Visit to Perryville Battlefield State Park

With the oldest four children away at camp it seems like less work, somehow, to pack up just two and take a little roadtrip. (It isn't really much less work!) Though the day was hot and humid a nice drive through grassy countryside beneath a wide blue sky seemed just the thing. So we went! It was my first time visiting an actual Civil War battlefield and for me it was quite special.

Perryville surprised me by being a small town in the middle of nowhere. The town has some beautiful historic buildings but our destination was the battlefield state park outside of town. We stopped first at a white home set back from the road. 

The Dye House was used as headquarters by Confederate General Buckner during the battle of Perryville, which took place on October 8, 1862. It was also used as a hospital and it is said that the floorboards upstairs are still blood stained from the casualties that were brought there. 

Intellectually I do not believe in the existence of ghosts but I will not deny that I have, many times, felt things that indicate a very real and active unseen spiritual world. The Dye House is reportedly quite haunted and I was interested to see if I could feel anything odd about the place. 

I didn't, really. Or at least, nothing more than one would expect at any site of suffering and pain. It was very, very still and seemed empty and sad. From the upstairs windows I sensed a feeling of quiet watchfulness but when we returned to the house again later that day the feeling had gone. No one was watching us that time. 

We continued on to the actual park and visited the museum and enjoyed a brief air conditioned respite from the oppressively humid heat. Outside cheerful zinnias bobbed in the breeze and caught Rose's attention. She loves flowers. 

We visited the Confederate cemetery. The federal soldiers who died here were temporarily buried on the field before being moved to permanent cemeteries. The Confederates were left here and most were unidentified when they were buried. 

The babies great-great-great-great grandfather, John Garner, was with the 123rd Illinois and fought here on this battlefield. It was a bit surreal to see the actual area where the 123rd fought. John Garner was 46 when the War started and despite his older age he quickly enlisted in the 123rd Illinois. After being sent home due to sickness he enlisted with the 62nd Illinois and served til the end of the war. John Garner survived the war and died in 1899, beloved by friends and family. During the battle of Perryville, John was 48 years old. 

The lady in the museum handed us a map for a driving tour of the park. She said she wasn't giving out the walking trail maps that day since it was just too hot! The first stop on our driving tour was the top of a hill where federal forces trained their artillery on Confederates on the opposite hill. 

It was quite a view. Central Kentucky is so beautiful.

The next place we stopped was here. We walked down a little ways before going back to the vehicle. It was about 2 o clock in the afternoon and just so abominably hot. 5 minutes in the hot sun was enough. While here, the lack of water sources really struck me forcibly. Besides the rather small Doctors Creek that cut through one edge of the park, I didn't see any other water. Everything was so hot, so dry. The heat radiated in waves off of everything. 

After the driving tour we headed back to town for cold drinks and snacks and then came back to the park to enjoy it on a more personal level. You cannot really know a place til you have walked it, laid on it, and let it get to know you. 

On top of the hill where the 123rd was forced back to retreat, we spread a blanket and enjoyed the breeze and shade. Rose and Benjamin enjoyed their cups of lemonade and m&m's, too. 

We sat there for a while. I'm not sure how long. Time didn't seem to matter anymore. 

When the sun got lower we slowly walked down the hill, the hill that the 123rd had retreated up over 150 years ago. The sunlight pooled goldenly and it seemed as if we walked in a dream. 

And here, I somehow knew, was where John Garner had been. While Benjamin played with sticks and Rose plucked at the wildflowers I stood very still. 

There was a thickness of invisible shadows, it seemed. We weren't quite in 1862 but we were close. Close enough to know that what happened here wasn't very long ago at all. 

The one slightly odd thing we experienced happened as we were leaving and we crossed the bridge on our way back up to the parking lot. Rose turned to go back across the bridge again and Benjamin screamed with horror and panic and tried to grab and drag her back across. She would have none of it, though, so I had to go pick her up and carry her so Benjamin would settle down. He was quite happy to trot back up the hill after that!

We had a wonderful time even though it was so hot. If we could stand going down to Perryville in our period attire on the hottest day of summer I think we can do anything! haha. I'd love to go back again and take the other kids. I think from now on it will be a favorite destination. 

Love,

Sarah

Living History in July

I can't believe it's already been a week since Heritage Village. It took two days for laundry, mending, ironing and putting away this last week. Before next time I need to make Benjamin a new gown and set of unders. He's shot up since early spring and is getting tall and skinny.

