Bathrooms - Most especially for women, using the bathroom at an event can be a harrowing experience. Most events tend to provide only porta-johns. Beyond the obvious drawbacks of odor and sanitation, a lady in a hoop skirt is definitely at a disadvantage. If the event organizers have been informed adequately and are responsive to ladies’ needs, they will provide one or more of the larger porta-johns meant for the handicapped. Ladies will have fewer problems in a porta-john or bathroom stall that is marked for the handicapped because they will have a good bit more space in which to maneuver. Not insignificantly, the urinal in a porta-john will be farther from the toilet seat than in a non-handicapped porta-john, which means that the ladies will be less apt to accidentally dip their skirts or hoops into the urinal. Some women resent using their skirts and hoops to swab out the urinals.

You may wish to bring your own toilet paper when you go to an event to make certain that you will not be stranded. If you don’t bring your own toilet paper, you may really wish you had brought some. Some folks bring disposable toilet seat covers as well and even the sample-size cans of Lysol cleaner, for the porta-johns are not always the cleanest they could be.

We recommend making use of the porta-johns early in the morning when all is cool and - hopefully - right after they have been cleaned. At some new events or events where the turnout far exceeds the expectations of the organizers, the quality of the service for the porta-johns may not be all that you could wish it to be.

You will certainly want to avoid having to use the porta-johns at most events at night.  For that reason, you may find it prudent to make use of some folk knowledge.  Honey has often been used to help the body retain fluids.  A teaspoon or two just before bed may prevent you from having to make one of those dreaded nocturnal porta-john visits, and perhaps even delay an early morning trip there until the porta-johns have been cleaned.

Blood - Some people have used fake blood in battle scenarios or hospital impressions to enliven the impression, making it appear far more realistic. Stage blood is often available from theater supply houses, including capsules which may be held between the cheek and gum (like Copenhagen) until the right time, when it is shifted within the mouth so that it can be bitten through. Should you elect to try this, be warned that stage blood may stain your clothing to a point that the stain cannot be removed without damage to the cloth. Also (like Copenhagen), we recommend that you not swallow most forms of stage blood.

We have seen a number of recipes for homemade stage blood, but have not seen any that did not stain cloth permanently.  We don't have any recommendations as to whether you should use any form of stage blood or not - it's up to you.

Canteens and Haversacks: Where to Wear Them  -  The practice of many men is to wear their canteen off one hip, and their haversack off the other hip, in the manner of crossed bandoleers.  However, the 1861 US Army regulations address that specifically in Article XIII:

    112.  Haversacks will be marked upon the flap with the number and name of the regiment, the letter of the company, and                number of the soldier, in black letters and figures.  And each soldier must, at all times, be provided with a haversack                and canteen, and must exhibit them at all inspections.  It will be worn on the left side on marches, guard, and when                paraded for detached service - the canteen outside the haversack.

Dances - There are typically two Saturday night social gatherings slated for most events: sitting around the campfire and going to a dance or ball or cotillion. Sitting around the campfire generally requires little practice or specific knowledge (especially around some campfires where knowing anything at all is actually a hindrance), but the dances do. That’s the bad news. The good news is that many of the musical groups that perform for local re-enactments have a caller and dance instructor (or two) who gives directions to the dancers so that it is not terribly difficult to learn the rudiments of the dances.

Because dancing was so popular among our forebears, it is an area that should not be neglected by us in our impressions. Most of the dances are not too much more than versions of "Simon Says" or "Follow the Leader", and are fairly easy to follow. One of the redeeming aspects of period balls and dances is that there are almost always a fair number of re-enactors who are just learning to dance, so that you will never lack for company among those who do not know how to dance yet. Too, the more experienced dancers tend to make an effort to help direct the newer dancers, making it a more pleasant experience.

One of the appendices of the Members’ Packet includes instructions regarding period dances and their steps for the more common dances, although many variations on a theme exist. In our experience, we have found that it is better to try the dances first and then use the instructions in the packet to help you recall the steps when you are between re-enactments.

Dickering - Unless the price already seems terrifically reasonable, or if the dollar amount involved is too small to warrant spending your time doing so, you should expect to dicker with the sutlers. Unlike your Saturn dealer (or Wal-Mart associate), the sutlers are in a position to dicker with you. They own the merchandise, they know what they paid for it, and they know whether they are going to be able to cover their expenses for the weekend by the end of the first day of re-enacting. Expect to spend a little time with them arguing over the price if you want to save some money. After all, if you make an offer that’s lower than they are willing to take, what is the worst that will happen? They won’t sell it to you at the price you named, that’s what. Go for it. Remember that the more you save at one sutler’s is the more you can spend with another.

