The blue uniformed men stand perfectly in line, staring ahead of them. The rifles in their hands are shaking, a sign of their nervousness.They watch as a line of grey uniforms march slowly into their position. There is no talking, no whispering, no noise. The silence is broken by a command. A high ranking officer yells for them to get ready. The command to fire on the enemy is given and the whole grassy field is suddenly a haze of smoke and littered with bodies. A crowd of onlookers cheers and the men all stand up again, smiling, shaking hands and congratulating each other.
Things get real at reenactments. Photo courtesy Google ImagesThere are reenactments of the battles of the Civil War and the Revolutionary War, and even those that didn’t take place on American soil, like Renaissance jousting. Reenactments are serious business. Extensive research into the battle, the prominent figures, and the time period are essential for ultimate authenticity. Everything has to be perfect, from the guns to the uniforms. Men and women don these costumes and suddenly they are the Union soldier who was shot down in the battle of Gettysburg. It’s very intense and these reenactors take what they do very seriously.
However, lately there’s been a debate circulating the internet that reenactments may not be the best way to commemorate these wars or battles. Those who are against them say these reenactments celebrate the violence that our country went through. They say that acting out the bloodshed and deaths is offensive to those who had lived through the actual battle and saw the horrors of it. They believe it to be too light-hearted.
Although I see where these concerns would stem, I completely disagree. This kind of thing is not a celebration. It’s not a party. It’s a type remembrance so that what happened on that battlefield and the sacrifice those men and women made are not forgotten. It’s an educational tool, to see history acted out in front of your eyes. If a kid went to go see a reenactment of the battle of Vicksburg, he’s sure to remember it much more vividly since it happened right in front of him, instead of just reading it off the page of a textbook.
Also, it’s not just about the fighting. In most (good) reenactments there is a period of time before the actual battle where the reenactors set up realistic military camps and interact with visitors and each other as though they were the actual soldiers. It’s like stepping into a living museum, except the exhibits can interact with you and teach you everything they know. If you ever get the chance to visit a historical battlefield on the day of a reenactment, I highly recommend it. Although I have yet to get to one myself, a lot of museums and historical sites have volunteer groups who have come together for the sole purpose of sharing the history with you.
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