Tkfe WATCHDOG

TKfE WATCHDOG. IVIL Volume 12, No. 2 Guarding your interests... Calvary and Ordinance How often have you seen these words improperly used musket dIjour is concerned, as I have several beauties to in place of "Cavalry" and "Ordnance"? There are, of course, select from. Of course, I did attempt to correct her other aspects of the Civil War just as commonly misused misunderstanding by reminding her that I am a Virginian. and misunderstood these days. Most of the public The Commonwealth of Virginia (something like a "state," misperceives our entire hobby at some level and to varying but do not call it that) hosted more than its fair share of the degrees. Let's take my wife, whom I have long referred to contests during the War of Northern Aggression, as it is by the endearing nickname of "The War Department," as a sometimes called in the Old Dominion. In fact, if I recall my barometer of the general public's level of Civil War history right, the Confederate government was housed in understanding. Like most people, including me, she is bright the city of Richmond for a while. "That's okay," she replied, in some areas, but rather dim in others. She graduated "Virginia is still 'Yankee.' They don't serve hushpuppies with from college "magna-cum laude," and I graduated ''thank the seafood around here and the tea is unsweetened." you lawdy." My last recorded brush with the world of the Apparently the present understanding of what constitutes mind was many years ago, unless you count the time I Northern or Southern ideology is based on culinary rather assisted my daughter with moving into her college dorm. than historical criteria. In case you thought the usefulness Back to my wife. Mind you, she has two Civil War of the hobby had been reduced to mere sham battle enthusiasts in the house (my son and me). It takes our entertainment, and there is no value to expertise in the family much longer than average to travel by automobile subject, let me remind you we still have a mission beyond because we habitually stop and read all the battlefield the marching and musketry, lest we forget that "none died historical roadside markers. The War Department certainly in vain." And we will move on from here with my promise should have developed a great understanding and not to bore you with any more domestic husband-wife appreciation of Civil War minutiae just by osmosis. However, chatter of the sort that made "Gods and Generals'' such the fact remains that this is not the case, and that is the compelling cinema in between the battle scene recreations. point; complete outsiders commonly misunderstand the An example of one way to improve the "mission" of our enactment hobby to an even greater extent. hobby took place in Lynchburg, Virginia last summer. My Here is a recent example. The War Department was unit, the Forty-fourth Virginia Infantry, Company K, proofreading an article that I was preparing for the DOG participated in an event there that revolved around a when she informed me it was spelled 0-R-D-I-N-A-N-C-E. recreation of a period church service, circa late June 1863. "No," I said, "One is about the city's leash law and the other The Army of Northern Virginia is on the march. Upon is about muskets and bayonets." Let me hasten to add that entering Pennsylvania they stop for the night and attend a this is the same woman who after serving over twenty-one country church where the chaplain is going to address them years of a life sentence married to me, and having given just before their fateful appointment with the Army of the me three beautiful children (but refused to let me return Potomac at nearby Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. them for cash as I sometimes do her other gifts) had recently The service took place at Thomas Road Baptist Church, summed me up as "nothing but a Yankee, anyway." This at the generous invitation of the regular pastor, Reverend was a statement I regarded as relatively unenlightened. I Jerry Falwell. There was a large crowd that Sunday evening, have great respect for .Yankees, without them, with whom as is common for that church. It appears to be built to hold would we enact the Civil War? And I did egg her on by a larger crowd than you might expect from a city the size of saying that some of the boys in gray that I fall in with had Lynchburg. The Virginia Grays, led by Jerry Holman, an unhealthy obsession with the Civil War. The response I marched in and played several tunes on fife and drum, expected from her was along the lines of "So, what's your including ''The Girl I Left Behind" and "Amazing Grace." Al point?" That would have been a valid response since one Stone, portraying General Robert E. Lee with his usual man's unhealthy obsession is another man's "authentic authority and grace, gave a brief opening statement. When impression." I certainly go to great extremes where my you meet people with his demeanor and class, you Four C t the Nevvsstand. understand why Southerners of the time said, "I believe Skeered" and that "Lee surrendered, but he didn't." The there's a God, but I've seen Robert E. Lee." Then the driver was perhaps twenty-one years old, had his hat on chaplain, less portrayed than personified by Reverend Alan backwards, a Tasmanian devil tattoo shown off by a Farley, took the pulpit and casually pushed the microphone sleeveless T-shirt. He glanced briefly at us on his way to to the side. There is generally no need to amplify that voice his own appointment with fate (probably in the form of a of his, certainly not on this night, even in an enormous visit to the ABC liquor store). He gave both of us a nod that auditorium like Thomas Road Baptist Church. Reverend suggested an affirmation of his "Southern" values. In fact, Farley is a Southern gentleman in best sense of the term. nothing could be further from the truth. Nothing could be He embodies the correct amount of rectitude, sobriety and less authentic than this use of the battle flag, and frankly, I religious fervor, along with the de rigueurfire hazard beard, was embarrassed by it. What a stark contrast this young well-worn Bible, black coat and close-cropped graying hair. man's message sent compared to the one we had so Southerners traditionally like their holy-men shall we say, recently received from Reverend Farley at Thomas Road. enthusiastic, passionate and colorful and Reverend Farley In conclusion, our goal remains to educate and raise does not disappoint. This experience was not "like" a country the overall level of authenticity in the Civil War enactment church of 140 years ago; it was "transformed" into it when community and to conduct ourselves as true gentlemen. the reverend began his message. Sermons of that time Reverend Alan Farley will undoubtedly continue to reach were not platitudes to make one sleep better either at home the public with his mission, just as he reached nearly a or in the pew. When Reverend Farley finishes, which he thousand that Sunday night in Lynchburg. His workvalidates did with unusual dispatch in just under an hour, you have the significance of the good things enacting is about. Our been given a gift in the form of something to talk about on hobby is presently under attack on all sides by people who the ride home. do not understand what we do or why. It has never been My son and I were doing just that, still in our period more important than it is now to remember that what you attire, when a rusty pick-up truck with huge wheels passed do speaks so loudly that people do not hear what you say. our car in the fading light of that summer evening. The truck We are at a crossroads. This is the battle now, and it is one had a cheap Confederate battle flag in the back window, we must all do our best to win. along with bumper stickers suggesting that the driver "Ain't Mr. Barry CIVIL WAR MUSIC The Birth of the Banjo, an Exhibit at the Katonah Museum of Art What would a War Between the States enactor find of Just as one does not have to be a priest or minister to value in a banjo exhibit? The same could be asked about learn about mid-nineteenthcentury religion, you do not have an exhibition, lecture, or study of quilts, farming, literature, to be a musician to learn about mid-nineteenth century politics, urban life, buildings, citizen's clothing, industry, music. The "Birth of the Banjo" exhibit helped anyone better religion and any other aspect of mid-nineteenth century life. understand the material and popular culture of our nation The answer is this: Our impressions are incomplete without our industry and art from the years just before War. The some knowledge of the things that encompassed the lives entertainment that was centered on the banjo was our first of soldiers and citizens of the period. When we gain a better popular culture phenomenon. This entertainment, called understanding of what made them who they were, our minstrelsy, was intertwined with the culture of the men we portrayals will be more accurate. so carefully portray. The music of minstrelsy was not the The finest collection of antebellum and Civil War era music of the plantation slaves but a melding of Anglo-Celtic banjos and minstrel music ephemera were recently and African-American music played by white Northerners.

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