48th Alabama and then some.......

We arrived at the farm in Gettysburg where the reenactment was going to take place about an hour before dark. After pitching our Civil War era tent (remember, everything has to be from that period), unloading the truck and setting up camp, we deserved a long rest. It took us almost 15 hours to make the drive. Of course, we did stop to go site seeing for a couple of hours in Lexington Virginia, and we did stop at every rest stop along the way. You know, my bro shouldn't have let it slip that his six year old son liked to collect brochures and business cards from rest stops they visit. Merry Christmas Seth. Bwaaahaaahaaahaaahaaa!!!!!!!!

OK, now back to the visual stimulation from our camp site and from the reenactment.


This was one of the first observances I made after we got settled in. My new friends from Georgia and Tennessee had pitched their tent directly across from our tent. Just being in a period camp like this is weird enough, with all the period clothing, tents, supplies, and so forth, but when I walked up to this tent, the were discussing Obama running for President, laptop computers and software, and The Dave Matthews Band.
Is that surreal, or what?


We're talking taking period to the extreme. Here, a soldier is writing in his journal about the days activities. They live, eat, and sleep like they were back in 1863.



Every single time the 48th Alabama would line up for inspection before going to the battlefield, it would start raining. And raining. And raining.


And raining. And raining.


It did stop raining at times during each battle and I was beginning to think I was not going to be allowed to shoot. I was told to buy a ticket and shoot from the grandstands. Then I was told to walk back to the barn at the entrance to the campgrounds and get a photographers permit. After being rained on for the quarter mile hike back to the barn, I was told to go to the building where we registered and get a press pass. Huh? Didn't know I needed one of those and it's about a half mile away. In the rain. Luckily, I keep a towel on my monopod, so I covered my 400/2.8 and made the hike to registration. That's where they wanted to see my media credentials before allowing me to get a press pass. Huh? Then the lecture about how the organization is very protective about the image that the Gettysburg Historical Society wants to put out for the public to see. I waited and waited hoping the person assigning press passes would feel sorry for me. Sometimes that works. This time it didn't. I was told if I was caught on the battlefield with a camera, I would be escorted off. Off of where? The battlefield or the site?

Luckily, I have enough experience to know the limits (I think). I made my way along the tree line behind the artillery and got some decent images, but I was too far from the action to make anything decent.

The second day, I changed positions to a grove of trees on the opposite corner of the battlefield. This worked much better, but I was behind the good guys but not quite as far from the action.

Take a look.











And what would a Civil War reenactment be without some beautiful Southern Belles?


Did you ever wonder what they did way back there one hundred and forty-five years ago for fun?
They played frisbee with their hats.