Dirty Clothes - A purely pragmatic matter, consider what you will do with your dirty, sweaty clothes if you have more than one change of clothing for a weekend event. Consider carrying a plastic trash bag or even a cloth laundry bag in which to stuff your clothes so that it is easier to keep them out of your way and easier to get ready to leave. If you want to get a little more elaborate in your clothes handling, see the section under Equipment entitled Clothes Hamper.

Dying - In the May 1990 issue of Camp Chase Gazette, Dr. Edward Franzosa wrote an insightful article entitled "How Men Die in Battle". Drawing heavily on his research and experience as well as our own and common sense, we present some brief comments on the subject. We highly recommend that his article be read by any re-enactor who wants to improve his own impression.

First, it should be a given that in any skirmish, someone will have to take a hit. While that should be obvious, it is incredible how often a volley of rifle shots will sound at a distance too close for any to miss, and yet not one man will fall. When artillery pieces fire directly (from the spectators’ view point) into a line of soldiers, it looks ridiculous in the extreme to see that rarely if ever does a man get hit, as if the cannon’s projectile moved so slowly and sluggishly that the men on the other side could step out of the path of the projectile as if they were playing some deadly game of dodge ball. This does not pass the test of common sense, nor does it look good to spectators. In fairness to re-enactors, however, it should be observed that it is often necessary to have extremely light casualties on one side or the other, for one side may be out-numbered 8 to 1, and a few casualties could end the skirmish in three or four minutes in some cases.

When we have the opportunity to "die" and we act upon it, however, it seems that most folks die a rather animated, spectacular, and even boisterous death. Lots of thrashing around on the ground, cries of pain and anguish, and vigorous shaking of limbs in the air as demonstration o f the pain occurs far too frequently at events. This seems out of step with the historic record.

Remember that men of the Civil War period may have joined for all the many reasons which lead men into the armed forces today, but there were higher social standards and expectations of men then than there are today. Bound up in a man’s service in the Army in that day was his honor, pride, courage, moral integrity, and dignity; in short, his character. A man who did his duty did nothing extraordinary, but truly what was expected of him. To falter in battle, to fail his comrades, to shirk his duty was, for most, to incur the undesirable reputation of being a coward or worse. The sobriquet of "coward" or "sluggard" was almost unthinkable for most men.

It is a curiosity of that day and other, earlier days when men were so concerned for their reputations that, when ordered to retreat, many refused to turn their backs to the enemy. Instead, they would withdraw by walking backwards, still facing the foe. None wanted to die or be wounded with a shot to the back because such a wound, mortal or not, would seem to indicate moral cowardice. A man’s reputation was his chief stock-in-trade, and a wound in the back invited the impugning or even the destruction of a man’s reputation.

Battle was considered the ultimate test of a man’s courage. To pass the test of courage one time was only sufficient until the next "test", but for a man to fail the "test of courage" once was to brand him ever after as a coward. In other words, cowardice was absolute and eternal, while courage was believed to be fleeting. "Pain reveals what weakness we conceal" would have been an appropriate adage in that day, for that seems to have been the underlying thought in their regard of wounds received.

Often at re-enactments we are treated to vivid spectacles of spectacular deaths accompanied by grandiose gestures and loud vocal indications of suffering. We are convinced from the source documents that such histrionics may be popular with the spectators and gratifying to the re-enactor who wishes to draw attention to himself, but it is atypical of so many of the deaths recorded in the documents of old. If anything, most seemed to have faced their wounds and dying with quietude and dignity, if for no other reason than to save face. It should be remembered that most companies were comprised of people who often knew one another because they were from the same villages, towns, or cities. Consequently, it was likely that they would take news back to your loved ones and people who knew you about how you comported yourself. Don’t lose sight of the importance of reputation in that day.

Many of the photographs of the day which showed the aftermath of battle with the dead and wounded strewn everywhere commonly show men whose shirts have been torn open. Some have suggested that they were the victims of robbers of the dead and dying, and that may certainly have been the case from time to time. However, it was very common for men who were wounded to rip their clothes open, whether it be a shirt front or a shirt sleeve, to see the extent of the damage they had sustained. They knew that if they were shot in the abdomen ("gut-shot"), it was far too likely that their wound would be mortal. Knowing that their life was ebbing away quickly, they could then spend their final minutes or hours considering the affairs of life which now were seen to be most important to them.

