When I was a little kid living on a dairy farm in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, I can remember how I used to get togeather with my best friend and a few other kids and play army. Armed with sticks or boards for guns and clods of dirt or rotten apples for hand grenades, we spent many a joyful summer day visiting "death and destruction" on each other. Later on, after the family had moved to Indiana and my dad had a better income, I played army in the local woods with toy guns. As teenagers, my friends and I discovered fireworks, both commercial and home-made, and graduated to a level of sociopathy bordering on juvenile delinquency.

Sometime during this period, I think when I was about ten years old, my brother brought home an Avalon Hill board game known as D-Day. He taught me to play it and before you know it, I was hooked. Over the next ten years I became a devoted board gamer. My brother, on the other hand, discovered women and went on to bigger and better things.

After graduation from high school, I left playing army behind me and gravitated more and more in the direction of wargaming, discovering miniature gaming around my first year of college. As I sublimely committed myself to a future of premature obesity, myopia and back trouble as a fully dedicated "armchair general" in the literal sense, I had no way of knowing that I would one day regress once more to the halcyon days of my misspent youth.

Introduction to Reenacting

For many years I had been aware of the concept of reenacting, also known as living history. For those unaware of the concept, it is the idea of dressing up in historical garb and attempting to recreate the activities of a certain period from the past. The Bristol Renaissance Fair is an example of such practices. Colonial Williamsburg is another example. My friend, George Rust, had been a Civil War reenactor for a long time, portraying a Federal artilleryman.

Four years ago, Bill Protz, the former editor of the Seven Years War Association Journal, and several of his friends who had been involved in French & Indian War reenacting decided to form their own unit to be known as Les Troupes de Levis a Ste Foy (i.e. The Soldiers of Levis at Saint Foy). The purpose of this organization is to portray those soldiers, native Americans and civilians associated with the French forces under the Chevalier de Levis during the Seven Years War in North America. The Chevalier de Levis was the commander of the French forces after the death of Montcalm in 1759.

Bill sent letters to as many people as he thought would be interested in reenacting the Seven Years War, including a great many wargamers, inviting them to join his unit. Well, it just so happened that Bill caught me at a moment of weakness. The previous Fall, George and I had gone to The Feast of the Hunters' Moon , in Lafayette, Indiana. The Feast, which is held in early autumn, is a rendezvous of large proportions encompassing the soldiers, civilians and native Americans (Editor: i.e. Indians for those of you who deplore political correctness) of Colonial times. This was my first encounter with an eighteenth century living history presentation and I was totally awestruck. Between the plethora of fascinating costumes and the abundance of activities and crafts present, I found myself being sucked in to a new appreciation of early American history and commented to George, " I think I could get into doing something like this." Little did I know that the following year I would be back at the Feast, this time as a participant rather than as a spectator!

When I heard that Bill Protz was organizing an F & I War unit I lost no time in contacting him to find out about joining. George was also interested and we went to Bill's first meeting at his house in Wisconsin to discover what the unit was all about. We quickly learned that the three founding officers had already recruited their first member, our own Rich Black! Within a few weeks George and I and a number of others had also joined

Taking the Plunge: Buying Equipment

The cost of recreating the eighteenth century is not cheap. One of the first acquisitions I made was a reproduction Charleville model 1763 69-caliber smoothbore flintlock musket. Made in Japan (?) and available from Dixie Gun Works in Tennessee, it was purchased at wholesale price in kit form for around $320.00. It was also available fully assembled for $40.00 more.

Next came the uniform. Initially, I expressed an interest in being a militia man, however Bill steered me in the direction of being a French regular as there were so few of them. The regulars, or Troupes de Terre , were the units which came over with Montcalm from France shortly after the commencement of hostilities with the British. I decided to pick the Royal Roussillon as my regiment because I liked the color of its flag (Editor: Jim is a recruiting sergeant's dream). Also, Rich Black, who lives about ten minutes from me had picked the same unit, so it seemed convenient to have a cadre of similarly dressed troops from the same area. George, who also lives in Crown Point, picked the same regiment as well. We all ordered our cloth, mostly wool, and had it sent to some people near Wasau, Wisconsin along with our measurements. By mid-summer, my uniform was basically completed.

The uniform of the Royal Roussillon regiment consists of knee breeches and overcoat, or justeaucorps, of unbleached white wool and a sleeved waistcoat (basically a jacket) of blue wool. The justeaucorps has cuffs and collars of blue wool as well. All buttons are brass. The hat consists of a black felt tricorne with a black satin cockade and gold lace around the edge. Helena Black (Rich's wife -an angel without wings!) made us white cloth gaiters with black leather buttons. Underneath these we wear white stockings. We bought, or had made, period shirts of linen. Black cloth and leather neck stocks are worn to encourage proper posture and prevent "evil humours" from entering through our shirt openings! Two leather garters around our upper calves and a pair of straight-last (i.e. no left or right) shoes completes the uniform. This all cost about as much as a painted wargaming army or maybe a fancy three-piece suit from Marshall Fields department store. Is that dedication or what?

Next come the accessories. Since I have a mustache, am kind of hefty (fat) and over six feet tall, I decided to portray a grenadier. This entitles me to wear a grenadier's hanger (a curved, single edged hacking weapon) in my sword belt rather than the standard epee du soldat (a straight, double edged stabbing or cut and thrust weapon). I also carry a bayonet in my sword belt. This item fits onto my musket or fusil. Over my left shoulder I carry a demi-giberne or cartridge belt. Since I am a grenadier, my cartidge box has a coat of arms embossed on the flap. It is designed to accomodate thirty cartridges, although I am told that the grenadiers actually carried sixty. The box is made of reddish-brown leather. The belts are made of natural colored buff leather which darkens to more of a brown with age.

The Next Step: Going to War

So now that I got all this stuff, what do I do with it? Play war games of course! Les Troupes de Levis a Ste Foy belongs to an umbrella group called the Forces of Montcalm and Wolfe. This organization is responsible for setting and maintaining the safety rules at the various events that are attended by their member units as well as establishing guidelines for standards of authenticity. Each year, various communities and organizations around the country have diverse activities and events in which they invite reenactors to participate. Many, if not most, of these activities include the setting up of authentic encampments, participation in parades or flag raising ceremonies, demonstrations of eighteenth century drills and manual of arms, volley firing, fashion shows and (most fun of all) tacticals.

This last expression, "tacticals", means playing army. Only this time, instead of pointing sticks at one another and screaming "bang, bang, you're dead!" we get to fire real gunpowder out of working muskets at each other in an attempted simulation of eighteenth century warfare. What can I say? This is Fun! I get a real rush when our three rank line of regulars fires off a thundering volley of musketry fire at the British troops or when our company wheels from column into line to the sound of the fife and drum.

One gains a better appreciation of the characteristics of linear warfare through such participation. It takes a lot of practice just to wheel a line properly. I'm sure that Mr. Purky can testify to the troubles we had doing this right during our unit picnic and drill in the Spring of '92. Fortunately, practice makes perfect. By the time of the Rendezvous sur le Rouge at Dearborn, Michigan last year, we were wheeling our lines like pros.

Some of my friends have asked me whether or not I feel foolish wearing these unusual costumes. I have to admit that when I first got involved with reenacting, I had some qualms about how well I would be accepted by the public.

To my profound pleasure, I soon found out that these fears were unfounded, as the people who attend these events have inevitably been thoroughly impressed by our attire and conduct. It certainly gives my ego a boost when a wellscrubbed, comely young lass asks if she can pose for a picture next to me. We have all come to decorate the photo albums of more spectators than I will ever know, and we are always greeted with smiles, applause and comments of approval. The public has a very strong interest in living history and the success of the film, The Last of the Mohicans has probably helped stimulate that interest in regards the French & Indian War.

Jacques Mitchell Slept Here

Events which I have attended or plan to attend this year include:

June 12-13, 1993 Rendezvous on the Rouge, Dearborn, MI
This was a great event, as always, including colours ceremonies and tacticals on both days, as well as an Indian pow-wow. Featuring fashion shows, music, many vendors and other activities, it is the premier event of the year. This year wer were treated to a free, catered buffet! Mayor Guido of Dearborn is an enthusiastic patron and appreciator of living history.

June 26 - 27 F & I War Encampment, Fort Ticonderoga, NY
This event featured tacticals both days and a fashion show and Indian pow-wow.

July 3 - 5 Fort Niagra F & I Encampment, Fort Niagara, NY
Another one of my favorites, this event featured colours ceremonies and tacticals each day as well as fashion shows, musketry demonstrations, cannon firings and lots of stuff to look at and buy from vendors. Get to meet historian Brian Dunnigan; wow!

July 10 -11 Gathering on the Theatiki, Bourbonnais, IL
This was my first time at Theatiki. It was quite nice. There were more vendors at this one than at any of the others that I've visited so far. The atmosphere was very relaxed. There were colours ceremonies each morning and afternoon and a tactical each day. Musicians and other entertainers were featured. I met some new friends at this one and hope to go back next year.

Sept. 11 - 12 Encampment at Fort Miami, Fort Wayne, IN
I'm looking forward to this event. This is only the third year for it. I've been there the previous two years and had a lot of fun.

October 9 - 10 Feast of the Hunter's Moon, Lafayette, IN
What can I say about this one? It's one of the biggest and most well-established event of its kind in the midwest. Although there are no tacticals featured, there is plenty to see: lots of period costumes, entertainment, food, music, cannon demonstrations, Indian dances, etc.

For those who wish to participate in reenactments, there is no set minimum number of events that you have to attend. You are free to set your own schedule or degree of participation depending upon your amount of free time and disposable income. Ours is a familyoriented organization. Most of the members are married and many of them have children. Women, children and men from all walks of life are welcome to join.

In future articles I hope to address the subject of my first experiences firing a musket, how casualties are determined, the difficulties of marching a line through inhospitable terrain or up and down slopes, plus other incidents that I have witnessed at events. I will also try to keep Mr. Purky informed of future unit activities. Maybe we can coax him into participating in a few of them. He does, afterall, have his very own French fusilier's uniform (Regt. Bearn) and it is a mighty snazzy-looking getup. Of course, with that stolid, calm demeanor of his, maybe Jim would make a good Jesuit priest of which our unit is in need. What do you think? Should Mr. Purky deck himself out as an infantryman or a black robe?

(Editor: I'm sure to be drummed out of the Anglophiles Society of North America once the news gets out that I've been seen sporting French colors.).