Clouds were rolling in on Saturday afternoon, and the Captain speculated that some rain might be on its way. Without thinking I pulled out my phone to check the Weather Channel, then realized how out of place that was. "Wait. Are you allowed to look at this?" I asked him. He laughed and said yes, although during more rigorous outings than this weekend's event (they call it "immersion") they avoid everything not "of the period."
The forecasted rain held off until the middle of the night, and during the deluge the hardy soldiers simply moved their straw bedrolls to the porch and went back to sleep.
When I showed up on Sunday morning (reveille was at 6:30 a.m.) they had a cooking fire going with three metal pots hanging on top of it: one of boiling water for tea, one for their breakfast porridge (to which they added fresh peaches) and one for the ham and cabbage that would serve as their lunch. They ate from wooden or metal bowls with wooden spoons.
I asked about their morning routine and one of the re-enactors told me that soldiers usually shaved every three days or so. One of the men in their unit acted as a barber and would shave them with a traditional straight razor -- not a pleasant experience, he said, even if the razor was freshly stropped.
One anachronistic note: a rake was lying tines-side-up and one of the officers "suggested" that it be stowed away safely. One soldiers agreed that was a good idea lest one of them get bopped by it repeatedly a la Sideshow Bob from "The Simpsons"!
The re-enactors, who came from as far away as New England and Chicago, told me they especially enjoyed spending time at a house that would have existed during the Revolution (the Hall was built in 1738).
You may notice in the photos that the men's uniforms are not exactly uniform. That's because they came from four different units. There was even a loyalist present!
No comments:
Post a Comment