Sarah's / Chauncey's Reenacting Blog

Journey Through Hallowed Ground

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:06:00 +0000

Dear All,
Apologies for not posting sooner. I have a LOT to post, interestingly. But I thought I would break my silence by posting this item of note about a legislation lately passed to denote a National Treasure: Journey Through Hallowed Ground, to recognize the historical significance of a stretch of our county in the middle-east coast.

You can read more here: http://www.hallowedground.org/content/view/396/57

YH&S,
Sarah / Chauncey

Announcing something special for Loyalists

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 03:05:00 +0000

Loyalist Landing 2008 225th Anniversary
July 18, 19 & 20 , 2008
Re-enactment of the Landing of 10,000 or more Loyalists at
Port Roseway (Shelburne, Nova Scotia) in 1783

Shelburne, Nova Scotia
February 15, 2008

Dear Rev War re-enactor....

I am sending this notice along to rev war reenactors, including some from the RevList usergroup. Pardon any duplications, but we hope that we might see some of you here this summer in Nova Scotia.

With your kind permission regarding Loyalist Landing 2008, July 18-20 - Shelburne, Nova Scotia, we are now asking that participants submit registration forms so that we might make adequate preparation for the wood, straw, black powder, water and food, etc, etc., which we will need for the weeked. A link to the form can be found at www.LoyalistLanding2008.org or you can download a word version HERE or a pdf version HERE. The event is sponsored by the Brigade of the American Revolution and is one of the events overseen by the Canadian Maritimes Region.

For those who have submitted your registration forms, we are, of course, most grateful and look forward to seeing you here. You may still find some of the information on the website useful.

The weekend will be one of the largest reenactments in Eastern Canada in a decade and is sure to be a grand weekend. As you might see by a schedule posted at: www.LoyalistLanding2008.org, the weekend includes many opportunities for parades, drills, historical re-enactments, skirmishes and other delights. We will be providing straw, water, wood, black powder, clean toilet facilities and good shower facilities.

Shelburne Town retains much of its 18th Century charm, especially in the historic waterfront district, where many events will be staged. The encampment is just two blocks from the historic district. Local merchants will be affording reenactors discounts and there will be a pay parade on the Sunday to help with travel costs.

On the website, you will find a formal invitation, maps of the town and region, general tourism information plus information about crossing the US/Canada border and bringing muskets and other weapons into Nova Scotia.

We have to date seen interest from Several Quarters, including 84th Regiment Afoot, 2nd Battalion Regimental Assoc, Fortress of Louisburg, Stepford Historical Dancers, 49th Regiment of Foot, 1st New Jersey Volunteers, 3rd New Jersey Volunteers, 2nd Battalion, Delancey's Brigade, Kings Orange Rangers, 1st & 2nd Rhode Island, 3rd NJ Regt, "Jersey Blues", 74th Regt.Bn.Coy, 74th Highland Reg't., Atlantic Living Heritage Assoc., &tc, &tc., and have room and Heart for hundreds more.

We welcome inquiries from sutlers. For those interested, the region will also be hosting a major F&I event at Fortress Louisburg ( July 25-27).

Please also forward this message with my Good Wishes to any Loyalist Troops or Sympathizers (or Continentals looking for a good tussle) or sutlers who you think may enjoy our weekend. We look forward to you joining us in July on the rugged Coast of Nova Scotia for a Grand time.

Please feel free to email me (or the two gentlemen below) with any questions or call toll-free at: 877.235.4999

With Warmest Regards,

I remain yr most humbl svnt

Timothy Gillespie
novascotiaarts@klis.com

for Robt Guay, Acting Commander
Col Van Buskirks Coy, 3rd New Jersey Volunteers
guay@ns.sympatico.ca

and for Owen Hamlin
Maritimes Region Coordinator
Brigade of the American Revolution
mrh@ns.sympatico.ca

2008 Events: Battle on Snowshoes

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 03:20:00 +0000

This in recently from the FandIWar egroup:

We have high hopes that the Battle on Snowshoes event, scheduled for March 8th, will require snowshoes! It looks good so far. The Nadeau property, to the north of the Ticonderoga Country Club is a potential site for the start of the engagement. The Country Club has agreed to allow the use of their property, we will have to be careful of the "greens" area if there is no snow cover. This will be a one-day event, those who wish to stay overnight will have to make arrangements ( NOTE: the seamstress will post motel information from the Ti Chamber of Commerce as the date gets closer...) Registration information should be going out to unit commanders soon.
Best wishes to all for a very Merry Christmas!

