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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
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Posted - June 21 2004 : 11:08:37 PM
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Seamus? How was Cook Forest last weekend?
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"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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Seamus
Guardian of Heaven's Gate
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Posted - June 22 2004 : 06:23:01 AM
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Terrific, WW! I intend to write a detailed AAR shortly, but I am hard into some time-consuming stuff right now. Stay tuned! |
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting '...holy sh*t ...what a ride!'
~~Mavis Leyrer, Seattle
Seamus
~~Aim small, hit the b*****d right between the eyes!~~ |
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
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Posted - June 22 2004 : 07:57:05 AM
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At your leisure, Seamus! |
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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YoungNative
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Posted - June 23 2004 : 01:42:31 AM
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Yes yes, it was quite enjoyable, i much had fun with the scenarios, battle demonstrations and all around talking to the public.
-mark |
"Re-enacting is life, the rest is just history." -me
"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." -M. L. King Jr.
"music is like this porthole into another world - the world of truth." -Trey Anastasio
"you do not have to fear what goes bump in the night, when you become what lurks in the dark" - unknown
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Seamus
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Posted - June 23 2004 : 9:01:53 PM
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The overwhelming problem with writing an After Action Report (AAR) on an event like Cook Forest is...”Where the heck do I begin.......???????”
Cook Forest was a magnificent event, with good locations, good visitors, good staff, lots of good soldiers...French regulars, Natives and milice, and the Crown Forces, whom I had the honour and pleasure of commanding. Among them were:
Regulars 77th Highlanders, Lights, Major Grant’s Co’y 42nd Royal Highland Regiment, The Black Watch, Capt. Graham’s Co’y 60th Reg’t of Foote, The Royal Americans, from Ft. Pitt
Ranging Companies Croghan’s Border Rangers Rangers of the Ohio Company
Provincials 1st Battalion Pennsylvania, Capt. Orndt’s Co’y 3rd Battalion Pennsylvania, The Augusta Regiment, Burd’s Co’y (My boys!) Maryland Forces, Capt. Dagworthy’s Co’y
There were over 100 on the fields of battle, more than twice the number of last year’s event.
This year, we added a Saturday morning tactical demonstration called Peril in the Forest. It was a mini-Braddock’s Road, with a column of British being attacked by Natives and milice, and the French regulars coming onto the field of battle to wipe up what had become a chaotic jumble of British troops trying to escape, while others attempted to fight their way out of the mess and the resulting confusion and massacre was quite real. It took place in dense forest, dark and wet from rains the day before, quite eerie and frightening! One lady told me she had goose bumps the whole time, which really popped out when all hell broke loose. The public had an excellent view of the happenings from further up the hillside and, from their reaction at the conclusion, they thoroughly enjoyed themselves!
Saturday and Sunday afternoons we did the Woodcutters scenario. A woodcutting party under the protection of a company of Rangers is attacked by the French and their allies, and the Crown Forces are summoned to the rescue. A firefight ensues, and both sides demonstrate different tactics and maneuvers for the audience, until one side forces the other from the field or a stalemate is determined through a Parley between the Commanding Officers in the center of the field. Each day, over 1000 people watched our demonstrations.
The weather was superb! Cool at night, sunny, slight breeze, and low 70’s during the day.
A number of quality sutlers and an art show featuring the premier artists of French and Indian War period, as well as a number of programs of interest gave visitors lots to do. A Saturday morning scenario on the river centered around a Native trading party and a Council. This is a very popular program, extremely well-done by the Natives and the French.
Several speakers presented interesting talks and demonstrations, too numerous to mention here.
Impromptu scenarios took place in the military camps, including a priest being accused of being involved in the capture and detention of a Highlander private, and the accusation by a young lady against a young soldier of the Augusta Regiment for hitting her in the face and bruising her. After investigation, it was determined that the act was totally unintentional and accidental, occurring at a dance Saturday evening. Charges were brought by the girl’s mother, the girl’s injuries were examined by the Surgeon, the lad was arrested and ordered to receive a flogging of 50 lashes. The first blows were about to be struck when witnesses to the act came forward and corroborated the ‘accident’ story. The lad was released, but the Natives watching took offense to a French girl being injured and wanted their own justice. They chased the lad all over camp, the British army mustered and order was restored.
