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.