I shall remain your most faithful...
S. Fuller

Battle on Snowshoes, March 13, 1758. The Participants

The English:

" No one was ordered on this hazardous expedition". ( Volume 1- The Beginnings. Burt Loescher 1946.) All members were volunteeres. They included 11 offficers, 11 sergents and150 privates from Roger's Rangers, along with additons from Putnam's Ct. company, the 27th Inniskilling, and some who had served in Roger's Cadet Company. The total in tis "flying party was 184 officers and men.

The French:

Sieur La Durantage, an ensign in the Colony Regulars, had recently
arrived at Ticonderoga with 200 iroquois and Nippssings from Soult St.
Louis and the Lake of the Two Mountains. He also brought several
Colonial Cadets and 30 Canadians.

On the morning of the 13th, the Indians had applied to Capt.
Hebercourt, Commandant of Ticonderoga, for provisions and brandy. A
small Indian scout returned from Lake George and reported fresh tracks
of 200 men on the west side of the lake near Bald Mt. This news excited
the "refreshed" Indians, and a confrontation between the enemies drew
near. The brush fighter Langy was present and his desire for action
added 30 Canadians and several Lieutenants , sergeants and privates
from the garrison regulars. The French forces now totalled 300.

Respectfully submitted, S. Fuller, Lake George Scout (and his
scribe, Sharon Bell)

Johnson Papers Now Available on the Web

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 12:15:00 +0000

Good day,

This fall NY State announced it has completed the process to digitize the complete set of Papers of Sir William Johnson and they are now part of the set of Historical Documents Available Online
from the New York State Library. This effort was due to the generosity of Tom Nesbitt, who volunteered his complete set, and was funded by the NY State Commission for the 250th Anniversary of the French and Indian War. Many thanks to Tom and the Commission!!!

I would like to point out that when you get to the links for the papers (they are listed near the bottom of the page linked above), the links will open as pop-ups. That means, if you have pop-ups disabled, you need to enable them for this site with your browser preferences, or enable each individually as you open them. To do this, hold down the CTRL key on a PC when you click a link, or the Apple key on a Mac. Hope that helps. The FAQ for the website has more help about that.

Happy reading!

Sarah / Chauncey

Website of the day: Reliving History

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:33:00 +0000

Good day,

Today, I want to share with you a link to some living historians down south: Morgan and Suze at http://relivinghistory.thot.us/ . I found their site because I purchased a period-correct woven game bag from her on eBay and then contacted her about a bespoke project. I looked at her gallery and found some other nice things and it seems to be quality work.

I would like others to know they are there, and to enjoy their not only their products but also their blog about Colonial America in the South.

YH&OS,
Sarah / Chauncey

New Book: "Farmers and Honest Men"

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 22:55:00 +0000

Good Day,

I am very happy to get to tell you about a new book which came out at the end of the summer: "Farmers and Honest Men" by long-time reenactor, Horst Dresler. The book tells us about Henry and John Ruiter -- descendants of the 1710 wave of immigrants from the Palatine -- through their life as Loyalists in the King's Rangers during the Revolutionary War to their settling Upper Canada and the War of 1812.

You can get the book here: http://farmersandhonestmen.com/index.htm

Most interesting to myself, who portrays a Loyalist, is the evident civil war these people were caught up in and which is so little talked about in our history books -- the stories of what Loyalist families suffered at the hands of their friends, neighbors, and local governments. I also found it interesting to learn about some of the great names of Loyalist history: Peters, Sherwood, and more. I recommend it to all people who portray Loyalists because it is guaranteed to enrich the story you can tell the public.

