The Taylor Colonial Days Reenactment 2024

The price is right!

Well,  we lost Colonial Kensington,  at least for this year.  But we have gained Taylor Colonial Days at Heritage Park,  so that's a plus.  

And the best way to keep these events going is to participate  (if you are a reenactor)  and/or attend  (if you simply love history).

There's little worse in this hobby than hearing those who rarely attend  complain when events are cancelled  (pick your reason why:  "but...but...I  had  to get my grass cut!"   "But...but...it looked like rain!"  "But...but...")~

Yes,  I realize attendance is not always necessarily the issue with historic reenactment cancellations. But to bring new ones in  (and keep old ones going),  attendance is a must!

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A new event!

Or,  rather,  an old event brought back to life after a 30 year hiatus.

So,  in my opinion,  it's a new event!

And I welcome it,  especially since we lost Colonial Kensington for this year.

My hat is off to the Lees  (Doug,  Dalton,  and Sheila)  and the 49th Regiment of Foot for being the hosts of the Taylor Colonial Days event at Heritage Park in Taylor  (Michigan).

And what a great time it was!

The sun was out for nearly the entire weekend,  with temps in the mid-70s and a light breeze.

But it coulda been raining for all I cared - we have another Revolutionary War event!

So...here's how it went:

A few of us friends were hiking along the wooded pathway at Heritage Park in Taylor when we came upon a stone circle.  Taking a rest on the stones,  a sudden buzzing noise could be heard and the wind kicked up,  almost violently.  We had no chance to remove ourselves from the stones quick enough,  and before we knew it - - 

Zap!  Crack!!

"...an otherworldly white light engulfed the whole area,  and there's a loud explosion and two barks,  and...everything goes dark."

Upon opening my eyes,  the sun was peeking through the leaves of the trees,  the wind became a gentle breeze once again,  creating dancing shadows all around.  My initial reaction was these were the Michigan version of  Outlander's Craigh Na Dun Standing Stones,  similar to the Ocracoke stone circle in North Carolina's coastal Outer Banks region.

So...did we actually travel through time...?

Just as seemingly time itself,  our clothing had changed as well.

We found ourselves in the clothing fashions of the  '70s!
No...not the 1970s...or even the 1870s...but the 1770s!

We followed the same path out...

And we stepped out into a world foreign to us...for the past is a foreign place. 

Had we taken leave of our senses?

What had come over us?

Upon exiting the woods we found a camp - a military camp.

Perhaps we entered...the reenactment zone~~~~~~~:

A smaller encampment - but an excellent and informative one!
This is only the first year for this re-reenactment - just wait until you see how it
grows in time!

Most of us in this picture are members of Citizens of the American Colonies.
This group was formed in 2015 and are made up of mostly Civil War reenactors
who also have an interest in the 18th century time period as well.

Jennifer saw a similar photo and wanted to replicate it -
and she did very well.

Jenny read the latest news to Amy from the Virginia Gazette.

I set up my own photo-scene - - 

The log cabin here was built around 1850 and is the City of Taylor’s oldest existing home.

As I've said in previous posts,  a cabin is a cabin is a cabin.  In other words,  log cabins have generally changed very little in 300 plus years,  so a cabin built in 1850 can still be well-suited for colonials as well.

 

I glanced up and saw young TJ strolling atop a rolling hill.
I snapped this because of how it looked.

A couple from the Highlanders entertained with
traditional fife & drum music.
For a time,  they played at a busy intersection near the park to,  
ahem,  drum up visitors.
I think it must've worked for I heard many a horn honking at them.

Members of  The Belletre Detroit were there - it's always good to see 

Detroit's French roots!

Based out of the Detroit/Southeast Michigan area,  Belletre is a French & Indian War reenacting society dedicated to the preservation and education of the mid-18th Century military and civilian life.

There was also an 18th century fashion show.

Here's some fashion fun:

The shoe buckle of the eighteenth century is an alien object in the twenty-first.  Shoe buckles were a characteristic feature of eighteenth-century dress and were widely worn from the 1690s onwards—forming part of the classic male ensemble of buckled shoes,  stockings,  breeches,  and coat—though they seem to have fallen from favor a century later,  as fashions changed. 

But,  just as fashions changed 200+ years ago,  some of the older folks,  just like today  (moi!),  clung to the fashions of their own youth.

From the excellent book  "Paul Revere and the World He Lived In"  by Esther Forbes:

"As the century advance(d),  small boys begin to appear---all eyes,  all ears,  they watch  'old Mr. Revere'  in church,  on the street,  at his foundry.  Some sixty or seventy years later,  when asked,  they remember him well.  Rowland Ellis remembers  (Paul Revere)  as a  'thick-set,  round faced not very tall person who always wore small clothes.'  The Ellis family pew in the  'New Brick Church'  was directly behind that of Revere, and there Mr. Ellis says,  "I used to see him as regularly as the Sabbath came."