It was truly a pleasure to get out once more and get to see some more local history, renew acquaintances and make new friends. That's something very cool about reenacting - reenactors seem to be pretty much the same no matter where you are. I am so happy to be part of such a diverse yet friendly and passionate community. You know how you hear that music is a language the whole world speaks? A love for history is like that, too. A deep respect and appreciation of where you came from and how far you've come.

I loved to see the kids have such a great time exploring, asking questions and absorbing everything around them. The older boys vividly remember often going to "the tent place" (their toddler term for reenactments) but it's still pretty new to the younger set. Little David, now almost 10, was the least enthusiastic about going. Since he was diagnosed with a mild form of autism a few years ago I have tried to be more sensitive to his personal preferences and his desire for predictable routine and structure. He also doesn't really enjoy wearing all the period style clothes.

He's too little to leave home by himself though so he had to come. And after a little while he was very glad that he did! He discovered a train station and although its been many years now since he has been obsessed with trains he still loves them and soon was enjoying himself hugely exploring the length of (inactive) track in front of the station and the hand car. Later, he rolled up his trousers and discarded his stockings and shoes to wade in the creek with a bunch of other kids.

Judah is almost nine but seems much older - he often gets mistaken for a sixth grader.

He loved being responsible enough to run little errands for me, visit the sutlers and shop for trinkets (he coveted a dagger most passionately, but we decided he was a bit young for such a knife) and enjoyed playing games with other children.

Judah took this picture of a macaw that a lady brought to the event. Judah got to hold it
three times, he said, and now he wants a macaw. 

Macaws are too expensive, I told him. So he's going to get one when he's an
adult, he decided. The kid loves birds. 

He was a cheerful and willing help with the two babies and never tired of running after little Benjamin when he'd stray too far ahead or making Rose laugh.

Malachi was full of fire about the infantry and I had to constantly answer his questions about when he'll be old enough to get a rifle and become a "soldier".

His insatiable curiosity and deep regret that he is still, after all, only seven really struck me as we walked together and I listened to him talking.

How many mothers had sons who similarly desired to go off and join the army during the 1860's? Now, in 2016, reenacting is a fun hobby but back then the Civil War was so real and terrible. We do not reenact a fun era of history.

The horror, weariness, despair, and intense suffering our historic counterparts experienced is not present in living history today. I cannot imagine the choking fear a mother would have felt when thinking about her sons leaving home and taking up the life of a soldier.

Little Anne danced and twirled her way through the day, chasing butterflies, talking to everyone she encountered and helping me with little tasks with great pride.

She helped me pack the lunch baskets the day before and at noon carefully helped carry them to our picnicking spot to hand out food to her brothers and sister.

 Even though she helped me make the meat pasties, she decided they weren't good. For them we cooked up a big pork roast and shredded it and cooked it again with onions, grated carrots and a little apple juice. We filled circles of pastry with the meat mixture and after glazing them with an egg white we baked them til brown.

Wrapped in wax paper they made a nice portable lunch along with hard boiled eggs and a jar of pickles. Anne ate the eggs and pickles.

Benjamin enjoyed running everywhere, finding sticks and rocks and going up and down stairs into the various historic buildings.

Like his older brothers were at his age he was extremely fond of the fire pits and he loved going close to them and exclaiming "Hot! Hot!"

He was really very good. In the afternoon he lay down and rested with Rose and then watched the progression of ants in the dirt with great interest.

Although he was mistaken for a girl several times he did not mind. He got to meet a gentleman portraying our beloved General Grant and the good General spoke kindly to him and called him by name.

Little Rose also enjoyed herself, perhaps too much as she was too excited to take her after noon nap. While she allowed me to carry her from place to place, as soon as we were stationary she had to wiggle down and explore for herself by crawling everywhere. She batted her eyelashes and smiled flirtatiously with her toothy grin at everyone, many of whom stopped to talk to her or asked to take her picture. At lunch she devoured a whole pie on her own, and two eggs.

During the battle I was apprehensive about how she would take the artillery fire but I was proud to see she did not even flinch.

She disinterestedly gazed at the field of battle, crawled over to a nearby tree and happily started scratching in the dirt with a stick. Her little white dress was completely covered in mud by the time we went home but she was happy and exhausted. Thankfully, bleach does wonders (there's a good reason baby clothes back then were often white!) and the little white gown is back to a pristine state of cleanliness. It's uncertain though if it will fit her for much longer. She's a little peanut right now but she seems to have hit a growth spurt lately.

