Artillery or Infantry?

[pbeckett00]

I am considering getting into re-enacting as a hobby and have found a couple units in my area. Trying to decide whether to join an infantry unit or an artillery unit. Looking for some expert advice as to the pros and cons of each.

[HandSpike]

I started out doing just Artillery with a unit that my relatives served in during the war. One of the upsides in doing artillery is the fact that you do not need to purchase a weapon in the beginning, or the leathers needed to go with it. However, I am now in my 5th year and doing both Artillery and Infantry (Union and Confederate). It allows you to broaden your knowledge of both branches, and expand the opportunity to do living history in different venues. I love doing both, but, Artillery is my first love. I would suggest finding an Artillery and an Infantry unit and going out with each one weekend and see which seems to be the best fit for you. Who knows you may end up doing both ...!!

Ron Miller
Battery B 1st RI.
14th Tenn.

[wagen dawg]

You could join the infantry and "steal" a cannon. Like a James Rifle. Original. But I don't recommend that 'cause those arty guys are awful attached to their guns and it tends to raise a ruckus. A fun time was had by all, except Miss Nancy who took a header into that shale lined creek bed and the gun crew who had to roll it back up the hill. Wait, a good time was had by two, not all. And then there was Lincoln, RI. Pick the infantry, you get to drill, drill, drill.

[HandSpike]

You are correct sir, we are attached to our Guns ... Especially those James Guns!!We've even been known to sleep with them!!



Ron Miller
Battery B 1st RI.
14th Tenn.

[S.D.Swart]

Been reeancting since 1976. Always been on my feet with the Infantry. That said, those Artillery guys do have fun. Nice to know they have my back. :)

Really it is all about your pards. If you fall in with a good bunch of fellows, it doesn't matter the branch.

Shawn D. Swart
6th Ky Co. C CSA / 13th Ky Co. D USA

[Capt. Moose]

I am considering getting into re-enacting as a hobby and have found a couple units in my area. Trying to decide whether to join an infantry unit or an artillery unit. Looking for some expert advice as to the pros and cons of each.

I started playing with the artillery in 1989 with one of my high school teachers when i was 14, and have had a ball ever since. now I am a gun owner and it feels just like i started all over again. the excitement every time my gun is on a field.

now to answer your question, both are fun to play, but as was said before, you do not have to buy a weapon or the accompanying leathers to join the artillery, nor is there any of that marching (a four letter word to artillerymen). and being on the artillery for this many years I have noticed at events, no matter how many infantry men are out on the field doing whatever they are doing, the crowds always cheer when the big guns go off.

Capt. Moose
1st TN Heavy Artillery Co. K

[wagen dawg]

The gun is question was yours, if you're with Battery B from RI. That's a beautiful gun. Good shootin' boys. But an Enfield with 4 rounds sounds an awful lot like a Napoleon, and it re-cocks itself.

[pbeckett00]

Thanks for the great advice guys. I think I will visit a couple regional events first and see which unit looks to be the best fit. I'm thinking Artillery to start, but you never know.

[sbeneke1]

I mainly portray cavalry, but do a few events a year with infantry and artillery because I love every branch. I suggest you contact every company local to yourself available and get to know them a pick the ones that seem like the best fit for you. No company is the same. Take the field with a gun crew at one event (maybe at a muster or drill if possible) and infantry company at the next and see what you like best both in the field and in camp. Outside of the branch that you chose the best thing that you can do is get a good set of brogans (Missouri Boot and Shoe or Robert Land) and a good black civilian hat (Clearwater Hats, Tim Bender, etc.) this will cover Confederate or Federal. This for the most part will work with any branch that you go with, even civilian. Everything else you need (uniform, leathers, weapon) can easily be loaned to you by the company that you fall in with, even a tent if you need it.

As for how I feel about reenacting artillery vs. infantry. I believe that all events need more infantry present, and if you are healthy we always need more men who will travel the miles and campaign. The artillery company that I am a part of usually has two to three men fall in as infantry because of having more members than necessary to field the gun. Yet a benefit of artillery is expense starting out of course, the savings of not purchasing over $1000 in musket and leathers, but most infantry companies are welcoming to loan muskets for over a year if needed and leathers for a handful of events. There are many guns out there though that need men to work them. Either way that choose be careful with your purchasing of uniform and personal items, ask questions about items before you buy and research items. Learn who the authentic makers are. A quality impression shows. Ask for help from officers or NCO’s about what you should be wearing for your impression and where to get these items. The forum can be a great help for that as well both educationally and economically. Look in the classifieds on this forum, you don’t need new just good. These men were living with what they could carry and were often very dusty, smoky and muddy; outside of special circumstances of course.

