How To Die

[garretttcrooks]

What is the best way to die in a reenactment, falling forward, falling back, or what? it is a dumb question, but i see many who "die" and dont actually stay that way for the rest of the battle, i.e. leaning on one arm. Should you scream in agony or be silent? what do you think?

[garretttcrooks]

please describe how you die

[tompritchett]

please describe how you die

To be honest, I usually do not. Rather I take a hit in the arm, shoulder, or leg that allows me to limp off the battlefield. Remember for every man who died on the battlefield there were usually 2 - 3 who were only wounded. In almost every account of a battle that I read there is usually some mention of the wounded streaming back from the battle - something usually not seen at reenactments enough. Therefore, that is the part of the carnage that I try to reenact when I take hits. Besides, that way I get to find a nice shady spot behind the battle from which to watch if I so desire.

[Rob Weaver]

Read diaries and memoirs to get an idea of what men actually experienced. One of my most memorable "wounds" took place when my back was slightly turned and the Confederates fired. The "hit" took me to my knees and I crawled a few yards before sinking into the grass. Adapted from William Ray's description of his wounding at Brawner's Farm. A recommendation: if you are going to take a dramatic hit, tell the guys on either side of you. There are several things that can ruin a good hit. Getting stepped on is one. Having the budding Seinfeld's of the reenacting world critique your style and zealous first aiders rushing up to you yelling "My Gog, are you OK?"

[plankmaker]

Don't take a hit during dress parade. It doesn't go over well.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

[Poor Private]

My best hit was when our unit was manning a waist high fortifications. After taking a hit i fell forward at the waist and was balanced over the top rail of the logs. (hint unless your into pain don't do it early in the battle) I stayed that way for about 5 minutes. I couldn't move due to the spectators were within 10 feet of me. The objective that day was for the oppisite side to take the fortifications. After the fort. was taken they went up and down the wall checking on the wounded and dead. They were getting lazy by the time they got to me and were just nugging people with thier foot. When they came to me and gave me a foot nudge on my thigh I decided to go with it. The next thing you heard was a gasp from the nearby spectators after they nudged me I just went with it since I was balanced on the rial and gave a slide over the front with my head hitting the ground first kinda rolling my body and ending up on my back with a loud thud, with caps ammo, and misc. pocket items falling and flying around me.
I am working on a scenerio where I take a hit and my son comes up to me and strips me of my shoes and pants for his own use, leaving me laying there in my period drawers, and shoe-less. Of course I want this to happen at a mainstreamer where spectator are present and close to the spectators.

[sbl]

Don't take a hit during dress parade. It doesn't go over well.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

Or laugh at the Adjutant's new boots.

[7thNJcoA]

If you are taking a hit to be "dead" I wouldn't scream because you are dead! I havent seen any dead man scream... Wounded well lets just say when I was wounded in real life I didn't feel pain until later it was more of a panic of seeing all the blood and bones sticking out of your clothing and boots that makes you freak out. I would say a few groans but I haven't heard any fighting man screaming... maybe its just me...

[plankmaker]

I think it was at one o the cedar Creek events in the late 90s when 5 of us were not feeling the love for the silly voley fire competitions during morning dress parade. One of the cannons fired and we took hits. We did not feel the love from any of the officers at that point either.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

[28thNY]

What is the best way to die in a reenactment, falling forward, falling back, or what? it is a dumb question, but i see many who "die" and dont actually stay that way for the rest of the battle, i.e. leaning on one arm. Should you scream in agony or be silent? what do you think?

This is one of those threads which a non-reenactor will come across one day and it will seem a very surreal subject.

Personally, I die forwards. Dying backwards has the added risk of falling onto someone who has died before you or falling into somebody who is walking behind the lines (plus can be tricky/dangerous when you have a rank behind you).

The leaning on one arm thing is something that irritates me to a certain extent. If people wanted to watch the battle, they should either (a) "die" where they can not be seen by the public, (b) get wounded and find a vantage point to watch the fight or (c) stand with the spectators.

As for the screaming death... I've seen it, I've got several good friends in my group who INSIST on letting out a blood curdling scream when they take a hit and, again, it really irritates me. When it's done within earshot of the public, they think it's hilarious and, in my humble opinion, "hilarious" isn't really fitting to a battle reenactment.

Some people will have other milage, but there you go.

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

"Taking hits" is controversial, and with various views and opinions.

