Recruits wanted!!
We invite you to join us! We subscribe to what is referred to as "progressive reenacting". What this means is that we challenge ourselves to strive for a higher level of authenticity than average. Our camps will tend to be more authentic, our clothing, weapons and gear based on period documentation, and we aim to participate in events that are more challenging both physically and mentally and thus more rewarding whenever possible. "Progressive" also translates to "constantly learning". We are constantly sharing new information and are always willing to adjust the way we do things as new information becomes available.
Fear not! Though this may sound intimidating to a new recruit, we will help you every step of the way to get you properly outfitted. Part of our group impression also includes learning to make things. You will save an enormous amount of money in learning how to make your own items, or at the very least, fix or alter items to better suit our methods.
We welcome the new recruit, but we also absolutely welcome veteran reenactors who may wish to take up the challenge of progressive reenacting with us!
We have openings for the following impressions:
Fear not! Though this may sound intimidating to a new recruit, we will help you every step of the way to get you properly outfitted. Part of our group impression also includes learning to make things. You will save an enormous amount of money in learning how to make your own items, or at the very least, fix or alter items to better suit our methods.
We welcome the new recruit, but we also absolutely welcome veteran reenactors who may wish to take up the challenge of progressive reenacting with us!
We have openings for the following impressions:
- Militiaman - this is the heart of our group. The original Hunterdon County militiamen consisted of a large percentage of farmers and tradesmen (with farmers making up the bulk of the membership). They were generally reasonably well-off by the standards of the day and were not necessarily poor. Clothing and bearing in our impressions will reflect this.
- Musicians - we have access to original regimental music scores which is very exciting and uncommon! We are looking for a fifer or two as well as a drummer.
- Ladies - truly the unsung hero of not only New Jersey but the Revolution as a whole. There is often the impression that musket-carrying soldiers won the war. This is not the entire truth by a long shot. We firmly believe that the women of the day - wives, daughters, sisters and the mindbogglingly immense burden that they had to bear while the men were frequently away while on duty is so often over-looked as to be a travesty. We are actively seeking women who can present a progressive-level female impression and help educate the public that muskets and soldiers alone do not win wars.
I'm interested in reenacting, where do I start?
The first thing to do is to talk to us! Email us at: [email protected] or catch us at an event, communication is key! You will likely need guidance in obtaining your clothes, weapon and gear, in order to create what we call one's "impression". In many cases we have extras to loan out for a few events in order for a potential new member to get a feel of what progressive Revolutionary War reenacting is all about. Below, we'll publish some guidelines or "best practices" for you to use as a loose guide.
A note on the Do's and Don'ts of Reenacting....
People reenact for a variety of reasons. While one reason may be no more "right" than another, our philosophy is that reenacting should be treated with an amount of respect and reverence for those of whom we portray. We subscribe to what is referred to as a "progressive" approach to reenacting. This philosophy we try to reflect in our impressions, it doesn't really mean "perfect", we are not. It rather means "a willingness to keep improving". We approach this as a scale modeler might to his/her creation. Like a talented model-builder may approach a model airplane, or a railroad enthusiast may strive to create an exact station replica in miniature, we attempt to recreate our target group - the 1st Hunterdon Militia Regiment as best as we can. We base this on research and to some extent, speculation based on that research. This means that there needs to be specific guidelines set forth so that we can do this together as a team. Fortunately, much of these guidelines tend to fall into line with Revolutionary War reenacting in general, so are not difficult to adhere to.
Right. So what about these "Best Practices" of Revolutionary War reenacting?
Here you will find a quick and easy bullet-pointed guide to follow in regards to reenacting a Revolutionary War militiaman. These are based on our own research as well as that of other units and groups and should be considered a framework to build your impression around. If any of it seems imposing, fear not, we're here to help you every step of the way!
Clothing - the most common fibers of the day were wool, linen and hemp. Cotton was grown extensively but in the era before the cotton gin, it was slow-going and tedious to process. Most was sent to Great Britain to be turned into various textiles. While some returned to the colonies as clothing, it was simply not as common as the other fibers in day to day clothing. In your hunt for clothing for your impression, try to avoid cotton if you can. It's not forbidden per se, just discouraged.
Another note on clothing; much of it was made or altered to fit the individual. Period paintings/sketches/drawings always seem to portray form-fitting clothes regardless of body shape of the individual, this specifically for legwear, waistcoats and coats. Shirts however, were often baggy and flowing.
So to sum it up - avoid cottons as best as you can, and be prepared to have your clothing taken in a bit if necessary so that it is not baggy.