For people interested in Loyalist genealogy, Horst included extensive reprints of original memorials naming many of the early Upper Canada settlers, and a full genealogy of the Ruiter family.

Horst Dresler portrays Capt. Henry Ruiter of the 3rd Co. of King's Rangers (as well as James Rogers of Rogers' Rangers). He has been researching the Ruiters for many years, and it shows.

I hope you will contact Horst directly and get your copy, which you are sure to enjoy!!

Cheers,
Sarah / Chauncey

Website of the day: 17th of Foot

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 12:21:00 +0000

Dear all,

We are going to be turning our attention to new and very important 250th Anniversary events, one of those of course being the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, aka Quebec 2009. That means people are going to start to hear or want to hear more about Gen. Wolfe and exploring who he is.

I've been doing a bit of that myself and stumbled upon this site of the 17th of Foot (Wolfe's regiment). The website owner admits that ongoing research will keep the history and information updating regularly. Indeed, that is what we like to see in this hobby -- continuous learning and sharing of new knowledge. For that reason, I want to make sure people know about this website.

YH&OS,
Sarah / Chauncey

Fort William Henry's 250th Anniversary Event Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 00:36:00 +0000

Dear all,

One thing that is quite different today than when I started reenacting just 8 years ago is the number of movie clips available. Thanks to someone from the French side at the Fort William Henry 250th Anniversary event, you get to see not only more action but, as is rare on my website, something from both the French as well as the English!

Here are a bunch of videos for you to enjoy on YouTube. My thanks to the anonymous videographers.

Seige of Fort William Henry

250th Seige of Fort William Henry

Pan Across the Battle

Redcoats Process off the Field (I'm actually in this one!!)

Night Barrage 1

Night Barrage 2

One of the Big Guns

Behind Militia Lines

YH&OS,
Sarah / Chauncey

Fort William Henry's 250th Anniversary Event

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:42:00 +0000

Dear all,

I know it's been awhile since I posted here and I have a lot to say. I also have an overhaul of the website to take care of but who knows when that will be.

This past weekend I attended a fantastic event to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the Siege and Massacre at Fort William Henry. I hate to have to say this but the event is best known because of the Last of the Mohicans.

The most exciting part is that I was there with a new unit, the Quintin Kennedy Detachment, making our debut. But more on that later.

The event itself was fantastic. I got there Thursday to help and also because Capt. Quintin Kennedy's marquee takes a very long time to set up. On Friday, the event held the Sabbath Day Point massacre. More on that later too.

New twists were that Indians were on both sides!! Also, during the day, British cannon were up on the hill to the east and the French cannon were on the west and fired at each other frequently. That was great!

Saturday was essentially a line battle between the Brits and French. Here's something new: I was with the Redcoats! (Back to the "more on that later"). The French were meant to win and I have to say, I had never seen Brits die in the numbers they did. It was impressive, and hair-raising!

On Sunday, we again had the line battle and again the Brits lost, with many deaths. Following the battle, the British forces clubbed their muskets and marched from the facines that had been built out to along a road southward toward Fort Edward. Once the Redcoats had past, the French Natives attacked the Provincials and the camp followers. The spectacle was amazing. I was on the hill with the cannons we had been sent to defend (until getting overrun by the French) and so got to see it. What a site. According to the records, more people were captured than killed (as portrayed in the movies) because a live captive was more valuable than the scalp of the dead. So they took booty and captives away.

That is a quick synopsis. If you are interested in highlights, click on the following links.

http://news.webshots.com/album/560739989vxBekQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7Aqs-6UChA

Someone's personal pictures

PostStar Photo Gallery

YH&OS,

Sarah / Chauncey

About the Lake George Tactical 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 01:32:00 +0000

Dear all,

I know this will look remarkably like my tooting Chauncey's horn and I admit that there is some of that in this posting. I want to share with you a recent email that went out to the participants of the Lake George Tactical (the premier reenacting event for "hard core" reenactors).

Strictly FYI.