Yes, the dead are silent. "Wounded" lads vary as to the wound, their pain tolerance, pain threshold, fear levels, discipline, training, and such things as how fast they pass into shock, unconsciousness, or death.

In brief and to over-generalize...

What happens is a function of what happens. Meaning how and where projectiles and projectile types (bullets, shell, shrapnel, debris) enter the body at what speeds and destroy what nerve centers, organs, arteries, veins, joints, and skeletal structures can produce:

1. Silent death
2. Grunts, groans, exhalations, murmurs, gurglings, babblings, cries, crying, yells, screams
3. involuntary "evacuation" of bladders, bowels, and stomach
4. entry wound splatter and exit would spray of blood, tissue, and bone
5. partial and full separation of limbs and parts of the body from the body

Much beyond that is the reenacting discussion of how to "properly" represent death and injury when there is no real death and injury.
Beginning with at what point does the lack of "hits" and "casualties" has an impact on trying to interpret history and depict casualties in a "realistic" and/or "reverent" way versus all the way to choosing to depict them as farcical theatrics and clownish antics.

Again, being overly brief and over-generalized... and having thoughts drift back to different eras of Hollwood and TV such as where at one time a bullet wound was nothing more than a totally bloodless cupping of one's hand over some part of the body that was largely ignored by the next scene or episode.

Others' mileage will vary...

CHS

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

Reenacting hits can be a horse of a different color.

"Spatial Awareness 101."

Yes, it is better to "die" face down on hot sunny days or even cold rainy days.

And face down allows one to protect one's head and face from being kicked, or one's gun from being stepped on and the wrist broken.

:)

CHS

[3rd_PA_Artillery]

I prefer to take a hit and go face down. I might be wounded, or if I'm feeling a bit tired, I'll just lay my head down and sleep for the remainder of the fight.

One of my best hits was a month and a half ago at Mifflinburg Buggy Days. I'd already taken a few light wounds earlier. At this time I was carrying the flank marker for the 147th PA, Co. G. My friend Cody Dillman (Pvt. Sweetey on these forums) had already gone down with a minor wound somewhere behind our line. When the rebs fired a volley I look a hit in the gut, and I just flopped onto the ground. As I'm writhing around on the ground, I look over and see Pvt. Sweetey on the ground about 15 feet away from me yelling my name. He eventually gets up and runs over to me, picks me up, and helps me to the rear as I yell in pain. There was only one thing that ruined that death: when I took my hit, I did a spread-eagle and tore the seam in the crotch of my trousers, so as I'm limping, I'm doing my best to conceal my wardrobe malfunction, making myself look like an idiot in the process. :roll:

[Mint Julep]

What is the best way to die in a reenactment, falling forward, falling back, or what? it is a dumb question, but i see many who "die" and dont actually stay that way for the rest of the battle, i.e. leaning on one arm. Should you scream in agony or be silent? what do you think?


I think the better question is:
How do you go about pretending to be a casualty?

And the first thing I'd point out is what has been said elsewhere in this discussion: Most casualties are wounded suffering various degrees of wounds. There are exceptions to the rule, where there are more KIA than WIA, such as Franklin. But most of those KIA were the results of multiple wounds over a period of time. So, most of us falling down on the field should be wounded, not dead.

The dead should lie still and quiet. They are dead. There is no magic formula for how to get from standing up to lying down. Fall forward, fall backward, collapse in a heap straight down, slowly stumble to your knees and then pitch forward, hesitate as the line advances and perhaps let yourself down slowly ... just don't get back up and move around.

The wounded can actually move around and make noise. Calling for water, your mother, your comrades or messmates, or just moaning are all documented to the battlefield. Some screamed in pain, but with shock setting in, that would subside soon. Many men examined their own wounds to determine the seriousness of the situation. A gut wound was almost a death sentence. There are images of dead who have opened their pants and lifted their shirts trying to see their mortal wound. Treating your wound by wrapping a bandage or cloth around it is okay. Drinking from your canteen is good. If you aren't badly wounded, but not able to keep up, you might help other men wounded worse than yourself. I have read one man's description of being wounded and, once his wound was bound, he sat on a log and watched the battle unfold before him. I have seen artist sketches that show the infamous "gondoliering" technique of using the musket as a crutch to move to the rear. So, while we may be arguing against certain parts of the visual landscape as "farby", from a distance it may look more real than not.

