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Uniform Competitions
By Kurt Holman
(Originally Published in the Camp Chase Gazette; August, 1991)
Planning
Get your facts straight before you go in. Pick a particular date and place that can be anywhere in the Civil War. Check an 1860's calendar to find the day of the week. Once you select the time and place, give this some thought. If it is "in the field", you do not want to look too clean. If you are doing a Federal Army of the Tennessee impression on Friday, May 15, 1863 near Raymond Mississippi (just before the battle of Champion Hill: Vicksburg campaign), you would have reasonably high morale because of the successful campaign so far, but you would be the dirtiest, smelliest, and ragged excuse for a soldier that you could be. If you are doing the same day on duty at Fortress Monroe Virginia, your morale would be lower because you would have heard of the recent debacle at Chancellorsville earlier in the month, but your uniform and accouterments would be immaculate. The common impression would normally fall between these two extremes.
The key is research. Find out everything you can about the particular place that you are and adjust your impression accordingly. Get as much background as you can to really be there in your mind. After you have exhausted all the available research, use your common sense. Know what the soldier would know. You would know where you have been but not necessarily where you are going (that information is for officers). Know the names of your “Pards”, the names of all your company and regimental officers. the names and commanders of the other regiments in your brigade, the brigades in your division, and the corps and army commander. This does not necessarily apply if your regiment was just assigned to a new brigade. Do not know what the soldier would not have known. As to destinations, rumors are best. News from the east took at least a week under the best circumstances. This was a little better in large cites. On active campaign, you would have been away from news sources for much longer. Rumors are very effective here also. (General Lee was killed; General Hooker was taken prisoner; & etc.)
Know about life back home. No soldier lived in a vacuum. You must know about the civilian life you left and hope to go back to. Practice your birth date, the time and place of your impression, and your current age. Make sure the dates line up. You could not vote in the 1860 election unless you were 21 years old at the time. Know the political climate of the time and place and go with the common themes. Play the rules, not the exceptions! There may have been a few abolitionists in Kentucky but it is much more believable if you favor the concept of slavery. Know the President, the Vice President, and the Governor of your state. Know what civilian occupation you had before the war and know something about that occupation. If you were a farmer (most Civil War soldiers were), know something about farming. Know agricultural techniques, 1860's agricultural market prices, prices of farm implements, livestock & etc. Know about your family. The name of your wife or girlfriend(s), parents and siblings and what they are all doing. What they do for a living, where they live, who your in-laws are and any other relatives in the army are all good things to know.
Execution
In selecting what you wear and what you have with you, follow the Golden Rule of Uniform Competitions: "When in doubt, leave it out!" Start buck naked and as you put each article of clothing, think about it in relationship to where you are. Is it in context? Would the uniform be ragged, new, dirty, clean, or any combination of the above. For example, the Union troops at Perryville had new uniforms that were very dirty. If you do not want to be dirty, then pick a time and a place where you would be clean.
Pockets are very important. Only have in your pockets what the soldier would have had in his pockets. The same goes for the haversack. Many people enter competitions as veteran field soldiers with their haversacks filled with “stuffers" that would be unlikely encumbrances in that situation. Haversacks were for food! This is not to say that there were not a few other items in them but food was the primary purpose of the haversack. Cartridge boxes should have either live rounds or no rounds in them. An original Civil War soldier would not carry the same type of ammunition as we carry at reenactments. Be able to explain everything that you have with you! If you do not have any rounds in your cartridge box. say “I ain't been issued any yet. we's agoing out on picket tomorrow and I 'spect I'll be gett'n some here directly" or something to that effect as long as it matches your "story". Check all the little storage compartments in your accouterments. I lost a competition once that I spent a week getting ready for because I forgot to take my business cards out of that little implement pouch in my cartridge box. That was the last time I ever carried anachronisms in my cartridge box. Prepare your equipment and accouterments accordingly!
Without using the above guidelines, you can have the most authentic uniform and equipment available and still lose big. Also, by using these guidelines, you can still win on a budget. Theoretically, you could go into and win a competition buck naked with a story that you are in camp by a river and you have just washed your clothes and are waiting for them to dry. The perfect impression for the Reenactor on a budget. Basically, monetary considerations should not be a concern. Anyone, regardless of finances, can win or do very well.
Have all authentic clothing and accouterments; have your "story" down; and make your story MATCH your clothing and "traps". The one who wins a Uniform Competition is the contestant who best convinces the judges that he is a real Civil War soldier who just stepped out of a time machine.
Uniform Competitions, judged by competent Judges, are a very worthwhile and educational experience whether you win or not. If you learn something, it would be worth it even if you do not come off with the "prize". I would encourage everyone to try it. It really improves your "First Person" skills.
Behind the byline: Kurt is a member of the 7th Kentucky Infantry (U.S.) and the manager of the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site.
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