Civil War Letter Writing Reenacting

     Why not explore history through Civil War letter writing? We reenact Civil War history for a variety of reasons.  But whatever our personal motivation, when its no longer "fun" we lose heart.  One helpful way to keep it fun is to constantly be putting ourselves back into "their time".  By wearing brogans we realize the valor of a long march.  By wearing wool we discover the reality of being too hot . . . then enjoy the warmth as the day cools down.  Discovering for ourselves -- putting ourselves back into their time in practical ways creates the "fun" of discovering history.  And its this discovery which takes us beyond 'camping out' into 'reenacting'.

     During the Civil War letter writing blossomed.  Never before had so many people been uprooted from home, experiencing the mixture of the excitement of travel and the pain of homesickness.  Their letters were their way of sharing the wonder of discovery, the grief of being apart, the laughter over the craziness of their situation.  Letter writing was their way to stay connected with loved ones so far away. 

    And for us today letter writing is an excellent way of making their history become "real".  Experimenting in letter writing is sitting beside the fire wondering "what would I say?"  One woman shared with me how writing a letter to her son on her home state stationery as she waited for the various groups to come through at the living history event really helped her 'become' the person she was portraying.  "I imagined proudly using the stationery to write home" she said.  "I was both writing back then, yet writing to my son now, sharing what is happening."  Another reenactor at the 150th anniversary of Fort Sumter shared how writing letters while being there made the event come alive for himself and for the spectators who talked to him about what he was doing.

     I have known several reenactors who enjoy using letter writing to share the experience with family and friends who can't be present.  Others use letter writing to enhance the experience for fellow reenactors at the event.  Such letters are an enjoyable mixture of reality and imagination.  And its imagination which enables us to better explore for ourselves and explain to spectators the history we are trying to honor.

     In your letter writing, give yourself the freedom to mix what's going on with the broader landscape of history.  For example grumbling about the food and the offices can be both historic fun and present day therapy.  I have friends who think I'm a little crazy to send them one of my letters from the front, but they enjoy getting the note and sometimes even learn a little history in spite of themselves.

     Yes, we should use good envelopes and stationery to make accurate living history props for people to see.  But why shouldn't we also use letters to help us explore the fun of reenacting?

Gun Control Laws In Historical Perspective

Will Gun Control Laws Make for a Free and Safe America?  Consider the following historical examples:

     "In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control.  From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
     In 1911, Turkey established gun control.  From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
     Germany established gun control in 1938.  From 1939 to 1945, 13 million Jews and other undesirables, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
     China established gun control in 1935.  From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
     Guatemala established gun control in 1964.  from 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
     Uganda established gun control in 1970.  From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
     Cambodia established gun control in 1956.  From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
     People rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control:  approx 56,000,000.
     Gun owners in Australia were forced by a new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their government.  It cost Australian taxpayers over $500 million dollars.  The first year country-wide, homicides were up 3.2 percent, assaults up 8.6 percent, armed robberies up 44 percent.  In the Australian state of Victoria, homicides with firearms were up 300 percent.  Law-abiding citizens turned guns in, criminals did not.  For the previous 25 years there had been a steady decrease in armed robberies.  This turned upward in the first year of gun control.  There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults on the elderly.  Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety had decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in successfully ridding Australian society of guns.
     Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property.  Gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens.  With guns, we are 'citizens', without them, we are 'subjects' and may become slaves!!!  During WWII the Japanese decided NOT to invade continental America because they knew most Americans were armed.  Why don't you see this data in the U.S. media, or hear politicians telling you the facts?  The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson.  Spread the word.  Our forefathers and mothers fought to be free.  Why can't we???"

