A Review of the 150th First Bull Run/Manassas Reenactment Part 1

This review has three parts. The first is a review of the reenactment as an event. The second part is a review of the reenactment as a participant. The third is a review of the reenactment as a memory making experience.

First and foremost, if you were there or have looked at anything regarding how the event went, you know that is was hot. I don't mean summer time in Virginia hot either, I mean on Friday, the heat index was 117 degrees Fahrenheit in Manassas, Virginia. Saturday was 114. Without the heat index, one car temperature read 110. In all my years of reenacting, I have never been to an event as hot as this one. In all my life, I have never been anywhere as hot as this. By ten in the morning, there wasn't a dry spot let on one's body. My shins were sweating. I didn't even know this was possible.

I certainly don't mean to come off as tougher then the rest, but I hold up in heat very well. (Of course, I'm also the girl whimpering for death when the temperature drops below 60.) We arrived on Thursday night between 7:30 and 8:00 and discovered we were one of four campers in our unit. Everyone else had booked hotel rooms. Friday, we did not have to be in period dress until the evening, so Faith, Teddy, and I tried to sleep in what we had worn that day. I emphasize "tried." With three of us under the canvas, it was stifling to say the least. We slept with the flaps open. Teddy and I had the air mattress and Faith had the cot. Although we were exhausted, sleep didn't come until well after one am.

When we woke up sweaty (and easily) at ten to six, I knew it was going to be bad. There was no break during the night. As I said, we didn't have to be in period clothes Friday, which was a blessing. Faith got a migraine and, coupled with the heat, felt sick midday. I went with her to one of our unit's hotel rooms and we showered. While we were there, Teddy called up to say he needed a hotel room for Friday night. After much discussion. We decided to stay for the reenactment Saturday, but leave that evening and spend an extra day in Gettysburg instead.

I love reenacting and I am a stickler for authenticity, but I was happy with our decision. First of all, this was Faith's first real reenactment and she was not holding up in the heat well. Teddy has a low tolerance for heat too and I was less than thrilled to be with Mr. Crankypants and Miss. Might Faint. There are times when common sense has to trump authenticity and this was certainly one of them. Frankly, if the temperatures had been what they were last weekend in July 1861...the soldiers would not have fought. Women definitely would not have been outside in the heat.

I have only left one other reenactment early and that was several years ago, against my will. The event was cancelled Saturday night when it was threatened by a nor' easter. The way I viewed it, I went to the 150th Manassas. I participated in the 150th Manassas and I left without any severe medical emergencies. There was one major contributing factor to my compliance to leaving the event early and that was the treatment of the participants in such conditions, but more on that in Part 2.