YH&OS,
Sarah / Chauncey

Gentlemen,
Although it doesn't seem like it with the hot weather these days, it's time to start planning for the Lake. Earlier this year I put out the word that I would like to have someone new take the reins on the British side this year. I still plan to be there and will support in all manner possible, but I think it would be good for others to gain some command experience as well as bring some fresh ideas to the event. I had several volunteers, some more reluctant than others, but in the end I chose the person with the most experience on the Lake -LT Chauncey Goodrich. LT Goodrich has served as LT of Rogers' Rangers and my second for a couple of years and I expect will do an excellent job this year. To that end, I am going to turn over all pre-event coordination at this point to him.

As always, the event is the week of Columbus day (8th – 12th) in October. This is a preliminary call to arms. Please talk to your units, pass this to your friends, etc., and get back to the LT. Once he has a feel for who will be going, we can establish a command structure and start disseminating specific information. As in the past, I expect LT Goodrich will encourage you to come and fight as your own, autonomous unit. The commander's role is to provide overall coordination of the event. If you or any of your men want to participate but are unable to do so as a unit, we encourage you to come as individuals and we will coordinate with you to get you hooked up with another unit. We need men of all talents whether it be leading a patrol, scouting by canoe, or protecting the camp. I have enjoyed the honor of fighting alongside many of you in the past and am looking forward with great anticipation to having you join us in making the Lake George Tactical a great experience this year.

General information, along with after-action reports from the past several years, is available at: http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif .

The event officially starts Tuesday morning (after all the leaf peepers have gone) and goes through mid-day Friday. If you would like to extend your time at the Lake, coming in early is certainly an option. I anticipate that LT Goodrich will disseminate further information shortly. I respectfully request that you contacht LT Goodrich at your earliest convenience and let him know what your intentions are and, as always, we want to keep any plans from here on out off the egroups and just in private emails. I also ask that you pass along this invitation to all that you feel appropriate. The LT's email address is [removed].

YMHOS,
Wade “Capt. Quintin Kennedy” Stoner

Fort Ticonderoga Grand Encampment Videos on YouTube!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 23:14:00 +0000

Dear all,

I got a head's up that the videos from French and Indian War Grand Encampment at Fort Ticonderoga this past June were put onto YouTube! Yes, we've really arrived now!!

Here are links to a few gems. I hope you enjoy them.

YH&OS,
Sarah/ Chauncey

Fort Ticonderoga #1: The French March in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vrUOCBlQUw

Fort Ticonderoga #2: The British Colors lead the troops to battle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZcowD-1i_Q

Fort Ticonderoga #3: The British march to battle, to the fifing of "British Grenadiers"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqqPoeLAheo

Fort Ticonderoga Gathering: Long!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZSHU224Pyo

Fort Ticonderoga pt2: French formation for inspection
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwuQwn4VCDo

Fort Ticonderoga Battle pt3: Battle scene
http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihpnvmPJ0Hw

Fort Ticonderoga Grand Encampment: British Bayonet Charge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_AKmHfJs9w

Link of the Day: South Coast Historical

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 10:24:00 +0000

Dear all,

I stumpled across this site recently, and I'm told it was posted in one of the women's egroups (I'm way behind in reading the egroup messages). I want to make sure all my visitors know about it. The site is South Coast Historical and it belongs to David Jennings and Hallie Larkin.

I don't know David well but Hallie is a class act as far as reenacting goes, one of the best of the best. This is especially true in her clothing. I have seen both of them at events doing a fantastic 17thC impression, and their clothing for the 18t and they hand-make all the clothes -- and importantly, they do a very upscale impression so we are talking about hand-making very elaborate clothing out of expensive silks, not just bunging together a shortgown!

Hallie started sutlering recently and I've had the pleasure of buying beautiful caps, aprons, and more, that are beyond the ordinary.

I also want to say that I sort of forced an acquaintance with Hallie and David at Ti in 2000 and there is a very funny story about that, which I won't share right now.

I hope you enjoy their website and get to find them sutlering at an event.

YH&OS,
Sarah / Chauncey

New Book: "A Soldier Like Way"

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 22:51:00 +0000

This post was on the RevList today. I thought I would share it with you. The author, Ryan Gale, leads a company of the 44th of Foot, who fought at Braddock's Defeat.

New book: "A Soldier Like Way"

This new book from Ryan Gale is the most comprehensive work on the British infantry material culture to date, brimming with exquisite full color photos of original artifacts and paintings. The story of the British infantry, their daily life, weapons, tools, food, and clothing is described in the soldier's own words, utilizing
entries from original journals, orderly books, and official papers, all of which are fully cited.

The 11" by 8-1/2" horizontal layout allows for 22" long spreads of original muskets and swords. Includes images of original uniforms, muskets, pistols, swords, eating utensils, canteens, haversacks, gaitors, halberds, hangers, smallswords, officer's fusils, medical devises, and more.

Artifacts and paintings were taken from public and private collections throughout the United States, Britain, and Canada, including the Royal Collection, Colonial Williamsburg, Fort Ticonderoga, Fort Ligonier, Fortress Louisbourg, Fort Pitt, and
Jummonville Glen.

Also included, the complete series of grenadier paintings by David Morier, shown in high resolution, full color. These important paintings have never before been published in their entirety and in color, and are here presented in high-resolution full color.

A must-have for the mid 18th century historian, collector, reenactor, and artist.

137 pages, paperbound, 11" by 8-1/2" format, full color photos. By
Ryan R. Gale. Published by Track of the Wolf Inc.
Now taking pre-orders for a mid-August 2007 delivery.http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
#BOOK-ASLW $32.50 + S&H. ISBN 978-0-9765797-2-4

You can see a preview and order online at Track's website:

Link of the Day: Captain Terry's Co.

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 01:23:00 +0000

Good day,

I have returned from an excellent weekend at the F&I Grand Encampment at Fort Ticonderoga. Jamie Parillo, commander of the 27th of Foot, was the overall British Commander, Jim Downey of Capt. Terry's Co. (a provincial unit) was his second. Capt. Quintin Kennedy (Wade Stoner) was the Adjutant, responsible for (among other things) getting the troops onto the parade ground in the correct formation and moving them out to the field properly. The weather was wonderful, the battles were thoroughly enjoyable, and the event was marred only by some yahoo(s) taking the Scottish flag belonging to Joey Hall of Father, Son, and Friends (sutler and performer), which was hanging outside his sutlery during the night. Reenactors are lining up to form a gauntlet that the thieves will have to run through once they are caught.

In this picture, Jim Downey is in the lower left corner. Wade Stoner is the redcoat officer front and center, speaking with Mike Slease, head of the 3rd Pennsylvania "Augusta" Regiment (green coats with red waistcoats in this picture), part of the Provincial Brigade.

Speaking of Jim Downey and Captain Terry's Co., the have launched a new website and here it is: http://captainterrys.com/ -- I hope you enjoy it.

YH&OS,
Sarah / Chauncey

Link of the Day: Royal Sussex Regimental Society

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 10:24:00 +0000

Good day,

I can't remember how I stumbled on this website but I'm posting here in theme of introducing you to the troops. I admit, I don't know anything about these people, but, well, why not share the site? It is the Royal Sussex Regimental Society, who reenact the 35th Regiment of Foot. As you'll see on their site, the 35th Regiment of Foot was under command of Col. Monro until 1757 (and you know what happened then -- but if you don't, you need to be at Lake George this coming September, 2007).

I hope you enjoy this site.

YH&OS,
Sarah & Chauncey

Drain is 1st vestige discovered of Fort Duquesne

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Sun, 27 May 2007 03:02:00 +0000

This is amazing -- too bad all this renovation is destroying the historical elements. Here is the article link:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07136/786274-53.stm

-----------------------------------------------------------

Drain is 1st vestige discovered of Fort Duquesne

Wednesday, May 16, 2007
By Don Hopey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Sacre bleu, they've unearthed part of Fort Duquesne!

