Captain Pratt and I had a good time yesterday with a educational outreach program a Berwick Grade School.
It was just the two of us but we did it! Historical outreach does not have to include twenty different impressions or reenactors. Even if just one is able to show up in uniform and a full haversack it still works.
We arrived about 9:15 and started drilling students right off the bat. Unfortunately I was not aware that some classes were actually portraying Union so I should apologize to the 20th Maine class for giving them a Confederate flag to march with. But it was neat because of the four classes it had an even proportion of Confederate/Union (54th Mass, 20th Maine, 15th Alabama and 2nd Virginia).
Each class or company had two student sergeants and each student-soldier had a Confederate or Union replica kepi and a plank of wood carved in the shape of a musket. We had but 45 minutes to teach each class what takes months for reenactors to learn and perfect.
Mike will agree that the 6th grade students of Berwick grade school learned the manual of arms, march in columns of 4, right face, left face, company and battalion drill much quicker than I've seen many of us reenactors (including myself) learn!
The students there were respectful and all had great attitudes. Their teachers and school should be very proud! Every one had alot of fun through out the day's activities. The teachers really helped us out and they also helped make it an awesome day. Mike and I felt truly welcomed by every body.
Mike was an excellent colonel for the day! You should have seen that Franklin County rebel single handily form, march, and maneuvere over eighty students in battalion drill formed by companies. But I did notice his voice was a little horse on the way home.
So while Mike was marching and drilling the largest Confederate unit in the state, I adopted the little 2nd Virginia company. They were the best drilled and sharpest company in the 6th regiment...I mean grade if I do say so myself!
At the end we formed the companies into battle lines, marched at the double quick, and at the command to charge and yell like furies, the whole 6th grade thundered across the baseball field. It was easy to imagine that this regiment would have spooked and routed a division of Grant's finest. They gave honor to the sacred rebel yell by sending chills down our spines.
We concluded the event at 2:15 or so. On the way home Mike and I didn't get lost. We prefer to call it the scenic route and did well by not including Dover, NH at least.
Educational outreaches are always rewarding experiences and I would encourage anyone in reenacting to give it a shot whenever possible. For we in our uniforms and period portrayal can recreate a piece of history and heritage that will last with students for a life time.
I would like to thank Captain Pratt and everyone at the Berwick School for a the wonderful day.