Pics from Civil War Days

Here are a few from this weekend, Sunday to be exact. It was hot and sunny, so I felt for the folks in those hot uniforms. This time I decided to focus on the mounted troops, as they made for much better action shots. They fired some huge cannons and even as far away as we were kept from them, I could actually feel the percussion wave slap against my skin. And I have to hand it to the riders, none of their horses acted like they even heard the guns. As for the pics, they were taken with my digital camera. They are versions on which I have exercised creative license. Love that filter gallery in Photoshop! This 1st one is my current desktop wallpaper:

Next, a confrontation about to happen. (note; no re-enactors or their mounts were harmed in these confrontations for the public enjoyment.) In fact, I actually saw their swords bend when they slapped them together. It kinda reminded me of a little league ballgame, where the teams line up at the end, and file past each other, slapping hands and sayin "good game", whether they mean it or not, lol.

This one was taken during a short lull in the action.("Hey, where did everybody go??") The background is not obscured because of the filter, but because of the smoke from a volley from the Confederate battery on the hill.

Another charge. The dashing young soldier on the palomino makes for a lovely picture, but if I was him, and his fellow officer on the white horse, i would seriously reconsider my color choice in a mount to dash about the field of battle upon. Unless of course, they were circus performers before enlisting, and didn't mind a bit doing a complete somersault midair and landing nimbly on their feet after their mount has been shot out from under them. Just my opinion, something to think about...(smartass smirk)

And one final pic, the Confederate colorbearer. I was pleasantly surprised when, at the beginning of the "battle", the hat blew off the soldier's head, and it became clear this soldier was a young girl! This is not as unusual as you may think. There are many documented instances of females that disguised their true identities in order to serve beside husbands, to avenge family members who had been killed, or simply because they could not bear to sit on the sidelines when the fate of their respective countries hung in the balance. This particular young soldier performed her duties beyond reproach. She was constantly visible on the field of battle, and did her job by rallying the troops and pointing the way to the action. A prime example of the difference between "the man in charge, or the woman who knows what is going on."