Historic Replicas

Few events have shaped the course of American history more than the Civil War. It is virtually impossible to imagine what would have happened if the South had been able to secede or forced the North adopt their ideology. In an age where virtually all of our country’s battles are fought thousands of miles away, it is difficult to comprehend the schism that years of internal fighting created.

Evidence of the Civil War’s indelible impact on our society is still manifest throughout the country. At various locations where infamous battles were fought there are still staged reenactments featuring Civil War replicas. Although these displays offer us insight into the battles and historical perspective, it is impossible to grasp the amount of bloodshed and sacrifice that the War necessitated.

Hindsight, as they say, is 20-20, so it’s hard to believe that the Union and Confederate troops originally predicted a quick, neat end to the American Civil War. For their part, the rebels assumed that if they showed enough willingness and determination to break away from the United States, the North would accept that choice. The Union underestimated the South’s steely resolve and well-disciplined fighting force.

Any pretenses about the war ending early came to a screeching halt during the First Battle of Bull Run – known in the South as the Battle of Manassas – which took place in summer of 1861. Just a few months after the Confederacy fired on Fort Sumter, the Union was feeling overconfident. Several generals decided to march on Richmond and secure a quick victory. When the smoke from the cannons and Civil War guns cleared, several thousand troops on each side had been killed. The prospect of a short, tidy war vanished with that smoke.

Those interested in cultivating a new hobby would be well served by checking out historical reenactments. This pastime is especially popular among veterans who yearn to honor the warriors and tacticians who came before them. For instance, a Vietnam vet might be reticent to talk or think too much about his experience overseas. Some things just hit a little too close to home. But what about reliving the thrill of a Civil War battle?

The Civil War has become known as the campaign that eventually saved our union from becoming divided in two. Exhaustive histories have been written, and every principal participant has earned at least one biography. Re-enactors dedicate a special level of realism for their Civil War battles, utilizing replica Civil War swords and other convincing armaments. This is a hobby that commands respect as well as dedication.

Writing about the Civil War weapons and the Civil War replicas on our site has gotten me thinking about slavery and the larger role it’s played in human history.  Slavery is nearly as old as humanity itself. It is the ownership of one human being by another, the antithesis of the basic human rights guaranteed by the United States and other modern nations.  It is one of the most oppressive, horrific institutions ever devised, and, tragically, one that appears frequently in our history books.  Slavery was not invented in one place and imported elsewhere, to be foisted upon innocent native peoples like alcohol on the American Indians.  Nor was slavery a fluke, a detestable byproduct of one people’s excessive cruelty or pride.  Rather, the subjugation of others appears to have been a basic human impulse indulged all over the world, and one that’s only recently been curbed by compassion and collective reason.  Today, of course, individual freedom and the equality of all people are central to our culture, and the idea of slavery often fills us with disgust.  But different times had different ideals, and when slavery was the norm, many otherwise decent people probably thought it was the natural order of things, and never questioned it.  We’re all products of our environment, and as such, it’s important not to judge past generations too harshly.  Slavery has been justified in a variety of ways, and taken many forms over the course of history.  Let’s explore some of them and try to understand it a little better. 

Happy Inauguration Day everyone! 

Regardless of one’s political beliefs, January 20th was a chance to reflect on the wonder of our democracy and the evolution of politics and human society. It is a symbol of representative government and an important reminder that unlike the kings and emperors of old, our leaders are chosen by the people, and govern only by popular consent.  Every presidential inauguration has been important, marked at once with both solemnity and celebration.  A few, however, are particularly memorable.  George Washington, a hero of the American Revolution, was inaugurated in two different cities, first in New York and then in Philadelphia.  Washington, D.C. had been designated as the new capital, but was still under construction.  On his second inauguration in 1793, he delivered the shortest-ever inaugural address, a remarkable 135 words!  It cemented his reputation as a man of action, rather than words. Abraham Lincoln was first inaugurated in 1861, only a few months before soldiers took up their Civil War rifles, and the mood in Washington was tense to say the least.  He entered the city in secret along an unannounced route, but once there, he paraded confidently down Pennsylvania Avenue in an open carriage.  Woodrow Wilson lead our nation through a storm of troubled times, an era commemorated by the World War I replicas on our site.  Women marched in the inaugural parade for the first time, and in a time-honored American tradition, they protested passionately for their right to vote.  Today’s inauguration will no doubt be memorable for its own reasons, so enjoy this special time.

