Who is the Citizens Guard?
The re-created Citizens Guard is a long time c/p/h entity
that has been quietly doing it right proudly representing one of the fine
companies of the legendary Iron Brigade of the West. Our initial wake-up call to the progressive
movement happened during the “Return of the Second Wisconsin” event hosted by
the Wisconsin Veterans
Museum in May of 1998 at Camp
Randall which assembled some of the
finest living historians in the hobby at that time to show how to accurately
portray the Old Second. This concept of
an adjunct/capre eventum event was the catalyst for our unit to improve our
impressions and to reach out to help others that have the same strong desire to
improve. With the guidance of chums such
as William Brewster, Michael Thorson, Robert Braun, & the founding members
of the Hard Head Mess (many of whom are current members of the Citizens Guard),
Company “A” transformed itself from a mainstream entity to one solidly grounded
on an overall accurate impression by
the summer of 2000.
Mission Statement:
The Citizens Guard is a diverse collection of like minded
living historians that strive to depict the brave men of the original Company
"A", Second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment as accurately as
possible. We possess a strong desire to
raise the bar of portrayal regarding the famed 2nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry
Regiment, and in particular Company "A" known as the Citizens Guard,
which originally was raised from Fox Lake
and adjacent communities. The re-created
Company "A" was formed in 1995 and prides itself on being a
progressive/hardcore entity that helps each member continually improve their
overall impression without claiming to be experts or elitists. Our members hail from Wisconsin,
Illinois, & Michigan.
While attempting to honor the original men of the Citizens
Guard, our core values encompass: research based impressions with accurate
uniform & equipage standards, attention to drill, fatigue, military
deportment, unit camaraderie, first person impressions, accurate rations, and
possessing a positive attitude towards an accurate campaign portrayal. Company "A" attends a wide variety
of events including living histories, reenactments, immersion events, memorial
services, and marches. We support
preservation efforts of all types and have done so successfully in our hometown
of Fox Lake
among others.
Our Requirements
The Citizens Guard is a unit that is serious about our
impression and we do enforce our standards to maintain a high level of accuracy
for all portrayals.
- All
members should be an U.S. Citizen without a criminal record, and
physically fit to handle marching like the men of the original Citizens
Guard actually did. You will need to be sponsored into the Citizens Guard by an existing member.
- Membership
in the Citizens Guard is open to individuals with the right attitude
towards an accurate portrayal and the desire to improve their overall
impression on a continual basis. All members are required to foster
further study and increased interpretation of the men from Fox
Lake and the common soldier
from 1860-1865.
- All
uniform and equipage must be correct in pattern, construction, and
materials compared to the original documented articles at all times. To ensure this, all members will periodically
have kit inspections to make sure we meet and exceed our uniform and
equipage standards, which are detailed in the Authenticity Guide of the
Citizens Guard.
- Our
event schedule will be limited in number as we are looking to
participate in events that include very accurate uniform & equipage
standards, first person interpretation, possible immersion, and most
importantly preservation efforts. We may do an adjunct/capre eventum event
every now and then to support c/p/h growth in the Old Northwest.
- We will
work closely with the Fox Lake Historical Society, the Fox Lake
Congregational Church (original building that the Citizens Guard was
formed in), the Harriet O’Connell Historical Room, the Hard Head Mess, the
Old Northwest Volunteers, and other associates to support further
education about the men from Fox
Lake whom upheld the honor of
the West.
Membership
The Citizens Guard is always open to new members and we
invite those that are interested in an accurate portrayal to review our entire Website
to get a feel for our standards, the merchants we use, and the research and
preservation causes we are happy to be involved with.
For more information on membership, please contact the
following Citizens Guard members:
Scott Frank frankdesigns@powerweb.net
Tom Klas fallriversoldier@hotmail.com
Dave May dmmay52@yahoo.com