The whole scene attracted a large audience of public, who were treated to a real show, and were educated in 18th century military justice!
There were many, many more things going on, and I was not able to get to it all, but I will assure you all that this is a quality event, with grea |
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting '...holy sh*t ...what a ride!'
~~Mavis Leyrer, Seattle
Seamus
~~Aim small, hit the b*****d right between the eyes!~~ |
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
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Posted - June 23 2004 : 10:28:00 PM
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Seamus, your descriptions of the events are stirrin' my blood! And once again, I find myself being horribly jealous.
The whole weekend sounds awesome, but especially the Peril In The Forest scenario and the accusations against the lad from your regiment. What a treat that must have been to see! Thanks for your enjoyable report.
Ahhhhhhhhhh... to have been there........
Congratulations to Grenouille on a successful event!
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"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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Grenouille
Colonial Settler
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YoungNative
Pioneer
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Posted - July 02 2004 : 02:00:10 AM
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hey, i think thats me in the bottom pic..the native farthest to the left, the one in a cleanish white shirt |
"Re-enacting is life, the rest is just history." -me
"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." -M. L. King Jr.
"music is like this porthole into another world - the world of truth." -Trey Anastasio
"you do not have to fear what goes bump in the night, when you become what lurks in the dark" - unknown
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SgtMunro
Soldier of the King
USA
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Posted - July 02 2004 : 9:38:21 PM
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Yes my nephew, that is you. If you would have moved a wee bit to the right, you could have used Corporal MacIntyre as an improvised sandbag. Remember the lessons about the difference between 'concealment' and 'cover'.
Your Humble Uncle,
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Serjeant-Major Duncan Munro Capt. Thos. Graham's Coy. 42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Foote (The Black Sheep of the Black Watch)
"Nemo Me Impune Lacessit" -Or- "Recruit locally, fight globally." |
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
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Posted - July 03 2004 : 12:08:44 PM
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Is there anyone else we know here in Mohicanland that is in those two pics? Surely, the man in the green regimental who is laying on the ground is not Captain Slease!
I went to the link Grenouille provided and those photos are magnificent! |
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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Seamus
Guardian of Heaven's Gate
USA
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Posted - July 03 2004 : 3:15:35 PM
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No, WW, not me. It is one of my men, though......I did not get hit until later on, further back during the retreat....... |
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting '...holy sh*t ...what a ride!'
~~Mavis Leyrer, Seattle
Seamus
~~Aim small, hit the b*****d right between the eyes!~~ |
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
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Posted - July 03 2004 : 7:40:05 PM
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Oh my! Was it serious? |
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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Seamus
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Posted - July 03 2004 : 7:54:17 PM
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............mortal. |
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting '...holy sh*t ...what a ride!'
~~Mavis Leyrer, Seattle
Seamus
~~Aim small, hit the b*****d right between the eyes!~~ |
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Wilderness Woman
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Posted - July 03 2004 : 11:29:44 PM
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Tsk, tsk...
Such a waste of a good Captain... |
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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Seamus
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Posted - July 04 2004 : 05:52:51 AM
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Heheheh.......the best part, though, is that the dead all rise at the end of the show to 'fight' another time. Historical interpretation is sometimes confused with glorification of war, which is definitely not our intent. Those who have served and those who have seen real combat who are involved in our hobby will tell you that. Good narrators will explain to the crowd the difference, too. In this particular case, we did a mini-Braddock's Road scenario, images from which you have seen, and since Braddock was mortally wounded, I, as Crown Forces CO,(only a mere Lt. Col. that weekend!) also took a mortal wound.
Some sites will not allow 'hits'.....casualties........because it might upset some people who are watching, so only tactical manuevering and demonstrations of firepower are done. There we stand, blazing away at each other and no one falls. Phony and PC as it can get (an oxymoron?), and many, many spectators have commented on ,"What? All that firepower and no one gets hit? They really must have been lousy shots in those days!", or "Those guns must not be very accurate," and comments like that! God forbid we upset someone who should know better going in!! If that sort of demo bothers you, don't go.