Digging during the ongoing, $35 million renovation of Point State Park has exposed the remains of a drain that archaeologists say is part of the fort built at the Forks of the Ohio by the French in 1754.

Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette Tom Kutys, an archaeological field technician, kneels in a ditch at Point State Park, where he unearthed the remains of a drainage system that apparently once serviced Fort Duquesne in the mid-1700s. Bricks from the system can be seen at the bottom of the picture. Click photo for larger image.

The discovery is the first physical evidence of the French fort ever dug up, according to Brooke Blades, an archaeologist with A.D. Marble & Co., the firm hired by the state to oversee historical matters on the park renovation project.

"This is an exciting day in the history of archeology," Mr. Blades said during a tour of the archaeological dig site in the park yesterday afternoon. "This is tangible evidence of the past, where permanent European occupation of Pittsburgh began."

The drain, a 6-inch wide water course lined with irregular, handmade red bricks and capped with sandstone slabs, was found about 21/2 feet under the surface of the Great Lawn on the Point, or water side, of the park during an exploratory dig in advance of an electric line installation. It is believed to be part of a series of brick-lined channels drawing water away from a storehouse or munitions magazine
built in a south outwork of Fort Duquesne.

Fort Duquesne was destroyed by the French as the British advanced in 1758 during the French and Indian War. The British, in turn, built Fort Pitt between 1759 and 1761.

State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis called the discovery at Fort Duquesne, "perhaps the most notable archaeological find at the park in decades," and said it would be documented and preserved.

The brick drain excavation is located about 50 yards west of the Block House, and about 40 feet south of where Fort Duquesne is believed to have stood. It's also a stone's throw from where construction workers digging a water line in December stumbled upon the Colonial-era skeletal remnants of at least three people.

Tom Kutys, 24, an archaeological field technician with A.E. Marble, found the brick drain two weeks ago. At first Mr. Kutys and Mr. Blades thought he'd found the top of a wall, but more digging revealed the drain.

"I put a tape into the drain and found it's hollow for at least 8 feet," said Mr. Kutys, who had only been working in Point State Park for two weeks when he found the drain. "I'm working on some of the first masonry in Western Pennsylvania. It doesn't get any better than that."

Mr. Blades said the archaeological digging will continue on the south side of the fort and new digging will begin soon on the fort's north side.

"The purpose of our work is not to do a major archaeological excavation, but to identify, record and preserve what is there for possible future exploration," Mr. Blades said. "The major question, now that we've found evidence of the fort, is to determine how extensive it is. Once we do that, we've provided a baseline record for
future projects that could come in and look at it."

He said that to do a full archaeological exploration of the fort would take five to 10 years.

Mr. Blades said the state has asked the archeological firm to expand the excavation to expose the drain back to the wall of the fort. After its location is documented, the drain will be filled with clean sand and covered with a thick, felt-like blanket, topped by a layer of crushed stone.

None of the archaeological work now planned will delay the park renovation work, which is progressing mainly on the eastern, city-side end of the 36-acre park, and is slated to be finished by the end of this year.

The point of land between where the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers meet was extensively developed and redeveloped by commercial and industrial interests through the 1950s, before it became the keystone for Pittsburgh's first urban renewal or "renaissance." It was dedicated as a state park in 1974, but in recent years, due to overuse and neglect, fell into disrepair.

Several hisorical preservation groups have criticized the park renovations for ignoring historical considerations and burying the wall of Fort Pitt's Music Bastion to create a concert space on the city-side of the park.

But Laura Fisher, senior vice president of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, which has supported the park renovations, said the "construction mitigation archaeology" being used by the state is a necessary compromise in a park where "the natural and historic landscapes are the same."

She said a participatory public archaeology program could be developed as part of the park's interpretive history program.

"In a perfect world, the entire park would be an historic preserve, but this is a complicated place," said Ms. Fisher, who is also a member of the state's Historical and Museum Commission. "We can try to elbow a greater role for history here, but it will never be that. It's a people's park, and the master plan makes room for everyone."

