Wow....wowowowowow.
What a day. Blazing hot. Thousands of reenactors and thousands more spectators. A superbly we organised event. Everything went very smoothly on arrival and we found our way thru to the site of the reenactment. We had a wander round and checked out the stalls and tents, picking up a Kepi for me!
We took a walk round the encampment area before joining the rather large queue to take our seats in the stands. The hot sun was blazing down on everyone and the battle commenced with a 30 minute artillery bombardment from both sides. The largest gathering of guns since the civil war, apparently. It was loud! We could feel the concussion blasts from the union guns, positioned below the stands.
Sitting there was a bit like watching a football or rugby game, you miss the detail you see in films. But what we did see was the spectacle of thousands of men in distinct units which actually looked like the real thing. The volumes of smoke covering the battlefield made it clear how important standards and mounted officers were and the bugle calls cut though the noise of the musketry and cannon fire.
As the last shots rang out and the union troops cheered and waved their caps, the heavens opened and everyone was drenched in an almighty downpour. By the time we'd gone a hundred yards we were soaked through, but by the time we'd got out of the event park we were almost dry again.
I'd like to say well done to everyone involved - it really was an incredible event. It really made you think - about how the men coped in such heat in thick woollen clothes, why Lee thought he could carry that position, why Generals didn't heed the lessons of the war when it came to warfare in Europe over the next 50 odd years.
Photos....