A Dozen Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Personal Impression: By Cal Kinzer

[Gallinipper]

As I recall, one of the funnier things about that article (if it's the same one I'm thinking about) was the photo of his pards, and they were committing about half of those "violations" he had previously mentioned. No doubt, Cal served where he was needed!

I still have that CCG issue around here somewhere, from the good ol' days of bloused trows. May have to dig it up again, for a dose of nostalgia.

[10TnVI]

Yes-I met him a couple of weeks ago on a dark Friday night at Brice's Crossroads-he dropped by our camp in search of Beasley's bunch-don't know if he ever found them, but didn't see him the rest of the weekend. Of course, Beasley's tale is already well discussed.

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Nope you have two articles mixed up. The article you are refering to was written by Steve Olsson and Jeff Boorom. Both Hairy Nation Boys. The one part is about going to root beer stands. Now this was before EBUFU, AC any of that was ever thought of. For years we were blamed for ruining events because of our impression. We even shake at heads at some of the article. But we were young. There were only a handful of people doing what we were doing at that time.
Just so you know we stopped going to root beer stands about 1995. But Little Johns root beer was damn good!

Cal is a friend of mine. He will be at Lost Tribes. The article was written way before the authentic movement took root. Days when the Mudsills were eating young.

My family and I just moved to a new home. I found the journal I use to keep about activities with the 12th Iowa. (My old unit) I had to laugh about how worried I was when I decided to go campaign style. The year 1994. Was I perfect? No I was not. But I continued to work on my impression as did my pards.

I think we owe people like Andrew Goode, Paul McKee, Scott Cross, John Wedeward, Cal Kinzer , Darius Walker a lot of credit for what they did 15,20 and 25 years ago. Without their guidance the authentic side would not be where it is today. (I am sorry I am not familiar with eastern people or confederate re-enactors from the old days)

Many people are quick to poke fun at what was written or how things were done years ago.

[Gallinipper]

The article I'm referring to was definitely written by Cal. It appeared in CCG sometime around '92 or '93 or so. I just didn't know if there was another, perhaps revised, one which may have appeared sometime at a later date.

I also remember seeing him on one of the covers, and thinking how good his impression actually looked.

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Oh. Well our article was good and bad. Very much mid 1990's.


Take care,

[Gallinipper]

Don't you worry Nate, we'd heard of you boys too....

(That root beer was pretty decent. It was guys turning their bottles into makeshift canteens that I couldn't stand!)

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Oh, we didn't do that. Thank GOD!

Holler

[Pennvolunteer]

I have to agree with Tom. I know Cal, and count him as a friend, and while he may have some eccentricities, don't we all? From knowing him, he is very knowledgable, thorough, and documents all that he says and does. So, from knowing him and falling in with him several times, I have to think that he certainly wrote this for some progressive folks trying to improve their impressions as mentioned by someone earlier. I remember reading this before I knew Cal, and thought it had some great advice. But it is, an editorial.

[Old Reb]

I also know Holler and have fallen in with him and Cal was there, so I got a double dose of quirky.

[PogueMahone]

I think some perspective needs to be given here. Paul states early in this thread that Cal's article is posted as "nostalgia" more than current advice. I have seen some version of this in writing since about 1980, so those that say this goes back 15 years ago are only scratching the surface.

When I started reenacting, 1976, men like Gatlin, Hudson, Elmore, Guffey and a few others were pushing authenticity among western CS units. On the other side of the field were the Mudsills, which Cal was a part of along with guys like Brian Baird and Tom Rock. Cal even eventually came to be a member of the group I was in back then, Cleburnes. The hallmarks of an authentic CS impression in the mid-70's was wearing a wool uniform, carrying a three-band musket and using Hardee's drill. Recruits were given all the cautions Cal put on paper. It was a consensus position at the time.

So, when people read this today, they want to disagree with it because there has been tremendous research and education since the early '80's. Taken in context of its origins, it was simply good generic advice to any reenactor who wanted to look more authentic at any given event. There was no cph side of the hobby, we only one circuit of events and 300 people total at an event was considered pretty good sized until the North/South 2 filming and the 125ths.

So, let's all back up from the criticism a bit and acknowledge that this bit of writing is essentially the cph hobby's "Dead Sea Scrolls". It is OUR history, not Civil War History and it is a source document that helped propel some folks on to do bigger and better things and greater research. It deserves to be remembered for what it was then, not the limitations it presents now.

And, Cal Kinzer is a good guy. I've known him for probably 25 years now. Here is a photo of me, Cal and Jim Butler at officer's mess during the 2005 Shiloh event: