April 7, 2014

Neshaminy Reenactment 2014 ( Warning: Photo Heavy)

First event of the season! Beautiful weather for it. The sun was out but there was a little chilly wind and it is always better for an event to be a little cold than too hot. Neshaminy State Park is always beautiful at this time of year. It is located right by the water. The land was one of the original land grants from William Penn and was owned by his secretary in the late 1600s.

While no actual Civil War battle took place here, all of the money made from the event is used for preservation. Also, the event is unique in that spectators do not pay admission.

Photos from this year:


Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment

Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment

Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment

Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment

Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment

Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment


Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment

Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment

Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment

This guy talked to the spectators about what was going on during the battle. He said he's been reenacting for 25 years but can't fight in the battles anymore due to illness. He said he really missed it.

Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment

Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment

Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment

Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment

Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment

Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment

Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment

Philadelphia in the distance.

4 comments:

  1. Lovely pictures! Looked like a great day! I hope you had fun.

    It's nice that that guy was able to talk to the spectators. When I've been watching an event like this, there are a lot of people muttering to themselves, "What's going on? What are those guys doing?" It's kind of nice that someone is willing to go out and explain things.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andy,

      Steph didn't know this at the time, but I walked right through her camp during the Rev War reenactment at Brandywine Creek in september 2010. That was over a year before we started talking. Anyway, I was there with my cousin Billy, who acted as a British officer. he was spectating since he was a bit out of shape. But he was doing exactly what you described. When the troops passed in review he was pointing out the different uniforms and saying "those guys are grenadiers...those men wearing green and red are Hessians...those blue guys are American Loyalists...those Indians in blue are Iroquois fighting alongside the French...." etc. He also identified each rank by uniform, and every regimental flag at the event. He got me me so much into the history, I almost decided to join Revy War instead. (The high cost was what made me choose Civil War)

      Billy's father was a gunsmith, he collected antique replicas of muskets before mainstream reenacting was a thing. For example, the Brown Bess he carries into battle was his father's, it is almost 70 years old and in mint condition. Billy taught me how to do musket drill when I was 15 or 16 years old....but that Rev War event was my first reenactment attended since the Civil War one they had there in 1994.

      So my older cousin is largely responsible for me being here and for my interest in military stuff.

      Delete
  2. It's sad that that man can no longer participate in many of the re-enactments themselves, but I'm glad for his sake that he can still contribute towards them in his own way.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I do think that interpretation helps. I've overheard many a parent, explaining to kids what is going on in less than informed terms. Many times parents and kids are being educated at the same time as the Civil War is skipped over in many history classes.

    ReplyDelete

Tell me what you think!

Copyright © 2008-2020 Stephanie Ann Farra. All rights reserved.

All materials posted on this site are subject to copyrights owned by Stephanie Ann Farra. Any reproduction, retransmissions, or republication of all or part of any document found on this site is expressly prohibited, unless the author has explicitly granted its prior written consent to so reproduce, retransmit, or republish the material. All other rights reserved.