Bang!Zoom! Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 I have not been to one of these, and there is going to be one here in February - lasts for 3 days, quite the shin dig. Could anyone offer advice on how to best enjoy these? The schedule is quite long each day, starting around 9 a.m and ending at 8 p.m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMCassandra Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Wear comfortable shoes. Be very prepared for "war of northern aggression" kind of talk and little awareness of Native American issues. But some very interesting things can be learned at those things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Because of the 150th anniversary, some of these reenactments are going to be extravaganzas. Schedules will probably be announced in advance which will allow you to focus on things you want to see. Bring folding chairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest inoubliable Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Agree with PP. Wear comfy shoes. Watch out for horse apples. Lots of smack-talking on both sides - at least in the camps. Stand kinda close to a speaker (if they have them at your event) so you can hear someone explain what's going on. Even if you know the battle inside and out, they usually have someone native to the area sort of narrating as it goes along and they can sometimes offer interesting bits of history that you wouldn't necessarily know unless you were native to the area. Bring a cooler with your own food/drinks, the vendors can be pricey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest inoubliable Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Blargh! Double post got me again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 I wish! The closest I've ever seen to a reenactment of any historical event is a short presentation on the war of 1812, and they didn't reenact anything they just had a few things set up to view and someone telling a Canadian side stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linders Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Battle of Aiken by chance? Since moving to South Carolina 3 years ago, we've been to several including that one. Some tips - 1. Talk to the re-enactors. Most of them love their history, enjoy questions, and will talk at length, usually "in character". 2. You might want to stake out a front-and-center spot early in the day (use blankets or chairs). The "battle zone" will usually be roped off, but if you are right on the rope the action can often be just a few feet away. The immediacy of the noise, dust, and commotion has made a big impact on my DC. We've had horses kick clods of dirt in our faces and soldiers sprawl onto our blanket when they "die". 3. But be warned - the firearms are loud, the cannons are deafening. It can be scary to young children and hard on everyone's ears. Be ready to cover your ears, even bring earplugs. 4. Look at diagrams of the battle ahead of time to get a sense of how it progressed. (Note: this doesn't apply to Battle of Aiken. The actual battle took place in town and the reeanctment is done in a field outside town.) 5. Wear period clothing, but another warning - one of my DS wears a Union hat and always gets harassed by Confederates (both reeanctors and real live locals). Seriously. These guys are poor losers:) Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted November 23, 2012 Author Share Posted November 23, 2012 I have a schedule of events here: Battle of Aiken, Schedule I'm going to move her study schedule around a little bit - I think I can devote 40 hours of focus on this before the event. We'll be going to the Historical Museum, Library and a few other campus points to prepare for it. I'm trying to figure out now how to arrange biography studies of the major figures. If anyone is feeling positively perky, I could use some advice there as well. My personal knowledge base feels like negative 60 right about now. Any advice on how to devote percentage of study on Biographical Study vs. the "Actual Battle" at hand? The major figures I'm seeing are: Varina Davis (Honest to Pete, never heard of her before) along with General Lee and General Jackson. On the schedule for day one is the "school day" (I'm assuming every student/PS/private, etc.) in a hundred mile range will be there hanging out. My hope is that I will run across a local who is affiliated with the event in the next few weeks to spark some more leads on how to prepare so she gets the most out of the experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 When we went, there was a lot of awareness by some about the full picture of the war and the roles of minorities, but I would be prepared for people to say some less sensitive things, especially further south (we went to the Manassass events). It was fun. It was overwhelming how much was going on. Be sure to watch people shoot guns and cannons. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrn Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 The most recent reenactment we went to one gun shot was heard and 3 guys fell down. It was comical. In the hospital area we get to see a "surgery" on a mans arm. The guys are very willing to show off and discuss their uniforms and even the guns. There was an area that you could hold the rifle and shoot it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 If your children are younger, you may want to take something along for them to do during the actual reenaactment. The actual battles are very regimented, long drawn out processes, which I had NO idea until we went to one. Meaning one side moves forward, then the other one does, then they stand there while the cannons are rolled forward. It wasn't so much of a messy brawl that one sees in movies, until the very end. It was a long 2 hours! Also, bring $$$ if you can for the merchants...lots of cool little knick knack souvenirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misty.warden Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 The only one I've been to was here in Oregon, so not even near a "real" battle site. The merchants and interacting with others was really cool, but the battle was pretty much what the others have said: long, loud, and slightly Monty Python-esque. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linders Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 On the schedule for day one is the "school day" (I'm assuming every student/PS/private, etc.) in a hundred mile range will be there hanging out. To set your mind at ease, no, not every student goes. Unlike some of the 150th anniversary activities, the Battle of Aiken is reenacted every single year. Most locals only go every few years (many have never gone), and only 1 or 2 school grades go each year. The school day is okay, but lots of...kids. Imagine. And they can be a bit much, being a bit disruptive at the various lectures at the encampment. Most importantly, no battle is reenacted on the school day. So if your family is going Saturday or Sunday, I'd personally skip school day. And one day is quite enough. The battles on Saturday and Sunday are usually a bit different (last year, they did half the battle Saturday, leaving off when the Union appeared to be winning, then finished Sunday with the Rebs victorious), but the people set up at the encampment (blacksmith, cooks, cobbler, weapons expert, etc.) are all the same, and you can definitely get your fill in one day. The special thing on Sunday only is a religious service about 10 am with a hellfire-and-brimstone preacher - that's a kick. As to the battle's history - it really wasn't a major turning point. During Sherman's March-to-the-Sea-and-Destroy-South-Carolina-Along-the-Way, one of his henchmen (Gen. Kilpatrick) split off towards Augusta, Georgia, to destroy the Confederate powderworks there (all of the South's gunpowder was coming from there by then). Aiken was in the way. The Aiken Rebs rallied and fought them downtown (you can see the markers there) and actually won, but it didn't matter. It was the last real battle won by the South. A couple of churches downtown have gravemarkers for soldiers killed during the battle. Have fun learning about this! You might want to go to the Aiken Train Depot Museum and Banksia to learn more about the history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted November 24, 2012 Author Share Posted November 24, 2012 I saw the bit about the Revival on Sunday. Probably the only time in my life I'll witness such a thing. I've read the flyer several times in awe, it really does sound like it's something else. ;) They don't grab people out of the crowd I hope... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linders Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 I saw the bit about the Revival on Sunday. Probably the only time in my life I'll witness such a thing. I've read the flyer several times in awe, it really does sound like it's something else. ;) They don't grab people out of the crowd I hope... lol No, you're safe! (Unless you wear a Union cap...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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