Civil War Reenacting: The Hobby that is More than a Hobby
A century and a half ago, the nation was torn by a great Civil War that consumed four years and hundreds of thousands of lives. Not a family in America was untouched by the war, and its effects -- and memories -- linger on to this day. Civil War reenactors have the opportunity to don the uniform, fall in with like-minded souls, practice the drill, and, on occasion, be lucky enough to experience what we call the "period rush," wherein one is not quite sure what time, or place, one really inhabits. We call this "a hobby that is more than a hobby" for good reason. It is a hobby that reinforces one's love of history, to be sure. But it is much more than that, as in addition to having fun going onto battlefields, firing our muskets, and sitting around the campfire with our pards, we also honor those many thousands who served the Union during the war. We do this by taking part in living history events under the auspices of the National Park Service and other organizations at locations with revered names, such as Gettysburg, Antietam, Manassas, Fort McHenry, Gaines Mill, Cold Harbor, and many others.

Here is a video, created by Mark Elson Pictures as a proposal for a major documentary, that will give the newcomer to our hobby a brief glimpse into what it is like to be a Civil War reenactor: The Video is courtesy of Mark Elson Pictures. www.markelsonpictures.com The video is in QuickTime format. Please visit www.apple.com for a free player.