the past preserved and
portrayed for the future.
Among the Fifth's 198 dead and injured that day was Pvt. Daniel French, my Great, Great Uncle. Several days after the battle of Fredericksburg, my uncle Daniel died of his wounds in a field hospital just outside of town. My family has never located his burial place and can only assume that he lies with the unknown hundreds of his brothers in arms in the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. I have the pocket watch that he carried on that fateful day in 1862 as a reminder of his sacrifice to preserve this great Union.
Nearly one hundred and thirty-five years later history is being preserved by dedicated history lovers called "reenactors" or "living historians". These people volunteer their time, knowledge and money to portray life in the 18th century with strict authenticity.
The modern Fifth Regiment of the New Hampshire Volunteers proudly acknowledges that they are "thread counters" meaning that they pay great attention to historic authenticity. It does not do justice to the memory of our ancestors to inaccurately portray the past. When you view a 5th NH Vols. event you think that you are stepping back in time. Everything from uniforms and weapons to music, food, and even eyeglasses are correct for the period.
Prior to my disability worsening, I was involved with the 5th NH Vols. and had the honor of being part of the 125 anniversary encampment on the Gettysburg, PA battlefield, sponsored by the National Park Service. We were very privileged to be first event allowed to camp on the sacred ground of the battlefield for many decades. To be camped on the battlefield, 125 years to the day after the battle, was chilling.
The mist rose off the ground in the early morning hours as sentries walked their posts. Soldiers began to wake and stepped out of their tents to face a new day. Cooks started breakfast fires as men shaved, enjoyed a cup of morning coffee or readied their equipment for the coming battle.
Goose bumps covered my skin that July morning as I looked back into time and savored an experience that I will never have again and few other would ever know.
Many people would like to change the past or deny events that they might find distasteful and would like to forget, however we cannot rewrite the past. It is important for future generations to understand their history and learn from the mistakes of their ancestors.
Links to Civil War and Living History Sites
The USS Kearsarge Afterguard and Marine Detachment
2nd and 4th US Infantry - Sykes' Regulars
54th Mass. - Co. I - USCT
The Civil War Center - This is a GREAT Resource.
The Civil War Reenactor's Homepage
The National Museum of Civil War Medicine
The American Civil War Homepage
The Civil War Artwork of Don Troiani
Civil War Music Page - Three Great Period Songs.
Civilian Impression Information
