Camp of Instruction 2024

This year’s Camp of Instruction (COI) for the 3rd Maine was splendid…wet and splendid. Over 50 people joined in for drill, cooking, music, and general shenanigans. It was much like previous COI events I’ve attended in the past, but unique as well. This time, I did more filming than drilling. I’m working on a few projects with the unit including a piece that may be titled “Why We Reenact” or something along those lines. Maybe it’ll be more creative, but I enjoy clear and simple titles.

This event was pretty rainy, but that didn’t slow us down. In between downpours, our company drilled together as a whole, as platoons, and as squads. We taught several new recruits skills like cleaning rifles and maintaining equipment. We held talks on period food and medicine. Our field music contingent is growing. We ate pork and potatoes, French toast and sausage. We slept in tents and played cards at night.

What we do sounds peculiar to some people. I remember my ex didn’t understand it. She couldn’t see why we liked portraying war and soldiers. Honestly, I’m not sure why we like it. The hobby sometimes is a bunch of grown-ups playing war like kids. But, at the same time, we each take a decent amount of time from our lives to buy the necessary gear and uniforms, train, and educate the public. While this event was private and focused on drilling, we usually have events for the public. We are living historians. We really work hard to glean as much information from the period including journals and quartermaster reports so we can teach others. It is a lot of fun, but everyone’s got their own hobby of choice. Mine just happens to be really expensive and intensive at times.

It’s unfortunate that I only see the majority of these folks a few times a year. I enjoy their company and the adventures we partake in. It’s not often that you can be soaked through a layer of wool and still have a smile on your face, but reenacting does that. I share a connection with many of these people. It’s not just a passion for history; it’s a decision to educate the public by portraying soldiers and civilians from the Civil War period. I make an effort to see my reenacting friends more outside of events.

Above are Josh and Dalton. Josh is a fantastic drummer and wicked interested in period uniforms. He’s a great sew…er. Is that the right word? Anyhow, his brain is full of Civil War shit. And Dalton too. I met Dalton when I was a Confederate and helped facilitate a literal shotgun wedding. He’s a great friend and always prepared for mischief. He’s our company’s second sergeant now.

When we’re not fooling around building makeshift shelters, we really do have stern faces. We are all dedicated to the hobby, but Dalton is especially so. He attends nearly every event and helps teach new fish how to swim in the world of reenacting. He’s just a young lad, but Dalton does a lot for our group. We have a lot of fun, but we know when to be serious.

We are a family-inclusive unit. Literal entire families are involved. At this event, we even had members join us during their wedding anniversary. Nerds! I’m proud that our unit has members of all ages and professions. From students to retirees, teachers to pipefitters at BIW, we are a diverse group sharing the same purpose. Happy anniversary, you two!

Speaking of being serious, there’s a lot that we do that isn’t serious. I mean, who would reenact if we didn’t have a little fun. I am not going to share a whole lot about a certain ceremony, but it honestly means something to me. The man who introduced me to the hobby and a good friend of mine initiated me some time ago to (insert secret society here). Since then, I have been carrying on the legacy of (insert secret society here). If you wish to learn more, you’ll just have to join the reenacting community and attend an event with me. It’s rare for images to be captured of the ceremony, but I’ll share two of them.

I got a decent number of shots during our COI. Due to the rain, I didn’t capture everything I wanted, but I’m happy with my progress. I recently closed my video production business. It was hard to do and I felt like I had failed. I struggled with the decision. When I think about it though, I’m quite proud of what I accomplished over three years. I stayed in business for three years, helped businesses grow, and learned a lot about running a business.

Now I can take my knowledge of film production and make content I enjoy. A lot of my upcoming projects will relate to the Civil War. On the one hand, it’s hard not to join my friends on the drill field with a rifle in my hand. On the other hand, I know that we all enjoy producing history-related content. This little bit won’t make it into much, but I got a laugh out of it as you will tell.

Cheers to the 3rd Maine and all those who make this hobby what it is.