What we have no documentation of is the wounded sitting up and taking digital photographs with a pocket-sized camera. That is one thing that needs to be stopped at events. Obvious tomfoolery and some comments made within site and hearing of the spectators should be stopped.

Just as much as folks talk about honoring ancestors and the original soldiers, they should honor the dead by representing them as well as they can.

[Spinster]

MintHoney,

I wish somebody smart would link Mr. O'Beirne's fine article on the matter.

Of course, it may not exist on-line, but only in the blue bound book that always sits on the floor beside my desk within easy reach.

[Jim Mayo]

The best hit I have seen taken was at one of the early Sailors Creek events. We were contesting the Yanks who were crossing by using a log. I fired at one on the log and he dropped right off the side into the creek along with accouterments and musket. Lucky it was one of the events that the creek wasn't running high and it looked like he managed to keep his musket out of the water while playing dead in the creek. I thought he must have been hot, out of ammunition or just wanted to take a dip.

[smokey]

I know this is a thread on how to take a hit. What does one do when an officer takes a hit? Do they stay with them or keep advancing?

[Rachal]

On the rare occasion that I portray an officer, if the opportunity to take a hit presents itself, I'll take it and let my NCO do his job. Worst case scenario, another officer is usually nearby and can take over whatever is left of my command.

[johnerys]

I do mostly civilian, but once in while I'm called upon due to low numbers, and I never minded taking a hit. The first one was from a cannon blast last year at my first event, all the men around me went down, so I just kinda flopped. This year at the same event I took a head shot, and spun around, right into my captain.
Next time I'll be wounded, and moaning for help, too many silent casualties, I think

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

"I know this is a thread on how to take a hit. What does one do when an officer takes a hit? Do they stay with them or keep advancing?"

In brief and to over-generalize...

The line keeps moving. Sometimes a file closer may pause to render aid or not.

Also look to the experience of being surrounded by other companies such at a battalion or brigade level when in column and having companies advancing in formation behind you...

CHS

[7thNJcoA]

I think the better question is:
How do you go about pretending to be a casualty?

And the first thing I'd point out is what has been said elsewhere in this discussion: Most casualties are wounded suffering various degrees of wounds. There are exceptions to the rule, where there are more KIA than WIA, such as Franklin. But most of those KIA were the results of multiple wounds over a period of time. So, most of us falling down on the field should be wounded, not dead.

The dead should lie still and quiet. They are dead. There is no magic formula for how to get from standing up to lying down. Fall forward, fall backward, collapse in a heap straight down, slowly stumble to your knees and then pitch forward, hesitate as the line advances and perhaps let yourself down slowly ... just don't get back up and move around.

The wounded can actually move around and make noise. Calling for water, your mother, your comrades or messmates, or just moaning are all documented to the battlefield. Some screamed in pain, but with shock setting in, that would subside soon. Many men examined their own wounds to determine the seriousness of the situation. A gut wound was almost a death sentence. There are images of dead who have opened their pants and lifted their shirts trying to see their mortal wound. Treating your wound by wrapping a bandage or cloth around it is okay. Drinking from your canteen is good. If you aren't badly wounded, but not able to keep up, you might help other men wounded worse than yourself. I have read one man's description of being wounded and, once his wound was bound, he sat on a log and watched the battle unfold before him. I have seen artist sketches that show the infamous "gondoliering" technique of using the musket as a crutch to move to the rear. So, while we may be arguing against certain parts of the visual landscape as "farby", from a distance it may look more real than not.

What we have no documentation of is the wounded sitting up and taking digital photographs with a pocket-sized camera. That is one thing that needs to be stopped at events. Obvious tomfoolery and some comments made within site and hearing of the spectators should be stopped.

Just as much as folks talk about honoring ancestors and the original soldiers, they should honor the dead by representing them as well as they can.

I see the camera deal to often and they make it very obvious...

[42ndMissCoF]

at Gettysburg a few years back a few of my messmates and i decided to take an artillery hit. We had a signal that one of us would yell and the next cannon that fired the FOUR of us where to take the hit. we had it arranged so as that we where all together in line. However one of my messmates began to tell everyone in our battalion of this dramatic artillery hit we where going to take. When i yelled the "code" and that next cannon fired TWELVE members of our battalion took the artillery hit. needless to say i was a little annoyed because something that would have been really neat to see spectator wise was blown (no pun intended)way out of proportion.