Maybe if more people saw and understood the ugliness of war, there wouldn't be so much........unfortunately it is not that simple. |
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting '...holy sh*t ...what a ride!'
~~Mavis Leyrer, Seattle
Seamus
~~Aim small, hit the b*****d right between the eyes!~~ |
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Wilderness Woman
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Posted - July 04 2004 : 09:14:07 AM
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..."might upset some people"????? That is so utterly ridiculous!! These same people have never watched an old Western movie on TV, or played modern violent video games, or gone to the theater to see any number of cop-movies?????? R-i-i-i-i-i-i-g-h-t....... Good grief.
So this all leads me to a question, which may seem a bit stupid. As you just pointed out, Seamus, if you are re-enacting a particular battle scenario and you are portraying actual men who were wounded or killed in that historical battle, then you take a hit accordingly. But if you are doing a less structured scenario, how is it determined who takes a hit? Does the commanding officer of each unit involved decide whose turn it is? Is it ever just totally random, allowing each participant to decide when the moment is right to fall wounded or killed? If so, how do you decide when it is your turn... or not? |
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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Bookworm
Colonial Militia
USA
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Posted - July 04 2004 : 11:52:46 AM
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And here's another question from a non-reenactor: What IS the difference between "concealment" and "cover"? |
Bookworm
"I've gotten so fascinated with the eighteenth century, I'm going to stay there." -- David McCullough
"Nothing to it, brother." -- Barack Obama |
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SgtMunro
Soldier of the King
USA
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Posted - July 04 2004 : 12:56:39 PM
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quote: Bookworm asks:And here's another question from a non-reenactor: What IS the difference between "concealment" and "cover"?
Well Bookworm, those are two terms that were in use at least during my time on active duty. 'Cover' is any object that you can hide behind which should help to deflect or stop incoming small-arms fire. 'Concealment' is any object which will mask your outline, and hide you from the enemy visually. 'Cover' may also act as 'Concealment', but never the other way around.
quote: Wilderness Woman asked:So this all leads me to a question, which may seem a bit stupid. As you just pointed out, Seamus, if you are re-enacting a particular battle scenario and you are portraying actual men who were wounded or killed in that historical battle, then you take a hit accordingly. But if you are doing a less structured scenario, how is it determined who takes a hit?
I can tell you how we 'keep score' at the Fort LaBusse Tactical Invitational. Each side has a number of 'judges' which accompany the army, or detachments from, into the woods. These judges have the final word on who gets hit and which side must give ground. No unit is permitted to operate without an authorized judge present. Not only because these guys are your 'conscience', but for safety also. Each judge also carries a small first aid kit, and is trained in basic first aid.
I hope this helps answer both of your questions.
Your Most Humble Servant,
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Serjeant-Major Duncan Munro Capt. Thos. Graham's Coy. 42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Foote (The Black Sheep of the Black Watch)
"Nemo Me Impune Lacessit" -Or- "Recruit locally, fight globally." |
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Bookworm
Colonial Militia
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Posted - July 04 2004 : 1:20:35 PM
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It certainly answers mine, Sergeant -- thank you! |
Bookworm
"I've gotten so fascinated with the eighteenth century, I'm going to stay there." -- David McCullough
"Nothing to it, brother." -- Barack Obama |
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Seamus
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Posted - July 04 2004 : 2:25:44 PM
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WW, you would not believe some of the grief certain people will throw at you for being military! I shall not indulge in political name-calling here, but the "L" word people are good at hammering away at us at times. But.....it takes all kinds of vegetables to make a stew, so we deal with it when it surfaces. We accept it as it comes! C'est le guerre! C'est le vive!