I had a wonderful time and am really happy to be part of such a great group of people. The good folks of the 48th Ohio are hospitable, funny and so kind and are so wonderful with the children. I'm so very much looking forward to a new chapter of events with them!

We live right in the middle of what was, in the pre-1860's, a large abolitionist center and a frequent stop on the Underground Railroad. What a lot of history! I am only starting to discover just how much.

Love,
SaraH

Finished Regency Stays and White Vernet Dress

As I was organizing my sewing room today I came across my regency stays and realized I hadn't even tried them on since getting the laces for them. I've been so busy with 1860's things I guess I kinda forgot about them! So I decided to try them on and see how they fit before putting them away. Hopefully at the end of this month I'll have an occasion to wear them - depends on how much sewing I can get done between now and then. If all else fails, I can at least wear the white dress for a day trip to the event and the babies have their boone frocks. The older kids will be gone at camp so they won't need outfits this time.

First of all, I LOVE THESE! The few little subtle changes made to the pattern really helped make these a lot more comfortable than the last version. It's so weird that in a corset the difference of a half inch here, a quarter inch there can really affect the fit and overall look.

The busk is a perfect length and width and the cups are just right. Rose is still nursing but only once or twice a day now so I feel comfortable in thinking that these ought to still fit when she is weaned. The other adjustment was the shoulder straps. I moved them over towards the center back to help them not fall off the shoulder and that seemed to help tremendously.

I'm very pleased with the silhouette. The "divorced" look to the bosom is exactly what I wanted. Finally! Success in that area. The back lacing gap is fairly wide but I'd much rather it be a bit wide than too narrow. When the gap is too small I get really bad back discomfort after a while.

I tried on my dress over the stays to see how it fits. I haven't really had much experience with this dress yet. For the Vernet project I made it during a cold autumn and wore a jacket over it and since then it has been hanging in the back of the closet. Upon getting it out again and examining it I really do like it.

When I think back upon the construction of it my memories are a mass of endless tucks. This one had a lot of tucks! And I think I had problems with not having enough material for sleeves, so I had to piece them in two places.

This is one of the few garments I've made that is entirely handsewn. I'm surprised by how sturdy it seems when worn.

The red glass beads are from the trade faire we were at earlier this year. I thought they were pretty. :)

So, that is that. The stays are done. And hopefully tomorrow I will be on to my next corset adventure when the busk for my 1860's corset arrives. I got dozens of zip ties from Harbor Freight yesterday so I'm prepared.

Love,
Sarah

Light French Corset from Corsets and Crinolines

We went to a fabulous reenactment over the weekend and while we all had a great time, it became pretty apparent that a few things need to be made really soon. One of those things is a new corset for me since my last one just doesn't fit well anymore. I mean, it does still fit, but it's pretty loose now and the lacing is almost closed in the back (lost 10 lbs and gained a lot of muscle since making it) and the waistline is really low for a proper 1860's silhouette. So basically it was super uncomfortable to wear after a few hours and yeah, time for a new one. I think I'll keep the old one for 1840's use since the low waist works really well for that time period. 

I am glad for any excuse to make corsets so I started this one almost immediately. I originally wanted to try the 1868 L.H. Foy corset that has a fun separate hip piece for ultimate hip flare but the 1868 patent date bothered me. I'm sure the shape is just fine for the 1860's but I wanted something from really early in the 1860's. So I looked at Corsets and Crinolines again and decided to make the 1860 Light French Stays. 

I used the pattern diagram as a guide and drew the pieces out using my own measurements for length, width, etc. I made a few mock ups and the third one works so now I can put my pattern aside and waist for the busk to come in the mail. The pictures are from the second mock up, which was almost right, but needed to be taken in a teeny bit through the bust and waist. 

The front will have a 12" busk as opposed to the 14" busk I used in my last corset

The 1860's saw a really short, curvy corset. The bustline was not that high and the waistline hit right around the bottom of the rib cage. The hips were flared not just at the sides and back but sometimes also at the front, since full skirts springing from the waist did not require a flattened abdomen to look well. This pattern is quite a bit shorter than my other one and since there are so many seams and each seam is a curved line, the corset is a lot curvier than my last one, which had just one seam at the side for shaping, along with triangular gussets. 

The bottom edge needs to have the front curve refined

Very happy with the hip flare!

This pattern seemed oddly familiar to me as I worked on it and then I remembered that this actually was the first pattern I used for a corset! Back in the late 1990's when I first started getting interested in reenacting I bought a corset pattern and a dress pattern from a sutler at Billie Creek Village, and this is the same corset pattern. I guess everything comes full circle eventually!