[RJSamp]

Are you stating that at no time during the ACW were 12+ casualties caused by one arty shell at long range? 12 KIA/wia not out of proportion at all.

[GreencoatCross]

Personally, if I take a hit (when the "parameters" are obvious) I usually just do a sort of crumple thing. Just the smallest jerk of the body, a slight shudder, and a crumple. I've done this a couple of times and apparently my comrades around me said later that I also uttered some kind of muffled grunt, like I was in discomfort. I don't really care how or where I fall, or where my gun ends up, or if my traps end up directly under my chest or my bayonet scabbard is sticking into the side of my thigh. Once I'm down I stay down. At my first event this year, Retreat from Bentonville, I took a pretty good spill while falling back on the skirmish line; probably the wettest, muddiest, most powder-smeared fall I've taken, since we forded a river twice, got rained on all morning, then advanced through a field of wet chest-high grass!

Typically I am uneasy about taking hits, even if I'm "dead," and I really REALLY dislike portraying a wounded man. At Perryville several years ago, my assigned first person man was historically wounded at the battle and laid on the field unattended to until he died. According to one account it was immediately after the 105th Ohio realigned their ranks; so on the first Confederate volley after we reformed I went down, then tried to get back up, fell, then tried again, and slowly sunk into the grass and started to crawl. I stopped once to pull off some gear, opened my blouse and pants and pulled my shirt out to try and mimic a soldier searching in vain for his wound. While the Confederates advanced around me I reached up and asked for water in a weak voice and someone actually dropped their canteen at my side and moved on. I took a sip with the help of a sergeant behind the main line then finally laid still until it was over. I heard a Confederate portraying a slightly wounded man come by where I was laying, root through my stuff, he turned my pockets out and literally stole some repro greenbacks, my pocket knife, and an original gem-type then left.

This is the one and only time I can recall portraying a wounded man in any capacity (mortal wound, slight, etc.). I had tried to do some amount of justice to the period accounts I've read, i.e. not realizing you are wounded, trying to keep fighting, searching for wounds, waning strength, thirst, etc.. No need for the screaming and wailing, but I guess that is not "my thing." Someone who did that bit was John Cleveland at Payne's Farm. He was in our skirmish company, got behind while fumbling with his Sharps, and took a hit. I was fairly shocked to see him spring up and start pulling off gear, ripping open his frock, and violently writhing around/standing up then falling in between the US and CS lines. While loading and firing some of the guys were yelling over the noise for him to lie down. I was pretty freaked out by then.....I learned after the event that his first person man was historically wounded there and suffered greatly from violent neurological and physical fits while he died in a field hospital. Adding to the "surprise" of his "wounding" was the fact that attendees were given their names/fates on Saturday morning and NOT allowed to discuss anything but the name with others.

[rebel_ryan2002]

I mostly just crumple over when taking a hit too. If I land face up, I toss my hat over my eyes on a sunny day.

I used to be in a group who gave out an award for the best hit on Saturday. I won it one time, stupidly, by landing in a pile of ants. I stayed motionless until I felt 2 others slapping me all over. "Ants Ants" they said, and needless to say not only did I resurrect very fast, but danced all the way back to camp.

The best death I had was at a hospital scene back when I was 18. Saving Private Ryan had just come out, and I studied the scene of the medic getting killed over and over again. I crumpled my fingers, made my body spasm, coughed up some fake blood, said "i dont want to die" and called out for mother- totally unrealistic probably, but made for a good show. The bad thing was, my father was there too, and when I walked up to him afterwards he still had tears in his eyes from watching his son die. I really felt bad after that and apologized. He told me I was lucky that mom had not of been there, because she would of broke up the whole thing, but a lot of spectators said it looked good.

[Irish Bill]

well last year i went face first into a cow pie. The events battlefield was a cow pasture in between two hills with a creek in the middle and it was a wet october weekend. Our line was advancing up towards the union up a hill and i slipped and fell forwards onto thistles got up slipped again face first into a cow pie. I rolled over rinsed some crud out of my eye and said to myself screw it im dead. that night my pards said I brought new meaning to being "s***-faced"

[Rob Weaver]

Possibly 10 years ago or so, we did an event on the 3rd Winchester ground. I took a hit while we were pushing the Confederates downhill toward a farm. I fell backwards, but I was wearing my pack, so I kind of fell in almost a reclining, sitting up position. I let my head flop back over the blanket roll. Although it wasn't terribly comfortable, I decided to stay there after the second guy who passed by said "That's eerie."