[Rob Weaver]

I have done artillery extactly once in 35 years of reenacting, other than that I have always been infantry. That little disclaimer out of the way, I'll give some advice. The startup cost for an artillery impression is less than infantry since you don't need a rifle and accoutrements (or a pistol belt and fancy sword either - don't get sucked into that.) A basic uniform will do. The less branch distinctive red trim the better, both for authenticity and portability. What unit to join is really about the unit and what you want out of reenacting. If camping out to you means Country Inns and Suites, and to the unit it means sleeping under the guns, you're going to have a mismatch and no one will be happy. If you're a musician and the unit couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, there will be a mismatch. Same with authenticity styles. So think about how you'd fit. Look at unit pictures and ask "Do I see myself as one of these guys?" As artillery, you are pretty much going to go to the events your gun goes to. Do you want to do that? An equipped infantryman has portability. He can go anywhere and fall in with virtually anyone because he has everything to complete the impression. Every event needs more infantry. A battery of guns for 2,000 men was about the period ratio. I've seen events where we had a battalion of guns and a company of infantry. All other things being equal, I'd beg you to join the infantry.

[captdougofky]

I have done artillery extactly once in 35 years of reenacting, other than that I have always been infantry. That little disclaimer out of the way, I'll give some advice. The startup cost for an artillery impression is less than infantry since you don't need a rifle and accoutrements (or a pistol belt and fancy sword either - don't get sucked into that.) A basic uniform will do. The less branch distinctive red trim the better, both for authenticity and portability. What unit to join is really about the unit and what you want out of reenacting. If camping out to you means Country Inns and Suites, and to the unit it means sleeping under the guns, you're going to have a mismatch and no one will be happy. If you're a musician and the unit couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, there will be a mismatch. Same with authenticity styles. So think about how you'd fit. Look at unit pictures and ask "Do I see myself as one of these guys?" As artillery, you are pretty much going to go to the events your gun goes to. Do you want to do that? An equipped infantryman has portability. He can go anywhere and fall in with virtually anyone because he has everything to complete the impression. Every event needs more infantry. A battery of guns for 2,000 men was about the period ratio. I've seen events where we had a battalion of guns and a company of infantry. All other things being equal, I'd beg you to join the infantry.




Everything Rob says it true--the only thing I would add is, once known you can fall in with a lot of Artillery Units. There always seems to be a gun short of folks in a position or too. I'm been working in Florida, I helped on a gun down here. Once you get used to the drill you won't have a problem fitting in with other Units. Limber comes to mind as a starter. Powder Monkey mean anything. Good place to start. Good luck reenacting if you decide to take up the Hobby.

Always

Doug Thomas
Lyons Battery CS
Kentucky

[Yellowhammer Rebel]

What Doug says about falling in with Artillery is also true of infantry. Once known you can fall in with other infantry units as most units need more rifles to field a decent looking company.
BTW, I started out as artillery and switched to infantry as moving around on the field, charging the enemy, and in general being in the middle of the "brawl" looked (and is) more fun than just standing on a hill firing a cannon. The nice thing about artillery, you can see the battle unfold, but if you actually want to DO it, infantry is the way to go.

[Corpsman_1st_OVI]

Now, I love to carry my Enfield and burn powder, and I have never done much more than powder monkey a couple of times on artillery, but I love medical. No marching, no having to buy more and more powder, oh did I mention if you are an ambulance unit you still get to play on the battle field? I will say finding an ambulance corp is a feat and ever more so finding/building an authentic stretcher is a pain and expensive, but it is fun. Only other downside is a lot of reenactors are a bit large in the middle and can get quite heavy but it is still fun to show the start of EMS in american history (albeit a crude start). I still fall in with infantry from time to time and people typically are super cool if you have gun/will travel, typically you can pick up with anyone and burn power for a good time also. But, for a few dollars more/or less you can pick up a few glass medicine bottles, and a few books to gather your knowledge and people will interact a ton with you in the camps. Plus you can carry a pistol and not look like a fool. Just an option.

[pbeckett00]

All great advice guys....I keep going back and forth. Was leaning artillery, but the Infantry sounds like fun too. I think I will check out both, perhaps get a sack coat rather than an Artillery Shell jacket so I could go either way, and see what group of guys seems the best fit.

