Struggles of Secession

EVENT DESCRIPTION
for
STRUGGLES OF SECESSION - Westville, GA 1863
Oct 20-24, 2010

MISSION:

Struggles of Secession is a first person, Living History in an authentically reproduced, 1850's Georgia town. Complete with shops, blacksmith, courthouse, homes, etc. We will be portraying the period of Sept-Oct, 1863 in Westville (modeled after Lumpkin, GA) of Stewart Cty to be held in the Westville Historic Village in Lumpkin, GA.
This is a unique opportunity to live in a period correct town as if you really lived there in 1863. We will have an exciting system of issuing "Notes" to add an economy for the town. Each person will have his or her role to fill for the weekend to help us bring 1863 Georgia to life.
We will represent a typical, SW, Georgia town and we will portray working civilian roles for the public. The event will reflect the shortages, struggles and injustices and everyday life in a typical south GA town.
You choose a period appropriate role from our list or one you can document.
Each role is limited in number and subject to approval.
Will you choose to speculate and profit on the war or will you chose to help the war effort and the poor civilians left behind? You make the choice and some of you may have no choice. For those that attended the 2008 event, you will know we have a unique economy in Westville and getting "Notes" or food items is the name of game for this event to eat better at this event. However, you may wish to eat meager rations knowing you have helped the Cause and your men and needy orphans and wives. Those that help others the most will also be rewarded with points. At the end the points will be used for an auction of three door prizes. Points are based on meeting your goals you are issued at the event start.
All of this will be done thru pre-scheduled vignettes/scenarios for the public. Tours will be led by a Docent/Interpretor who will act in 3rd person. The reenactors will stay in first person. No tours are conducted on Sun.
We also plan to make a donation to preservation and improvements at Historic Westville.
THE EVENT IS A FOUR DAY EVENT FROM WED - SUN. You may enter the event on Wed, Thurs or Fri, before 7 pm on friday at preset time windows. You must be on site by friday at 7 pm.
The first two days of the event will also serve as Work Day events. Please donate your time and skills for these site projects! Please feel free to come out and reenact and help maintain this precious gem of a site. The extra days allow you more time to develop your role/character!
The event ends at 3 pm on Sunday.

FIRST PERSON ROLES:

You need to submit your requested role to the civilian coordinator, Vickie Rumble for women and Jim Butler for men for approval.
Submit your request with registration early to lock in your requested role.
If you do not sumit your registration your role is lost to someone who registers first. Reenactors who attended the Sparks of Secession event in 2008 can lock-in to reprise their role if they register before March 30th, 2009.
We will be only portraying civilian roles correct for the time and period. We also will have a good cross-reference of social class for the period.
Castes/Classes will be 5 to 1...Five Yeoman (poor) class roles to every one Planter Class (wealthy) class roles. First to register and reprised roles have preference in roles and caste.
Also, we don't want ten blacksmiths and one teamster. Males age 17-40 will have their roles limited to pre-approved roles with limited sign-up for each role. Men over age 40 can select whichever roles they wish, but may need to spend time serving as a Home Guard.
Will you choose to be a corrupt Impressment Agent, nurse healing the sick, heartless Conscription Officer, kindly government agent, housewife working for half pay at a munitions factory or a ruthless Speculator profiting from the war? You choose your role and your ethics!
Clothing & Roles for men and women should reflect the economic hardships of a rural, working class town in 1863!
Please research your roles prior to the event. If you would like a role assigned, please let Vickie know for female roles and Jim Butler for male roles. We will assign a military officer to the Home Guard. Home Guard must be over 40 years of age.
This is a WORKING roles event. Please plan and come to actually do your role.
Keep in mind that everyone will not be getting their own house!
Cooking and Sleeping arrangements will be communal, camp city, porches, recuits in the army camp, etc. Sleeping areas will be assigned. We will have a Reenactor Refuge area at the Tabernacle for you to set up a period tent for you to camp, sleep and rest at. Please keep all modern items out of sight and in your tent. No modern tents please.
If you must break first person, please go to the Reenactor Refuge area or make the conversation private. We will have a period code line to say when you wish to have someone walk away with you to have a modern, private conversation.
Further updates will be emailed privately after you have registered.

