I get really excited about dead people.

Especially when live people pretend to be them so we can know what they were like. For several years now I have wanted to see the Civil War reenactment but this is the first time I have found out about it in time and had someone who was willing to go with me. The Civil War is my favorite period in American history. There are so many great characters and ideas being tossed around and fought about. Can you imagine what it would be like if the Confederates had won? Scary! But those southerners were Really set on winning. They didn't loose for lack of determination. In fact, some times it's hard to figure out how the south managed to loose. U. S. Grant was brilliant of course, but so were Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Lee sure was licking the North and good for a while there, despite being out numbered and out resourced. Apparently God was for the Union.

I was really impressed with the way the reenactment was set up. As we were driving in there were signs on the side of the road that had dates of great events in American history starting with man landing on the moon and working backwards to the beginning of the Civil War. So it was like you were driving back in time. Then you could walk right into the Union camp. I guess some of the actors actually live there for the weekend! Cook their food over a camp fire and sleep in the tents. They really went all out to make you feel like you were there, seeing it as it happened. The only unrealistic thing was that they would stop to explain things to you.

I got to talk to some Confederates Zouaves (do you know what Zouaves are?) and a guy from the Union navy. The Confederate Cavalry was amazing. I even posted a picture of the Heidi's favorite horse. There were all these little kids in Confederate uniforms drilling each other. They were adorable beyond belief. The little boy leading them was SO In Charge. He's yelling orders and keeping the civilians (us) from getting in the way and waving his little sword around. Very serious in his little Zouaves uniform.
The battle was amazing. I can't describe it. The guys working the cannons were just little blobs from where we were sitting but when the cannon fired the air vibrated so much hit felt like something it us. It would have been much scarier in real life but I guess that's about as close as we get. And who would want to be any closer anyway?

This picture is of the surgical tools they used. They are quite gruesome. The helpful fellow standing there was explaining them to us and showing us some shells found on the battle fields and some balls that would have to be dug out of soldiers. Yikes.

The girl standing on the side was a kind of nurse only not. This was something I had never heard of before. There were women who held the unofficial rank of corporal and were kind of like a mascot for their company. I can't remember the term she used. It sounded something like 'bevondie' or 'vivondea' but I'm not sure and I have no idea how to spell it. Darn French words. She said that the soldiers thought of her like a little sister and she worked as a battle field nurse. She carries a keg of brandy to dull the pain of surgeries. She wears something very close to a regular uniform only with a skirt over top of her pants and a few other more feminine details. She would actually go into battle with them. She didn't carry a weapon but she said that some did for self defense. It was very dishonorable to shoot at a woman so she was relatively safe but I can't help but think of the battle descriptions I have read where the bullets were flying so thick that trees came down. I wonder how much action these women saw. I can't find anything about them on the web. It's most aggravating.

I learned a whole lot and I could have learned a lot more if I had known how. Next year I'm going to be an expert at getting the most out of the experience. I'm going to ask as many questions as possible. Some intelligent ones and some silly ones too if I have to, just get the reenactors talking. Everyone we talked to knew a ton about their part and were just waiting for someone to be interested. So I resolve to be interested next year. I am definitely going to make this an annual event.