The South Fails To Rise Again (Again)

Well, beloved readers, I've just spent the weekend at a Civil War re-enactment. I return with an annoying sniffle, a smell of wood-smoke I can't wash out of my hands, and a sense of a historical job well done.

Now, many of you may be wondering, "just what is a Civil War re-enactment?", and for you I have prepared a bit of an explanation. I will presuppose that you are familiar with the American Civil War, also known as the War Between the States, also known (among Southern post-reactionaries) as the War of Northern Aggression. For all my friends from abroad, I would respectfully direct your attention to some highly accurate and reliable information source, such as Wikipedia, for the answers to all the questions you may well now be asking yourselves.

But, presupposing that you are familiar with the Civil War, a re-enactment is an outstanding example of how the dedication of individuals can translate into a wonderful educational opportunity for the public in general to learn vivid and lasting lessons about a fascinating epoch of American History.

That is in general terms, of course. Broad, sweeping, highly complimentary general terms, no less.

Let's start instead with what actually happens. A bunch of guys (women also, but mostly guys) get together one weekend and put on authentic 1860's clothing. They arm themselves with Enfield rifled-barrel muskets, which they load with blank black-powder charges, and they march around over a field and make loud noises at one another. (Some of them do a variation of this riding horses. Also there are cannons.) At some point, they call it a day.

There are other facets, such as building a giant tent city out of period-correct canvas tents. Also shopping. Lots of shopping. But those are the basics.

Now, what's it all about? For some, it is precisely the broad, sweeping, grand and glorious educational opportunity previously mentioned. These are few.

For others, it is the chance to make a lot of loud noises with guns while playing army in a satisfyingly death-free fashion. These are many.

For some (and these are the really scary ones), it is a frighteningly real extension of a war they feel has never really ended. These, of course, are the ones who feel quite fervently that The South, will, in fact, Rise Again at some point.

If they could really put on uniforms and shoot Yankees with guns, they would. But until that day comes, they will put on pretend uniforms and shoot pretend Yankees with guns (real guns, but only loaded for pretend).

Now, these are not all re-enactors. They are not, I hope, even most re-enactors. Most of the fellows out there just find it to be a good time to be had of a weekend, or perhaps are among the ranks of the Educationals. These are good people, and not worthy of the sort of aspersions that are occasionally cast their way by the political-correctness set and the tolerance set.

But when one hears an authentically re-enacted rebel yell go up from the field, one is given pause, and wonders.

This past weekend, of course, the South once again neglected to Rise Again, fortunately for all involved. After all, the Yankees aren't even real Yankees. It's not like they're imported down for the occasion. And, as previously discusssed, most of the rebels aren't real rebels. They're schoolteachers and construction workers and paralegals.

But some. And because of that some, sometimes one wonders.

All in all, it was a good weekend. And almost certainly it was worth the annoying sniffle.