As some of you may know I am one of those eccentric people who like to dress
up at weekends...as a Confederate artillery-man!
Having been re-enacting now for almost twelve years I recently was given the
opportunity to attend a film shoot for a DVD documentary series on the War between
the States (American Civil War to the untrained!) So it was one cold Saturday
morning in January that I turned up in my finest uniform prepared to become
a rising star, well one can always live in hope. Instead, I ended the day rather
cold and damp! We were asked to gather at the food marquee where we were introduced
to the Director and Producer, who gave us a rough outline of when and where
the filming of certain scenes would take place.
"Confederate artillery first" was the cry, which put paid to my third cup of tea! So after ensuring we had our 2 x 12lb Napoleons, plus ramrods, buckets and various other accoutrements we were ready for action. Not having horses we used a transit van and trailer as this took us but a few minutes to arrive at near our allocated position (well Swamp really). All off loaded and barrels mounted on carriages I got my 'boys' to move the pieces into position and prepare for 'battle'.
In the distance I could see a small van and was reliably informed that this contained the film crew and equipment for the 'shoot'. This van was to be driven up and down a road that ran alongside the 'swamp' we were in, the crew in it would be filming us being charged upon by cavalry. Charged by cavalry! That was a little detail not given to us by the film crew, infantry no problem but great lumbering horses? Actually, they are excellently trained to deal with noise and disturbances, most are former Police horses in retirement. So where were the enemy, not one was in sight, all we could see was a lot of field and feel a very icy wind whipping up around us.
Freezing from the icy cold wind there then appeared about two hundred yards or so in front a horse and rider, sure enough a Yankee, the part of the field held by us was higher than that from which the cavalry was approaching hence our not spotting them earlier. I guessed we were in for no action yet as he was riding toward us waving and smiling. We had been strictly warned that shots of soldiers smiling in battle would not appear in the film. He had ridden over to pass on instructions from the film crew on how the cavalry would charge us and also when we were to fire upon them. Action at last and all we had to do first was de-frost our fingers!
The give away to the impending attack was the small van driving parallel to the cavalry. It was still a surprise when they appeared with sabres held aloft and looking as if they meant business, however we matched their horsemanship with our cool handling of our Napoleons. Sponge, worm, load, ram, prime and fire, the smoke was hanging around our position due to the damp air and this added to the scenario we were trying to create. The 'shoot' took about ten minutes, with more instructions from the film crew and another three charges (shoots) before the film director declared herself happy. We, the artillery, had been standing in the field for three hours and were cold, hungry and in need of a hot drink. As for the poor cavalry, both horse and man were covered from hoof to hat in mud so we all decided on a truce and a mug of hot tea!
A trudge in the driving rain for a mile and we were at the food marquee, a hot drink and a burger or two soon revived us. All this weekends meals were supplied by the film company who had hired a catering firm and were expecting at most 50 re-enactors, therefore although delighted they were taken back by the 150 plus that turned up! However the standard of food was very good and it was great not to have to cook over an open fire in the cold and rain.
After an hour of rest it was back to our artillery placements, this time we would have infantry supporting us against cavalry. At least the infantry were placed in a trench/ditch position so would be out of the biting wind and with some shelter, so we the artillery thought, enviously!
So we all got into position, artillery and infantry and on yet again came the cavalry, film crew were now on foot flitting between infantry line and artillery position, giving instructions here and there. Once satisfied after a couple of practice runs they would do the 'shoot' and had warned us that visual effects would be added. The practice went well a couple of changes here and there, this film business is easy thought I? Time for the 'shoots' to begin and the OK was given, in charged the cavalry, artillery replied, our infantry then joined in, all going well! Then 'boom' and another, suddenly we were splattered with hundreds of pieces of earth as ground charges representing enemy shells landing exploded around us and in the infantry trenches. Smoke, dirt and sounds of mayhem ensued as artillery men portraying the wounded fell among us and had to be moved from the guns causing disruption in our ranks. In the 'comfy' infantry trench things were as bad. What we thought had looked a nice safe place to be for the infantry was in fact extremely muddy underfoot so clumps of very soggy mud were being splattered across their ranks and of course they had to lie in it when wounded etc. Plenty of small cameos were taking place, the wounded being tended to, troops looking for cover, deserters trying to get away and other standing firm and still firing their muskets. Take away the film crew and you could almost think that we had been caught in a real artillery barrage, the cavalry which had charged were now at a safe distance away so were not caught in friendly fire. The film crew themselves had been dashing to and fro' taking a 'shoot' here and another there and unlike the mornings 'take' this action went on much longer and needed to be repeated only once, "a good day" was the Directors comment.
I know one thing... I am very glad I was not one of those that volunteered to go into the camp hospital, who then 'died' or had been 'killed' during the battle. A burial party had been formed with the 'corpses' lying on the wet earth, boots, shoes and socks removed (these were usually scavenged from the dead due to Confederate supply shortages) jackets and trousers open (wounded and dying looked for minie-ball entrance into body) Graves were dug and then the 'dead' were almost fully buried. I saw a couple of the walking 'dead' later that day and they were still thawing out in more than one place!!!
We had cleaned the cannon and placed them back on the van and trailer, then we all went for a well deserved evening meal, some good company, a drop of wine, a little whiskey and a brandy for the road! An enjoyable end to a great day, that night I slept surprisingly well and my new thermal long-johns worked a treat!
Sunday morning 7am, bugles and drum beats awoke us, there was I hoping for a lie in till 8am, no chance, today we were to film camp scenes. So a hearty breakfast was had, OK two hearty breakfasts were had, us Confed's have to eat when we get the chance!
The artillery were not required today, however we were to be part of a victory parade through a southern city, Charleston was mentioned. Now I have been to Charleston and being filmed in the middle of a field surrounded by trees is nothing like parading along the Battery in Charleston, there must be some fancy graphics coming into play for this documentary! So after parading up and down the field, cheering, waving and lots of back slapping our cameo was over and somehow I had managed to get muddier than the day before! "We need camp scenes now" declared the Director so off we dashed and I grabbed my authentic looking playing cards. Three of us sat down to play and because we portray a unit from New Orleans, where French is spoken as the second language, we thought "why not play speaking French", the only problem was that only one of us spoke it fairly well, I know my numbers (just) and the third new hardly any! So what we couldn't figure out was why the one who could hardly speak French kept winning? Confederate dollars were passing across the table and we had a lot of fun learning to play 'French' style, a definite must for future events. Lots of laughing which drew quite a crowd...but no film crew! In fact when we looked out from under the tent awning after two hours card playing the film crew had packed up, and all our brilliant acting had been wasted!!
As we were no longer needed time was now spent packing up our equipment for the journey home, we had all had a very enjoyable weekend. Yes, we had got cold, dirty and spent long periods of time doing nothing and no-one had said "Lights, Camera, Action!" The experience of actually being involved in the film making process had been an eye opener and well worth the effort. Whether I eventually appear in the DVD series is of no consequence, as long as it gives a balanced and historically correct account of the War between the States.
Finally, autographs will be available by appointment only!!