A first
look at first person impressions
By Lucas A. Dietsche
Using first person during living histories and reenactments is fun, great, entertaining, and essential to a serious reenactor. It doesn’t take much of any acting skills. Just to have that frame of mind to do it is all it takes, Heres some ideas to help you grow your impression. For easier understanding lets use my first person soljer, Amasa Ketchum. It may sound rather stupid to make up things about someone you don’t know much about but Lucas Dietsche wasn’t alive during the Civil war and that thought of a least bringing a soljer back to life and caring on his name again in the Citizens Guard is a bully idea!
Amasa Ketchum was born in new York, and was a farmer from Courtland, Columbia County, you could talk around the camp fire about how your crops, former place of business, family , what u want to do after your service, what you think of religion, Wisconsin, the war, politics, generals, the world, and the girl you left behind you, etc. Theres endless possibilities, You can also turn modern day ideas into Victorian age things, like you were tricked by a person at wal-mart selling you cupcakes when you wanted twinkes, this can be turned to- “ some one sold you a slow-witted nag” or something of the likes.
Stories of past events like when you were on guard duty, stories about comrades, mistakes of officers, or whatever can be incorporated.
Remember the soljers were civilians before the war and remember Victorian etiquette.
Another reminder, people in the 1860’s talked about death more than the love, and swearing is very period, the f—word has been around for a very long time even before 1861
Talk to both spectators and fellow comrades about the Army, what you dislike or like about soljer life, etc.
Be yourself don’t talk like your from Tennessee( unless your from that state, sorry)northern soljers were educated at some degree , stay away from modern terms and phrases and if you screw up , its okay, hopefully no one will pay attention to you again. Quoting or reading some Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe or talking about previous history is very bully.
One more important thing, something that really destroys the atmosphere is using sayings from movies; I am guilty of doing this at some degree. Its gets a laugh but most movies-makers don’t do any hard research,
Heres some words that are very period to use, I use them even not at a reenactment
Beats=lay abouts
Been though the mill=done a lot
Big bug=officer, also skunks, brass hats, solder straps and whore-house pimps
Blowhard= a big shot
Blue pill= bullet, also leaden balls
Bric-a-bracs=stuff
Bubs= pards, messmates, chums, comrades
Bug juice=liquor, pop skull , o be joyful
Bully= and exclamation of excitement, ( my personal favorite),
Cheese knife- officers sword
Critter company=calvery company
Company Q=a fictitious unit where cowards went
Chief cook and bottle washer= a person capable of doing many things
Dutch=a German
Duffle=knapsack
Dough face=an easily influenced person
Fit to be tied =angry
Hunky=an exclamation of excitement (I think its better than bully)
Hoof=march, tramp
Jigadier brindle=brigadier general
Jonah= klutz or worthless soldier aka galloot
Played out=worn , tired
Potato digger=Irishman aka, mick
Red leg=artillery man
Sand=nerve aka guts , spunk
Sawbones=surgeon
Sinks=latrines,aka privy-vault
Snug as a bug= cozy or comfty
Sucker=person from
Top rail number one=first class, top of the line
Webfoot=infantrymen
Zu-zu=zouaves
Other phrases,
Grab a root=when foraging for food, or someone trips or falls
Heres your mule=greeting to any mounted soljer
Who wouldn’t be a soljer?=synonymous for “who cares”
Does your mother know your out=greeting to any new soljer
Sources:
A short guide to first person impressions: compiled by matt smith
Soldiering, by Rice C. Bull 123rd
Rebels and Yankees, the fighting men of the Civil War by William C. Davis
Soldier Life , voices of the Civil War , by time life
Websters
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