The Civil War at Charlton Park 2017: Summer of '62

Charlton Park is a very special event for many of us who participate. First off, the kind folks who run the historic open-air village, located in rural mid-Michigan, certainly are to be commended for entrusting a few of us living historians to practice the art of 1st person and immersion - and we get to do so in a house built in the mid-1800s, making it even more historically accurate.
Each year we re-create a southern-leaning family living in Maryland, which was a border state during the War. Why do we side with the south for this event? Because all year long we are northern civilians, so it's kind of nice to do the "other side" once in a while. And it allows us to set up situations and scenarios that you simply cannot do the other way around.
Of course, I had my 'stealth camera' with me...and not only did I take pictures but I gave it to another for other angles, and she did a wonderful job!

Now...there is a story to be told here...are you ready to go back?

Meet my 1860s family - - 

We sure do look like a proper Victorian family, don't we?
I say this every year, but it bears repeating:
The three of us in this picture are not related, but portray ourselves as an 1860s family. We all work very well together in helping to create this in a believable way, and that's not an easy thing to do. But we know each other well enough that we can come off as being natural...real.
Many thanks must go out to all involved - including our real spouses! - in helping and allowing us to create this realistic and workable scenario. 

I also have, in this 1860s family, three sisters - two older and one younger - and you shall meet them shortly.

Imagine waking up from your slumber and opening your front door only to see this scene:

My Lord! The Yankees have taken over the town!

The artillery have set up the cannons facing the river.

And on the Village Green there were Yankee soldiers marching and drilling, firing their muskets to show their might.

"Oh my! Father! Have you seen what is coming down the road?"
"Yes, daughter, I have seen the tents and cannons."

"But father, it looks like a whole regiment of Yankee soldiers...and they are marching this way!"

"And they have stopped directly in front of our home!"

Yes, my daughter was quite correct. The Yankees stood for what seemed like hours but was, in actuality, only a few minutes before banging on our front door.

I made the attempt to shut them out but they forced their way in and told us they were requisitioning our home for use as possible headquarters!

Fortunately for us, our home was much too small to be used for their purpose, and the Yankees marched off to find another that would be more accommodating to them. But many neighbors gathered to see what the commotion was.

Some of our friends remained and came in to visit. You see, two of my sisters had traveled a long journey by train and carriage for our annual summer reunion. Many neighbors and old friends stopped in throughout the day, which made it very special for all of us, especially my two sisters.

We really put a lot of effort into our scenarios, and it always adds to the picture when friends stop by...especially when these friends are willing to do 1st person right along with us! 
These lovely ladies fit right in perfectly!

But - knock-knock-knock! - we had another guest - - a very special guest:

Why---it's Mr. Bagley!

Now, Mr. Bagley is a fictitious character I 'created' a few years back. We were having a conversation and my sisters and I were reminiscing about our youth. In my story, I 'remembered' Mr. Bagley wanting to have a courtship with my sister, Jacqueline, but our father was not fond of this man and scared him away...for good...or so we thought.
Last year, Mr. Bagley surprised us all - mostly Jacqueline - with a visit! The look on Jacqueline's face when his name was announced...then there he was---right before us in living color (yes, I found a man who was willing to portray this former suitor wannabe! Click HERE to visit last year's posting)
So, as it went, after decades, Jacqueline and Mr. Bagley reunited.
Well, this year, our own Pete Bagley had other ideas - - - -

Initially, we all enjoyed polite conversation as we sat in the back parlor. After a short time, Mr. Bagley asked if he may speak to Jacqueline privately in the front parlor...

Jacqueline got the surprise of her life when Mr. Bagley got down on one knee and pulled out a ring...

Of course, she said "yes!" and such joy permeated throughout our home! Larissa excitedly suggested the two of them get married right away, so we sent Jillian off to find the preacher!

Only she didn't come back with the preacher...instead, another supposed suitor, who also had had his eye upon my dear sister, entered our home, with the devil in his eyes.

Mr. Heath felt he had been spurned, for he noted that Jacqueline had lead him to believe he was in her interest, and demanded that the betrothed recount their actions.

