...like a mounted civil war cavalry reenactment! Look at the pictures (and I've seen worse). Does this look like 'a train wreck'? The opposing lines 'thundered into one another with a loud clash!'? 'A mounted cavalcade of men and horses drawn toward one another with lightning speed and thunderous brutality!'?
Or, few guys on horseback playing army and rattling their sabers? Don't get me wrong. I have great respect for the mounted cavalry. It takes a lot of effort and a lot of expense to buy a trained horse, full gear and tack and a trailer, and then to travel cross country to a reenactment. But, the cavalry should use appropriate tactics, scouting the flanks, dismounting to form skirmish lines, quickly re-forming and moving to another threatened area, etc. Don't let them degrade to couriers and such, but use them appropriately.
Are we really honoring the struggles and sacrifices made by brave men in violent episodes of brutality when two guys ride up to one another, tap their sabers together a few times, smile, and say, "Good job, Johnny Reb/Billy Yank!", and then ride off into the sunset?
There is no safe way to portray the ferocity, the sheer brutality of a mounted Civil war cavalry charge! They generally tend to degrade to a state of hokiness, so we should really stop trying. Come to the reenactments, show your tactics, demonstrate your weapons and gear and find a proper place. Otherwise, the integrity of the whole event suffers. People are not being educated. They are being entertained in a comedic sort of way, and there was nothing funny about a mounted cavalry charge!
3 comments:
Duane,
I call it the dance of the saber fairies. :-)
Eric
Damn! Eric beat me to it!
I have yet to see a reenactment "charge" that doesn't quickly degenerate into the aforementioned "dance of the saber fairies". There's just no way to accurately reenact a mounted charge force-on-force. A couple of guys astride stationary horses waving their sabers at each other with the occasional clang of metal on metal just doesn't cut it (no pun intended). It doesn't remotely reenact the ferocity, violence and sheer terror of an actual charge.
Obviously I'm not suggesting that reenactors try to do a better job of it. The safety and logistical concerns make it impossible. I agree that the best solution at reenactments is to utilize Cavalry to execute other, legitimate Cavalry roles.
While I'd love to see an accurate, well done, full scale Hollywood recreation of a mounted charge, it won't be at a reenactment.
LOL, guys, yep - the stupidest thing that can be done at a "reenactment" is a mounted cavalry charge, or even plain fighting. It comes off as ridiculous, and there's no safe or authentic way to do it without someone getting hurt.
Usually it goes like this: the opposing reenactors line up opposite each other, then someone gives the order, and they trot towards each other (usually with most of the guys hollering some kind of stupid Indian yells). They pull up rein when they get close to each other, then start clinking their sabers together (gingerly and slowly - hey, those thing cost 100 bucks a piece, ya know!) and spectators get a truly lousing showing.
I agree with Mike - cavalry reenactors should limit themselves to doing only maneuver demonstrations, and dismounted fighting. Fighting in the saddle is the one thing that NEVER comes off well at all.
J.D.
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