I fit the corset using the methods suggested in the Laughing Moon Victorian Corsets pattern - I like to fit while wearing a good supportive modern bra, just to keep things in place while the fabric is pulled tight to fit around and below the bust. There will be a 4" or so lacing gap in the back.

I'm really excited about this corset and can't wait til I can sew up the real thing! Hope the mail is quick this week. ;) 

Love,

Sarah

 

Marching Rations

In 1861, Julia Grant sent her oldest son, Fred, to go with his father on the field. What started out as what she assumed would be a "pleasant summer outing for both of them" turned into 4 years of Fred (and frequently Julia and the other children, too) often joining the General at headquarters. Fred experienced a good deal of camp life as well as the horrors of battle and its aftermath. Following his death in 1912, a New York Times article says:

"There are few soldiers whose active military career began when they were 12 years old. One of these few was Gen. Frederick Dent Grant, who died last Friday. At the age when other boys are plodding to school or playing baseball in the back yard, or fishing and swimming in the creek, young Fred was with that grim fighter, his father, before Vicksburg and elsewhere, while shells and bullets were being poured into the Union lines by defenders of the Confederate stronghold. And young Fred wasn't tucked away in some safe, remote corner either. He was fairly and squarely under fire for a good long time, so much so that one bullet hit him in the leg and thoroughly convinced him that he had been killed."

I've been busy this week preparing my own little guy to go out to "the front" and experience military camp life. While I don't need to worry about him being fairly and squarely under fire he does need several other small items to keep him comfortable during his "pleasant summer outing." ;)

I made a few simple drawstring bags to hold a couple of days worth of marching rations. These are cut down from some repurposed clothing and are a nice sturdy linen/cotton blend. I made two large ones from the indigo striped and two little ones from the tan stripe. These he can tuck into his wallet and carry with him, although of course there will be other things he will be eating while he's there. The little bags are perfect for some coffee and sugar - something the federal army often had access to, but considered quite a luxury in the south! 

Army guidelines issued 12 oz of bacon or pork while on the march (rations for in camp were different) and 1 lb of hard bread for one man for one day. These could be substituted with different quantities of fresh pork or beef (if available) and fresh bread (if available). I made a few batches of hardtack and about seven 4" cakes worked out to be 1 lb. More than I thought! The bacon is a great find from a local market and it does not need refrigeration. While Judah, with his father and the medical corp, could have had a lot of choice as to what to eat, marching rations seem the most practical thing to pack since they don't require any special preparation at mealtime. 

For fun I made some candied orange peel and wrapped up several little packets for him. This wouldn't have been issued of course, but could have been sent from home. 

And so he is ready to be off!

Love,

Sarah

An 1860's Shawl Collar Waistcoat for Judah

This waistcoat is made from one of the great, deeply discounted fabrics that I bought at Hancocks a month or so ago during their closing sale. I wasn't sure what I would use it for when I bought it but I knew I had to get it! When Judah needed an alternative to his wool coat for use this summer the fabric finally spoke to me so a waistcoat it became. (I still have tons of it left. But I'll find uses for it.)

This is made exactly like a mans vest of the 1860 period and turned out to be quite a bit more work than I had thought. It's been awhile since I made a civilian style vest. 

There are the 3 standard pockets on the front, of course, and the muslin pocket bags. Then the lining, the back and the interlining for the fronts. The collar is interlined and the under collar is the same fabric as the backing. 

All that wasn't so bad but I also had to put in facings, and I hate facings. I've hated them since that first awful dress I made as a pre-teen that had terrible, stiff, pinked-edged, heavily interfaced with terrible fusible interfacing, facings. I used to make lots of civilian vests back in the day before marriage and babies and I developed a dread of making vests that I never quite got over. 

This one came out pretty nice, though, despite my misgivings. Judah loves it, it fits him nicely and he looks good! (in my opinion) ;)

He bought a modern pocket watch he was anxiously waiting to try out in the new pockets of his vest. It's not period correct but it gives a nice effect. He spent a good hour googling cdv images of 1860's guys with pocket watches so he could get an idea of how to wear his chain. So proud of him! This kid loves research!

He says the trousers are comfortable and cool. Though the vest is 100% cotton in all layers it is not much lighter than his wool coat, but at least it has no sleeves. 

I told him to smile, but he said he wouldn't because "most people
didn't smile in pictures back then, Mommy." ;)

He'll have a chance to try out his new duds next week - forecast is for 90 degree weather so he's happy to have something to wear besides heavy wool!

Love,

Sarah