                             VIGNETTES/SCENARIOS:

Here are some of the scheduled vignettes for the public throughout the weekend for the public during the day and for the reenactors at night:
     - Seeking limited food and supplies.
     - Civilian Demonstrations - Hospital, Arsenal factory, cooking, blacksmith, post office, Impressment agents, Homeguard drill and seeking deserters, Conscription Officers, storefronts (Ezra Barnhouse, Joe Blunt, etc), homelife, Impressment agents, Shoe factory strike and strike breakers, Deserters hiding in the woods, courthouse proceedings, Speculators selling blackmarket goods, Ambrotypist, Homefront Commission, court proceedings, working cotton gin, cotton brokers, cotton smugglers making purchases, tax-agents and tax-in-kind collection, etc.
     - Military Demonstrations: HomeGuard Drill
     - Period tableauxs and music.
     - The town will also have horses and horse wranglers.
        Bob McClendon is the Equine Coordinator for the
        event. If you bring a horse or mule you must contact
        Bob at [email protected]
        If you would like to bring your horse, you must be
        approved by Bob and abide by his equine guidelines.

Thus, we stay in first person throughout the weekend. If you are an organizer or must speak out of first person, please take your conversation to a private area.
Cell phone usage is limited to the Reenactor Refuge (Tabernacle) area ONLY!

REGISTRATION:

SCAR is the host unit and they receive automatic invitations. If you would like an invitation, please email your civilian role and contact info (phone and email) to Vickie Rumble (women) at [email protected] or Jim Butler (male) at [email protected]

Roles are NOT locked in until we receive and accept your paid registration. We are limited to 200 participants.

Once you receive your email invitation you will need to send in your registration form with your payment. Please click on the REGISTRATION link on the main page.

Registration covers food (ration coupons are issued to you, a donation to Historic Westville, $10-$12 towards trade goods/food ("Notes"), and event costs. See "Vendors & Services" page.

You may also purchase more "Notes" if you wish to purchase more goods from the store fronts. These are bought in $1, $2, $5 and $10 increments. (10 cent "Note"=$1.00, 20 cent "Note" =$2.00, 50 cent "Note"=$5.00 and $1.00 "Note"=$10.00).

"Notes" can not be refunded back for cash. All unspent funds are donated to the Historic Westville site. Note that additional foodstuffs are available, but in limited supply and exorbitant prices.

Thus we suggest you live off your rations. Your coupon allows you to draw rations sufficient for the number of days you will be there. These rations will need to be prepared by your communal group/mess. You will be assigned a cooking group/mess.
Additional food items are out there, you just need to find the means, guile or "Notes" to acquire them.

All participants must read and abide by the
"Civilian Impressions" page and the "Dress/Uniform - (Womens or Mens)" guidelines page.

EARLY REGISTRATION IS $35 and OPENS on December 1st, 2009 and CLOSES on August 30th, 2010. Childrens' Registration is $20.

LATE REGISTRATION IS $45 and closes on Oct. 1st, 2010.
Children's late registration is $25.

back to MAIN page

CONTACTS

Vickie Rumble - Civilian Coordinator - women / 19th c. Civilian Life [email protected]
Jim Butler - Civilian Coordinator - men /Local History Data
[email protected]
Robbie Mitchell - Reserve/HomeGuard and Munitions Factory
[email protected]
Bob McClendon - Equine Coordinator
capt[email protected]
Joe Blunt
Mens Dress Guidelines
Vickie Rumble
Womens Dress Guidelines

CARS WILL ONLY BE ALLOWED TO UNLOAD
Wed/Thurs/Fri. 7-10 am
and Wed/Thurs 5-10 pm
and Fri. 4-7 pm

NO CARS WILL BE ALLOWED IN THE TOWN BETWEEN FRI 7 PM and SUN 3 PM!