There has been an overwhelming response from people wishing to attend this event, and due to necessary capping of participants this event is going to be forced to raise the bar even higher than I thought for military participants.
Landowner stipulation for use of land : NO ALCOHOL! no cutting walnut trees, and no digging entrenchments.
The following are event regulations:
All military participants must abide by the following guidelines and these guidelines WILL BE ENFORCED!
Mission Statement / Guidelines:
The goal of the military authenticity standards for Struggle for Statehood is to create as accurate an over-all impression as possible--physically, mentally, and in behavior--without over-emphasizing any one area. The purpose is not only to give each person the sense that he is surrounded by real people of another era, but to give each individual the feeling that he or she has personally left the modern world behind and become, as much as possible, someone in 1863 West Virginia.
Uniforms: The Union soldiers will probably represent either Ohio or WV troops, while the Confederates will represent a small band of Jenkins' men at the time of the Jones-Imboden raid. More detailed information will be released when further research is completed. But nothing unusual will be required. No modern undergarments or hidden modern layers; all clothing should be reproductions of period garments.
Food, cooking equipment, water containers, etc. should all be based on what would be typical for the time and place. No non-reproductions such as plastic bags, modern convenience foods, etc. Soldiers do not need to bring any food to this event, there will be a small ration issue at the start, but most of your food will be obtained by foraging or stealing or bartering with the civilians. Potatoes, onions, cabbages, apples, and 50# pig or chickens will be provided, but the food must be located (and / or killed) by the troops.
Water will be a well located on the bottomland, as well as in at least one or two other locations, to be specified at a later date. The well will be tested by the WV Department of Health closer to the time of the event, for safety purposes.
Any non-Walnut trees can be cut down to make shebangs, cabins, breastworks, etc. NO digging entrenchments!
The only exception to the "no non-reproductions" rule is one car key, if you wish, and medical items such as prescription medicine, asthma inhalers, and only if you feel it necessary, a card with medical information. Contact lenses may be included as medical items. All modern medical items should be concealed in period-style containers and used as discretely as possible.
The following will be strictly enforced by way of a pre-event inspection. No cameras, cell phones, watches, cigarettes, make-up, modern wallets, modern eye-glasses, etc. Use of modern electronics such as cell phones during event hours will result in immediate expulsion from the event.No alcohol! Use of alcohol will result in immediate expulsion from the property.
If you have questions about any specific item, feel free to discuss it with the overall organizer Linda Trent and/or your respective military highest ranking officer Union -- Bill Watson, Confederate coordinator James Aulds.
First person is required at all times except during an emergency, from when you leave the registration area to begin the event, until the conclusion Sunday noon, even during traditional "down times" such as early morning, late night, etc. This means that anything you say should be what your character might have said--no discussions about other reenactments, museums, research from a modern historian's viewpoint, etc.
In case of a 21st century emergency anything like "call 911" or "get a paramedic" should instantly tell us that it is a real emergency and not part of play. I personally do not believe in being 'cute' when we have a life and death situation. After all, once a real wounded person comes in everyone in that area is going to be exposed to 21st century talk anyway, till the wounded is evacuated via Med Flight.
There will be plenty of opportunity before the event to plan and discuss your characters and their relationships with each other, if any, to make first person easy and interesting when you all finally get together. In fact, I will require all Union and Confederate reenactors for this event to be a part of their respective side's yahoogroups group where I will be a part of the group and will assist in helping everyone create a sustainable, realistic, complex first person character. This is what we as civilians have already up and running, and is what is required of all civilian EBUFU events.
And finally, there will be a secret drawing to select one person from each side Conf. and Union to take a hit at an appropriate time and those two people will be wounded for the remainder of the weekend, each will be responsible for finding medical aid or other help if necessary, and his comrades will have to decide whether to help him or leave him, or come back later for him. He may even be found by a civilian (who may or may not share his loyalties). The drawing will be performed just prior to entering the event, a second drawing will be held for the two chosen to see where they will be wounded.
All interested in attending must send a photo and a bit about why they feel they should be chosen to attend this event. No one gets in based upon group affiliations, it is all individual registration.
If you have any questions about anything in the guidelines, feel free to contact Linda Trent
