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Table of Contents
How much would it cost to start doing this? How much money do you have? Really, you can spend as much as you want on this. Some people spend hundreds, some thousands, some tens of thousands. Advice that I can't repeat often enough is to buy quality items the first time around. Yes, you will spend more up front. However, if you don't you will invariably find yourself replacing most, if not all, of your gear in a year or two. Check with the guys in your unit to find out what to buy and from whom. Often you can get used gear from others in your unit or a "friend of a friend". The uniform and equipage for you primary impression will set you back a MINIMUM of $1000. Some groups provide company rifles or uniforms, for new people, to borrow until you complete you purchases. If you are afraid to lay out that much cash initially, ask if you can borrow some equipment until you can purchase all of your own. Your comrades would probably much prefer you to borrow from them than look bad. Back to TopWhat type of equipment would I need to get started? There has been plenty written on this topic already, so we won't reinvent the wheel here. However, we suggest that the basics be a good hat, coat, blanket, trousers and musket. You can usually borrow the rest form chums as you build your complete kit. Advice that we can not repeat enough is buy the correct gear from an accurate maker the first time. Yes, you'll spend more money than the other guys up front, but you won't be selling off anachronistic gear and replacing it a year down the road. The right gear is well worth the wait, and the difference in price isn't as much as some would have you believe. Remember to check with your particular unit before buying anything as they should have standards they follow. You can save a considerable amount of money by checking first. All gear is not created equal, there is a lot of sub-standard and inaccurate gear being peddled on sutler's row that you'll be convinced that you "need". Remember that a good living historian researches and learns for himself what makes up a quality kit. To get you started, we invite you to see our Authenticity Standards located under the About Us link in the tool bar to the left. Back to Top"Sutlery" is a term used to describe private merchants that followed the armies selling goods to soldiers. Modern day sutleries are often inaccurate by necessity. Original sutlers would not have been selling weapons or other army issued equipment, rather, they would sell personal items to improve one's comfort or quality of life. Food, spices, socks, shirts, hygiene items, pipes, and tobacco would have been common. By and large most sutleries you are likely to see at an event sell items of questionable accuracy, and some are just plain wrong. Recent years have seen the advent of people portraying an accurate sutler not only as a livelihood, but as a secondary impression as well. These people take the field with wagons and goods matching those of the originals. When it is possible to visit such establishments as Ezra Barnhouse or Carter & Jasper much is added to the overall living history expierence. Back to TopOnce I have my uniform, how much does it cost to do this on a regular basis? Not much actually. Generally you'll have to spend money on gas to and from the event, food for your haversack, and event registration fees. So typically, one might shell out $30-$40 for the weekend. Back to TopWhat type of guns do you use? Well, there are a few basic weapons that were most commonly used during the Civil War, but there were countless others that show up here and there. Most scenarios call for the use of the M-1861 or M-1863 Springfield, P-1857 Enfield, or the M-1842 Harpers Ferry. All the muskets we use are real muzzle loading firearms. Back to TopCan you get hurt while participating in an event or program? You sure can. However, there is inherent danger in nearly any activity in which one participates. Most dangers in living history scenarios can be neutralized by simply being cognizant of your surroundings and your own well being. Back to TopAre those Rebs really a little unstable? Do they really think that they are still fighting for the South to secede? Neo-Confederates are very rare in our world. It simply takes too much time, money, and research for those "South will rise again" types to do things the way we do. Contrary to what popular media sources may lead you to believe, people spouting racist or political agendas are not welcome and rarely found in the campaigner community. Back to TopIs any training required to participate? Most groups spend an adequate amount of time drilling in period commands and maneuvers. Without drill, an event can become unsafe and one can do a disservice to those we are portraying. Most events occur over the course of a weekend and much time is spent drilling the men. In fact, it is the actual "battle" that many campaigners find to be the least enjoyable part of the event and many EBUFU events have no battles at all. Back to TopWe generally eat army issued fare consisting of salt pork, hardtack, coffee, salt, and sugar. All of these things