[RJSamp]

Too many cannons in the hobby, not enough infantry privates.....and not enough horses. to those artillerists who think that infantry did all of the marching....think again and start becoming more period correct in your impression. Personally, I am sick and tired of all of the F350D pick 'em up trucks in camp at all hours.....tired of the gators\ATV's.....tired of the guys in ALL branches of service that can' march....and can't move a half mile to a battle site without piling into a truck.

I have had the privilege of sleeping under original cannon and a gun tarp.....now that's living.....at most events the amount of wall tents per artillerist is absolutely unbelievable, the camp layout is absa-postively not by any book....and artillerists don't perform most of the common camp duties prevalent in the ACW.

The shortage of buglers and mounted Captains commanding 4 or 6 gun batteries is thunderous. the shortage of artillerists \ piece is because there are too many pieces at the event itself. 2,000 rifles per 6 gun battery war is about right. On a reenacting scale that might be 350 rifles per 6 gun battery. Frequently we have 6 guns per 80 rifles.

That is simply terrible.

Personally I'm not into the family camping, can't haul it in without a trailer, can't live without a Wally World purchased 68qt cooler, reenacting style. If you are, the artillerists definitely have a home for you.

My favorite story was at Raymond 2001 when after marching and fighting all day.....we physically moved our campsite a few miles away (we were 'on campaign'). As we plopped down next to a cotton field to bivouac for the night I looked over at a row of wall tents to see a pink flamingo planted in front of one.... the artillery camp. (OK so the ice cold beer they offered me was WONDERFUL).....

[HandSpike]

Mr. Samp, just remember that all artillery groups should not be lumped together. Some of us do drill in camp, clean the guns, march, have roll call, inspections, use military protocal,have buglers etc. Some of us even run commisaries using period equipment, and food called for from the army manual. Do we use trucks to haul our guns into camp? Yes,for the most part, but only until we get into camp, or we have great distances to haul them, but we also use horse teams when we can. There are even some of us who pride ourselves on wheeling our guns, and moving them forward by hand, and retreating when needed by prolong . We have pitched A-frames in a static camp with streets laied out acording to army regulations, and we have slept out under the guns as well ...Yes there is to much nonsense in camps ... we have camped right beside some of the camps with pumpkin turkeys , plastic bottles etc. , and use the "K-mart blue lights.But not all of us do this ... Many of us are as sick of this as you are , but our hope is that some will see those of us who really try and do it right. So please do not lump us all together, just as you, we take pride in what we do!

Ron Miller
Battery B 1st RI

[S.D.Swart]

What I'm sick of is people saying what thier sick of. Leave the gripin' for the pet peeve post. Sure I got plenty of mine, but I'll place them in another topic. The Infantry and Cavalry also have thier groups that are problem childs.

Best wishes to all, and to my artillery friends, glad you got my back.

From a Infantry friend,

Shawn D. Swart

[FloridaHoosier]

This thread is on the way to the lock-pile thanks to editorializing, opinionating, and straying from the orignal query. Please contribute positive information for the original poster to digest, not pile on the negative. EVERY branch of reenacting/living history has its major issues - this isn't the thread to conjecture about that.

[captdougofky]

This thread is on the way to the lock-pile thanks to editorializing, opinionating, and straying from the orignal query. Please contribute positive information for the original poster to digest, not pile on the negative. EVERY branch of reenacting/living history has its major issues - this isn't the thread to conjecture about that.



Ross

I agree------------------newbie's don't need to see the Dark Side of the Hobby before they even get started. Agenda or attitude may be at play for some. This thread is about trying to help or point someone in the right direction.

Always

Doug Thomas
Lyons Battery CS
Kentucky

TAD-Central Florida

[MHGunner]

I chose artillery for two reasons.
1. I like the guns.
2. I like the participation philosophy of the unit I am with.
The first is fairly explanatory. Big pretty bronze items that go boom.
The second is where one needs to concentrate. For us we use horses, 2, 4 and hopefully this year 6 to move the gun. More times than not we are moving, limbering and unlimbering during a battle. My Captain truly likes to fight the gun as the battle evolves. So much so, I usually do not see the battle as I am focused on operating the gun. But I tell you what at the end one knows physically they participated in some small manner similar to what the lads in the 1860's experienced. Artillery with horses, limber or cassion and a gun is what I enjoy.
Observe and try and find a unit that meets your Civil War reenacting participation goals vs. comparing one branch to another, Campaigner, mainstream, etc. they all have good attributes for one interested in this hobby.