Of course, after decades of waiting to finally marry Jacqueline, Mr. Bagley was not about to give her up again. An argument ensued with the outcome being...a duel!

This, after the excitement of Yankee soldiers invading our house!

The two men stepped outside...right outside our front gate!

Everyone watched in horror at what was about to take place.

The two men stood back-to-back and prepared to walk the ten paces...ten paces to death - - - -

...7...8...9...10!
Mr. Bagley drew his fire arm - - 

- - Mr. Heath prepared to fire his pistol as well.

Which man will meet his final fate?
Which man will walk away?
The suspense is killing me!
But before we get to what happened, let's look at something pleasant and happy, shall we? And maybe even learn something historical - - -

This is young mother Mrs. Suave with her
son Gabe and tiny daughter Emma. 
You will notice that both of her offspring are 
wearing dresses. Yes, including her son.
Interesting enough, boys wore dresses until
they were breached...that is, old enough to
use the necessary on their own. This practice
of boys wearing dresses actually went into 
the early part of the 20th century. In fact, it
would have been rare and uncommon to see
such a young lad without one.

Now...back to our story - - -

Oh! Such a sad state of affairs!
Our Mr. Bagley - dear Mr. Bagley - took a bullet to the chest.

Jacqueline was beside herself in grief...

Oh! To think, only moments before, all was joy and happiness

And now...oh...oh...oh...!!!

Jillian's childhood friend, Carrie Kushnir, came upon the scene shortly after the body was removed - -

"...and then Mr. Bagley took off his gloves and slapped that Mr. Heath across his face and they went back to back and then took ten paces and then..."

Such excitement for one day - - - - 
You'll notice that Mrs. Kushnir is dressed in a sort of female Confederate uniform (though my wife certainly cannot believe any woman would wear pants!).
Carrie wears such garments to show pride in being a "Daughter of the Regiment:"

Women who chose to follow the Union or Confederate armies into the field provided needed services for the soldiers. Some held positions recognized by the army and were called Daughters of the Regiment or vivandiàres. Many patriotic women on both sides served as vivandières, though exact numbers are unknown. The women in the camps worked as cooks, laundresses, seamstresses, sutlers, and nurses. Often, but not always, they were wives or daughters of soldiers.
Many daughters of the regiment wore adapted military uniforms, as you see Mrs. Kushnir, pictured here with her husband.

Mrs. Kushnir proudly wore her vivandiare uniform and regaled us of her tales of camp life. Larissa had her concerns with Carrie being surrounded by all of the soldiers, but was assured that her husband was always near.
Yes...until battle.
I certainly hope Jillian doesn't get such notions in her head!

For our afternoon entertainment, Carrie read poetry while Jillian acted out the scenes, just as they did when they were children.

Both girls were very expressive, whether reading or acting.

Thank you ladies! I only wish I could remember the poem that was read and performed.

One of the special things we as living historians enjoy doing is eating our afternoon meal - our dinner - in the period kitchen. I don't know about you, but when I visit a historic village such as Greenfield Village and I see the period-dress presenters eating their afternoon meal at the kitchen table, I always would get a little jealous. I would LOVE to be able to do that! And now...I can...and do! It's because we take such good care of this historic home that they continue to allow us to carry on in such a trusting manner.

We had summer vegetables and pulled pork for our meal.

Yes, we did allow our servant, Candace, to eat with us. She's our friend and we like her!

But make no mistake, when we have servants during our immersion events, they really do work. For Candace (and Carrie, when she portrays our servant), 
this is not reenacting - it's reality!

As mentioned earlier, throughout the day we had visitors, including the Carlson family. The Carlsons journeyed in all the way from Jackson by stage - quite the dusty ride on a summer's day.
They were staying at the Bristol Inn, right in town:

Built by William Bristol in 1848, this house was a stagecoach stop until 1869 when the railroad put the stage out of business.

