War Fair

The glow of campfires and flickering candles behind white canvas tents fades out as the sun rises over the rolling hills of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. At 5am the bugle call of reveile prods the bearded soldiers from their sleep and they gather around the remaining embers of the campfire to drink oily coffee. Some dig out salt pork and hard tack from crumpled waxed paper for breakfast before battle, while others put on hand-knit wool socks and wrap up their blanket rolls. This is as authentic a civil war scene as you’ll get, until someone admires a fellow soldier’s Otis Baker braces and the wearer describes enthusiastically how he got them for a bargain on Craig’s List. Another shows a companion how he got his once shiny buttons to tarnish nicely with a little nail polish remover. Still, the thrill of being on-site at this, one of the most historied battlefields in the world, is timeless.

Every weekend thousands of men and some women gather at a civil war battle site somewhere along the Mason Dixon line to reenact a bloody episode from the momentous conflict. While the real war was split between north and south, federals and confederates, modern day reenactors are split between lightweights known as farbs and hardcore authentics known as stitch Nazis for their obsession with hand stitching every item of clothing down to their underwear. Some take their task so seriously they will sleep in ditches and march miles weighed down with rifles, bayonets, and knapsacks.

The most famous of these simulated battles is Gettysburg. The key battle of the civil war, where Robert E. Lee was forced to abandon his invasion of the north, is now an annual get-together for history buffs, tourists, and hardcore reenactors. Based around the July 4th holidays, the 3-day event sees five major battle reconstructions, live mortar fire demonstrations, and a living history village with costumed locals partaking in blacksmithing and period medical demonstrations. The real battle itself was one of the bloodiest in this tumultuous period in American history with 51,000 casualties, including 8,000 dead. For 3 days General Lee directed a confederate onslaught against the union defenses on ridge lines south of the town. The federals were lead by General George Meade, who eventually forced his southern opponent to retreat back to Virginia. Gettysburg was then the site of Lincoln’s famous speech that rallied the unionist cause.

The actual battle site is now a national cemetery and military park. The Gettysburg reenactment takes place several miles away on some sweeping hills along Pumping Station road. Thirteen thousand reenactors gather to relive certain key moments, and visitors can drop in and see reconstructions of critical moments such as General Lee having a staff meeting to plot out his The glow of campfires and flickering candles behind white canvas tents fades out as the sun rises over the rolling hills of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. At 5am the bugle call of reveile prods the bearded soldiers from their sleep and they gather around the remaining embers of the campfire to drink oily coffee. Some dig out salt pork and hard tack from crumpled waxed paper for breakfast before battle, while others put on hand-knit wool socks and wrap up their blanket rolls. This is as authentic a civil war scene as you’ll get, until someone admires a fellow soldier’s Otis Baker braces and the wearer describes enthusiastically how he got them for a bargain on Craig’s List. Another shows a companion how he got his once shiny buttons to tarnish nicely with a little nail polish remover. Still, the thrill of being on-site at this, one of the most historied battlefields in the world, is timeless.

Every weekend thousands of men and some women gather at a civil war battle site somewhere along the Mason Dixon line to reenact a bloody episode from the momentous conflict. While the real war was split between north and south, federals and confederates, modern day reenactors are split between lightweights known as farbs and hardcore authentics known as stitch Nazis for their obsession with hand stitching every item of clothing down to their underwear. Some take their task so seriously they will sleep in ditches and march miles weighed down with rifles, bayonets, and knapsacks.

The most famous of these simulated battles is Gettysburg. The key battle of the civil war, where Robert E. Lee was forced to abandon his invasion of the north, is now an annual get-together for history buffs, tourists, and hardcore reenactors. Based around the July 4th holidays, the 3-day event sees five major battle reconstructions, live mortar fire demonstrations, and a living history village with costumed locals partaking in blacksmithing and period medical demonstrations. The real battle itself was one of the bloodiest in this tumultuous period in American history with 51,000 casualties, including 8,000 dead. For 3 days General Lee directed a confederate onslaught against the union defenses on ridge lines south of the town. The federals were lead by General George Meade, who eventually forced his southern opponent to retreat back to Virginia. Gettysburg was then the site of Lincoln’s famous speech that rallied the unionist cause.

The actual battle site is now a national cemetery and military park. The Gettysburg reenactment takes place several miles away on some sweeping hills along Pumping Station road. Thirteen thousand reenactors gather to relive certain key moments, and visitors can drop in and see reconstructions of critical moments such as General Lee having a staff meeting to plot out his strategy and the important battle for Culp’s Hill. A 50-cannon salute starts the event and visitors pay a $24 entrance fee to witness talks and demonstrations with themes such as the Medical Horrors of the Battle and Spies of the Civil War. However, the true excitement lies in actually joining the fight and reliving the battles that include 500-horse mounted cavalry maneuvers and big gun artillery movements. Volunteers just need to turn up at the registration post every morning and pay a $20 fee to join the fight. You need to bring your own uniform and equipment and there is a thriving trade in period props to make every participant look the part.

Gettysburg National Military Park ( 717/334-1124; www.nps.gov/GETT).
When to Go: Weekend closest to July 4th.
Harrisburg (38 miles/61km).
$$$ Wyndham Gettysburg, 95 Presidential Circle ( 717/339-0020; www.wyndham.com). $$ Brickhouse Inn Bed & Breakfast, 452 Baltimore St. ( 717/338-9337; www.brickhouseinn.com).