Garrison event ideas

[Duff]

My unit is doing a garrison event at an old fort in a few weeks. I have been wondering what kinds of things would have gone on while in garrison at a fort that wouldn't happen on campaign. We already sleep in the barracks and post guards on the ramparts. Any other ideas? Thanks.

[Suppelsa]

Just a thought.

Research what happened at the fort you will be at, and reenact what you find.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

You can't really go wrong with the approach suggested by Chris.

When it comes to "posting guards", a lot of clubs do that in a way, but to do it "right" is much more rare. If you don't already have it, I suggest obtaining a copy of Dom Dal Bello's excellent reenactor handbook, "Instructions for Guards and Pickets". Therein is summarized the mysteries of things like how to do guard mounting ceremony, how the new Guard relieves the old, and other essoteric stuff that's all-too-rarely-done in most reenactor circles.

Simply working on depicing the rhythms of garrison life: Guard, drill, fatigue details, and the like can easily occupy an entire day. The thing of it is, I suggest not simply showing up and then deciding what to do. To do this stuff "right" often requires a good deal of planning and pre-event preparation.

At the "Winter 1864" event, which is also a garrison event, we have a list of stuff we'd like to portray that's about a half-mile long, and much longer than we could do in about three more editions of the event (if more than one more were being held). Think about it: it's really the CAMPAIGN portrayal that's most limiting--you have plain grub, you march, do picket, and maybe a battla, and that's it. It's at GARRISON events where a reenactor's knowledge is often truly tested and where there's an unbelieveable number of "slice of soldier life" things to be portrayed.

[Lee Ragan]

We do a lot of garrison events here in West Texas because of all the old forts in this part of the world. Something we do in addition to some already mentioned, are morning colors muster and evening parade. Pay call is always a good one to do that intertains the troops and the spectators as well.(This opens the door for some well planned comic relief for those who don't always want it to be "serious".) For the athletic among your group, try period baseball. The ball is different and nobody wears gloves and the rules are a little different.
Garrison events offer a lot of oppertunities to interact with the public (if it's a public event). If it's not a public event, well, I don't know. We never do one that doesn't have spectators.

[Vicksburg Dave]

The sky is the limit while in garrison (depending on where you are at): recruiting, arresting the disloyal, return from foraging, guard house, punishment, maintenance of firearms, washerwomen, sutlers, freedmen, court martials, etc.

[Charles Heath]

Research what happened at the fort you will be at, and reenact what you find.

Pick a fort, any fort, and do the 60-second thrill ride of history....

Let's just say you are sitting at Fort Mifflin on the beautiful Delaware River for a weekend, and:

1. You already know the Rev War significance of the place.

2. Seth Eastman likes paint, canvas, and brushes.

3. Pierre Charles L'Enfant isn't a household word, but he has his place.

4. You like open faced sandwiches and artillery sheds.

5. Things you find while mowing the lawn are fascinating, especially Casemate 11.

6. The imprisonment and execution of Wm. H. Howe could play into this.

7. Johnnies as guests of Uncle Sam.

8. The post horse pistol is still standing.

There's a start. Of course, you could be at a different fort entirely!

[Vuhginyuh]

Obviously, an event of the nature is fascinates me.

[Old Reb]

Fort DeRussey; mosquitoes, cotton mouths, alligators and ten thousand yankees forming to storm your works. Three hundred and fifty men face them, decide to put up a fight because of honor and to allow the rest of the army a chance to escape. Short fight. Then you could be yanks and sit around on the captured fort while one of your officers decides to blow the ammo dump while you are still sitting on it. Or you could be General DeRussey and die eating canned oysters.

or Fort Cobb, Indian Territory waiting for the yearly supply wagon, wondering if the war is still going on, drinking tainted water, putting up with dust, dodging rattle snakes, hoping Comanche or Kiowa warriors don't make an appearance.

[Duff]

Charles, you cheated! How in gods name did you know I would be at Fort Mifflin!

Anyway, thanks to everyone for your suggestions.

I was thinking of doing a newly-arrived-prisoners demo, and mabye throw in a prison riot, just for the hell of it.

Baseball sounds like a good idea, we have played it at events in the past, as well as pay call and mail call. Recruiting is a good idea also, we have an original poster that we have reproduced and have used at other events.

[bholt61stny]

Let's just say you are sitting at Fort Mifflin on the beautiful Delaware River for a weekend



How ironic, but thats exactly the Fort where our garrison event is being held.

[bholt61stny]

Damn it Duff, i just replied to your post, you beat me by a minute.

[Vicksburg Dave]

Recruiting is a big hit with visitors, especially if you try to get their kids to join up. The kids enjoy leaving with some bounty money and enlistment papers.

[Will Eichler]

Beyond recuiting, don't forget mustering. The army mustering manual is available on google books and walks you through the process. If you have enough men, it is a very cool scenario. We did it at Historic Fort Wayne this year for the first time. Definitely a "ace up the sleeve" when you have a large enough contingent.

Best regards,

Will

[john duffer]

I'll buck the flow here and say less is more. I'm not critizing in any way any events I've been to or not been to, this is just my simplistic outlook. Depending on the location and time frame I'm thinking garrison was a lot of sameo sameo. If you're going to replicate two days of garrison life make it two normal day of boring routine, business as usual, stand guard, do fatique, lay around bored, rather than a day where there's two drumhead court marshals, a fashion show, packages from home, feast put on by the local ladies, etc, etc. Make food a routine part of the scenerio and not a focus in any way. The single best garrison thing I've seen would be Matt Woodburn's ovens at Fort Granger. Everyday routine but it's also pretty cool.

[BobSullivanPress]

Well, we do a garrison at Ft. McHenry every year. Things we do:

Tell people what happened there. As in Star Spangled Banner. The fort existed before the war, so it has it's own history.

Interact with civilians. A military post has some sort of control/influence on the surrounding populace. Use it to your advantage. We had reproductions of city ordnances, reports of lost dogs, and other stuff that were read at morning parade.

Routine, routine, routine. Keep people busy with a military day.

Help clean the place up. I've never seen a military post that lacked "volunteers" for police work. "Straighten those rocks!"

Do stuff that works in garrison, but not at normal events. Have a true mail call, get a sutler to set up on post, issue clothing (see below).

Issue clothing (one of my favorite scenarios). Have people wear some older gear to the event and bring their good stuff. "Issue" their good stuff to them, and have them turn out in it.

Muster people in or out if they have to leave early or arrive late.

Hold a real inspection.

When are you doing this? Certain forms and the accompanying routines were done monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, annually. Do them.

That should keep you busy for a weekend.

[Charles Heath]

How in gods name did you know I would be at Fort Mifflin!

I clicked on the link in your signature block and eyeballed your schedule. :)

Many of the generic suggestions about garrison life are very good, but take a few moments to find out what really happened there. I was tempted to plug in the ORs on CD and take a gander at any tidbits that may be within that resource. It's a shame so many of the 2006 "Year of the Fort Event" AARs washed out to see with the big AC Forum crash/server flux last year, because we definitely had some events to remember.

[Bob 125th NYSVI]

And let's not forget leisure time.

There is an excellent article on how prevalent baseball was on both sides during the civil war and in garrison would be a perfect place to play. Even if it is just pitch and catch.

Or the CW version of football.

Or the sargent's version of liesure time.

Chopping wood, cleaning out the barracks, etc.

But also some more mundane house keeping stuff like washing or repairing clothes and gear. Have the sargent take the opportunity to get on people's butts and get those springfields nice and shiney.

If Sargent Mike is there say hello from "Ohio" of the 125th NY for me would you?