Whatever your interest in history, there is bound to be a group somewhere in the country reenacting the period. The Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars are no exception. Those of you who read the first installment of this column in issue 15 will by now realise that to reenact the Napoleonic period in this country you have to be a member of the Napoleonic Association. You may be asking yourself, "Why Reenact?". People reenact the period for many reasons. For some, it is an extension of their general interest in what is a fascinating era to study. From reading and wargaming the period, it becomes a natural progression to actually living it. Napoleonic re-enactment gives a valuable insight into what it was like to march and fight in the uniforms and equipment of that time. Standing shoulder to shoulder in a two deep line while loading and firing a smoothbore flintlock musket, tells you more ahout being a British soldier of the time than any book will be able to. On the opposite side, marching in a French column towards a silent British line on the field of Waterloo instils the same mix of feelings that Napoleon's troops experienced; including determination, bravado and apprehension. Many enthusiasts reenact to study the weapons of the period. he they muskets or cannon. Some are interested in the camplite, and recreate this aspect of a soldiers life. Some want to live the period as civilians. Others want to learn about the practicalities of being a cavalry trooper of the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleonic reenactment is a mixture of historical study, social life, and travel to interesting places. Many recreated events take place on original battlefields such as Leipzig and Waterloo. In the UK, such events often occur at an Historic House. A reenactment has more to offer than just dressing in a colourful uniform. Reenactment, like any other hobby, does cost money. The exact cost varies from unit to unit. It is impossible to place a fixed price on this factor. Some units are more expensive than others; some may be able to loan certain items; others may have a stock of secondhand uniform and equipment that the new member may purchase. When examining the outfit of a Napoleonic Reenactor, the Napoleonic enthusiast/potential recruit may be overwhelmed by the number of items actually adorning that soldier. It can be guaranteed, however, that this soldier did not acquire all his kit in one go. It has been accumulated over a period of time, thus spreading the cost, as in any other hobby. Aside from the equipment, the recruit needs to travel to events, either by personal or public transport, or by sharing these costs with other members. Camping equipment is also needed. Anyone interested in the period who takes the King's shilling or is recruited to follow the Eagles, will find themselves in an absorbing, enjoyable, educational and very sociable hobby. Units within the Napoleonic Association The Association consists of a numher of reenactment units. You may wonder why there are not just and a French regiment to oppose one another. Reenactment units are formed by individuals who have a particular interest in a certain army nationality and regiment. This follows on from their interests in the period. They may have an interest in an elite unit of the Napoleonic Wars, or wish to recreate their own county regiment of the period. Whatever the unit, its formation is essentially a personal choice. All units within the Association actively recruit, usually in their locality, but distance is usually no problem if a recruit has a special interest in joining a unit in another part of the country. However, this may pose restrictions on the new member attending all the drill and social events staged by the unit in their base area. In forming a new unit, the members will research the uniforms, equipment and drill relevant to that regiment. This research is performed in museums, libraries and private collections throughout the world, and result in a very high standard of presentation. The research never ends however, and is one of the enjoyable aspects of the hobby of reenactment. There are a number of units within the Association. Following this column each issue there will appear recruiting notices from these groups, giving more details about these recreated regiments, their locations and activities. There are three Brigades, and the constituent units are as follows: British Brigade Staff 19th Light Dragoons 1st Foot Guards 2nd Foot 9th Foot 42nd Foot 45th Foot 95th Rifles Royal Marines Artillery Royal Horse Artillery Royal Artillery Band Medical Staff French Brigade Staff Vistula Legion Lancers 3eme de Ligne 21 eme de Ligne 45eme de Ligne 46eme de Ligne Service de Sante Austrian Brigade Hoch und Deutschmeister Infanterie-Regiment Jagers Many of these units have members abroad, or have very close links with other groups around the world. For the potential reenactor, there are a variety of regiments to join. Events for 1994 In the last issue there was published the timetable of events for this season. A Dispatch Rider arrived at my house the other day with news of some additions to the programme. If you want to see the Association in action and find out more about joining the reenactment section, then visit these events: 23rd/24th April Grimsthorpe Castle, Nottingham. The Association will be staging a private campaign on one hundred acres of land. Camping is available, at a fee of &# 163 5 per head. New members are welcome to attend and experience at first hand life on campaign in the Armies of Wellington, Napoleon and the Archduke Charles. Late May Bank Holiday Congleton Carnival and Tattoo, Congleton, Cheshire. This promises to be a packed day out for all the family, the timetable of Napoleonic Association activities being: Aside of the Napoleonic events, there will be a full Carnival with mounted Military Police and military gun displays. There will certainly be plenty to see. Saturday 28th 2.00 Carnival Parade 4.30 Display of cavalry and infantry drill and tactics. Sunday 29th 12.00 Skirmish display 4.15 Battle display Monday 30th 12.00 Skirmish display 1.00 Battle display 3.00 Parade If you cannot get to see this event, then there will be; display at Northolt, Middlesex, on 27,28,29th August. This will be a full battle event. More details will be published in this column in a future issue. For more details of these events, contact the Secretary 3, Steadman Avenue, Cosby, Leicester, LE9 5UZ. Please enclose an sase. Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire #16 Back to First Empire List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1994 by First Empire. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com