"Taking it like a man" revisited...

[Cyclesmith]

I can remember "Lazarus Companies" as far back as the mid nineties. The first one I was ever a part of was Rockford Ont.... probably 1994 or 95. The didn't use it on the tactical but in the "public" battle they did. There was no preodical for people taking hits... it was just generic... like "your unit will take heavy hits by the creek"... and we did. Then we were moved off the field and joined the Lazarus Company and came back on the field as reinforcements. People didn't mind taking hits because we all knew we were coming back. So it worked fine... In later years the Lazarus Company began showing up in Tacticals. Then I moved to a different state... and they never do it around here... and thus no one takes hits... I've done red cartridges and death cards... we even tried the "Sgt. tap on the shoulder" method. They are all pretty lame. Lazarus Companies work... not that they should be used all the time... but they do increase hits... if that what your looking for.

My favorite was the "Ok boys... fire and don't reload we are going to take an Arty hit on the next cannon fire"... "Keep moving forward"... "wait for it".... < March halfway across the battlefield unloaded and without firing a shot> "umm.... Sir, I think something is wrong".... "Wait for it".... "Oh... OK... yeah... they have their rammers crossed... I think they misfired".... "Sir, should we still go down in mass???".... " No...that would just be silly"... "RELOAD!!!"

[ajroscoe]

Lets be fair, nothing we as reenactors can do will ever come close to the randomness of combat. Even the most innovative efforts will fall short. That leaves to approaches to determining hits: for a public battle and for historical accuracy.

I understand that many campaigners object to public battles, and if that is the case with you, so be it. But for those who do still participate in public battles, the various colored cartridges in proper ratios seems to be the best. It is relatively random and will give the proper amounts of dead and wounded for the generic public battles. Granted, this requires everyone to play along to work well, but its better than being on your honor.

For campaigner events where there is a particular scenario, especially where we are doing first person, death cards with biographical info seem to work well. At At High Tide this summer, where we were doing the First Minnesota, our company was very faithful to our counterparts' fates, even down to where in the charge they went down if possible.

There is no way for us to capture the randomness of combat, nor the terror that comes from knowing that any moment could be your last. If you really seek that, I would suggest going to your local recruiting station. The closest we can come is being accurate in our portrayals of the numbers of men hit.

[sthabig]

Couldn't agree with Andrew anymore put that way.


Tyler Habig

[Duff]

Mr. Habig,

I agree with your earlier point about pre-planned casulties. At Death March X and After the Battle last year, the casulties were pre-determined before the event. Also, after they took the hit, they were "wounded" for the remainder of the event and were transported via ambulence to a "field hospital" in a barn. I was one of the "wounded" at DMX, and I must say it was one of the most unique reenacting experiences I have had.

[Dan Limb]

Hello,

I realized after the fact that this is an old thread, and I can't seem to delete it. So, I guess I'll just leave it..

When we did Pickett's Charge for 135th Gettysburg, they assigned us places (by number) on the field to take hits (wounded or dead). That way you could go no further than a certain point on the field. I remember that many people were given the number for the Emmitsburg Road to simulate the canister fire. I've done the same thing with school groups.

One thing I have wanted to try is a "streaming wounded" situation in which ambulatory wounded, or seriously wounded men (with help) "stream to the rear" into cover. They wait there until their unit returns after an unsuccessful attack, reforms, and goes in again. Dead stay on the field in fewer numbers. That way, a unit can make repeated assaults and take casualties without causing an undue amount of attrition. It also adds another historical element to the engagement while creating a little "controlled chaos".

There are always a few guys who don't mind taking early fatal hits, and as they get tired, more will join them. We once had a guy that we called a "professional hit taker" because he loved taking a permanent hit at the outset so he didn't have to march in the heat. It always amazed us how a random pistol shot from the far reaches of the field could always seem to knock him down with a fatal shot!

YHS,

Dan Limb
Co' F 2nd Virginia Infantry
"Winchester Rifles"