Often a Brigade or Battalion officer will tell you to "take 2 (or any number)hits next volley" or there is a "referee" as Sjt. Munro has said. Usually, though, WW, hits are scripted, and certain scenarios call for lots of casualties, and we are told when to "begin taking" them. I have a couple of guys who specialize in taking hits, so I let them go first! The have elevated the act to an art form.... If, however, a musket misfires and it cannot be cleared, or misfires twice in a row, that man takes a hit and dumps his charge as he falls, we will fix the musket right after we leave the field so it will function properly before it goes on the field again. As an officer, I watch my men and their firelocks like a hawk on the field. If there is a problem, I go to that man and walk him through the clearing routine and advise and assist as I can. Much converstaion goes on which the viewing public cannot hear, but helps keep things visually good but safe for the soldiers or combatants. COMMUNICATION!!In addition, experience dictates casualty-taking, too....one learns when to and when not to;like a whole company falling down at a single musket discharge! It HAS HAPPENED.....!!
Does this help you? |
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting '...holy sh*t ...what a ride!'
~~Mavis Leyrer, Seattle
Seamus
~~Aim small, hit the b*****d right between the eyes!~~ |
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Fitz Williams
Colonial Militia
USA
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Posted - July 04 2004 : 4:14:02 PM
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Last year at Walnut Grove our Captain said that anyone who had trouble with their guns should "die". Well, so many had trouble and so many started dieing that he had to issue an order that no one else die. We were supposed to drive the British back and they began to seriously outnumber us! You have to be careful where you fall, thouugh. There are fire ants, mud, cactus, and if horses are present, then that's a whole issue in itself. Some engaged in the time honored practice of stripping the dead, although a few did get upset over that. |
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Wilderness Woman
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Posted - July 04 2004 : 11:33:52 PM
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quote: Originally posted by Seamus ....one learns when to and when not to;like a whole company falling down at a single musket discharge! It HAS HAPPENED.....!!
Well, that would certainly bring things to a screeching halt if they happened to be the only opposing company!
Yes, your explanation is very helpful. Things are more carefully controlled than I had thought. One thing that amuses me greatly when I watch a battle is to see "wounded" or "dead" soldiers relaxing comfortably on the ground, leaning on elbows with heads propped up so they can watch the remainder of the battle. I'll bet your guys don't do that, do they?
Regarding the public... If you've seen the wooded area where they hold both Civil War and Rev War re-enactments at Newtown Battlefield, you will know that a narrow paved road runs through it. This is where the spectators stand and quite often the battle takes place on both sides of the road so that spectators are quite close to the action. A couple of years ago, we were watching the Rev War battle and a little boy, who was sitting on his Daddy's shoulders close by us, pointed and said, "Daddy, look at the dead guy!" Daddy then decided it would be best to explain to his child that what he was seeing was not real, but was like watching make-believe. Fortunately, the child was not upset... just curious. My thought was that this parent should have prepared his young son ahead of time for what he was going to be seeing. |
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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Seamus
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Posted - July 05 2004 : 06:41:48 AM
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Definitely not, WW. We 'instruct' the dead and wounded how to act accordingly. Likewise how not to overdo a wound, like too much screaming and writhing around. I have seen some battles where there is no voice noise coming from the combatants, too! What we try to do is present a believable scenario without being too gruesome. Warfare is an ugly, horrific business with sights and sounds no one should ever have to witness. We do have limits on what we will allow in a reenactment or demonstration.
I know what you mean, Fitz, about stripping the dead. These fellows have a lot of expensive 'toys' and are not real anxious to have someone pick them up. We caution, in our scenario planning meetings, that the weapons, etc., are not to be touched unless it is planned between two combatants ahead of time or COMMUNICATED between them at the time. However, sometimes someone will get carried away and it happens. Then we have to send out the word again. There will be glitches in every event, but usually they are of a minor nature, and no one is too ruffled. Now and then we have some hurt feelings and have to deal with that, too.
Your mention of choosing a place to die is well-taken! Sometimes the ground will not be a place where one wants to fall! And......you always fall face down on a bright sunny day. We will 'check the wounded or dead' if they are face up and place their hat over their face for shade. Which brings up another point.