On the left, we have another sister, Caroline, who took a bit of a, shall we say, sabbatical last year. We were so glad to have her return this year.
Sandy, in the center, had portrayed my younger sister a few years ago and fell right back into her role when she came by in the afternoon.
Now, do you have that straight?
Caroline, Jacqueline, me, then Sandra.
The young lady on the right is another dear friend.

You may not recognize the young lady on the right
but you've seen her before here on Passion for the Past.
However, when you saw her last, she was dressed 
in colonial clothing.
Yep---that's Rae!

Friends

One of the best purchases I've made in the reenacting world, besides my clothing, is a hand-cranked ice cream maker. After years of watching the historical presenters at the 1880s Firestone Farm make ice cream every 4th of July - and wanting to taste some but, of course, not being allowed to - I found one and, naturally, bought it. Lucky for me, I was also able to procure a period recipe as well! So now it's become an annual afternoon activity to make ice cream while at the Charlton Park event.

It's summertime...and it's mighty hot.
Time to make ice cream!
Larissa and I prepared the Victorian treat by using ice we were able to get from 
the local ice house, as well as salt, both items being poured inside the wooden 
bucket in layers, surrounding the tin container known as the 'freezer.'
The freezer, of course, held the main ingredients to make the ice cream itself!

Once the mixed dairy ingredients were placed inside the freezer, we all took our 
turn to churn the ice cream.

Jillian

Larissa

Watching Larissa work was a favorite past time.
Well, heck! She's the pro!

Carrie

Jackie

Candace

Even a Yankee soldier who happened by.

The ice cream is ready to be enjoyed!
Yes, we put strawberries in for flavor.

Yankee Jim and...is that Mr. Bagley? Alive??

The Confederate daughter of the Regiment
 & a Union soldier.
Oooo...the look.

Now, just how the heck did I wind up in jail...with Mr. Bagley?
It's a lo-o-ong story....let's just say I took the bullet for my daughter.

And that's our record of the 2017 Charlton Park event.
Since we are blessed to get the Sixberry House every year, we try to come up with something new and different, yet historical, to keep interest going for us as well as for the annual visitors. But most important, we try to keep it true - - our conversations while sitting around the table are almost always period, even if there are no visitors to see or hear us. It's this sort of thing that makes this hobby more than just a hobby - it's this sort of thing that will keep the past alive for all involved.
All while having fun.
And isn't that what it's all about?

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One more thing before we leave - -
I wrote the following on my Facebook page on July 20th at 7:41 pm:

Wow - - this may not mean much to folks out there, but it certainly means a lot to me - -

just a couple minutes ago I reached 1,000,000 visits to my Passion for the Past blog!

Pageviews today (so far)
813

Pageviews yesterday
972

Pageviews last month
24,183

Pageviews all time history
1,000,000

I caught it right as the number turned to one million!
What can I say but "thank you!"

Until next time, see you in time.

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Patriots & Loyalists: Colonial Fort Wayne 2017

Road to Boston!

There really is something to be said about being in the midst of Patriots and Loyalists - the folks representing our country's founding generation. Especially here in Michigan. Yes, though not well-known, Michigan played a role in the early formation of our country during the French & Indian War as well as in the Revolutionary War.  However, I do not personally reenact as a Michigan settler in that time period; since I was a young child my main point of interest in history was 18th century east coast America, and that's where my historical heart lies. I know this may frustrate a few, but I would much rather be where my passion is than where it is not.
(I do, however, reenact as a 19th century Michigan farmer at Civil War events)

The soundtrack to the Revolutionary War:
fife & drum music

What I am happy to see is that interest in the founding generation seems to be growing, with help from the popularity of TV shows such as AMC's Turn, HBO's John Adams series, and the Hamilton play, as well as our country heading toward its 250th "birthday."
It was only a few years ago that I unwittingly wrote about how there seemed to be so few colonial and Revolutionary War reenactments in the southern Michigan area.
Fortunately, I was sorely mistaken. Not only are Rev War and Colonial events pretty plentiful, but they seem to be increasing with each coming reenacting season. And there's no sign of it stopping.
Yeah...I'm a happy man...
So, as it happened, it was toward the end of June that the sixth annual Colonial Days at Fort Wayne took place, and this year, for the first time, everyone camped along the road 'neath the shade of the trees. Yes, a much better location, in my opinion, than being inside the star fort grounds under the blazing hot sun!

