Our time at Charlton Park has changed over the years.
It all actually began in 2008. Yes, I've been reenacting in this historic house for 16 years now! Maybe that's why I consider it "home."
Every year it's a little different, and that goes for this year as well, which I'll call "the relaxing year." We did not even attempt to do our normal 1st person per our usual. Instead it was just a few of us reenactors visiting together. Because I've had quite a year in my normal 21st century life, it was difficult to get into the swing of 1st person. That's not to say our time here this year didn't go well - it did. But next year I'll be bringing it back to where it should be - and, with Larissa's help, have a set of rules and a scenario planned out.
1st person living history immersion will be back!
Mind you, this year was not a wash - it just not up to our usual standards.
And between myself and a few others, we have some pretty good photos to share.
But first off, to the good people who run Charlton Park:
Thank you.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to utilize this historic home. Next year, I promise we will be back to where we once belong - to a time when no human alive today ever saw. In fact, the oldest living person in the world as of this writing whose age has been validated is 117-year-old Maria Branyas of Spain, born March 4, 1907.
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But, good folks at Charlton Park, through the good graces of your trust in us, we were, for one day, experiencing the time of the American Civil War through different senses, which was accomplished by your allowing us to use one of your historic homes, the Sixberry House, built in the 1850s. And I believe we added greatly to the experience of the visitors who came in to tour the house. |
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| I think this is my favorite picture of the day - in our sitting room (back parlor) with all natural light. |
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| Pearl played her fiddle in the formal parlor. |
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| Peter also played a few tunes on the fiddle. |
Here's one:
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| I very much enjoy taking window shots... or, in this case, mirror photos. |
The battle took place in the town - right there on the village green.
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| What we saw as we headed toward the town green. |
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| There was a total of 30 horse-riding cavalrymen there, too! |
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| I was told the year portrayed was 1864, though I'm not exactly sure what battle was being portrayed. |
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| Charlton Park, in my opinion, has the best battle scenarios. |
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| As you can see, we had a good showing of both Union and Confederate soldiers. And I love the fact that Charlton Park does not mind showing history, such as displaying the Rebel flag. |
The Confederate battle flag was born of necessity after the Battle of Bull Run. Amid the smoke and general chaos of battle, it was hard to distinguish the Confederate national flag, the “Stars and Bars," from the U. S. national flag, the "Stars and Stripes.” Confederate Congressman William Porcher Miles suggested that the army have a distinct battle flag. General Pierre T. Beauregard chose a variation on the cross of St. Andrew. The battle flag features a blue cross, edged with a white band on a red field. There are three stars on each arm of the cross and one star in the center. The stars represented each of the states of the Confederacy, plus one. Beauregard was betting that one of the states with pro-Confederacy leanings, Maryland, Kentucky, or Missouri, would join the Southern cause. That never happened, but the flag remained the same for the remainder of the war.
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| This is a great shot of North and South. B&K Photography |
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| My son, Robbie, was the Adjutant for the weekend. |
And, as we moved through the town...
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| Doug caned chairs, just as he did at Waterloo Farm Museum. B&K Photography |
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| And here we have woodworker, Alex Konieczny, who I've seen over at Waterloo Farm Museum. He is also a worker at the Troy Historical Village and Museum. B&K Photography |
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| The Assenmacher tent is a regular Victorian Parlor! B&K Photography |
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| Strolling through town. B&K Photography |
Our Civil War units here in Michigan are taking the steps to "up their game."
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| One unlucky fella who went AWOL was captured and brought back to camp to face his punishment. But he vehemently proclaimed his innocents as he was dragged through the streets for everyone to see. |
From THIS site:
The number one priority for women who took part in water-based activities was to maintain their modesty. Whilst bathing for health benefits fell out of fashion, women still tended to bathe or paddle in water. This was because vigorous exercise in water was not considered ladylike. Women’s swimwear had to reflect this notion of remaining proper, as defined by contemporary society. Bathing outfits would consist of a bathing dress, drawers, and stockings, often made of wool or cotton. These fabrics would become heavy when wet and were hardly suitable for any vigorous activities. In this case, it can be said that women’s swimwear, which prohibited ease of movement in water, reflected and maintained the social and physical constraints on women in nineteenth-century society. | ||||
Preparing for a summer swim....
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| I did not go with these ladies to the beach, but I am thankful that they did get a snap of their 1860s bathing activity. Thank you Sandy Longstreth Hadley for the great picture! |
One of our traditions is our annual summer ice cream social - something we have been doing at Charlton Park since 2015.
Ice cream socials became popular in the 19th century as a fundraising event for organizations like churches and schools, and as a social gathering for people with similar interests. The events were inspired by the ice cream gardens that were popular at the time, and often took place in the 1860s. As the cost of ice cream decreased, ice cream socials became more widespread
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| 2015 - our very first Charlton Park ice cream social |
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| 2016 - social number two |
But over time, it slowly became more of a social gathering of family and friends.
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| 2017 - we actually had nearly a dozen folks join us this year. |
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| 2018 - our fourth year in a row, and folks began to expect this every year. However... |
Sadly, we did miss a few years following 2018:
2019 - I did not go to this event, for I had an illness. Since I have the ice cream maker, well, it did not happen.
2020 - the entire event was cancelled due to the covid.
2021 - for this year, and only this year, we did Charlton Park on a Sunday instead of our usual Saturday, and did not have the opportunity to have it, for after the battle everyone was packing up and tearing down.
But - - - -
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| The ice cream social returned in 2022! And quite a few people showed up! |
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| Last year - 2023 - was another great year. |
And now it is one of the most looked-forward to, time-honored traditions and gathering we do, of which I am proud. I really love the fact that we in the 21st Michigan have always taken the extra steps to keep our impressions real and, of course, as accurate as we can.
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| Everyone takes a turn at the churn. My ice cream maker was giving off a bit of trouble so I need to figure out what is messing up. I have a year to take care of it! |
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| Farmer Monarch took his churn...er...turn as well~ |
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| The ice cream is done and ready to be enjoyed~ |
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| Your hosts with the mosts! |
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| So, what do you think, Mrs. Cook? |
Civil War reenactments are getting somewhat harder to come by, especially after covid did its damage. So when an event comes along, such as Charlton Park, ya grab it with both hands!
So it was this year on Saturday July 20th that I spent time in 1864 with my good friends.
The following day - July 21 - found me close to 90 years earlier in time.
Yep---I was one busy man this weekend, and you'll see that adventure in about two weeks. Next week's post will center on our 18th century celebration of Lammas Day.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this week's photo-fun-filled post.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this week's photo-fun-filled post.
Until next time, see you in time.
Thank you to a few others who snapped photos:
B&K Photography
B&K Photography
Jean Cook
Sandy Longstreth Hadley
Our history at the Sixberry House (up until 2018) - click HERE
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