An interesting note is made by Dr. Franzosa concerning the last matters dealt with by the dying. In his article, he says,

"...a soldier’s comrades [were] observers serving in behalf of soldier’s families. Those at home would want to know about their...comportment at the end. Especially, they were anxious to learn his last words that [perhaps] they might reveal...success in pursuit of courage or godliness...."

And he quotes a soldier’s writings who adds to that

"...I saw a group of wounded men lying in the shade cast by some large oak trees. All of these men’s faces were gray. They silently looked past us...One wounded man [was] asked what he was doing. ‘Having my last smoke, young fellow,’ he replied....and he bravely tried to smile. I saw that he was dying fast. Another...was trying to read a letter [but]...was too weak to hold it, or maybe his sight was clouded. He thrust it, unread, back into the breast pocket of his blouse, and lay back with a moan. This group of men numbered fifteen or twenty....None of these soldiers cried aloud; none called on wife, or mother, or father. They lay on the ground, pale-faced, and with set jaws wait[ed] for their end. They moaned and groaned as they suffered, but none of them flunked."

"Wounded men almost always tore their clothing away from their wounds, so as to see for themselves and to judge their character [the severity of the wound - ed.]. Many of them would smile and their faces would brighten as they realized that they were not hard hit, and that they would go home for a few months. Others would give a quick glance at their wounds and then shrink back as from a blow, and [then] turn pale as they realized the truth that they were mortally wounded. [They] were exceedingly accurate judges of the probable end which would ensue from any wound they saw. They had seen hundreds of soldiers wounded, and they noticed that certain wounds always resulted [in death]. They knew when they were fatally wounded, and after the shock of discovery had passed, they generally braced themselves and died in a manly manner."

Fans were reputed to have far greater utility than just helping to keep a lady cool, or to supplant foul odors with fair. Some have asserted, and broadly published, the idea that fans were also used to communicate an extensive body of phrases and meanings that almost rival those sent by semaphore.

There has been some debate as to whether such a system of communication was actually ever used. It seems likely that such signals might have been used by young teenage girls, but it is questionable whether the code was ever widespread. Documented source documents vindicating the widespread use of such a system is lacking so far as we have been able to discover to date, thus making the idea of a "language of the fan" apocryphal. Still, it seems a harmless enough notion if only a work of fiction. There are a number of visual communications that may have been carried on with a lady’s fan that have been circulated in recent years, and if true, it would have behooved a gentleman to understand "fan language" if such was used. A simple listing of "fan talk" as it has been delivered to us would include messages as follows, and conveyed in the manners indicated:

Gaiters - The Washington Artillery did indeed begin the War Between the States with white gaiters. However, by the time of the formation and fielding of 5th Company, the white gaiters were in storage and forgotten. Yes, Washington Artillery had them and they can be documented, not only in writing but through photographic evidence. However, they were a rather pointless adornment to be worn in the field, just another piece of clothing with which to contend, and they were dropped by the first four companies very shortly after arriving on the field in Virginia in 1861. That is exactly why most soldiers of the period divested themselves of their gaiters. Can someone prove they were worn? Of course they can. Were they normally worn? A soldier in the field, especially after the first few months of the War, wouldn't be caught dead with such a useless item. Do you really think that men who would divest themselves of swords and pistols would keep their gaiters?

Incidentally, it is most likely that the teamsters, wagoneers, and drivers kept their pistols and sabres even when others may have given up their sidearms and blades.  Why?  The sabres would have been handy to cut the traces and reins away from injured or dead horses and mules (although less handy than a good-sized sheath-knife), and the pistols would have come in handy to put injured animals out of their misery.  We don't suggest that they could necessarily always take time for humane purposes when an animal was severely wounded by shooting it to put it out of its misery, but it would have behooved them to be able to put to death an injured animal whose thrashing about might damage men, other mules or horses, and equipment.

Along those lines, remember to unblouse your socks if you wear brogans (don’t stuff your pant legs down into your socks). While there are admittedly cases and circumstances in which that was done within some infantry units, it was not customary to do so for formal occasions, or for functions such as guard duty, drill, and dress parade; and there is no photographic evidence that blousing the socks was a practice within the Washington Artillery. There is very, very little photographic evidence to demonstrate that blousing the socks was anything but a rare occurrence.