Though we did not have as large a turnout of reenactors as we had hoped, 
we had enough tents to line the street, and the visitors seemed 
quite pleased, for every tent had a presentation to give:

I did present as Paul Revere, giving the visitors an overview and a few highlights of his life, as well as his accomplishments, and also allowing for questions. It's unfortunate that the Longfellow poem, though keeping the Paul Revere name alive, certainly did no favors to authentic history. I am always happy to try to set the record straight, and I was able to do that here for many of the visitors, both child and adult alike.

This is my camp set up.
~No, the British are not coming, though I hear the Regulars might be coming out. 
~No, I did not make it to Concord - I got captured on the way.
~No, I was not the only rider - there were dozens more.
~Yes, I completed my main objective, which was to warn John Hancock and 
Samuel Adams of the Regulars coming out...possibly to arrest them.

My wife brought along her spinning wheel and, as she spun, she really drew the crowds. It seemed that everyone who walked past stopped to watch as she 
explained the process from sheep to shawl.

My wife, at the wheel, also will have some of the younger girls attempt to card the wool with carding paddles. Hands on history!
Next to Patty is our friend Sue, who was working on her needlepoint. Normally a Civil War reenactor, this was Sue's first time out to a reenactment as a colonial, 
and we were very glad to have her with us.

~ Making food last ~
Ross and Geri are long-time 18th century reenactors. Here we find Geri working 
on making the summer vegetables last by stringing them up to dry them out. 
Drying was a common method of food preservation, and many old homes show evidence of this practice with the nail holes in the ceiling rafters above the 
fireplace hearth and in the garrets.

Ross, who, along with his wife, is a chandler (and he also has done blacksmithing), is a weaver as well; with his small loom, he weaves belts and straps.

Another camp showed make butter in the way our colonial ancestors did...with a butter churn.
It really was a simple but necessary process: after the cow(s) or goat(s) were milked, the milk was left to settle in a cool place in shallow pans so the cream would rise to the top. After half a day or so, the cream was skimmed off and put ready for the churn.  A stick called a dasher or churn dash was moved up and down by hand in an upright container, usually made of wood or earthenware. Moving the cream constantly is the churning that actually produces butter by separating out the yellow fat from the buttermilk.

~Welcome to Churning With Ruth~
Like spinning wheels, using butter churns evokes 
the spirit of the past as little else can.

Ken Roberts has been reenacting for 50 years. He was even involved in the Bicentennial reenactment at Greenfield Village on July 4th, 1976 where the 
Village saw the largest one-day crowd in its entire history.
Here we see him giving a lesson on the workings of a Brown Bess musket.

Preparing to fire the cannon.

I always just miss catching the flame shooting out of the cannon.

This cannon, in case you were wondering, is a two-pounder French field piece.

"Brother, I have Johnny cake for you
to take. 'Twill not come amiss with new 
butter Mistress Church had made."

I was pleasantly surprised to see so many parents bringing their children to the reenactment, most of which had never been to one before. A few said they wanted to teach their kids history because they felt their schools were not doing a sufficient job. One parent told me his school downplayed history and he was sick of it so he took matters into his own hands, and part of his plan was to go to more local historical places such as Historic Fort Wayne, the Detroit Historical Museum, Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum.
Now that's a pro-active parent!
I also mentioned for him to visit Crossroads Village, historic Greenmead, and Mill Race Village, and even included some of the other various reenactments in the general area, including Civil War.
It was nice to have such a mixture of kids and adults, and I made sure to not only speak a bit on Paul Revere, but also on the Declaration of Independence and of its importance, since this reenactment took place shortly before the 4th of July. Unfortunately, there are so many false or embellished stories about this period that it's almost like I'm fighting a losing battle. Seriously - too many people utilize blind faith and Facebook memes to get their "facts." 
I cannot stress enough to do your own research and utilize multiple sources!

