment. Marietta House located in Glen Dale is the host of the annual Marching Through Time event; where reenactors across Maryland & Virginia join together to showcase the time periods they portray. At one time Belair Mansion in Bowie held a Civil War day but for some reason this year decided not to turn it into an annual event. It has a few interesting events but not for the living historian. Darnall’s Chance which is also located in Bowie has a few interesting tours and events involving the 1812 War and Pirates. Historic London Town located in Edgewater has a few interesting lecture series and one Revolutionary event held every July. Over to Baltimore County you’ve got several really good places that have at least two to three events to go to. Not to far from Edgewater is the town of Crownsville where the Maryland Renaissance Festival is located. You can spend the whole day shopping at its unique shops and to a wide verity of entertainment. Jerusalem Mills holds its annual Gilmore’s Raid (Civil War ), Red Coats Are Coming (Revolutionary) living history events that have a short 30 minute battle reenactment. Also they host a small colonial craftman day where Revolutionary sutlers and artist show their wares and sell items to the public. Fort McHenry best known to its contributations to the 1812 War has living history demos throughout the year and its one of the place that both Civil War and 1812 Reenactors go to every year. Havre de Grace is another Museum Park that has annual events focusing on the 1812 War and Pirates. This year they had to cancel their annual Attack on Havre de Grace event but as far as their Annual Pirate Invasion event it is still on for the month of September. The last and final place I would check out in Maryland is the Steppingstone Museum where they also have a Celtic Festival and a Medieval Festival each spring.
For those of you who would like to portray a soldier in any period their are several units you can join that have a headquarters in Maryland. But for those of you who would like to portray a civilian or a later period (Viking, Renaissance or Medieval) we are currently searching for units in the MD, VA & PA area. To view the possible reenacting units and for more events always look back to wereenact.net for more info. The continued search of events and units never ends. I might have missed a few important landmarks, while writing this entry but all Maryland landmarks should be listed within our website.
Upon creating this blog I’ve posted events that were happening each month. This creates a lot of wasted time considering I have all the events posted on my website. If you want more information on events happening this season please click here.
As for the newsletter we are doing it each season and will be writing new articles that will not be appearing within our blog(s) or website. So if you would like to learn about an interesting new place to visit, helpful tips, recipes, upcoming events (MD, VA or PA) and more sign up to receive the newly designed newsletter.
We will be e-mailing the newsletter for this FALL the last weekend of August and will be hopefully mailing out the WINTER issue the last weekend of November. Also for those of you who sign up before October 31st will receive a special Halloween edition of the newsletter that will discuss American folklore and best & safe places to celebrate Halloween.
Also you will be the first to be update with information regarding on new events, exhibits and lectures around the Washington D.C., MD, VA and PA area. If you wish to know more about the Reenactors Network Newsletter please visit our Newsletter Blog page.
