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The Second Day - Camp Life III
Pictures taken July 4, 1998 at the 135th Reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg.


Sutler's Row, seen in part here, went on and on and was filled with tents full of everything a soldier would need while at war. Most are reproductions and were available at very reasonable prices.		The Temperance Movement that climaxed with Prohibition in the 1920's was in its beginning stages in the mid nineteenth century. One of the reenactment events was a Civil War era Temperance Rally held by the Daughters of Temperance where they preached of the evils of drinking and pleaded the virtues of abstinence.

Scott DeBose from Many, LA stopped to talk to us. He is with the 9th Louisiana at this reenactment but he portrays a Union soldier sometimes. Just out of high school he is about to begin training to be a history teacher. He has been studying the Civil War since he was 3. Many children are "smitten" with the history they see at reenactments and develop a life long love of learning.		The sign said "W. R. Decker, Ambrotypes and Daguerreotypes" but we weren't able to talk to him. He was too busy creating photos using the exact same methods as was used in the 1860s. To keep the subject perfectly still while removing the camera lens cap, their heads were placed in a brace. Their were several such photographers in Sutler's Row and many spectators went home with a daguerreotype of themselves.

Barb House, portraying Mary Jane Fairfax stands beside Brian Mallon (General Hancock). Her husband, Art, plays Maj. John Fairfax of the CSA 1st Corps Adjutant General's Department. They are from New Canaan, CT. They and their friend, Cynthia Buck-Thompson of Upper Marlboro, OH are with the Armistead Marker Preservation Committee. See their website for more information on the goals of this group.

A view of the Civilian Camp goes on as far as the eye can see.
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L. Rich Metzger of St. Petersburg, FL discusses military telegraphing with R. Thomas DeVane of Wauchula, FL. They explained that the Union has 1200 telegraph operators. These men traveled with the army and each Corps had its own station. They could splice into a wire anywhere and transmit a message provided the line wasn't cut. Often they would venture into hostile territory to find and repair cut wires. The Corps didn't use the telegraph much at Gettysburg as the troops were always moving too fast.		We had the pleasure of meeting these fine ladies at the tent of The Longstreet Society: Laurie Blakesly of Thomas Mills, PA, Debra Barrett of Stafford, VA, and Margaret Blough of Harrisburg, PA. They met online at various Civil War discussion groups on AOL, Compuserve and the Gettysburg Discussion Group and over the years have become friends. Now they get together and channel their abundant energies into The Longstreet Society to honor a man they greatly admire. The group is putting on a seminar "The Bull of the Woods Returns" in TN and GA in September.
		Amy Lail of Shelby, NC who was with the 25th NC, transports her daughter, McKenzie, in the 19th century version of a baby carriage. McKenzie seemed to love the wagon ride

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