[Poor Private]

Since we are on the thread of taking hits---I would love to see more NCO's and officers take them. This past weekend at an event in Hastings MIchigan the first sargent kept yelling "take hits, take hits" I finally told him from the ground where I was wounded to shut up and take one himself. They seem to feel that when they get the stripes and boards that they are impervious to bullets. They need to take some hits so that the next feller down can get some on the job training.
One of my buddies dropped his musket to help me and got yelled at by our battlion commander to "drop the wounded guy and pick up your musket soldier" whoooo what a period moment.

[7thNJcoA]

Since we are on the thread of taking hits---I would love to see more NCO's and officers take them. This past weekend at an event in Hastings MIchigan the first sargent kept yelling "take hits, take hits" I finally told him from the ground where I was wounded to shut up and take one himself. They seem to feel that when they get the stripes and boards that they are impervious to bullets. They need to take some hits so that the next feller down can get some on the job training.
One of my buddies dropped his musket to help me and got yelled at by our battlion commander to "drop the wounded guy and pick up your musket soldier" whoooo what a period moment.

sergeant....

[musketbal]

My best and worst "taking a hit" senerio occured during the same event, at Saylor's Creek in 1995. The worst was when I took the hit while about 70 yards from the Federals. As the lines of battle moved back and forth, our line halted approximately 2 feet from where I lay. After each volley I could feel powder falling on me and burning the crap out of me.
The following day I took a hit in a small forested area. A group of yankees came along and one stopped and said,"do you need a drink?" I said yes, tilted my head back a took a long draw. What I expected to be water was brandy. That was the "good" hit. Normally, when someone is shot in reality, the person receiving the hit will go down and say very little until the realization of what had taken place sinks in. When I was a police officer, I was in a shoot out with a drug dealer. He was hit in the neck and shoulder. It was about 3 minutes when back up arrived that I knew for sure I had hit the guy. He was shot with 40 cal. amunition.He never made a sound other than move around on the ground behind a tree.

Brent Conner

[28thNY]

Since we are on the thread of taking hits---I would love to see more NCO's and officers take them. This past weekend at an event in Hastings MIchigan the first sargent kept yelling "take hits, take hits" I finally told him from the ground where I was wounded to shut up and take one himself. They seem to feel that when they get the stripes and boards that they are impervious to bullets. They need to take some hits so that the next feller down can get some on the job training.
One of my buddies dropped his musket to help me and got yelled at by our battlion commander to "drop the wounded guy and pick up your musket soldier" whoooo what a period moment.

A Captain here and I try to die in as many battles as I can... But, you know, with rank comes responsibility and all that. :) When I was in line, I took it upon myself to "die" in every battle, rank being no barrier.

[Capt. Lewis]

When I was in New England a comrade told me the story of a fellow he knew who used to get calf liver and keep it in a ziploc in his cooler until the battle. He'd tuck it up under his shirt, and when the "right" moment came, all those "guts" came out for all to see. Unfortunately for him, one day he forgot to get ice for the cooler, and just grabbed the ziploc prior to battle without checking. Needless to say, the offal was awful, and he quit he practice.:roll:

As for officers taking hits, I've had the 'misfortune' of watching the General, the Major, and the Colonel all take hits within seconds of each other, leaving me to realize I was the ranking officer on the field. Talk about your on the job training!!!

[Pvt. Sweetey]

I prefer to take a hit and go face down. I might be wounded, or if I'm feeling a bit tired, I'll just lay my head down and sleep for the remainder of the fight.

One of my best hits was a month and a half ago at Mifflinburg Buggy Days. I'd already taken a few light wounds earlier. At this time I was carrying the flank marker for the 147th PA, Co. G. My friend Cody Dillman (Pvt. Sweetey on these forums) had already gone down with a minor wound somewhere behind our line. When the rebs fired a volley I look a hit in the gut, and I just flopped onto the ground. As I'm writhing around on the ground, I look over and see Pvt. Sweetey on the ground about 15 feet away from me yelling my name. He eventually gets up and runs over to me, picks me up, and helps me to the rear as I yell in pain. There was only one thing that ruined that death: when I took my hit, I did a spread-eagle and tore the seam in the crotch of my trousers, so as I'm limping, I'm doing my best to conceal my wardrobe malfunction, making myself look like an idiot in the process. :roll:

Aha, good times, good times, but unfortunately I made a mistake- While escorting you off the field I shouted "Medic" instead of "Surgeon"! go figure :roll:

[garretttcrooks]

Bump!!!!!!!!!!!!