By the time slavery was abolished in 1865, there were an estimated four million slaves living in America, an astonishing one third of the population!  Slaves had built the southern economy from the ground up, and were an integral part of the American labor force.  So how did our forefathers finally abandon this terrible institution?  The answer is a testament to the power of public protest and the right to free speech.  Slavery was legal everywhere during America’s early years, and largely unchallenged, but there were always a handful of courageous citizens who saw slavery for the evil it was, and raised their voices in a cry for change. Historic weapons would eventually turn the tide in the Civil War guns, but the early crusaders fought with words and reason.  The anti-slavery movement, or abolitionism, began with the Quakers, a religious group that originated in Britain and built colonies throughout the Northeast.  The Quakers, who believed fervently in the equality of all human beings, rejected distinctions of wealth and nobility, an extremely radical concept in colonial America.  They were so far ahead of their time that four Pennsylvania Quakers signed an anti-slavery document in 1688, almost 200 years before slavery was finally outlawed!  They were the first group to ban slavery and formed the first abolitionist society in 1775 in Philadelphia.  They worked tirelessly to advance the cause of liberty, and by 1792, other abolitionists had created societies from Massachusetts to Virginia.  Change, however, was slow to come.

A break from the slavery theme….

 The weapon of choice for Civil War frontlines? The smoothbore musket, a gun that was its most effective from a hundred yards or less. The popular image that comes to one’s mind when they think about Civil War frontlines is one where soldiers line up, far away from the opponent side, and then rush each other, entangling themselves with guns, legs, bayonets and pocketknives. However this is untrue, as the musket soldiers relied on, the newest Civil War gun of the time was only super effective close range, which means Civil War soldiers had to rely on stealth and guerilla warfare to damage the other side.
 When soldiers did have to rush, they ran elbow to elbow, as fast as they could, in an attempt to reach the other side before they shot off their one-round muskets, hoping for only a few deaths of their brigade in the process. Soldiers would keep their head down, hopefully deflecting as many bullets and weapons as possible using their Civil War helmets as shields.
 Soldiers today could learn a lot from Civil War soldiers. Though today’s M-16 machine gun is a powerful weapon, it is a good lesson to learn that stealth tactics and helmets are a good idea for avoiding an untimely demise.

Abraham Lincoln is obviously one of the most compelling figures in American history.  What many people may not know, however, is that Lincoln’s son Robert has his own grim claim to fame.  Robert witnessed two political assassination attempts, and was in close proximity to two others, a remarkable coincidence that earned him the nickname “Angel of Death”.  On April 14th, 1865, the night his father was shot with a Civil War gun at Ford’s Theatre, he was in bed at the White House, mere blocks away.  He’d been invited to attend the play with his parents, but declined, being exhausted from a long journey.

In 1881, Robert was Secretary of War under President James Garfield.  The President invited him on a rail trip to Massachusetts, and on July 2nd, Robert made his way to Washington’s 6th Street station to meet him.  He ran late, and arrived just in time to see Charles Guiteau assassinate Garfield.  All he could remember were seeing traces of the man’s civil war hat .  20 years later, in 1901, President McKinley invited Robert to the Pan-American exposition in Buffalo, New York.  Robert warned him that he wasn’t an especially lucky person for a president to be around, but McKinley laughed it off.  Once again, Robert arrived at the very moment McKinley was assassinated by anarchist Leo Czolgosz.  Coincidence?  You be the judge. 

World War II was a dark, haunting time in history.  Countless stories have been told about its devastating effects, its fighters, lives lost, the hardships, its terrible onset, and hopeful conclusion.  Some of the war’s most momentous events have likewise been brought to life in movies and plays, as well as recounted in books.  
 
Through replica battle gear, war veterans and fanatics, along with history buffs, can have their share of WWII memorabilia.  Examples of these are handsome WWII German helmets.  These head toppers are made of sturdy 18-gauge steel with lugs and repro liner.  Great as collectibles or as props in stage shows, these helmets look exactly like the real thing.  Choose from the camouflage-painted Paratrooper replica or the Rolled Rim type, or better yet, purchase both of these manly helmets.
 

I just got this as a gift for my father- and he just loves it!  It is called the Cogswell Pepperbox Percussion Pistol.

  The Pepperbox, one of our more eccentric Civil War replicas, was never a standard issue weapon during the war.  Cogswell and Harrison, London’s oldest gun manufacturers, had been producing and importing these weapons to the United States since the mid-19th century.  They were popular among civilians, and many found their way onto the battlefield in the hands of volunteers.