Reenactor (noun): A person who participates in reenactments of historical event according to the Webster definition. They don’t mention the hours of drill, the uncomfortable clothes, the blood and sweat put into each show, the friendships, the parties, or the bonds.
I am a Mount freshman and a private in the 2nd U.S. Artillery Cushing’s company, as a reenactor interpreting The War of 1812. Our season starts on Jan, 20 with the River Raisin battle and ends on Oct, 24 with our last ghost walk. One of the first events of the year just happened April 6-7, School of the Soldier. In attendance were the 21st U.S. Infantry and the Kentucky Rifles, along with my company.
School of the Soldier is a 14-hour drill session for the purpose of re-acquainting soldiers and officers to the drill book. We spend hours practicing maneuvers, the manual of arms (how to handle a musket), and giving demonstrations to the public. Arriving at Fort Meigs historic site at 8:30 a.m. I immediately was helping new recruits get uniformed, explaining what the weekend would entail, and ensuring everyone was ready to venture into the fort.
Our uniforms consist of several pieces: a linen shirt, wool high-collar waistcoat, wool coattee, leather neck-stock, a felt cap, hemp or cotton trousers, wool guitars, and leather shoes. We also wear leather belts; one holds a bayonet and the other your cartilage box, as well as a canteen for water, a haversack for anything else you may need to carry, and artillerists wear a bricole which is used to drag the cannons around. In total, we carry around 25-30 pounds of gear, including our muskets.
That Saturday was brutal, since we broke once for lunch at noon but otherwise drilled from 9 a.m.to 5 p.m. I personally spent a long time explaining things to our new guys and getting sunburnt. By dismissal, everyone was sore, sweaty, and ready to sit down. Another guy and I in my company named Conner joined the 21st to burn powder (fire our muskets) to get rid of the left-over cartridges in our boxes. Sunday was much of the same, except we did get to do a bayonet charge, which is my favorite. School of the Soldier is an event meant to help shake off the dust from the off-session and remind soldiers and officers of the drill manual, as well as give shows to the public, and give us reenactors a chance to catch up with each other.
All in all, even though sometimes I wonder why I put my body through this, in the end, we’re a family, and I wouldn’t choose any other hobby.
Pictured: 2nd U.S. Artillery Cushing’s Company (most members from Northern Ohio) Max is in the second row, far right.