     The above information is from a handout I received from a fellow reenactor.  I do not know where he got it;  there was no tag-line of authorship or publisher.  I did not do independent research into all the historical examples cited or differing opinions as to exactly how many people died.  I have read about some of the examples cited above in my study of history, so I think it's fair to cite them as illustrations of the weakening of civil liberty & safety that government gun control brings.  Yes, I worded it that way on purpose:  the government controls the guns.
     "But our founding fathers didn't envision machine guns."  True, but they had experienced government control of the ability to enslaved and exterminate dissidents.  The Founding Fathers wanted us as citizens to be able to resist the political elitists who naturally rise to power through wealth & corruption and then presume they can choose who lives and who dies.  When the population is deceived into thinking that ALL protection comes ONLY from the government, then they are indeed enslaved.
     "But we don't want to live in the wild west".  Well just go to the south side of Chicago and see how well gun control is working.  If that's not "the wild west" repeated I don't know what is . . . AND Chicago is a bastion of progressive political control.  Most gun owners are law abiding citizens who want the right of self-protection should it be needed as a last resort in an imperfect world.  Progressive elites want us unarmed, while they have their professional body guards to accompany them as they work the system to benefit themselves and their political allies at the cost of the general population.
     When I was growing up in the 1950s/60s I learned about how in the USSR system the people were the slaves of the politically powerful.  I could not imagine that I would live to see that same approach to social control coming to America.  Call it socialism, communism, progressivism, whatever -- its the control of the population through regulation, intimidation and a militarized police force.  Our Founding Fathers understood the realities of being too weak to defend against a centralized government run for the benefit of the few powerful insiders.  But then who studies history anymore . . . is there even an App for that?
   

Pocket Handkerchief Challenge From the United States Christian Commission

Challenging others to pass along encouragement.

     Vicki got into a sewing mood this spring.  She bought an assortment of cloth and began making what we call "Pocket Handkerchiefs", when sewn the squares of cloth measure about 12" x 12" or a little bigger. Over the years I've always found it helpful to have one in my pocket especially on hot days to wipe away the sweat.  From time to time she would invest the material & time in making up some that we would give away.  Sometimes we'd hand them out to a particular unit we knew, or we'd put them out at the tent on the gift table we always set up.

     In the early years I'd always carry one or two in my haversack when we'd go on the march or into battle and give them away at random.  I still smile at one time I offered the gift to a soldier.  It was a hot July day at a Gettysburg reenactment.  Our brigade was in reserve and we were soaking in the sun, sweat pouring off us, waiting to go in.  As I walked the line, I saw one gray haired soldier wiping the sweat from his brow as it literally ran off his face.  I reached into my haversack and pulled out a pocket handkerchief and said "Here soldier, use this, it's yours to keep."  He looked at me with a suspicious frown and mumbled "don't want it".  Before I could say something to assure him it really was an honest offer, one of the guys from my unit spoke up and said "It's OK.  He's the Christian Commission and they give stuff away for free.  Really, he does stuff like this all the time."  With that endorsement, the soldier accepted the gift with a smile and found some relief from the heat.

     Every time Vicki starts sewing the pocket handkerchiefs to give away, I think back to that suspicious soldier and his smile as he found relief from the heat.  Truly Vicki's work of searching for affordable deals on cloth, on cutting and sewing the gifts has blessed many a hot tired heart long after they walked away from our tent.

     This year I've decided to make a challenge to the troops as they pickup the handkerchiefs on the gift table.  I've pinned to each handkerchief a small note which says:  If this pocket handkerchief blesses you, then remember our Lord's words and pass along a blessing of your own to a fellow soldier who needs encouragement:  "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."  Matt.25:40  The U.S. Christian Commission

     What each man or woman chooses to do in response to the challenge is up to them.  But I just want them to pause and think about how they could in turn pass along a blessing of encouragement to someone they know.  That would be a true "thank you" to Vicki for her labor of kindness.

