Post by prestontoprail on Mar 27, 2006 17:55:59 GMT -6
Well, to kick up some conversation I thought I would start off by talking about "combat impressions" in the authentic side of the hobby and what we can do to improve it.
After reading soo many accounts from soldiers on both sides about their experiences of battle action, whether lasting 1 day or up to a 3 month siege seem to indicate that they were not in their finest appearence. Veterans talk of their uniforms and equipment getting "clipped" by minie balls flying all around them, dirt flying in every direction, smoke and black powder caking their face, their clothes getting torn off by dirt debri, ears bleeding from concussion of cannon and rifles, teeth grimed with black powder from tearing cartridges, ect ect.
Therefore, since we have decided to portray infantrymen on "the front lines"...it would be in our best interest to adhere to this description when we are portraying combat tacticals or re-enactments. With living histories aside, I think that we are losing that certain "look" by being too clean and average during a battle scenario weekend. There are many methods to encourage this look within your kit:
1. Don't clean your uniform when you get home. If you fell or marched in mud during the weekend, LEAVE IT!
2. Let your jacket and pants sit out in the sun for a few days to fade off the bright shine of new cloth.
3. I know that this might sound like heresy to some, and others would call it foolish....however I have tried this many times with superior results. If you have, say a confederate uniform and it is littered with tiny synthetic strands sticking out, take a portable blow torch and lightly spread it around the garment with the flame about 3 inches from the fabric. This burns off all of the synthetic material and leaves it in black burnt fashion. Simply brush off the burnt debris and you now have a jacket with a faded , worn in look. Some materials are too thin for this trick to work, so make sure it is jean cloth or thick kersey material...you will be surprised with the results.
4. It doesn't hurt to "apply" dust and dirt to your hat from time to time to make sure that the grime settles in. Some re-enactors just say to "wear your stuff till it looks good"....however considering that we only wear our equipment up to possibly 20 days a year.......the outfit will take forever to settle on the appearance that soldiers had within marching and living with mother nature for 3 months into their enlistment. But I see way too many hats in the ranks these days which have plenty of "character" to their brim and crown, yet appear spotless as if just worn the day of purchase. And in most situations, this is the case with reenactors.
5. Don't be afraid to use ashes, dirt, and grease grime to smother on your facial whiskers or face and hands to get the "battle worn" haze on your appearance. If you were in a campaign involving dirt, mud, dust, powder, blood, smoke, dehidration and fatigue....there is NO way your staying clean. I know that soldiers would try to keep clean during long marches or possibly AFTER conflicts. But this is intended for active combat impressions.
Daniel McCartney and I were at a local reenactment last year in Columbus, KY and decided to dirty oursleves up before we fell in to fight for the spectators. On our way to the line people stopped to take pictures and mentioned how real we looked. However, when we fell into the line some of the other "progressive" guys looked at us and stated "Ha, you would never get threw inspection looking like that." And although that wasn't the point AT ALL for why we were doing that, it made things clear to me as to why other reeanctors, even authentics stay clean for the event. They obviously want to portray soldiers on inspection and in the drill field with brushed uniforms and bright polished brogans. Well, that is not our intnention and does little justice to the combat veteran. My intention is to portray the soldier in a realistic fashion so the public can see how gritty and terrifying the war was, not to show them toy soldiers stumbling around a grassy field.
NOW, I am completely aware that rifles, muskets and accoutraments were to be kept VERY clean and polished at any given time and that the soldiers made a good practice of keeping their weapon as prestine as possible. However, soldiers were not worrying about the brightness of their barrel while they were in the thick of the fight.
Even at most authentic events, the majority of men look like commercial adds for authentic vendors in the hobby with bright , shiny blue coats and pants, prestine knapsacks, haversacks and even shoes! I can understand if you don't have time to wear in your equipment before jumping out to an event, however I have shown ways of fabricating the appearance. And considering that EVERYTHING we do in the hobby is a fabrication anyway, I don't see anything wrong with it at all. Therefore, at living histories we will obtain the average looking of a camping soldier, but with "campaign impressions" we need to exercise a little more detail in appearance.
A couple of quick reference photos of other reanctors achieving this look :
And a shameless plug for "that guy"
Ryan and Ray from the Skulkers Mess (gotta love those guys)
I will post several passages from the book "Echoes of Battle the strugle for Atlanta" soon that have great descriptions from individual soldiers of their appearence during and after combat.