[28thNY]

...He'd tuck it up under his shirt, and when the "right" moment came, all those "guts" came out for all to see. Unfortunately for him, one day he forgot to get ice for the cooler, and just grabbed the ziploc prior to battle without checking. Needless to say, the offal was awful, and he quit he practice.:roll:

Oh. My. God. :shock:

[Cove Rebel]

Oh. My. God. :shock:

DITTO!! :shock:

[plankmaker]

We had a guy who used a handful of raw chicken livers. However, after he used them for a wound he would fry them up for dinner.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

[Artyman]

Those few of us who have seen guys killed in combat will never forget what we saw.

When a guy gets hit he falls or flys backwards in the direction the bullet was traveling. Usually being lifted from the ground to a greater or lesser extent. Most often landing on his back. A few seconds elapse before the initial shock subsides and either the guy is dead (silent) in which case there are often twitches and even full movement of an arm or leg for a few seconds. If the guy is still alive then either he's too hurt to cry out, or he isn't. If he can holler, believe me, he usually will! Usually for a medic, but also just crying out to someone, anyone, Mom, girlfriend, it varies, for help. I remember one guy who only shouted "I'm hit!" I remember others who just couldn't help but scream, usually until enough morphine was injected.

When guys get hit in an arm, they are spun around most often. Ray Macie who was wounded in the hand when I got hit, was spun, he says, like a "top" and came down right about where he was hit. Jesse Frank who was hit in the shoulder was "lifted into the air, spun around backwards, and landed flat on my ***, facing backwards down the trail" as he put it.

Head wounds, oddly enough, are often not instantly fatal like we see in the movies. Indeed, many of my most horrible memories are of guys with half their head gone still walking around and even talking. The guy next to me in the chopper when I was evacted was thrashing about, flailing his arms like he was trying to keep bugs off his face. But, there was no face, not much head either. I still see it and it ain't pretty.

Its different when you get blown up (like I was). The bodies fly or fall away from the center of blast like the spokes of a wheel. Body parts too. Depending on how far and how high you fly determines how you land when you hit. I didn't fall but instead sort of went over sideways, twisted, and landed square in my pack.

So, you should not fall forwards if you want realism. You should either twitch or start hollering after you hit the turf. Believe me, when you are wounded everything, every move you make, hurts like ****! Especially crawling! There are hundreds of old reports of guys crawling back, but we don't show it anything like the horror even that is. It's a joke when you see the guy, faking a lame leg, trying to use his musket for a crutch, hobbling off the field. Example here would be that chunky guy at the end of Pickets Charge in the Gettysburg movie faking his wound. The musket isn't bearing any of his weight, he is using the lame leg in his ambulation, and he's practically standing up as he goes along. Very bad! Should have been edited out! The actor obviously never had to endure a musket wound to the leg!

It will always be difficult for a guy in the front rank to fall backward with his death fall, seeing as how there is another rank behind him, but that's how it would have been. There are some great shots of the guys being blown backwards in the Gettysburg movie when hit by cannister and stuff. These guys were jerked backwards by ropes tied to them and yanked at the moment the shot was fired. Pretty realistic, but the ropes were out of the frame of the scene. We'd have a hard time hiding the same set up on a battlefield at some historical site.

Taking a wound in a reenactment will never be like it is in real life. It can't be. The spectators would be sickened and ruined for life. We'd hurt ourselves flying around into each other. The clean battle plan would be micked up by all the screaming and crawling and stacking right in the advancing line. We couldn't just casually advance and fire with all that going on.

After a time the veteran Civil War soldier became hardened to it, but it is presumed (though seldom included in historical articles) that it was this very reality that contributed to the caos at Bull Run.

Nice thread though, I die on the field more often than not, but even as I do it I find myself just dropping to my knees then falling. Not much drama there, just more sanitary!

Harry

[28thNY]

...Taking a wound in a reenactment will never be like it is in real life. It can't be. The spectators would be sickened and ruined for life. We'd hurt ourselves flying around into each other. The clean battle plan would be micked up by all the screaming and crawling and stacking right in the advancing line. We couldn't just casually advance and fire with all that going on.