     Handkerchief size?  We've been told various sizes.  One person insisted that the accurate size was 20"x20" or 24"x24" for bandanna types.  Ours are not based on an actual example we have.  To be honest, the size varies a bit depending on how many Vicki can best cut out of the width of the cloth and not waste material.  She also folds over the edges a couple of times and sews them, so a little width is lost there.  She mainly came up with the 12x12/ 14x14 finished size; small enough to fit in a pocket, economical enough to have enough to give away to as many soldiers as we can.  Somehow I don't think a Civil War soldier back in the 1860s would have said "hey, this isn't the right size ya'know" if someone was handing how the type Vicki makes at a hospital or encampment.
     Cloth resource suggestion:  This year, Vicki has been visiting the Good Will/ Salvation Army stores near us and looking for cloth to use for handkerchiefs, comfort bags, aprons etc.  She has found some good quality sheets made of cotton, both regular and a few fleece-type that are usable for the handkerchiefs.  So in the spirit of the USCC, she buys them, washes them and cuts them up to be used in her sewing projects to supplement the cloth she buys at the fabric store.

Honoring a Kindness

    Sometimes when you least expect it, a stranger shows you a kindness that brings you great joy and reminds you of the power we all have to encourage each other.

    It was last year (July 2012) when just Vicki & I were at a reenactment in Lombard, IL. doing our Christian Commission thing.  The tent was set up and the food was out.  The lemonade was mixed.  It was a nice sized event for the two of us to handle, with a steady flow of reenactors coming and going under the tent.  We had a couple of additional volunteers helping out throughout the morning;  gracious young ladies that know us and our children, offering their help as they had time.

    All morning Vicki had been dealing with her snood letting her hair straggle down out of the holes that had been worn in it over the years of use.  Yes, she needed to get a new one, but just hadn't had time to try and find one.  I remember picking on her about her looking a bit bedraggled.  And she would joke back about it, stuff her hair back in, and a little bit later, it would be dangling back out of the holes that had gotten too big in her favorite black snood. 

    I was busy toward the front of the tent fly, talking to spectators and inviting the soldiers to "come on in and help yourself", explaining the variety of tasty delights that Vicki had prepared.  She was busy working to replenish the food trays.  As she was moving around, she stumbled and fell.  As she got back up, we all realized that she was holding a large knife that hadn't hurt her.  One woman watching all this unfold said "you must have an angle watching over you."  Vicki brushed off the straw, got back to work filling the food trays.

    The fall was quickly forgotten, and we returned to serving the troops.  The day went well, we packed up and went home.  "Yep, someday" Vicki said she'd get around to "looking for a new snood".

    A few weeks later, Vicki got a phone call from a woman caller wanting to confirm she had reached the people who do the US Christian Commission.  The woman explained she was under the tent and saw Vicki fall and not get hurt by the knife.  She had also noticed Vicki's struggle with the hair snood.  She had bought a handmade snood and was mailing it as an encouragement and thank you to Vicki.

    We reenact the US Christian Commission to be an encouragement to others.  But over the years, the Lord has brought along others to encourage us with an unexpected surprising acts of kindness.  Helping our ladies carry the water pots back to the tent.  Help setting up or taking down the tent.  Helping us locate in a high traffic area so we can reach the most troops at the event.  The gift of the quilt we use on the gift table.  A few of the enamel pots we use for lemonade and tea have been donated to us by individuals who saw us using the ones we had to encourage the troops and wanted to add to our tools.  To all those unnamed and often unknown fellow travelers "May God see your kindness and bless you too".