In the field, it may have been the practice of some to blouse their socks for a variety of seemingly good reasons, among which some have mentioned keeping ticks or other insects from climbing up a man’s legs. Bear in mind that so doing may also let small seeds, dirt clods, and gravel into your brogans, as well as stretching your socks until they are ruined.

Haversacks and Canteens: Where to Wear Them  -  See Canteens and Haversacks &c.

Impressions - When we use the word "impression", we refer to the image we adopt when we re-enact. When you don a Federal or Confederate uniform, you are doing a military impression; likewise, donning period civilian clothing makes yours a civilian impression. There are two types of impressions adopted within those two basic categories: a first person impression, and a third person impression.

Some folks are content to be themselves in clothing of the period and some prefer to try to place themselves in the nineteenth century by adopting a first person impression. In doing a first person impression, the object of the exercise is to act and speak as if you were a person either who actually lived during that period, or who could have lived during that period. There are some who adopt a first person impression for the benefit of the spectators only, dropping the impression as soon as camp is closed to visitors, while others affect the first person impression all weekend.

A successful first person impression ‘round the clock is difficult for most folks. It really requires being able to frame your language in the lingo of the period, to be knowledgeable about your persona, and to limit your conversation and understanding to that of someone who would have only known of events up until the period in the War that you are re-enacting. The best impressions of this sort are those who, when asked a question or offered a comment that could only be answered or comprehended with knowledge beyond the War period, give the person speaking a blank stare for a moment and then moving on in the conversation with reference points within the scope of the re-enactor’s impression.

Many areas must be considered. Learning the language is not as simple as it may seem. If your impression is military, what did your persona do in civilian life before the War? If your persona was a farmer, do you know the popular lore and conventional wisdom concerning when each type of crop should be planted or harvested? Can you describe how to make a shock of wheat? What is a bull-tongue plow, and are there other types of plows? Do you know what a dibble is, or what it means for a field to lie fallow? If your persona grew apples, would they have known what a Golden Delicious was (a variety of apple that did not exist then, incidentally), or would they have raised sheep’s head apples or a mix of other then-contemporary varieties? By the same token, a mechanic would know many of the same things that a mechanic (and a machinist) would know today, and perhaps more. The persona must be well-established in your mind and well-researched if you are to be successful with it.

Whether your persona is superstitious or not, many folks were quite conversant with the superstitions of the time; and superstitions often varied widely from one little town to another, just as they do now. What are the superstitions with which your persona would be familiar? If he saw a slave walking down a street in town, his hair put up in a hundred little bunches on his head and each bunch tied with a different color of thread, would he know that the slave was trying to ward off witches, or would he think it was a fashion statement? To what uses could he put a dead cat? Would he look for a tree stump with rainwater standing in it to bathe his warts in the light of the full moon in order to make the warts fall off? Your persona must learn an entirely alien culture to our own.

What has been the experience of your persona in reference to people of other nations or religions or races? From what part of the country does your persona hail?

Does your persona have a world view which you can articulate appropriately? In other words, does your persona have a view of life and death, of personal conduct and obligation, of society and their obligations within society (or the lack thereof), of heaven and hell (whether they believe in them or not)? A world view is rather comprehensive and deals with this life and the life hereafter, even if the view of the life hereafter is that there is none.

Can you discuss current events - that is, events current to your persona - with the interest and knowledge that a person living in the period would have? How did you get your news and information? What is your educational background? Is your persona from an area that had relatively high illiteracy, such as the Appalachian Mountain region, or was your persona well educated? If well educated, how well do you know your Bible or Latin or French or Greek? Remember that no one was considered well educated who did not have a thorough knowledge of the Bible, and no man was well educated who did not know another language. French was the language of diplomacy then, and therefore was an important world language. Consider all of these matters as you develop your persona, for there is much to consider and learn. For some of us, about the only way we could successfully execute the first person impression right now would be if our persona was the village idiot.

A first person impression (referred to as a "firper" among re-enactors) requires a great deal of study and research if you are to be successful with it for a large portion of the time, but many believe it to be a tremendous learning experience that brings them closer in time to the period we seek to re-enact.

A third person impression is one in which you portray a person from the period in dress and some outward actions only, but do not develop a specific persona to act out or portray.