After a time the veteran Civil War soldier became hardened to it, but it is presumed (though seldom included in historical articles) that it was this very reality that contributed to the caos at Bull Run.

Nice thread though, I die on the field more often than not, but even as I do it I find myself just dropping to my knees then falling. Not much drama there, just more sanitary!

Harry

I think that's why, in a reenacting context, it's easiest for people to die almost within their own place in line, then falling forwards. Less risk for falling on another person or damaging yourself or others. After all, we all need to go back to work on Monday.

I don't think that anyone really wants to intentionally disgust the members of the viewing public.

Having said that, in my first year of reenacting I attended a (comparatively) large ACW event in the UK with about 800 military on a side. A medical tent had been setup on the side of the battlefield to which wounded were being brought back and either treated for wounds or moved out of sight of the public and recycled as fresh companies.

One part of the medical scenario involved bringing a man out from behind the trees on a stretcher as if he was straight from the field. However, they had rigged a completely fake human leg out of cow parts (including bones) and strapped it onto a reenactor who had lost his leg in a motorbike accident.

When the surgeon took a saw to his "femur", this guy was really acting it up and needed to be held down. This was right in front of the public and two members of the crowd fainted when the "leg" was dropped on the ground in front of them.

Good times.

[Mint Julep]

They seem to feel that when they get the stripes and boards that they are impervious to bullets.


I think many of them feel the responsibility of leadership and forget that they are reenactors too. They are so focused on taking care of "their guys" they don't feel they shouldn't take a hit.

In my old company, it was very common, especially when the situation was getting hairy, for the ranking officer to get the attention of the next guy in line for command and then drop, thus leaving No. 2 to get the company out of said hairy situation. I once watched the officers fall one after another until the ranking guy was a corporal. Being new to the game, I didn't know I had the option of taking a hit, too. :rolleyes:

We did the company-wide artillery hit, too. The best version I recall was at a very small event in Mississippi. We had agreed it was time, and fired a volley to clear the weapons. The company lay down and watched the gun crew load. Just as they were about ready to fire, the company stood up, as if to move to a new location, when BOOM! Men and some gear fell into a great heap and few men were left standing on the flanks of the company and they looked in shock at us on the ground and then unanimously turned and ran to the rear. Since we were wearing the blue, our southern audience applauded with great enthusiasm.

Not the most authentic portayal, but always a crowd pleaser.

[Artyman]

I was the subject of a similar amputation demo at Fort Wayne Indiana about 20 years ago. It was an arm amputation, of course, and later we cooked the cut off part and ate it. :grin:

Harry

[42ndMissCoF]

I'm not stating that at all. I'm sure there are numerous occasions where a shell took out 12+ in WIA/KIA. I'm just saying one artillery shell wiping out more then half a battalion is a little far fetched.
In any case I was the one who got reamed out by the battalion commander for pulling such a stunt.

[Rob Weaver]

Those few of us who have seen guys killed in combat will never forget what we saw....
Taking a wound in a reenactment will never be like it is in real life. It can't be.

Lord, this is a sobering post. Thank you so much. In there with the wealth of detail (although I would throw in that the soft lead projectiles and less than perfect detonation of Civil War munitions would change some of the "patterns"), is also the reminder that we're dealing with grisly reality and that after real battles, people don't get back up shake hands and say "Good fight."

"It is well that war is so terrble or we should become too fond of it."
Thanks, Harry.

[8thILCavalry]

I was in one battle many years ago where I took a hit and tried to bandage myself with a bloody bandana. I learned using red food coloring doesn't always work well. I was laying there with the bandage rapped around my head and this nurse came up to me and gave me some water but she told me she was also going to pour water over my head too to cool me off. Well that made the red dye start to run down my face and it looked like I had blood rolling down my face, what a bloody mess it looked like. It was very cool looking but wasn't expected.

I am known in my unit as the best dier. When I was a Private I would usually get shot every battle and throw myself back into the air and my carbine would be flying as well.(never hitting anyone) I still do that once in awhile but being a 1st Lt. now I have to make sure its fitting to die so my men would not be without command. I usually wait now til most of my men have taken hits and its a lost cause and then I'll go down. Leaving the NCO to take over.