US Christian Commission Station Duties June 1862

What did the US Christian Commission Delegates do?  Anything and everything they could for the soldiers. 
    This summary from John Patterson gives us an excellent description of the many activities the Delegates engaged in to encourage the troops.  He was involved with the White House Christian Commission Station during June 1862, just before the retreat of the Eastern Army from the Peninsula:

    We had two tents and a cook-shed;  one tent for sleeping in, the other for storage.  We were three Delegates of the Commission, assisted by a young convalescent soldier, and cooked for by a negro boy and woman, whose hoe-cakes were our great solace three times a day.  We worked in pairs;  two at the hospital, two at the store-tent, and two at the cook-shed.  We tolerated no drones in our bee-hive.  When the negro boy was not employed in chopping wood and carrying water for Dinah, he was regaling himself and a circle of select admirers with a genuine Virginia "breakdown;"  and when Dinah had fixed up all the odds and ends about the tents, she began manufacturing corn-starch, in huge cauldrons-full, five or six times a day.  The two store-keepers were kept busy from morning to night by a hungry-looking crowd, which we called the "staff brigade," who begged for themselves, and their comrades incapable of locomotion.  Supplies were here dispensed in the shape of shirts, drawers, handkerchiefs, books, papers, combs, soap, pickles, sugar, tea, bread, and nearly everything eatable, wearable and usable to be found in a regular "Yankee-notion" country store.

    But the two itinerants had the most exacting and delicate duties.  It was theirs to visit the sick and dying, to bear them little comforts; to cheer the despondent;  to soothe the agony of some, the last moments of others;  to play, as occasion required, the parts of nurse, physician and clergyman.  Evening brought no rest.  The semi-secular employments of the day gave place to the religious labors of the night, and so pleasant and blessed were these, that we longed for the evening, when we could meet the eager congregations.

    We began early, and ended late -- so that more than once we paid the penalty of our protracted devotion, in arrest by the night guards, whose duty required them to stop all stragglers.  But the young Delegates were well known and easily recognized, and no authority would cage them.  Such meetings, too, as we enjoyed, would repay one for an occasional arrest, and for the dark and muddy walks by which they were reached.

    After a short sermon, studied between our tent and the church, came a prayer and inquiry meeting.  This was open to all.  One after another would lead in prayer, testify to a newly-found faith, or make an exhortation to his comrades.  Some were hoary-headed sinners;  others mere boys.  Some would flounder painfully as they tried to express their feelings, frequently bursting into tears;  while other would charm with the simplicity and power of their native eloquence.  From such men we had no difficulty in securing an effective corps of tract distributors.  Every morning a number of bronzed faces would look in at our tent door, and then, supplied with loads of tracts, papers, hymn books, &c., the men betook themselves to the different houses and tents, and to the camp of the "Lost Children."
    One day, the quiet was disturbed by the thunder of distant cannon.  Soon after stragglers from the front came in;  than a battery of field artillery which had desolated the path of the advancing enemy.  Then came the order to break up the hospital as soon as possible, which was interpreted to us to mean twelve hours.  That evening, all who could walk or hobble to our tents were there.  We distributed our entire remaining stock.  Farewell addresses, delivered by two of us, were answered by the hearty cheers of our audience, and the whole was concluded with a hymn.

[Incidents of the U.S. Christian Commission  1869 p.32-34]

    Such benevolence was repeated over and over in different locations and situations by the Delegates who volunteered their lives to minister to the soldiers far from home.  It is important to note how they blended spiritual help in with the practical help generously given.  They provided for the physical needs of the soldiers.  They engaged the soldiers personally and in group settings.  They pointed them to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  These Delegates took seriously Jesus' words that the righteous show their faith through compassion, even to the least of the brethren (Matt.25:31-46).
    The Christian Commission understood that our soldiers needed more than weapons and uniforms.  They needed compassionate encouragement to face the trials of war.  And they needed the eternal truth of the Gospel.

"The Foolishness of Civil War Reenactors" Reconsidered

Do Reenactors INSULT True History?

    After putting up my post about Living History being a snap-shot of history, I decided to do a search on what others had written on Living History.  Mostly what I found were links to living history events taking place around the nation.  But I did happen across one post on Solon.com by Glenn LaFantasie, Professor of Civil War History at Western Kentucky University from May 8th, 2011 in which he laid out the insulting stupidity of reenacting the Civil War.  His post title says is all:  "The Foolishness of Civil War Reenactors".  I will admit I did not discover his profound revelation of the stupidity of my hobby until after I wrote my post about Living History.  I now realize the error of my way.  It's two years later, the sesquicentennial is in full swing, and sadly we stupid reenactors continue to distort the truth about the Civil War.