On the left you see my son, Rob, portraying a minuteman. That's me in the center, and Ken Roberts on the right. 
Rob is still finding his way in this era, but every year he inches
closer to where he hopes to be. As a descendant of a Patriot on his mother's side,
that is who he chooses to portray. Yes, I am proud. 
It's ironic that I am descended from Quaker Loyalists!
Ha!

It always amazes me to hear folks speak of battlefields as if a town set aside a portion of land for the men to fight upon. And these same people are surprised when they learn that the armies fought wherever they felt they could best use their forces to win, be it in the midst of the town's houses and buildings or on farmer's fields. I try to explain that the citizens of said towns were almost always in harm's way, and many would escape as quickly as they could to where they hoped would be safety.

"Children, we have had our fill of this War outside our door. When we arrive at 
your Aunt's, remember that your mother has taught you to work quickly and 
with care. Show that you have learned your lessons well."

Members of Simcoe's Rangers?

By the way, I would like to note that at least a half-dozen visitors mentioned AMC's Turn: Washington's Spies to me during the course of the weekend, and they said that the show is what ignited (or re-ignited) their interest in the Revolutionary War and so they came out to our reenactment because of that.
I think this is very cool.

Yes, and though it may not be a historically accurate show, I would also like to point out that there is no denying what Turn has done for Revolutionary War history and reenacting here in the 21st century:
~ we now have dozens more attending our reenactments and living history events solely because they watch Turn and its piqued their interest to learn more. And they are asking questions!
~ People who may not have been very interested in the time period are now purchasing books and doing further research to learn more of what actually happened during the War.
~ Because of Turn, as well as the Hamilton play and the John Adams HBO mini-series from a few years back, interest in our nation's founding has grown. Huzzah to that!
Yeah, Turn (and the other shows) may not be fully historically accurate, but it has done more to generate interest for early American history than nearly anything else out there in recent times.
And that's alright by me.

Meanwhile, back at Fort Wayne, much to my surprise I found myself in an unfortunate situation: 

Unbeknownst to me, a few members of the Queen's Rangers were making plans to arrest me. I wonder if the flag gave me away...

Stepping out of my house - - -

I was accosted by two members of the Rangers, one held a bayonet to my throat while the other pointed a musket to my chest.

They roughed me up a bit then sat me down at their headquarters where I was read the "treasonous" charges against me. Of course, being the honest man I am - and a proud patriot - I admitted to most of them.
And gave them attitude - - - - - - 

They decided to put me in front of a firing squad rather
than death by hanging to make an example of me.
At least it will be quick...

I stood bravely, awaiting my fate...
Suddenly, the word "FIRE" was heard and the guns blazed.

You know, over the years I've seen many reenactors "die" on the battle field, but none at a firing squad. So, with all visitor eyes upon me, I knew 
I had to make it a good one - I needed to make it realistic - so when the volley 
was fired, I jerked and flung myself back. 
I was told it was an excellent death.
Not bad for an old guy - - - - - 

Checking to make sure I was dead...

It's little scenarios like this that add flavor to reenactments...and I wouldn't mind doing this again,  showing what could happen to a captured member of the "Sons of Liberty" or other patriots.

 Of course, 240 years later...in 2017...

2017? ugghh! I must have overslept! lol

 Meanwhile, back in 1777 - - -

...and at my camp...
I enjoy bringing a few accessories with me to accent my presentation.
One example, beside the cloth Betsy Ross flag, are the two lighting apparatus's 
I brought along:
my tin lantern and my betty lamp

and a few other items such as:

a tinder box, pewter mug, ceramic mug, pewter ink well and quill pen, and silver candlestick. Oh! And a Virginia Gazette from July 26, 1776 announcing the 
Declaration of Independence. 
The Windsor chair? I wish I could say it was mine but, alas, 
it was borrowed for this picture.

I am honored to stand alongside two men 
with a long history in the world of reenacting.