Last battle I was in My NCO was lost and I took a cannon hit but 3 members of my unit were still alive in a skirmish line. and next to us was another unit that lost there command as well. I saw one of my Privates who wants to be a Corp. (but shy about it) get the backbone he needed and took command and ordered the remaining 8th over to the 1st Wis. and ordered them both very well. I was so proud to lean against a tree wounded and watch this take place. He earned those stripes, I say.

As for dieing and taking a wound I usually make the crowd decide that. If I'm close to the crowd I will be dead and not move just to have the crowd be amazed on how long i can lay there without moving. but if I'm not near the crowd, I'll take a wound and pretend to be in pain so I can also be able to drink out of my canteen. And then crawl to shade or off the battlefield.

[MAvery]

What is the best way to die in a reenactment, falling forward, falling back, or what? it is a dumb question, but i see many who "die" and dont actually stay that way for the rest of the battle, i.e. leaning on one arm. Should you scream in agony or be silent? what do you think?

i think alot of it has to do with what you are comfortable doing. Falling forward is definately the safer idea because if you fall backward you will fall on your cartridge box which, I was taught by the vets in my group, is not a good idea. I have fallen and screamed before. I have also gone and helped a friend of mine get off the field but, right before we reach safety, i take a hit. it looks realistic and, the crowd loves it :). How you take hits is really dependent only on what you want to do. Hope this helps, :).

[DColeman]

If I don't take a hit on the company street before dress parade then I like to be as close to the sutlers as possible so I can get some shopping in and not have to march back with the regiment. ;)

[garretttcrooks]

The best hit i have taken was when i was carryiing the flag at Jackson MS for the 114th SNY. We were charging the confederate line, and only the 1st Sgt to my left, and captain to the right were left. i took a hit, Adn the 1st Sgt. Picked up the flag, he and the captain died within seconds of eachother and the flag fell over their bodies... it was a poetic way to end that battle.

[dale beasley]

This Thread is rather an odd one, much like one on the AC and the "Picture Thing" last month. I have noticed one thing for sure...

When a Drunk or Drug Addict is dying he cries for God, A Marine or Soldier cries for his Mother.

[WestTN_reb]

On the rare occasion that I portray an officer, if the opportunity to take a hit presents itself, I'll take it and let my NCO do his job.

This happened to me at Franklin in 2004. As we were assaulting the Federal works to the left (our right) of the Cotton Gin, the Federals stood up and delivered a full battalion volley right into our faces. When the smoke cleared, our 130-man battalion was reduced to 40 men, with me, a 1st Sgt. as the highest ranking man on the field.

That was one of those crap your pants moments for me. I had the men kneel in the abattis and return fire the best we could. It was realistic though, as our officers and men were writhing and yelling for help, and we would go out one or two at a time to try to help them.

[The Duke of Hazard]

As a Union man, I do mind mind taking hits and dying, moving most women and children to tears or so I hear. However, as a veteran and late-middle-aged reenactor, with regrets, I do not take hits and die when the grass is wet, or die to lie supine upon the cement, asphalt or concrete of parking lots, sidewalks or streets. :(

[RJSamp]

I'm not stating that at all. I'm sure there are numerous occasions where a shell took out 12+ in WIA/KIA. I'm just saying one artillery shell wiping out more then half a battalion is a little far fetched.
In any case I was the one who got reamed out by the battalion commander for pulling such a stunt.

What specifically is a 'battalion'?.....and canister under 200 yards can take out 50+ men

[28thNY]

As a Union man, I do mind mind taking hits and dying, moving most women and children to tears or so I hear. However, as a veteran and late-middle-aged reenactor, with regrets, I do not take hits and die when the grass is wet, or die to lie supine upon the cement, asphalt or concrete of parking lots, sidewalks or streets. :(

I died at an event earlier this year where the field was completely saturated following a downpour. My face was half under water when I hit the floor and my new uniform became "not new" very quickly.

One of my most painful deaths was on Main Street in Angelica, NY last year. Trust me, asphalt is even more painful than it looks.

[Marc Shaffer]

Chuck Norris never takes a hit... he only gives them.... Be Chuck :rolleyes:

[8th TexCav]

Being cavalry I do have to be careful about taking a hit. I have been known to take one that was not planned! When I do plan to take a hit it is after we have fought on foot and are ready to remount. It is usually because it is hot, I am middle aged and my horse is huge. I grab the lead and fall down and hold him. Easier than trying to remount! The only problem with that is that he is herd bound and has been known to try to follow the others while dragging me across the ground. Not graceful.