We have 'water wenches' following the armies, checking on the fallen and providing a cool, wet cloth or sponging for relief, also drinking water, which each man is required to have on his person anyway. One of their responsibilities is to be sure the soldier has 'taken a hit' instead of having a stroke, heart attack or other life-threatening event, such as heat stroke. If someone goes down in a battle like the dead and wounded, no one will pay any heed until it is over and that man does not rise on cue. By then it may be too late. None of us want that.
EMT's, doctors and other trained emergency personnel are on every field, as a participant or as a spectator. At Ticonderoga, the battle does not start until the ambulance is on scene in position. The Grand Encampment at Boone's 2 years ago was a study in emergency preparedness, and I am sure the one in Michigan this year will be, also. We cannot be too careful. |
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting '...holy sh*t ...what a ride!'
~~Mavis Leyrer, Seattle
Seamus
~~Aim small, hit the b*****d right between the eyes!~~ |
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Wilderness Woman
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Posted - July 05 2004 : 09:40:55 AM
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Most interesting, Seamus! I must see how your guys take hits! Of all of the battles I have seen thus far, I cannot recall any really good wounding and/or death scenes. Not even any mild writhing, or screaming, no clutching a wounded leg... nothing. Just falling down and either staying put or relaxing comfortably.
I have seen a few Water Wenches in action, and thought that was a good "touch." I didn't realize they served a more important purpose. At Monmouth, I did see a woman assist a "wounded" man as he hobbled off the field holding one foot off the ground. They put on a pretty good act and the audience appreciated it greatly. More of that sort of thing would be good, I think.
As I am beginning to become involved in the edges of the re-enacting business, I am getting an inkling of what goes on in the background. At "our" Civil War Event in May, we had two guys go down during battle. One with heat exhaustion (even though it was cool and the battle was taking place in the shady woods) and another with a lung related problem. We had a crew of 6 Americorps college kids who had been at the park working on Jack's Native Village. They were helping at the event and were invited to dress and participate with an artillery unit! (They were so excited and I think we got a couple of the boys hooked on the hobby.) Anyway, one of the Americorps girls who was on the field was an EMT and she was the first to reach one of the guys who went down. Of course, the EMT crew we had there was right behind her and he was taken to the hospital.
I can see how important it is to have all of these precautions in place, and how important it is for everyone to follow the rules! |
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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Fitz Williams
Colonial Militia
USA
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Posted - July 05 2004 : 09:50:48 AM
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These fellows have a lot of expensive 'toys' and are not real anxious to have someone pick them up. Our folk left the weapons, etc. alone and went for the shoes, waistcoats, and such. Everyone knew each other, and the ones upset were the officers, because they were worried about what the spectators would think. So much for reality.
As for noise, different armies fought in different ways. In the Thirty Years War, some armies sang hymns, and some fought in silence. I have heard accounts of the trench warfare in WWI that say there was not a lot of noise from the wounded. More of a moaning than a screaming. And a story of one man who only said "Oh my, my" until he died. They also said that when a man got hit, it didn't look anything like it does in the movies.
I have always thought that if people understood what war is really like they would not be so anxious to pick up the sword. The more we protect our children from the reality of war, and glorify it, the more likely they are to be seduced into fighting another one. The Napoleonic wars are a perfect example of this. |
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pasmokepole
Lost in the Wilderness
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Posted - May 17 2006 : 1:09:50 PM
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I live only 15 miles from Cooks Forest in Brookville. Please encourage the local newspaper to advertise this event BEFORE the event. I was grinding my teeth the whole time reading about the event that took place the LAST weekend. I really feel that this event could turn into something big though I've heard that this year it will be cancelled? This is a forgotten center of the French and Indian War. The beginnings at Fort LeBouef, the importance of the Allegheny River and French Creek between Fort Machault and Le Bouef and serving Fort Presque Isle. It is such a terrible shame that there are no re-created forts and nothing but a small bronze marker concerning Fort Machault/Venango. Fort Le Bouef Museum is never open. I recently went to the remodeled/expanded Fort Pitt Museum - excellent - a must see and the collection on display at the Heinze Museum was fantastic. If you ever return to Cooks Forest - please let me know. |
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