To be a Civil War reenactor, do you have to be authentic down to the underwear?
No. There’s people who go that far – they call themselves the hardcore. I go to what’s comfortable. I will wear the period underwear just because it keeps the itching of the wool [uniform] down. Where did you get your uniform? They sell most of the stuff off the rack. They sell them out in Gettysburg and of course you can get them online. You were in the Battle of Cedar Creek in Winchester, Virginia, this fall – how do you pick which battles to re-fight? It’s a good event. The rocks on the battlefield can be real treacherous. Usually it’s the last big event of the season so we try to have fun there. What do reenactors do for fun? Just a good weekend – good battles, nobody getting hurt, jokes around the campfire. How do you decide who dies during the reenactment? It depends. Sometimes the commanding officer will tell you to take a hit – if you’re running out of ammunition, if your rifle malfunctions. The Confederates will say the Yankees ain’t taking enough hits and the Yankees will say