Military Travel in the 18th century

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Fri, 18 May 2007 12:28:00 +0000

Good day,

A post on one of the egroups [CustalogaTown] about early American travel got responses with an interesting link to a web page about how the army traveled in the colonial era. The page is focused on the Revolutionary War but it refers back here and there to the French and Indian War. The web page I'm speaking of belongs to the U.S. Army Transportation Museum.

I hope you find this interesting and informative.

YH&OS,
Sarah M. / Chauncey

Link of the Day: 1st of Foot

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Thu, 17 May 2007 23:17:00 +0000

Good day,
I'm once again sharing a link of one reenacting unit: the 1st Royal Regiment of Foot. This is a new unit, formed late in 2005. They are small and I hope a few people will find them and be interesting in joining. I say this because (1) the world needs more redcoats! and (2) these are a great group of people and I would like to see them grow.

I hope you will visit their site to find out why they are called the Royal Regiment.

YH&OS,
Sarah & Chauncey

Website update

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Fri, 11 May 2007 12:24:00 +0000

Good day,
After nudging from my friend Bill Filkins (it's good to have him nudging me!) I finally got something posted from 2006. I have a lot more to do and we are into 2007 already! YIKES!!

Anyway, I've written and posted pictures about a BAR-only event at Ridgefield, CT in July last year, with a separate page to mention my bumping into the March to Yorktown. You can find them by starting here: http://reenacting.net/2006/ridgefield. Thank you to Mike Fitzgerald for helping me get my facts straight on the March to Yorktown info.

YH&OS,
Sarah & Chauncey

Link of the Day: 15th of Foot

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Tue, 08 May 2007 23:05:00 +0000

Good day,
I am finding websites of other units and thought I would share them with you, so you can meet some of the troops. This one belongs to the 15th of Foot, the King's Company. The 15th of Foot was in both the French and Indian War and the Revolution War (and beyond, of course). The people in this group also do other units, as you will see.

This site has tons of pictures and I know you will enjoy seeing them. These pictures include a lot of people at a lot of places, not just pictures of themselves (I think I'm in there a few times!) so it is a rich site for everyone.

YH&OS,
Sarah / Chauncey

PS - email them and suggest they come over to reenacting.net so they can get a better url than "hourstriketransistor"!!

Link of the Day: Benedict Arnold

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 11:41:00 +0000

Good day,
While I spend most of my time in the French and Indian War, I do occassionally look at the Rev War. I was alerted to this story about Benedict Arnold, who is always an object of fascination. The article is on AmericanHeritage.com.

One of the reasons I like this article is that it brings to attention Benedict Arnold's field of play, as it were -- the upper Lake Champlain region and the waterways that flow to the north, the "difficult terrain" where war had been fought for decades, and much more. These are the same parts of North America that are so critical to the French and Indian War, and this article emphasizes their place in the formation of early America. The article also encourages people to explore the areas mentioned, all in a region where historically-minded people can have their cup filled to overflowing.

The article is called On the Trail of Benedict Arnold, by W. D. Wetherell.

If for some reason that link doesn't work for you, try this one: http://tinyurl.com/2dt8m2

YH&OS,
Sarah / Chauncey

More Czech Reenactors

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:58:00 +0000

Good day,
Some time ago, I posted about finding people in the Czech Republic who reenact Rangers and French for the French and Indian War. Well, I was contacted by one who reenacts Montgomerie's Highlanders, the 77th of Foot, and he is writing a paper on the British attack on Fort Carillon (1758).

Here is their website: http://www.scottish.livinghistory.cz/

I think that is so interesting!

YH&OS,
Sarah / Chauncey

New Book on the French and Indian War

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 15:30:00 +0000

Good day,
I'm writing to you from Denver where I am visiting my family. On Friday the 16th, I had lunch with the author of a new book on the French and Indian War, Walter Borneman. Mr. Borneman had donated his book plus lunch for two to a library silent auction, which my father won. That turned into lunch for five (my parents, Mr. Borneman and his wife Marleen, and me).

