Two Gettysburgs! I knowed it! I knowed it would happen!

[Artyman]

Soupcanman,

I can only speak for myself, but I think the recent negatives in the GAC events have not only driven their numbers down, but have created a sense that history is being sold rather than enjoyed.

I think that several factors will play in here. First, the date. We will be able to do Gettysburg and still have the 4th weekend to enjoy with our families. Second, it will result in a better and larger (presuming they dont limit the pre registration numbers too severly) event in every way for all of us to remember. Third, it will also deprive the PAC/GAC folks of the significant numbers they are speculating upon. One well known G'burg merchant told me last year that they were expecting and getting ready for as many as 80,000 participants. In this sense I feel bad for for those good people among them who might have wanted a giant event for history to remember, but, the Gettysburg merchants will still their big week, although a week sooner than they expected.

But, in short, my gut feeling is that not just the eastern units but in fact most units will skip GAC in favor of BGA, if they must choose between the two. Further, some will do both! But not to the numbers GAC figgered on.

I am astonished to think that folks think dual events are a good idea, but, Shiloh was pretty good.....better than we expected. For that reason I think BGA is on the right track about G'burg.

After it's all over I expect your unit will find that the BGA event will be (was) the better of the 2/4/?

IMHO

Harry

[Soupcanman]

I attended the BGA Shiloh and it was a great event. Yes there were some problems, but one simply adapts and overcomes. I also attended the 135th GAC event. It was a great event and a great site. As a westerner I don’t deal with eastern politics and events. When we come east we come to help out our eastern brothers at their events. I find nothing wrong with dueling events especially when there’s a money making event involved. Those making money off of us like GAC forget that we pay hundreds and thousands of dollars to do this. Its our gear, our ammo, our persons they are using. We do it for the history not to make them money. This is why I see a BGA event being a much better alternative to a GAC type event. BGA cares about the Reenactors. Politics be damned we all need to look at this as an opportunity to put on one **** of a show. Not only for the public, but for the Reenactors.

I know there’s those of you out there that think this splits or hurts the hobby, but I think you are wrong. There is no one right way of doing these things. It does not matter if you are campaigner or mainstream, military or civilian, union or confederate, there is an event for you at Gettysburg. A BGA event may force profit making events to rethink how they treat us and work with us. If GAC is such a great event they should have no worries about the loss of units. If you provide a good product you will get back what you invest and then some.

I will be attending the BGA event. I see many others that are doing the same. I think that this will be a great event and one to remember. I hope that other units will see this as well and put aside petty politics and look at this in the proper perspective. I see this as the better event and worthy of my time, men, and money.

[maillemaker]

For us newbs, what does PAC/GAC stand for, and why is everyone down on them?

Steve

[LibertyHallVols]

GAC - Gettysburg Anniversary Committee (I think)
They are the organizers of the annual Gettysburg events, including the 1998 whopper of a 135th. I'll let others detail their grievances, but I think it has to do with a focus on profits and numbers and the degradation of event quality that is the natural outcome of that mindset. I haven't been to a GAC event since 1998, so I am probably not a qualified judge.

BGA - Blue-Gray Alliance

[Radar]

GAC event - IF you or you family/friends are part of the Motel Militia, they are filling up fast and charging an arm/a leg and your first born. Several are already booked full for that week.

[billwatson2]

What John said, perhaps slicing things finer to say that the degradation seems to be of history itself, which annoys some people, and degradation of the memories of those who made the history, which annoys others. The simplest way to explain the distaste might be to note that as soon as the smoke settled on July 4, 1863, the residents of Gettysburg stopped bemoaning their fate ("Why us? Why here? Look at all these bullet holes!") and instead began celebrating the opportunity to make money from a national historic moment, starting with a per-body fee to bury the dead. Monuments to bad taste (literally) include the trolley through the valley of death at the foot of Little Round Top in, I think, the 1890s, the "space needle" observation tower late in the 20th century, and, now, the annual "rake it in with a fork lift" competition surrounding the anniversary of the battle. While most of us are glad to help an area out, nowhere do you feel more exploited at taking part in a reenactment than at Gettysburg, in my opinion, and I've done this from the Gulf to Massachusetts. The Blue/Gray alliance and what we'll call the "Anders" events start from a different place, where it is first about history, then about reenactors getting what they are in the hobby to get, then everything else after that. I think that's the right priority and I think it produces a more enjoyable event. I do not begrudge GAC for its activities, because it's a free country and if people are willing to flaunt their bad taste in order to make money, that's fine. But I'd rather work with people who respect the same things I respect.