After reading soo many accounts from soldiers on both sides about their experiences of battle action, whether lasting 1 day or up to a 3 month siege seem to indicate that they were not in their finest appearence. Veterans talk of their uniforms and equipment getting "clipped" by minie balls flying all around them, dirt flying in every direction, smoke and black powder caking their face, their clothes getting torn off by dirt debri, ears bleeding from concussion of cannon and rifles, teeth grimed with black powder from tearing cartridges, ect ect.
Therefore, since we have decided to portray infantrymen on "the front lines"...it would be in our best interest to adhere to this description when we are portraying combat tacticals or re-enactments. With living histories aside, I think that we are losing that certain "look" by being too clean and average during a battle scenario weekend. There are many methods to encourage this look within your kit:
1. Don't clean your uniform when you get home. If you fell or marched in mud during the weekend, LEAVE IT!
2. Let your jacket and pants sit out in the sun for a few days to fade off the bright shine of new cloth.
3. I know that this might sound like heresy to some, and others would call it foolish....however I have tried this many times with superior results. If you have, say a confederate uniform and it is littered with tiny synthetic strands sticking out, take a portable blow torch and lightly spread it around the garment with the flame about 3 inches from the fabric. This burns off all of the synthetic material and leaves it in black burnt fashion. Simply brush off the burnt debris and you now have a jacket with a faded , worn in look. Some materials are too thin for this trick to work, so make sure it is jean cloth or thick kersey material...you will be surprised with the results.
4. It doesn't hurt to "apply" dust and dirt to your hat from time to time to make sure that the grime settles in. Some re-enactors just say to "wear your stuff till it looks good"....however considering that we only wear our equipment up to possibly 20 days a year.......the outfit will take forever to settle on the appearance that soldiers had within marching and living with mother nature for 3 months into their enlistment. But I see way too many hats in the ranks these days which have plenty of "character" to their brim and crown, yet appear spotless as if just worn the day of purchase. And in most situations, this is the case with reenactors.
5. Don't be afraid to use ashes, dirt, and grease grime to smother on your facial whiskers or face and hands to get the "battle worn" haze on your appearance. If you were in a campaign involving dirt, mud, dust, powder, blood, smoke, dehidration and fatigue....there is NO way your staying clean. I know that soldiers would try to keep clean during long marches or possibly AFTER conflicts. But this is intended for active combat impressions.
Daniel McCartney and I were at a local reenactment last year in Columbus, KY and decided to dirty oursleves up before we fell in to fight for the spectators. On our way to the line people stopped to take pictures and mentioned how real we looked. However, when we fell into the line some of the other "progressive" guys looked at us and stated "Ha, you would never get threw inspection looking like that." And although that wasn't the point AT ALL for why we were doing that, it made things clear to me as to why other reeanctors, even authentics stay clean for the event. They obviously want to portray soldiers on inspection and in the drill field with brushed uniforms and bright polished brogans. Well, that is not our intnention and does little justice to the combat veteran. My intention is to portray the soldier in a realistic fashion so the public can see how gritty and terrifying the war was, not to show them toy soldiers stumbling around a grassy field.
NOW, I am completely aware that rifles, muskets and accoutraments were to be kept VERY clean and polished at any given time and that the soldiers made a good practice of keeping their weapon as prestine as possible. However, soldiers were not worrying about the brightness of their barrel while they were in the thick of the fight.
Even at most authentic events, the majority of men look like commercial adds for authentic vendors in the hobby with bright , shiny blue coats and pants, prestine knapsacks, haversacks and even shoes! I can understand if you don't have time to wear in your equipment before jumping out to an event, however I have shown ways of fabricating the appearance. And considering that EVERYTHING we do in the hobby is a fabrication anyway, I don't see anything wrong with it at all. Therefore, at living histories we will obtain the average looking of a camping soldier, but with "campaign impressions" we need to exercise a little more detail in appearance.
A couple of quick reference photos of other reanctors achieving this look :
And a shameless plug for "that guy"
Ryan and Ray from the Skulkers Mess (gotta love those guys)
I will post several passages from the book "Echoes of Battle the strugle for Atlanta" soon that have great descriptions from individual soldiers of their appearence during and after combat.