Do You Galvanize?

[S.D.Swart]

When going to Ky. I always bring my Federal Impression. I have heard all the SVC bull, about honoring ancestors and such. I have documented 12 confederate ancestors and it is never a issue. It is about a love of history, not ancestors for me. Now, I am in a southern outfit in Ohio, and most of the time we are outnumbered by the federals, which is fine. But I will have to agree the best events are those with FIXED ratios.

S.D.Swart

[Phil McBride]

You gotta have cowboys AND Indians to play our game, so our outfit galvanizes. Even our last 2 holdouts wore blue for the last day's battle at the BGA Shiloh this spring. Our group, the Alamo Rifles, out of Central Texas generally portrays mid-war Army of Tennessee infantry, but for the past 8 years we have also portrayed the 165th NY Inf, Duryea's 2nd Battalion Zouaves. They served in Louisiana in 1863 and 1864 and a bunch of them were even POWs at Camp Ford in NE Texas for a spell, so the Zouave impression can be historically used in the region where we attend most of our reenactments.

Phil McBride
The Alamo Rifles

[Jubilo]

Dear Sir,
Yes, I galvinize. I love history not politics or inflated agendas.
Life is too short and Americans too interesting to limit one's self. I can cheerfully suppress the Rebellion or defend the sovereign state of ( you choice), and still celebrate, history, American heritage and military panoply. At national events I enjoy hearing and receiving orders in accents from Down East (Maine), to southwest (Texican), and enjoy seeing what still remains of sectional differences.
all for the old flag,
David Corbett

[Gregg Hensley]

To echo Brett, my NC unit (22nd NC, Co. K) doesn't galvanize. We do however, portray the 40th Illinois when needed. A few years back we attended an event where the force ratio was ridiculous. We decided then and there to form a good Federal impression, use it when needed, but most importantly correctly (as in was the 40th here). We even have a company mate who is writing a book on the 40th and I must say so far he has done well. Here in NC, Federal units are scarce as hens teeth. That means we sometimes have to fight amongst ourselves...lol. We have a couple of little events where the units know each other well, and it's "whose turn is it this year". For me, it doesn't matter what coat I have on, it's about the Boys of 62. Huzzah or Yee Haw....they all left home to fight for something and they were all Americans.

Gregg Hensley
22nd NC, Co. K
58th NC, Co. F
40th Illinois, Co. I
Carolina Legion

[Craig L Barry]

At the National Battlefield Parks, you may have to do US and CS, infantry and artillery all in the same weekend.
Not sure what that would be called, but we have a ton of gear to cart out there some weekends. This
weekend it will be at Stones River in the Slaughter Pen, which is where the Union got pinned down. I suspect
we will only need US sack coats and Artillery jackets.

It all depends on what the program/scenario requires. Some of the volunteers do civilian as well. We are
expected to 'whistle Dixie' or sing 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic' on short notice.

[Spinster]

Civilian backstories can be so .....complicated.

About the only timeI portray a loyal Confederate is when traveling in the North-also about the only time I do upper class. As my main portrayal is southern yeoman farming class, the history just about demands I be a Southern Unionist.

And that's always a fun thing to interpret, especially with spectators.......

[cooperteague]

My unit galvanizes about 75 percent of the time. In Texas if nobody galvanizes, then its just going to be three or four hundred confederates out there shooting at the trees. Maybe one unit of about six or eight union infantry but that's about it.

Everyone in our unit brings two complete uniforms, including the weapons. Most of the time we never know which side we will be until after officer's call on Saturday morning when the CO walks in and says blue or grey. Sometimes we're blue on Saturday and grey on Sunday, just depends on how the numbers play out.

[Rob Weaver]

I've galvanized a whopping total of 1 time in 26 years of doing Civil War. There are just too few Federal infantry. The one time I did wear gray, it was for the same reason: force ratio way outof whack. I wish I could say that it was an eye-opening, "see my enemy through a new perspective," mystical experience, but it wasn't. Maybe because I know my history too well. I wouldn't rule it out in the future, but most of the time what I'm already doing is in short supply.

[Pvt Schnapps]

We all have our particular loves in the hobby (this is the national epic, after all), but I just want to add my voice to those who've pointed out that a respect for history demands a certain sympathy for the people on both sides. I'm lucky in that I live where I have choices. I've never been "forced" to galvanize, though I commonly do more blue than gray. At my first event this year I wore gray in the morning and blue in the afternoon, which was unusual, but fun.

One of my favorites was at Neshaminy a few years back when we did Monocacy and Fort Stevens scenarios. I was in gray most of the weekend but on Sunday a squad of us decided to go "blue" and honor the government employees who defended the capital -- civilian clothing and Federal accoutrements. Talk about a bad day at the office. In 2014 I hope we can get a whole company together.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

We all have our particular loves in the hobby (this is the national epic, after all), but I just want to add my voice to those who've pointed out that a respect for history demands a certain sympathy for the people on both sides. I'm lucky in that I live where I have choices. I've never been "forced" to galvanize, though I commonly do more blue than gray. At my first event this year I wore gray in the morning and blue in the afternoon, which was unusual, but fun.

One of my favorites was at Neshaminy a few years back when we did Monocacy and Fort Stevens scenarios. I was in gray most of the weekend but on Sunday a squad of us decided to go "blue" and honor the government employees who defended the capital -- civilian clothing and Federal accoutrements. Talk about a bad day at the office. In 2014 I hope we can get a whole company together.

I hope to come up and be part of that Michael. We've all had plenty of opportunities to wear the blue or gray, but not near enough opportunities to capture a moment in time in middle class clerk's dress and martial accoutrements.