Anyway, the new book is called The French and Indian War: Deciding the Fate of North America (published by HarperCollins in 2006). By Mr. Borneman's own admission, this is a book for the masses, a popular telling of the French and Indian War for people who want a good intro but not extensive detail. My father read it in one weekend, couldn't put it down. I enjoyed reading it very much but have to admit I got bogged down, the way I usually do with such a book, in running to my library to look things up, rather than just reading it for the sake of reading it.

It's very approachable and I recommend it to everyone but especially to our friends and family who are interested in the French and Indian War but don't want to read heavy tomes and/or extensive details. I hope this does not sound derogatory when I say I look at this book as the Cliff Notes version of a vast library of research -- in other words, Mr. Borneman uses the work of other author (Parkman, Anderson, and many more) as his primary source rather than redoing other people's research and he consolidates the highlights of a lot of other books into one easy-to-follow version.

Two features of the book worth mentioning are (1) how Mr. Borneman ties the French and Indian War back to what is going on in Europe with the Seven Years' War, and (2) Mr. Borneman's interest and promotion of naval activities and the importance of the navies of the European countries involved.

Mr. Borneman obviously had to make some decisions of what to include and what not to include. Even at 300+ pages, he made some trade-offs that resulted in many elements of the war being left on the cutting room floor, in a manner of speaking. One reenactor has already noted he left out Fort Bull's capture by the French in 1756 (one of the 250th comemorative reenacting events last year). I was more concerned about his leaving out Washington's involvement with Jumonville (which he doesn't mention) and barely mentioning Fort Necessity during 1754. He explained at lunch that he felt this was covered in other books and he was more interested in Washington's trip in 1753. That was his choice but I personally feel the Jumonville episode is one of the most important in the entire war; for me, the "shot heard 'round the world" was the one in Jumonville Glen (regardless of who fired it) and should not be left out, especially in a book for the masses who are not going to read it in the other sources.

Still, I do recommend the book to one and all. Happy reading!!

YH&OS,
Sarah / Chauncey

Website update

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 14:52:00 +0000

Good day,

I finally completed an update that has been on my to-do list for about 18 months: I posted the 250th of Braddock's Defeat from 2005 at Old Bedford Village, PA. This link takes you to where you can select the reenactment page, or go to a page I put together with letters and such from key people at the time.

The reenactment page includes LOTs of pictures from many people, plus a write-up. I know this addition might seem small but it takes a lot of work to do it the way I do it.

Remember, if you like my website, please go to my home page to make a small donation to help me with the cost of it. I would be so grateful!

YH&OS,
Sarah / Chauncey

Fort William Henry and LOTM

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah / Chauncey) — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 15:02:00 +0000

Good day,
Yesterday, I posted about Fort William Henry because this year is the anniversary of the fall of that British outpost at the head of Lake George. You almost certainly know that that event was the core of the book Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, which in turn gave rise to at least 3 Hollywood movies, a short-lived TV series, and (I have just learned) a BBC Masterpiece Theatre production.

I'm obviously partial to this because (as with many other reenactors) it was the 1992 movie version that got me into reenacting in the first place. (More on that here.)

If you want to know just about everything there is to know about that movie, including the history, the filming, the script, the locations (buy the book on that!) and SO MUCH MORE, be sure to go to Mohican Press. This is the premier site on all things LOTM!

Meanwhile, word recently spread in some of the egroups about the BBC production. One person on the FandIWar egroup wrote, " I just got my copy ordered from Amazon yesterday and started viewing it. There are 2 CD's and a total of about 5 hours of viewing. It's just as I remembered it. There isn't the super hollywood production antics and it follows the book much more closely than any of the more spectacular releases. From a historical perspective though, it's important to remember that your watching a fictionalized version of what some would consider a small event in the Faniwar. Nevertheless, the entertainment value is of the highest caliber. "

Others have agreed and the point to this production is that it is about the literary version, not the Hollywood version.

So, it is time for us all to freshen up on our LOTMs!!

YH&OS,
Sarah / Chauncey