Author Topic: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?  (Read 4535 times)

Offline Dispatch

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Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« on: October 10, 2019, 01:16:35 AM »
Based on so many reenactors that have now 'retired' from the hobby after the big anniversary events have come and gone, along with the severe lack of new volunteers willing to bear the costs of the hobby and re-fill the ranks, furthermore with modern day politically correctness denying our country's rich history.

The biggest hit is the caving in by event organizers not allowing the flying of the Confederate battle flag at certain events.

Another example, the last two years in a row concerning the canceling of the Cedar Creek, VA reenactment event, brought on by bogus bomb threats... is civil war reenacting finished as we know it?   

Offline Major 2

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2019, 04:20:42 AM »
?..as we know it?

Short answer is  YES ?. I hung up my saber in 2001 ?.
when planets align...do the deal !

Offline pony express

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2019, 07:02:21 AM »
I've never done any reenacting, only watched a time or 2 as a spectator. At the local one, reenacting the Battle of Mondy Hollow, the only Camden County battle, there seemed to be a fair number of younger people involved, but they weren't the majority by any means. Here in south central Missouri, volunteers for the Confederate side seem to outnumber the Union. The sutlers tell me it's the opposite when they have an event north of the Missouri River. The biggest event in Missouri is Wilson's Creek outside Springfield, but I haven't been there.

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #3 on: Today at 01:39:41 PM »

Offline Major 2

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2019, 08:15:57 AM »
I did mounted cavalry from 1975 -2001
Olustee 25 times 
I did Wilson Creek I think twice ... Prairie Grove once  & also the film the Blue & the Gray there....
Lost count the number of Gettysburg's , 1st  Manassas ...Shiloh ...Corinth ... Selma ....etc etc

Did all of the 120 ths 125th and 130th .... even some 135ths

Yes you'll see some young folks that tag along with their folks or grand-folks....

but ?..as we know it?
 its been on the down spiral for years ....Span-Am had a spurt in 1997-98 but all but just about gone now... Just one group I know of and also  the Crew of the Olympia reenactors



when planets align...do the deal !

Offline Galen

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2019, 10:20:28 AM »
speaking of the Olympia. Visited the ship in August and am sad to report it is in need of an overall. A proud ship like the USS Olympia should be restored to her early sea worthy days. We owe this to her and the honor of her crew.

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Offline Dave T

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #6 on: October 10, 2019, 11:07:05 AM »
Given the propaganda pushed in our public schools, and the death of history being taught, I would say Civil War reenacting, Indian War reenactors, and the Cowboy Action Shooting sport are all heading to the land of memory. The military groups are probably more vulnerable because of the greater expense for uniforms and all the correct gear, plus they don't have encampments or battles every weekend like CAS. Still, the quality of history curriculums and the attack on so many aspects of our country's history are death knells for these activities.

YMMV,
Dave

Offline Dispatch

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #7 on: October 10, 2019, 08:23:47 PM »
?..as we know it?

Short answer is  YES ?. I hung up my saber in 2001 ?.
Yes, 'as it exists now', compared... to what it was.

Civil war reenacting as we know it is quite different from how it looked back in say the height it reached back in the 1990's.

The 150th battle anniversaries I think was the unofficial sunset for a lot of civil war reenactors to pack it in, unfortunately...

Offline Jake C

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #8 on: October 11, 2019, 11:46:51 AM »
I think a big part of the issue is cost. Re-enacting, CAS, NCOWS, and more are not the easiest to sports to get into from a financial perspective. A lot of folks my age just don't have the spare income for it, or spare time, even. I certainly don't, what with house repairs and such.
Win with ability, not with numbers.- Alexander Suvorov, Russian Field Marshal, 1729-1800

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #9 on: October 11, 2019, 12:57:49 PM »
Perhaps to a small degree ....  But you don't see Golf ,  or sport boating suffering ....
Kids are buying $1000 + cell phones  :o

 I'm convinced it is an age thing.... History is just not cool to the larger mass of younger folks today....

Marvel or DELL Fantasy heroes ,  Future alternate syfy adventure videos ...that draws them like moths to a flame....

  Battle of what ever , @  somewhereville reenactment ...Ho-hum may pass without glance

The number attended have been off for 15- 20 years ....

We were discussing it ...when filming Gettysburg ....struggled to find background reenactors for Gods & Generals
when planets align...do the deal !

Offline Baltimore Ed

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #10 on: October 11, 2019, 05:43:39 PM »
I?ve got to agree with you, its an age/generational and interest thing. Money may keep some folks from attending events but there?s too many trendier, cooler things to occupy the mind of the masses than boring old history. I love museums and libraries and enjoy military history. I still want to get to the WW2 museum in New Orleans.
"Give'em hell, Pike"
 There is no horse so dead that you cannot continue to beat it.

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #11 on: October 11, 2019, 06:03:54 PM »
so do I  !
when planets align...do the deal !

Offline Capt Quirk

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #12 on: October 11, 2019, 06:15:14 PM »
Just once, I'd like to see our side win... ::)

Offline Pay Dirt Norvelle

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #13 on: October 11, 2019, 10:23:37 PM »
Not for me anyway.  This coming weekend I will be going to a big reenactment out here in California.
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Offline Dispatch

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #14 on: October 12, 2019, 02:37:53 AM »
Not for me anyway.  This coming weekend I will be going to a big reenactment out here in California.
California???
For what, the battle of Berkeley?!  ;D

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #15 on: October 12, 2019, 07:20:57 AM »
They used to have them at Knotts Berry Farm  ...though nothing like the Big Battlefield events of the late 1980 -90

Knotts Berry Farm 9 years ago

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=yfp-t-s&p=knott%27s+berry+farm+cw+battle+reenactment#id=2&vid=88c40620c230b2197d601c2ce1f74a9e&action=click


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Offline Capt Quirk

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #16 on: October 12, 2019, 09:44:44 AM »
California???
For what, the battle of Berkeley?!  ;D
I gotta ask, with the California AntiGun craze, how does that work? Even finger guns are outlawed.

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #17 on: October 12, 2019, 09:59:52 AM »
Unknown  :-\  ...but it is not ..as we know knew it?


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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #18 on: October 12, 2019, 10:14:28 AM »
I attended an event in Wytheville Va.

Battle of Wytheville
Location: Wytheville, VA 24382 Wythe County

About 1981 or 82    almost was a blood letting ....some local high school thugs ( black ) took the event as an affront to them personally.

 Drive bys and taunting with much profanity flung ,  one rather STUPID group decided to volley fire BLANKS at a passing car of black teens when they would return  ....Fortunately smarter heads prevailed
and the STUPID group stood down.... the event I assume when on.... I left Friday evening never to return to Wytheville  :o
 
when planets align...do the deal !

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Re: Is Civil War Reenacting Finished?
« Reply #19 on: October 12, 2019, 10:41:19 AM »
I also *attended two separate events ...one was Gettysburg the other Champion Hill .... in both cases a live fire wounded a Reenactor  neither life threatening but sobering
* present but no where near the actual scenes ( huge events ) 

The Gettysburg happening was a neck wound and the reenactor was from Germany.   

Champion Hill shooting... was a galvanized  Confederate filling in on the Union left , he was shot through the scrotum ( we think a squirrel hunter  as the round was 22 )
the event was in 2000  and canceled the remaining event

Police investigated both but could gather nothing ... plenty of witnesses but all melted away

when planets align...do the deal !

 

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