The oddity of small clothes alone would be remembered by a small boy.  The old elegance of knee-breeches,  ruffled shirts,  long stockings,  and cocked hats had passed out of fashion years before.  Others besides Paul Revere  (also)  clung to their picturesque costume of their youth.  There were a number of these  'last leaves'  about Boston.  It may have been a sin for small boys  'to sit and grin...but the old three-cornered hat,  and the breeches and all that,  are so queer.' "

So,  as we are portraying the period of the American Revolution,  I suppose we are safe in our shoe fashions.  And since I often portray Paul Revere,  I suppose the wearing of my  "small clothes"  works well into my old age!

Doug,  on the left,  is part of the organization who put
this Taylor event together.  He and his crew did a great job
and I see only positives and growth in its future.
That's Tony from the 1st Pennsylvania on the right.
Both men are primary players for our Patriot's Day event.
Unfortunately,  Doug has to wear a boot to help his foot.
Doctor's orders.

Hi Ho,  Hi Ho...
The 49th Regiment of Foot marching off to war.

The battle was not any one particular historic battle.  Instead it was more of a tactical to give an overview of what battles were like during the American Revolution.

Part of the explanation during the tactical was to explain that the guns/muskets used by reenactors are the real deal and could be very dangerous.  Just look at the flames shooting out of the barrels of two here.

The American Patriots - George Washington's Continentals.

Often,  people get the militia and the Continentals confused.  But the difference was that the Continental Army provided a more professional and centralized force,  while militias offered localized defense and support.

For contemporary Americans the difference between militia and regular,  or  “Continental,”  soldiers is hard to grasp.  Both fought in the war.  Both suffered casualties.  Both have supporters who claim they won the war.

For all the benefits of a militia force,  George Washington knew for the United States to gain its independence and to create a truly nation state,  a nationalized standing army needed to be created.  This professionally trained Continental Army would serve as the backbone of the American war effort with militia providing support when possible.

In part,  this was due to the idea that these emergency soldiers,  summoned from home on short notice,  the militia lacked confidence on the battlefield.  

(However),  Washington and some of his generals learned to use the militia as auxiliary troops around a core of regulars with triumphant effect at battles such as Cowpens.

From Journal of the American Revolution and The American Battlefield Trust

For the Saturday tactical,  the American Patriots won by driving the redcoats back.

These guys did a fantastic job showing the battle tactics of the Revolutionary War.

The musket fire gave the visitors an idea of what the sound was like.
When you hear these muskets firing,  you are hear what George Washington heard.

The 49th  (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) (Hertfordshire)  Regiment of Foot was a line
infantry regiment of the British Army,  raised in 1743.
Scott Mann from the Queen's Rangers was also on hand.

Here we have American patriots.
For this event there were a variety of men portraying soldiers from different units.
Lucky for me,  I have Tony Gerring to tell me who they are representing:
From l to r:  2 men from the 10th Virginia  (1776),  2  (me and Len)  from the 1st Continental Regiment  (May of 1776);  1 from French Marine from the 1778 time period.  He has the golden anchors on the turn backs at the bottom of his coat;  1 sailor,  and 1 Continental Marine  (in the green and white coat);  and 5 soldiers and 1 officer from the 13th Pennsylvania Regt. 

With an 18th century bow,  the battle/tactical had ended...

The visitors had shown a real and true interest in this period in history.  I certainly let many know that we were at the beginning of the semiquincentennial,  and some responded with telling me they remembered the bicentennial and that they couldn't believe it's already been 50 years since that celebration took place.  I suppose that's another reason why I am excited about this new Colonial Taylor event - more history to share and to help build up excitement for America's 250th.

Let's support our local events - they need us...and we need them to keep our hobby alive! 

America's Semiquincentennial is here!

As you can see,  it was a very good reenactment - one that will continue to improve and grow.

This year of 2024 I turned 63.  That's not exactly young.  But it is not too old to still enjoy myself and participate at these reenactments.  Oh,  I don't do military,  as you probably know,  so I do not have to march and drill in the hot sun.  Instead,  I can enjoy times past  'neath the shade of a tree,  if I must.

Or in the woods...

Over the coming weeks and months there are multiple time-travel opportunities to take part in,  including a school presentation,  more time at the cabin,  a time-line event,  the wonderful 4th of July at Mill Race Village gathering and celebration,  multiple Revolutionary War reenactments with soldiers and battles  (Frankenmuth and Vermillion Creek to name two),  and even a couple of Civil War events.  Oh!  And a return to the historic Port Oneida Farm Fair in August!  And that's not counting my period-dress Greenfield Village visits!

Yes,  God willing,  I will have a wonderfully busy summer ahead of me to spend in the past. 

And I plan to post those I attend right here on Passion for the Past:  damn the torpedoes,  full speed ahead!

Until next time,  see you in time.

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Thanks to the photographers who contributed to today's posting:

Sheri Graham Engelbrink

Jennifer Long

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