    What LaFantasie's post shows is the typical hubris of progressive elitist thinking:  ONLY the credentialed few can lead to truth.  The rest are mere peasants which must be herded, kicking and crying, into the light of elitist truth.  We stupid reenactors despise the truth, we distort it by selling it to the interested but sheepishly more stupid spectators as entertainment.  There is no real blood, no real death, no Quentin Tarrantino revelations of horror.  LaFantasie is ashamed of the many military veterans who should know better, but insist on reenacting anyway as a way to reconnect with their shameful dependence on the military.  Ah the wisdom of "credentialism".

    Do reenactors do a perfect job in teaching history?  Of course not!  Some excel, some are OK, some don't care much about teaching, and some are just plain nut cases.  But according to the elitist LaFantasie, NONE are "Living Historians" -- ALL are perverts seeking "an excitement like that of sexual arousal".

    Just for the record.  The "I now realize the error of my way" was said sarcastically.  I will continue unrepentantly doing my attacks on the elitist progressive history LaFantasie fantasizes about.  I reject the arrogance of LaFantasie's credentialist world view -- that ONLY those who have gone through the leftist educational system can know the truth.

    As I read his tirade against our hobby, and I do have a real life in which I work and pay taxes, I thought back to two years ago and the Fort Sumter reenactment.  I wasn't there.  But by coincidence my stationery was.  Earlier in 2011 a reenactor contacted me about getting stationery he could use when on site so he could write letters as part of his reenactment presentation.  I was honored to be able to help him enjoy the event.  When I asked how the event went, he emailed back he had so much fun it should be illegal.  He felt a sense of connection with the past and satisfaction in being part of an event that reminded people of a pivotal event in US history.

    There are some good rebuttals on line to LaFantasie's tirade.  Check out:  The Sable Arm May 10, 2011 post by Jimmy Price who does a good job of taking on LaFantasie.
    One of the greatest things about our nation is that LaFantasie is as free to espouse his elitist views as I am free to stupidly muddle through wasting my time reenacting.  He can post his rantings against reenactors on line.  And I can post my rantings supporting "Living History" on line too.  I have a recommendation to those who think reenacting is worth the effort:  do NOT buy LaFantasie's books and tell other reenactors to not buy them.  Avoid events which promote him.  Oh, I know he will still make money, but lets' not have it come from us 'stupid reenactors'.  He is free to despise us . . . and we are free to reject him. 
    Do reenactors insult true history?  Pick a side.

Living History Goal: Becoming a Snapshot of History

Why do Civil War Living History?  Is it worth the effort?
    When you reenact, you do it for -- fun, or to honor those who really lived the history, or to explore what it must have been like, or to step outside of what you know -- the reasons vary from person to person.  That's what makes our hobby so interesting and enjoyable.  (Just pray with me that the politicians don't start regulating it!)
    We started reenacting because of my interest in history.  Because I couldn't see how we could afford to buy a rifle at that time, and because of my background, I felt I could do a chaplain impression.  Because Vicki & I wanted to make it a family hobby, that also channeled our interests.  As we learned about the US Christian Commission, together our living history presentation developed.
    But when you reenact, especially with a living history emphasis, you always wonder how you actually come across to visitors who stop by your tent.  Over the years, in various ways, the Lord has sent along encouragements that kept us going -- from the surprised "thank you, it's really free?!?" of a first time soldier-guest enjoying the food at our tent to the firm hand shake of a veteran reenactor we've known for years.
    While going through some old magazines recently, I ran across one that was tagged "Keep".  The old issue of the Camp Chase Gazette reminded me of a visit in 2004 by a woman reenactor who stopped by and started asking us a lot of questions.  As she talked with us, she shared she was reviewing the Marengo event for the magazine.  We answered her questions, shared lemonade and food with her, and told her come again anytime as she went on her way. I didn't give it a thought after that until later that year while reading the event review I saw our USCC presentation was mentioned in it;  only one paragraph, but her summary was a written encouragement that we were accomplishing our goals:

