Battle of Fox Gap (1862) 2007
I saw the first part of a three-part American Civil War reenactment yesterday afternoon.
It was amazing, as the attached videos, photos, and screen-captures show...
Andrew actually ran this event, and unlike many events I've been to, fought very hard to get an accurate number of troops, of the right sides, and of the best look he could to make the event as accurate to the real Battle at Fox's Gap (a sub-battle of the < a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_South_Mountain>Battle of South Mountain)as he could. I think there was about 4000 reenactors.
Also, very few spectators were allowed. I was one of maybe 300 spectators, as opposed to the thousands who show up for other events. Also, entry was free - but you needed to get a pass from one of the event officers.
That said, it was probably the most realistic ACW battle I've ever seen.
Most events start with both sides visible and already lined up opposite each other. Andrew never liked that. So for this, the troops start under cover, mostly out of sight, so the battle can develop like a playn on a stage, with each player appearing as needed and exiting when defeated. These were probably the only Rebs in view; you could also faintly make out the Union force inside a treeline to our left.
The opening volleys of the battle - well, except a few shots from a 3" ordance rifle. (That's a medium-sized cannon, FYI.) The 5th North Carolina skirmishes with the 23rd Ohio. (All Rebel troops were from North Carolina in the real fight, and the Union, from Ohio. Odd but true.)
Of course, my batteries died, and a frantic search for more ensued. By the time I had more, the battle had gotten fairly general...
The 5th NC has formed a full battle-line where their skirmish line was, and the 23rd NC has taken up a position in the trees dead center to oppose the advancing 12th OH. Near the end of the clip, the 20th NC advances to help the 23rd NC, who covers their advance with fire against some still-distant Union troops. The 13th NC also makes a very brief appearance.
You can't make it out in the videos, but the 11th OH suddenly appears on the distant flank of the 5th NC, driving them back. The 12th NC advances to try and support them, but is also driven back. All this happens behind the 23rd NC's copse of trees. The video itself starts off with a spectaular view of the 23rd and 12th OH's battleline at the edge of a treeline, then follows them as they advance and resume firing on the NC troops. The clip ends withthe 23rd and 20th NC visible to the front, and smoke from the 5th and 12th NC visible coming from behind the copse of trees.
Here, we can see the Union right (the 28th, 30th, and 36th OH) for the first time, as they slowly force back the 20th NC (whose skirmishers are in the foreground), then force first the 13th NC and then the 23rd NC back. The Rebels rally (minus the 5th NC, which flees the field off-camera) and set up a solid-looking line along a fence-line and into the distant trees.
There are several neat things to note:
1. Lots of casualties! I've never seen so many so early in a battle before.
2. Deserters! Watch the left center side of the video from 1:06 to 1:20 to see several members of the 23rd or 12th OH flee the field - and a sargent try to stop them!
3. Strecher team! How cool is that?
The Union decides to finish things and charges the Rebel line! The 12th NC breaks and flees through the wods, out of sight, but the 20th and 23rd NC stand and die in place. Large-scale hand-to-hand combat - another thing I've never seen before! The lone rmaining NC regiment - the 13th - falls back and meets with the final Reb reserves (the 2nd and 4th NC) and set up a new line to slow the advancing Union troops.
The six Ohio regiments and three NC regiments pound on each other at close range. The Rebs break and flee when the OH troops charged them soon after this video was shot.
It was a triumph of accuracy and one man's willingness to say "No" to the need to bow to spectators. And we who were lucky enough to see it in person seem to all agree: best battle we've ever seen.
Now how can I tell which Regiment is which? Well, Andrew did hand me the battle-plan after it was all done...
It was amazing, as the attached videos, photos, and screen-captures show...
Andrew actually ran this event, and unlike many events I've been to, fought very hard to get an accurate number of troops, of the right sides, and of the best look he could to make the event as accurate to the real Battle at Fox's Gap (a sub-battle of the < a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_South_Mountain>Battle of South Mountain)as he could. I think there was about 4000 reenactors.
Also, very few spectators were allowed. I was one of maybe 300 spectators, as opposed to the thousands who show up for other events. Also, entry was free - but you needed to get a pass from one of the event officers.
That said, it was probably the most realistic ACW battle I've ever seen.
Most events start with both sides visible and already lined up opposite each other. Andrew never liked that. So for this, the troops start under cover, mostly out of sight, so the battle can develop like a playn on a stage, with each player appearing as needed and exiting when defeated. These were probably the only Rebs in view; you could also faintly make out the Union force inside a treeline to our left.
The opening volleys of the battle - well, except a few shots from a 3" ordance rifle. (That's a medium-sized cannon, FYI.) The 5th North Carolina skirmishes with the 23rd Ohio. (All Rebel troops were from North Carolina in the real fight, and the Union, from Ohio. Odd but true.)
Of course, my batteries died, and a frantic search for more ensued. By the time I had more, the battle had gotten fairly general...
The 5th NC has formed a full battle-line where their skirmish line was, and the 23rd NC has taken up a position in the trees dead center to oppose the advancing 12th OH. Near the end of the clip, the 20th NC advances to help the 23rd NC, who covers their advance with fire against some still-distant Union troops. The 13th NC also makes a very brief appearance.
You can't make it out in the videos, but the 11th OH suddenly appears on the distant flank of the 5th NC, driving them back. The 12th NC advances to try and support them, but is also driven back. All this happens behind the 23rd NC's copse of trees. The video itself starts off with a spectaular view of the 23rd and 12th OH's battleline at the edge of a treeline, then follows them as they advance and resume firing on the NC troops. The clip ends withthe 23rd and 20th NC visible to the front, and smoke from the 5th and 12th NC visible coming from behind the copse of trees.
Here, we can see the Union right (the 28th, 30th, and 36th OH) for the first time, as they slowly force back the 20th NC (whose skirmishers are in the foreground), then force first the 13th NC and then the 23rd NC back. The Rebels rally (minus the 5th NC, which flees the field off-camera) and set up a solid-looking line along a fence-line and into the distant trees.
There are several neat things to note:
1. Lots of casualties! I've never seen so many so early in a battle before.
2. Deserters! Watch the left center side of the video from 1:06 to 1:20 to see several members of the 23rd or 12th OH flee the field - and a sargent try to stop them!
3. Strecher team! How cool is that?
The Union decides to finish things and charges the Rebel line! The 12th NC breaks and flees through the wods, out of sight, but the 20th and 23rd NC stand and die in place. Large-scale hand-to-hand combat - another thing I've never seen before! The lone rmaining NC regiment - the 13th - falls back and meets with the final Reb reserves (the 2nd and 4th NC) and set up a new line to slow the advancing Union troops.
The six Ohio regiments and three NC regiments pound on each other at close range. The Rebs break and flee when the OH troops charged them soon after this video was shot.
It was a triumph of accuracy and one man's willingness to say "No" to the need to bow to spectators. And we who were lucky enough to see it in person seem to all agree: best battle we've ever seen.
Now how can I tell which Regiment is which? Well, Andrew did hand me the battle-plan after it was all done...