[Silas]

Don't be knocking the Space Needle, Bill. It's fifty years old right now and received a retro orange dome as a remembrance of the original color used during Seattle's World's Fair in 1962.

[50th VA Corporal]

While others may be touting the platitudes of the BGA hosting the “other” event I just cannot in my right mind consider going to another BGA event – unless I have no other option – based on my, and my company’s, personal experiences at the both their 150th First Manassas and 150th Shiloh.

I do not want to go into the “supporting of Civil War battle fields” or “following the money” topic of discussion as there are us that acutely aware of that issue and donate, some generously, to that cause and that topic would be moot in the scope of my opinion.

That being said, I have been to four national events. Two were BGA events and two were not. There was the same BGA hype for both events including “accurate scenarios”. However please bear in mind that there are as many reenactors where accurate scenarios are not as important as field battle time as there are that insist that they are.

There is, of course, a large consideration of the “overall enjoyment value” one derives from an event especially considering time taken off work, drive time, and expenses.

My first two nationals were not BGA events. I went as an NCO to both of them. Even early in my reenacting career I did recognize the mixture of levels of participant authenticity. The whole spectrum was there. Once on the battlefield their differences were minimal unless it was blatant. Both had ample parking with ease of access, minimal issues of amenities, and even though sutler row was a great distance away it was not far to a “trolley” to ease the walk.

I was excited to go to the 150th First Manassas BGA event as it was well advertised to be a mountain top experience. It turned out to be very disappointing. It was actually my first event to take the field as a captain – and I had assembled a rather large company.

1) The request came down for information to be passed up the chain of command in regards to number of soldiers and tentage to assess required room. I sent that information in and two updates. When we arrived our battalion / brigade area was halved from the original plan to save extra room for a battalion that never even used the space. Three companies lost any semblance of a company street.
2) The hot chlorinated water was just unacceptable. I do realize that the health department had a hand in on that but I am sure there are enough Boy Scouts that have been to a National Jamboree would recognize that as a serious failure.
3) I stood through a 45 minute officer’s call discussing a 26 page scenario for the first day of battle. Spent over four hours in the march and on the battlefield and our battalion NEVER FIRED ONE SHOT due to the scenario being broken right away. Additionally we were pulled off the battlefield early on Sunday’s battle due to making way for another battalion to have some battlefield time that they did not get the day prior. For two days of battle my privates went through less than 40 rounds.
4) The parking situation and distance to the sutlers could have made easier by providing a scheduled shuttle. Marching all day in the heat, yes a ride once is not out of line.

With still a bad taste in my mouth from Manassas we attended BGA Shiloh and that choice was made due to it was where our affiliated brigade was going to.

1) The situation of sending number of soldiers and tentage up the chain of command, as requested, was followed. Then why during arrival was there nobody there to tell us where to pitch the tents? Not even a map. Our battalion was camped in three locations and nowhere near each other. We had to send runners out more than once for First Call when the decision was made to change parade time.
2) Port-o-lets. Just unacceptable, period. No “Plan B” to fall back on when the roads became a mired mud pit. Health hazard. Roads became worse when the artillery used their four wheel drive trucks to move their cannons to and from the battlefield and then they actually returned many times to just transport their crews. Maybe the cannons should have been sequestered and guarded in an area closer to the battlefield considering the weather.
3) Sutler row – what a pig sty with the lack of trash receptacles. Also see #4 above in regards to a shuttle to sutler row.

If I have any choice in which event I go to my vote is when the call come out to “send in the clowns” I am going to the “circus”. At least there I know what acts are before I get there and not just hype. Then I’ll come home and write out a check to the Civil War Preservation Fund and they will send me an annual flyer that tells me where my, and other’s money has gone. Otherwise, neither the circus nor the purist events have posted any printed public documentation that I have seen to support their giving.

[maillemaker]

The Blue/Gray alliance and what we'll call the "Anders" events start from a different place, where it is first about history, then about reenactors getting what they are in the hobby to get, then everything else after that. I think that's the right priority and I think it produces a more enjoyable event. I do not begrudge GAC for its activities, because it's a free country and if people are willing to flaunt their bad taste in order to make money, that's fine. But I'd rather work with people who respect the same things I respect.

Thanks for the explanation, it makes perfect sense.

Steve

[KeithRK]

The BGA didn't do a 150th 1st Manassas event.