For the Beginning Reenactor, Before You Buy a Thing! by Paul Calloway

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: For the Beginning Reenactor, Before You Buy a Thing! by Paul Calloway

Re: Southern Guard...
Sadly, their website is no more. There was a lot of great information there!

[dixieflyer]

Re: For the Beginning Reenactor, Before You Buy a Thing! by Paul Calloway

James,
Long ago and far away, back in the old days, before the dark times, in the days of the old Republic . . . I took two three ring binders with me to events, and kept them in my truck. One was all of my documentation for my impression, i.e.: images of original uniforms & accoutrements, articles and other written documents, etc. (Understand, this was well before the interwebs.) The other one contained articles I photo-copied and notes I made in case I ran across something I wanted, but wasn't sure about. A combination of the two, even in electronic format for today's modern campaigner, might serve you well for this before you venture down a dark alley on sutler row. ;)

[Philip cav]

Re: For the Beginning Reenactor, Before You Buy a Thing! by Paul Calloway

I usally carry maybye 1-5 pages of documention on items. Most of the time they are hand written by me from books and well established web sources. Since you mentioned sutler's row, Elizabeth Clark has a download on 5 questions to ask a sutler before you even think about buying an item. It is on the sewing Academy website.

[The Chesterfield Rifleman]

Re: For the Beginning Reenactor, Before You Buy a Thing! by Paul Calloway

So did they split or is the website just done?

Thanks Warren for the advice. I already have 10 pages done on my Gettysburg Impression. I am now focusing on finding lots of books and articles. Any help is welcome.

[dixieflyer]

Re: For the Beginning Reenactor, Before You Buy a Thing! by Paul Calloway

James,
The best advice I can give you, as far as doing Federal is concerned, especially AoP, is to obtain a copy of the Columbia Rifles Research Compendium. If you can't find a copy, see if a pard will make you a copy. It's chock full of hours of research fun. I was just telling a pard the other day if everyone would just aspire to what is in those pages, we'd all be a lot better off in the hobby.

I saw your request for book suggestions, but 90+% of my research is on the Western Theater, so I don't think I have anything for you there.

[The Chesterfield Rifleman]

Re: For the Beginning Reenactor, Before You Buy a Thing! by Paul Calloway

AH HA!

Found one used on Amazon.com. It's a first edition, and it's $300 or so. 1 left. Very rare.

[Mutt]

Re: For the Beginning Reenactor, Before You Buy a Thing! by Paul Calloway

For a CRRC?! Wow, I'm feelin older all of a sudden. I think it was $25 when it first came out.

[robwall1861]

Re: For the Beginning Reenactor, Before You Buy a Thing! by Paul Calloway

Matt,

Sounds about right...I got mine in '01 when everyone else did (now I just need to track down Vol. II).

[The Chesterfield Rifleman]

Re: For the Beginning Reenactor, Before You Buy a Thing! by Paul Calloway

Matt,

Sounds about right...I got mine in '01 when everyone else did (now I just need to track down Vol. II).

Good luck to ya! They are a but scarce nowdays.

[Stevenjohnson9851]

Re: For the Beginning Reenactor, Before You Buy a Thing! by Paul Calloway

I guess you could say Im a fresh fish all over again. I first started reenacting with a unit that formed to do memorial services for a local SCV camp. Most of our officers and nco's had been through the 125th cycle and looking back that seems to be where they stoped. Ive been out of it for about 10 years. Now Im doing the research that I had no clue about to beggin with.