travel well in the haversack and do not require cooking in order to make them palatable, a bonus for long marches where there is no time to cook. In addition to issued food stuffs, one can carry items that could have been privately purchased or foraged. Fresh fruits and vegetables (that are in season for the location of the event), sausages, and candies can add variety to your diet. Back to TopGet wet. Yes, we're serious. We have marched and slept in rain, snow, and even a tornado, with temperatures ranging from 17 to 112 degrees. We feel that if they had to endure the hardships for months and even years, the least we can do is persevere through three or four days. These conditions can allow us to gain a better understanding of what it was like and to put ourselves in their shoes. Back to TopI've got a pretty good looking widget, but it's actually a modern product. Can I use it? No. Period! If you're not going to get accurate equipment, then another venture might suit you better. We are re-creating historical facts here, not making it up as we go along. Back to TopDo you wash yourself at an event? That's partially a personal answer. The short answer is rarely. You can remain relatively clean if there is a stream or lake nearby. Keep in mind that we maintain a 19th century lifestyle over the course of a weekend. Back to TopWhat is a typical event weekend like? Most events occur over a weekend, perhaps with a few extra days tacked on to fill it out. Participants usually arrive on site the evening before or the day of the beginning of the event, depending on travel time. Usually, events conclude mid-day on the last day of the weekend. Back to TopMy schedule is pretty full, can I join the Pumpkin Patch Mess on a part-time basis? Yes, we accept new members on a trial basis. After a period of time, we will evaluate your impression, attitude, commitment, and relationship with the group. Once you are a member of the mess there is no specific requirement in relation to attendance. Many of our members have other commitments, such as jobs, family, military service, etc. Often times this prevents them from going to some events. Remember, you take away as much as you put in. Back to TopWhy do you choose to portray both sides of the war? While some groups strictly portray either the North or the South, we choose to do both. Our reasons for doing so are many. First, some of our members have ancestors that fought on both sides of the war. We hold no fixed loyalty to one particular side, but each of us I am sure, has one impression with which they identify with more. We respect the effort of both sides in the war, as they were all Americans. Our main interest is in educating both the public and ourselves. We feel we can best accomplish this by allowing ourselves to experience as many different aspects of 19th century culture as possible. Back to TopYes and No. In lieu of regularly scheduled meetings, we generally take care of most of our business at events themselves. We also, from time to time, get together for dinner to hash things out. We also try to get out and drill if we aren't in the field much that month. Please refer to our online schedule for dates and times. Back to TopHow many events do you do a year? On average, we have about one event per month. Back to TopCan my wife or child join the group? We currently do not have any civilians attached to the PPM. If one chooses to exclusively do a civilian impression, one may not be welcome at all the events that we attend. One should also bear in mind that time with the wife will be nearly nonexistent over the course of an event as civilians and the military are rarely near one another. There are other groups of men and women that do all civilian portrayals. Back to TopWhat kind of uniform do I need for your group? We invite you to see our Authenticity Standards located under the About Us link in the tool bar to the left. Back to TopFor more information, please visit the Public Services page. Back to TopWhat is a hardcore, campaigner, or authentic? These are terms used to describe a certain counter-culture within living history. These individuals have a more scholarly attitude and may see it as an extension of more traditional research. Many are, in fact, degreed Historians or educators. This percentage of the living history community has come to face some bad publicity with regard to the extreme with which they develop their impression. Regardless of the opinions of others, we feel that this is a worthwhile endeavor. Back to TopEBUFU is an acronym used by the authentic movement. It stands for Events By Us For Us. This term is used to describe an event that has high authenticity standards. EBUFU events often have no battles or spectators and require first-person conversation throughout the weekend. Back to TopFirst-person is a skill in which one speaks only in the context of a given era. EBUFU events often require that only first-person be used and no modern talk is acceptable. The practice is an attempt to further surround one's self with a historical culture. A better grasp of first-person comes with much study and research. Back to Top
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