"Do you know what the Christian Commission really was and what they did?  I will admit that I had heard of them, read some basic information on them, but had no real idea of the impact they had on the soldier during the Civil War.  As their 19th century impression, Glenn & Vicki Rowe of Addition, IL do a superb job of teaching the public, and reenactors, what the Christian Commission was.  Hand squeezed lemonade is either poured into a soldiers cup or provided to those who were cupless in a tin can covered with a period label.  Stationary, stamps, pencils, religious information and other small luxuries are available to soldiers at no cost, just as it was done during the Civil War.  Glenn and his family walked the event handing out cookies and cakes of all sorts, not to mention a wonderful sponge cake with cherry topping.  On a large tarp next to their tent was an enormous pile of breads of all shapes and sizes, there for the taking.  Their tent fly is a warm and welcome place for reenactors to sit and socialize, learn about the Christian Commission, or chat with reenactors and spectators alike.  A small donation bucket sits on the ground next to a straw bale, but it was very obvious that financial gain is not what prompts them to do this amazing impression." 

[Camp Chase Gazette  Vol.XXXI No.9  Aug 2004 p.39  

"Marengo, ILL -- A Diamond in the Rough" by Connie Sims]

    

    Introducing people to the history of the USCC is one of our primary goals.  That Connie learned from her visit with us is a prized complement.  Another major goal has always been to let the reenactors experience on a small scale the encouragement that the Civil War soldiers experienced when they came under the USCC tent during the war.  So Connie's enjoyment of our hospitality is also prized.  (Confession: if you have perused our recipe page, you know that we don't hand squeeze the lemons.  That Connie thought we did is a credit to Vicki's talent for hospitality.)   

    So if you are doing a living history presentation, keep focused on what you see as "your mission", especially if your goal is to educate others.  Probably most of the time you won't really hear how you are doing.  When the "thank you" or "I never knew that" comments come, take those encouragements as affirmations that you are communicating.   Once in our lives we got written up;  a sort of "official recognition" if you will.  That was a pleasant surprise.  But most of the time our audience -- and your's -- will only be reenactors and spectators who happen to stop by and learn something they didn't know before . . . and that will be a "good a day of reenacting" . . . a quietly personal reward for all the work of "doing" Living History.

Some suggestions about doing a Living History Presentation:
1)  Pick something you have a passion for.  Since it takes time and effort in research & in putting it together, choose an aspect of history that you enjoy.
2)  Set some mental goals of what you hope to accomplish.  These will likely change and develope as you develope your presentation, but goals will help you focus your energy and resources better.
3)  Search for things that will draw people in to "see" what you have to teach.  To set up a tent and sit out in front in a chair and hope people will "just stop by" is not the best approach.  At least have a banner or sign out front ("Journalist"/ "Soldier's Aid Society" etc) which identifies and invites people to stop and look.  Displays also are invitations.  When people stop and look, you can begin to engage them in conversation about what you are portraying.
4)  Say to yourself often "There is no such thing as stupid questions, only obnixous questioners".  As much as some questions may make you roll your eyes, realize that the person asking may not really understand much about history.  Treat them with hospitality and you will be able to lead them along.  Yes, there will be know-it-alls that will play games with you, but at least give every person the benefit of the doubt when you first meet them.  Especially children.


Postscript:  Sadly, a few years later the reenactment at Marengo was discontinued.  It was always one of our favorites, even though it was never one of the biggest.  To those who worked so hard to put it on over the years -- "God bless you for your efforts".