Re-enactors discuss process
Published 9:55 pm Saturday, April 30, 2011
A typical day for a Civil War re-enactor can become quite hectic. It takes planning and preparation to make the programs go as planned. -- Chris Wasson
Hundreds of people flock to Dallas County each year to witness the annual Battle of Selma re-enactment. But few actually know all the work that goes on behind the scenes to make sure the battle is organized and authentic.
There are three phases of each re-enactment, which include the lead up, the battle and the night following the skirmish.
Much of the time leading up to the battle, re-enactor Leland Free said, involves checking the equipment.
“Generally we take a look at the schedule and see where we’re supposed to be,” he said. “Most of the time we’ll have some bacon, eggs and coffee and do the usual things like rolling musket cartridges, preparing pistols and last minute checks for the artillery crews.”
The cavalry feeds horses and checks saddles, he said.
Information during an officer’s call determines the order of the battle for the day, Huntsville re-enactor Brien Williams said.
“We establish who will be wearing blue, who will be wearing gray and how many will be on each side,” he said. “We talk it over and put a scenario together to discuss the ebb and flow of the battle. We try to stick to the scenarios that we dream up, but it doesn’t always work out that way and you improvise and adapt to the situation like you do in real warfare.”
Many of the participants are so familiar with each other and the history of the battle, Williams said, that little planning is necessary.
“We’ve done these battles so many times together over the years that it’s not really necessary to plan them,” he said.
“Although every year we try to have a little different scenario and attacks from some different directions with different results. It’s always fun and exciting even if you have done it 100 times.
“We know each other, we trust each other and we know that we aren’t going to hurt anybody.”
When the last shot is fired and the battle has ended, Bob Huffman, who traveled to Selma from Fort Walton Beach, said many of the soldiers use the downtime to catch up.
“A lot of times when it is over we’ll sit around the campfire,” he said.
“A lot of the older guys like to get together and tell old stories and fellowship. We cook food and see how everybody is doing.”
Many times, before turning in for the night, Free said he also likes to reflect on the lives of the Civil War soldiers.
“There’s a certain sacredness to this as well as the adventure,” he said. “The battlefield experience is a lot of things that give you respect for the way they were living. Just because your cell phone drops a call, that is nothing like having your house plundered and burned.”