America was very lucky to have the men and women that it did when our Nation was formed. I personally believe it was Providence, for, out of a population of about three million people, we saw such great Americans as Benjamin Franklin, George and Martha Washington, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, John and Abigail Adams, George Wythe, Dr. Joseph Warren, James Madison, Samuel Adams, Paul Revere...and so many more.
Just think of it...
I am glad we have not forgotten our founding generation; not many countries venerate their founders in the way we do, which I find unusual. But the thing is, most citizens of other countries can tell you about Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, and even Revere.
"Tis sweet to be remembered..."
Yeah, for all its good and bad, I think we have a pretty darn good country with quite the varied history.

And so, we'll end this on a "cute" note.
We got a puppy! In fact, we picked him up earlier in the day and brought him directly to his first reenactment.
We named him Paul Anka (yes we did, you Gilmore Girl fans!) and he is just 8 weeks old here.
But as you can see, he is quite the helper already!

Paul Anka was eager to help us set up our tent!

After all that work, he needed a drink of water!

He barely flinched when the muskets or the 
cannon were fired. And why would he? As a retriever 
he is a born hunting dog, and guns (or fireworks) 
do not startle him at all.
Paul Anka really is a Son of Liberty!

As of this writing, our new pup has become a comfortable member of our family, likes his name, and brings lots of joy to all of us. And I got to admit, I enjoy seeing the look on the faces of people when we tell them his name...
"And they called it puppy lo-o-ve..."

Until next time, see you in time...


If you are interested in learning about life during the Revolutionary War time period, you might enjoy the links below:
Colonial Cooking: On the Hearth
A post dedicated solely to life in a colonial-era kitchen, including cooking. It is filled with information on the types of foods our colonial ancestors ate, their utensils, food preservation, and so on.

Living By Candle Light: The Light at its Brightest
Could you survive living in the era before electric lights or even the 19th century style oil lamps?
Do you know how many candles you would need for a year?
Do you know what it was like to make candles right from scratch, or what it was like to visit your local chandler?
That's what this posting is about!

Historic Lighting
Here is my own personal collection of historic lighting apparatus - some original and most replicated - dating from the mid-18th century through the late 19th century.
I never realized lighting could be so cool.

Travel and Taverns
The long air-conditioned (or heated) car ride. Motels without a pool! Can we stop at McDonalds? I'm hungry!
Ahhhh....modern travelers never had it so good.
I've always had a fascination of travel back in the day, and I decided to find out as much as I could about them.
I wasn't disappointed - - - I dug through my books, went to a historic research library, 'surfed the net' (does anyone say that anymore?), and asked docents who work at historic taverns questions, looking for the tiniest bits of information to help me to understand what it was like to travel and stay at a tavern in the colonial times.
This post is the culmination of all of that research.
Our country's founding relied greatly on the tavern.

Colonial Cooking: On the Hearth
A post dedicated solely to life in a colonial-era kitchen, including cooking. It is filled with information on the types of foods our colonial ancestors ate, their utensils, food preservation, and so on.
 
In the Good Old Colony Days
A concise pictorial to everyday life in America's colonies. And I do mean "pictorial," for there are over 80 photos included, covering nearly every aspect of colonial life.
I try to touch on most major topics of the period with links to read more detailed accounts.
This just may be my very favorite of all my postings. If it isn't, it's in the top 2!

And, for good measure:
Turn: The Original Culper Spy Ring Members
I haven't loved a television show as much as I do AMC's Turn since I can't remember when, and the series, though not as historically accurate as I'd like, got me interested in a part of the Revolutionary War that I previously had little to do with.
What I did here is write short biographies of Washington's original spies from Long Island. Inserted throughout are pictures from the 4th (and final) season of the show.

Turn: Washington's Spies - Yes, I really Like This Show

Those who are not fans of Turn (usually due to the inaccuracies) really despise it. But then, they will find fault with most American-made history shows. But for those of us who do like it tend to be major fans. That being said, if you do not like "Turn: Washington's Spies" then you probably will not care for this posting because, as I said, I am a major fan. So rather than read this and get all upset because you don't happen to like it, I suggest you move along.
If you are like me (and so many others) and love the show for what it is - a television series with great drama - stick around, for there are plenty of pretty cool pictures in store for you.

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