Here is an account of our conversation:
Gettysburg Team: Why did you choose to reenact?
Mr. Gilbert: The reason I did that is because first, I enrolled in Civil War course in my senior year in college, the professor made the course most interesting. Reenacting is both an opportunity to experience what it was like to be in the civil war and an opportunity to share with the public what people did 135 years ago and what they went through. It’s also a hobby and I just enjoy the camaraderie of being in camp with everyone.
Gettysburg Team: What is it like to be a reenactor?
Mr. Gilbert: I thought about that one for awhile. First of all, the hobby is expensive. I’m in the artillery, but an infantryman can expect to spend
about $1,200. You need a uniform: a jacket, pants, and a couple of
changes of shirts. You need to buy your shoes (brogans), and their
$85. You also have a canteen, a hat and a haversack. Then, when you get a musket, you might spend $500. You can buy these things at a number of sources, even some locally.
In the summer, with wool uniforms it can also can get very hot.
One has the opportunity to experience as much as practical what it was like to be a civil war soldier, the sights, the sounds – without the danger of being harmed.
It’s also fun to be out there. You get to share and learn more about the civil war with people who have a common interest, other reenactors. When you’re in camp, you’re “camping out” as a civil war soldier. For example, no modern tents are used because the tenting material is canvas. In the evening a campfire is started, and we may discuss the civil war or other any other subject. That’s where the camaraderie comes in. It’s like an extended family.
Gettysburg Team: Do you know any of these people? Were they your friends before you started reenacting?
Mr. Gilbert: No, I didn’t know anyone. I did have a chance to attend reenactments with the unit before I joined, but I didn’t know any reenactors prior to that.
Gettysburg Team: When did you start reenacting?
Mr. Gilbert: I’ve been reenacting for about two years. Prior to that I was with the North/South Skirmish Association and they did live fire with muskets, pistols, and cannons. We had uniforms and gear as part of uniform, but this was no where near the authenticity a reenactor attempts to achieve. I did that for twelve years.
Gettysburg Team: What are the different roles you can be as a reenactor?
Mr. Gilbert: There are a number of roles. One is a “civilian impression”. This is an opportunity for wives of reenactors or women to play parts such as the Sanitary Commission.
If you reenact in a military unit, you can either be artillery, cavalry, infantry, and even naval units are portrayed
Gettysburg Team: If you play a part in the cavalry, do you need to buy the horse?
Mr. Gilbert: No, there are a lot of people who reenact “dismounted cavalry” and they don’t have horses. However, at the Gettysburg reenactment last summer there were a good number of mounted cavalry, probably a couple hundred.
Gettysburg Team: How did you get a canon?
Mr. Gilbert: Actually, there are a number of companies that manufacture revolutionary and civil war era canons. An original cannon is not only very expensive, but there are not many left.
Gettysburg Team: What role do you play in the artillery unit?
Mr. Gilbert: I’m a private. On an artillery piece, there are four positions. I’m trained in all four positions. Recently, I have been assigned to the number one position and that’s the person who swabs out the barrel with the sponge and rams the charge down the barrel. But at any reenactment I could be assigned to a different position, because we rotate in positions.
Gettysburg Team: What kind of homework do you do to play your part?
Mr. Gilbert: Well, the homework I’ve done is all the years I’ve spent studying the civil war and learning about it, over twenty years. If I wanted to learn something in particular, I’d read up on it or discuss with other reenactors who might be more knowledgeable about the subject.
My interests in this era range from not only the war but also to what civilian life was like and the political atmosphere of the time. There was a lot going on in the political arena.
Gettysburg Team: Do you learn something new every time you do a reenactment?
Mr. Gilbert: Absolutely, thats what I like about it.
Gettysburg Team: What battles do you reenact?
Mr. Gilbert: We reenact a lot of battles, not just Gettysburg. We’re doing about four locally this year. Organizers will schedule a battle, like Antietam or others, at a certain area and, within limits, the reenactment will take place. It’s hard to do a full scale reenactment. You’re not allowed on National Park lands to do a reenactment. The Gettysburg reenactments were performed on a private farm in the area.
Gettysburg Team: How do you know when you should fall over dead?
Mr. Gilbert: That’s a good question! A lot of reenactors try to figure that one out, too! Being in the artillery, I don’t get killed too often because when you get killed, you can’t shoot the gun! We usually have just enough to man the cannon.
There are no set rules. Generally, what the guys do is “take a hit” if it’s hot or if it’s obvious you’ve been shot. Some reenactments are scripted.
Gettysburg Team: How do you know what to look like when you fall down?
Mr. Gilbert: There are some guidelines on that. They don’t like when you do a “John Wayne” by flinging your expensive musket in the air and flailing your arms. Instead, it’s very controlled. You hold your musket, bend to you knees, and fall down. The trick is actually staying there! With big reenactments, a lot of guys want to see what’s happening so you’ll see their heads popping up in the air!
You get up when the battle is over, usually twenty or thirty minutes.
Gettysburg Team: How are renactments organized?
Mr. Gilbert: There are people who organize each reenactment. You register as either Union or Confederate. There are guidelines and safety rules everyone must follow. It’s controlled. There are safety rules to follow.
Gettysburg Team: What do you do about bayonet charges, like on Little Round Top?
Mr. Gilbert: Not being in the infantry I am not sure how this is done – but you can be assured if it is done, it is done safely.
Gettysburg Team: Who plays famous people?
Mr. Gilbert: Certain people who have a likeness to the person they are playing, specialize in that. Some look pretty good.
Gettysburg Team: What side do you like playing on?
Mr. Gilbert: Both sides!
Gettysburg Team: How would someone know when to fire his musket?
Mr. Gilbert: The infantry is given orders when to fire, as is the artillery. They are usually in a line advancing across a field. They are given an order to “halt”, “fire”, “reload”, “fire” again, or “fire at will’. The commander tells you when to shoot. Each unit has their own officers that the company elects.
Gettysburg Team: Do you ever fire a weapon just to show people?
Mr. Gilbert: At reenactments, we normally have artillery or musket demonstrations where reenactors will show step by step how to fire a particular weapon. Usually, these are in the morning.
Gettysburg Team: How many times do you reenact and where?
Mr. Gilbert: The number of times vary depending on whether or not you’d like to travel. Some reenactments are local. There are four or five that we’re doing this spring. Other reenactments are located in other states. We carpool with other reenactors and travel to other locations, like to Virginia this year for the 135th reenactment of the Battle of the Wilderness.
Gettysburg Team: Do you get paid?
Mr. Gilbert: No, reenactors don’t get paid? Artillery sometimes receives a powder allowance to help pay for the cost of firing the cannon. Each time you fire the piece, it costs over $3 dollars. That’s quite a bit more then what it costs to fire a musket.
Gettysburg Team: What role does reenacting have in understanding or perpetuating history?
Mr. Gilbert: That’s what reenacting is. It’s a living history that we do not just for the battle, but to explain to people how things were done. It’s an opportunity for people to see what soldiers were like in camp. You know the old saying, “A picture’s worth a thousand words.” That’s one of the things reenactors can do. Reenacting is not the glorification of the civil war, but is intended to honor those who put their life on the line, and those who died for their country to preserve our freedoms.
Gettysburg Team: Did you choose reenacting because you wanted to teach other people, because you enjoyed it, or because you just thought it would be fun?
Mr. Gilbert: Yes, to be honest with you. I chose reenacting for all of those reasons.