Wilderness / Spotsylvania Re-enactments

 May 3rd we drove out to the Spotyslvania and Wilderness battlefields. It was the 150th anniversary of these two battles and as such there was a reenactment on. We were a little late on my part as I had to get in a haircut before the shops in Fredericksburg closed. I'm not sure why, but for a Saturday most of the barber shops were closed.

 As we drove up we could hear the thunder of the canons going off and the sharp reports of a thousand rifles singing a volley in unison. The spectacle was intense and while it was rehearsed it seemed like amazing fun.

 The people who do this truly live out their passion for the civil war. There are two vast tent cities to that house the Federals and Confederates. They must all spend a vast fortune to obtain the uniforms, equipment, and weapons. I one case a man we met bought a working canon - I was afraid to ask how much he paid for it, but apparently it is quite an involved process to get, own, operate, and then lovingly shoot this thing.

 We visited both the Confederates and the Union camps. People were not only friendly, despite our switching sides, but also extremely well educated on their time period and various accouterment. In one case a Confederate captain caught me examining his rifle and promptly placed it in my hands and his fellow man rushed of to find a bayonet to place on the end.

 It was a rush to see an entire infantry regiment parade past you with flute and drugs ringing out the march.

 We returned later that day for the luminary. They light small candles and place them into white paper bags. One for each man that died. The views of Antietam on youtube can give you an example of this. It was erie to see small lights filling one's field of view.

 We left the luminary to find Fredericksburg rather empty for a Saturday night. But never-the-less we managed to get in some good food and hit the sack. We had a long day ahead of us