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17 July 2008
Historical Re-enactors Discuss How They Make the Past Come Alive
Ask America webchat transcript, July 17
Melinda Day is a ranger at Harpers Ferry National Park at the intersection of West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia.
Darrell Cochran has been involved in U.S. Civil War re-enactments for several years. Portraying a Union soldier, he has “fought” in many of the recreated climactic battles of the Civil War and has acquired an in-depth knowledge of the period’s costumes, military uniforms, firearms, battle strategies and customs.
Following is the transcript:
(begin transcript)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Information Programs
Ask America Webchat Transcript
Historical Re-enactments: Making the Past Come Alive
Guest: Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day
Date: July 17, 2008
Time: 10:00 a.m. (1400 GMT)
Moderator: Welcome to today's webchat! We will begin the chat at 1400 GMT.
Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day: (Melinda Day) The National Park Service has the mission of preserving and providing for public use many of our most significant Civil War sites. In using living history as an historical educational tool we can immerse the public visitors in the issues, activities, lifestyles and sacrifices of our nations past and provide opportunities for our park visitors to make emotional and intellectual connections to our history and our identity as Americans. This exercise in civic engagement provides a continuing dialog on significant issues and can provoke visitors to feel that they are shareholders in our history and in the value of preservation of our historic resources.
Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day: (Darrell Cochran) It's a pleasure to be with you today. I've been reenacting for 27 years, and if there is one thing re-enactors enjoy as much as a reenactment, it's talking about reenacting and Civil War history. I look forward to answering your questions.
Question [Chat Participant]: why do you do this?
Answer [Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day]: (Darrell) It's fun, and it allows us to bring history to life for others who are interested.
Q [Chat Participant]: must you be an historian to do this?
A [Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day]: Most Park Rangers have a degree in cultural history or natural history.
Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day: (Darrell) Must you be an historian to do this? No – Re-enactors come from all walks of life. Some are historians but most are just interested in re-creating history.
Q [Kuba]: Dear Darrell Cochran, How you came to choose civil war? What do you do in reenactment?
A [Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day]: (Darrell) I attended a Civil War re-enactment in 1981 with my then 9-year-old son, and we were both "hooked". We both continue in the hobby today. We both portray Union infantry soldiers.
Q [Kuba]: Dear Melinda Day, It is interesting to me your PLACE of occupation. Harpers Ferry as you know is site of famous John Brown raid. But this is controversial isn't it? So will there be a reenactment of John Brown raid?
A [Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day]: (Melinda) The raid is controversial because Brown chose to take life to free life. We offer public history programs to explore diverse points of view and reactions to the Raid. We utilize living history groups, such as the US Marine Historic Company to help provide this type of perspective. We provide living history programs versus re-enactments.
Moderator: Thank you for joining us this morning. Our speakers are reviewing your questions.
Q [Kuba]: Dear guests, It seems to me mostly reenactments are of military history? Is this true?
A [Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day]: (Melinda) In national parks, many of the living history programs are military in theme, however, we do offer a variety of programs such as Women's history, African American themes, Industrial History themes, such as a blacksmith and machine shop demonstrations, or women's roles in the US Sanitary Commission.
Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day: (Darrell) Historically (no pun intended) re-enactors did concentrate on military history, and that is my focus. But in recent years more people have branched out to reenact more aspects of life during a particular time period. For example, the number of people reenacting civilian life during the Civil War is expanding every year.
Moderator: America.gov will feature a webcast on National Parks on July 22. For more information please visit: http://www.america.gov/multimedia/askamerica.html#burns_22_jul_2008
Q [Chat Participant]: Hello! How do you define history? In other words, how recent is the most recent period you will reenact? Does the recent 20th century count?
A [Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day]: (Melinda Day) Our agency enabling legislation dictates our history themes for each park. Our park has six nationally significant themes. This helps build the framework for what types of living history programs are appropriate. For example, one of our park themes is the 19th-20th century establishment of Storer College, one of the nation’s first black colleges.
Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day: (Darrell) The Civil War is the only period that I reenact, but I have many friends who also reenact other time periods, including World War II.
Moderator: If you are just joining us welcome. If you would like to introduce yourself to our global audience please select "comment". Tell us who you are and where you are joining us from.
Q [Chat Participant]: Can you tell me more about the costumes you wear?
A [Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day]: (Melinda): The patterns, cloth, styles, correspond to the appropriate time period they represent. For example, for ranger staff who interpret the park's pre-civil war Dry Goods Store, they are dressed as either a store clerk, or a patron. The woman store clerk may be wearing a middle class impression, a day dress, a patron may have on a working class impression to represent the average person of Harpers Ferry in the 1850s. The clothing helps to place visitors in the time period of when the park's significant history was made.
Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day: (Darrell) The clothing and equipment we use is made using the same patterns and materials as that issued to soldiers during the Civil War. Many of the vendors who reproduce items that we use have original items from which their patterns are copied.
Moderator: America.gov also features an article on historical re-enactments. Please visit: http://www.america.gov/st/diversity-english/2008/June/20080620162201ajesrom0.7080347.html
Q [Chat Participant]: hello. I was wondering what kind of educational programs do you do? Do schools come to watch you perform? Thank you.
A [Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day]: (Melinda) Please visit our park web page to view the types of educational programs for all ages at http://www.nps.gov/hafe/. For example, we offer visitors workshops in blacksmithing, History 3-D with historic stereoscopes and 3-D cards/images of the town. This allows visitors to view the historic resource as it was versus how they find it in present day.
Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day: (Darrell) Besides battle reenactment we participate in living history programs at historic sites and other venues. These are educational programs at which we don't fight battles, but rather do presentations about the life of soldiers in the Civil War, including camp life, military tactics, and our clothing and equipment. Sometimes schools bring students to us, and sometimes a group of re-enactors will visit a school for a presentation. We also do presentations for history-oriented groups such as Civil War Roundtable forums.
Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day: (Melinda) Harpers Ferry National Park is a preserved 19th century town where costumed living history staff and volunteer groups use civilian roles and lifestyles, military arts and drill, and historic weapons demonstrations to provoke visitors into a physical interaction with the people and activities of the Civil War era.
National Park Service Living History programs immerse park visitors in the sights and sounds of the town’s former residents and the history that created Harpers Ferry National Historical Park’s nationally significant themes. We believe our National Parks preserve America’s collective memory. Living History volunteers allow visitors to access these memories and bring them to life.
We use living history programs to immerse park visitors in the park’s stories. If visitors remember and care about these stories, our goal is to help preserve the park through visitor understanding and appreciation. We believe remembering is an act of protection and preservation!
For more information on how to participate in the park’s public history programs and our Park’s Living History Guidelines, please visit our web page at: http://www.nps.gov/hafe/supportyourpark/living-history-volunteers.htm
Darrell Cochran and Melinda Day: (Darrell) Thank you for joining us. It's always fun and interesting to have the chance to talk about reenacting and history. I am a member of the Third U.S. Regular Infantry, an educational and living history group dedicated to recreating the role of the U.S. Regular Army soldier in the American Civil War period. I hope you will visit my group's web site at http://www.buffsticks.us to learn more, and perhaps you'll have the opportunity to attend a reenactment some day.
Moderator: We wish to thank Melinda Day and Darrell Cochran for joining us today. The webchat is now closed. A full transcript of today's webchat will be published (usually within one business day) to our Ask America homepage.
(Speakers are chosen for their expertise and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of State.)
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