Hats - hats were virtually always worn. Even as recent as the 1950's, a man was not considered "fully dressed" unless he wore a hat. This was very true of the colonial era. When choosing your hat, it's a good idea to not go low-budget. A "cheap" hat just does not look as authentic and will likely self destruct far too soon. You will end up having to buy another. Buying a decent one up front will save you money in the long run. Research has also shown that most hats of the period were "round-blocked". That is that when they were made, they were formed over a round mold unlike modern hats which are formed over an oval mold. This is easily seen in the shape of the crown. A variety of civilian styles are OK to use with our impression.
Summation - try as best as you can to buy a round-blocked, good quality felt (or beaver fur) hat.
Facial Hair - in our modern era with the resurgence of facial hair popularity, it sometimes tough to convince folks that facial hair was a "no no" back then. The truth is that extensive research into this has shown this to be absolutely true. Beards and /or mustaches are just not commonly seen in the colonial era, period. While an argument can certainly be made that they existed (we see some paintings depicting them on beggars for instance) or we can find some references to them in writings (devout Jews of the era wore them) , they just were not common nor mainstream. Therefore we ask that as part of our overall presentation, you maintain no more than 3-4 days facial hair growth if necessary (we know that they often did not shave every day when on duty, but they were required to shave every few days. As a compromise, we ask for no more than 3-4 days growth to portray a militiaman who may not have had the opportunity to shave).
Summation - no mustaches and/or beards. A few day's growth is fine.
Muskets - Contrary to what many folks might believe, firearms were simply not too common in colonial NJ, (even though they were required by law for militiamen!). Time and time again we hear of period writings lamenting the lack of muskets for the militia. Because of this, the ones that were obtained were gotten from a wide variety of sources. Bearing this in mind, there is no one type of musket that we absolutely require. We only ask that you avoid late model French muskets (1777+ models), rifles such as the famed Pennsylvania Rifle, or later model British arms as they are incorrect for our impression. Early 1st model Brown Bess's are ideal as are civilian fowlers- they both are the recommended solutions, though other arms (early French, Spanish, Dutch) are also acceptable. A good authentically-made musket can be quite expensive but will be dependable and will last a lifetime, if you can afford one ($1200-$2000 range) we encourage you to go that route. Next to that, if you can find a Miroku Brown Bess or French Charleville, we love them. They were made in Japan back in the 1970's and 1980's and are great muskets. They are hard to find now but you can check with places like Ackermann Arms as they sometimes carry them. Pedersoli reproductions are also good. they can be found at places like Cabellas and other big stores and are still being made in quantity. Expect to pay around 900-1000 dollars. However we do understand that this impression can get quite expensive, with that while we do advise against it, sometimes the lower budget-level muskets as can be found at Middlesex Trading Village or at Loyalist Arms may be the best option for those on a tight budget. But with a caveat - you get what you pay for. It will not be anywhere near as historically accurate as the other ones, but with some work can be bettered.
Summation - if you can afford a good custom-built, authentic musket, go that route, absolutely. If you are on a tighter budget, an early (1720's, etc) Brown Bess or civilian fowler are your best bet.
Eye glasses - A very common error among new reenactors is to put a lot of thought into their uniform, but neglect their eye wear. A pair of modern glasses (especially ones with transition lenses) can disrupt the overall look of what might be an otherwise perfect impression and decidedly ruin it. We ask that you at the very least look into purchasing a pair of reproduction frames as can be found at Townsends or Godwins. These too are not perfect, but for lack of anything on the market that is better, these are reluctantly acceptable and far better than modern frames. We have heard of some reenactors actually obtaining original frames and having the lenses replaced. Sometimes they can pop up on eBay and other places. That is always your best bet if you can manage it.
Summation - if you wear glasses as some of us do, please avoid modern frames and/or transition lenses as they are not acceptable. There are acceptable frames sold by some vendors that are easily obtained. Original frames can also sometimes be found - that is the best option.
Shoes - Avoid modern shoes. Like modern eye wear, a pair of modern shoes can disrupt an otherwise great impression. Like so many things, there are a wide variety of opinions on which vendor's shoes are best. A good mid-level shoe for quality and appearance is Fugawee. We've found that Townsend's shoes are a maybe not quite as good (based on opinion), Robert Land shoes as can be found at Najecki's are better. Mattimore Harness Shoes are also excellent.
Summation - getting the right shoe is important. Avoid modern footwear.
Rifleman's Frock - This ubiquitous article of clothing is so ingrained into Revolutionary War lore that it's often the first article of clothing a new reenactor seeks to purchase. The problem is that while amazingly common among Continental troops for the duration of the war, the NJ militia wore their own clothing which would rarely if ever include a "rifleman's frock". In fact, there is only one single account of a Hunterdon NJ militiaman wearing a rifle frock during the Battle of Monmouth. We do not think that he was issued this as they basically were not issued any real uniform. Since the Continental army was issued them prior, he may have bartered, traded, or otherwise purchased it. We simply do not know. We just know that of the hundreds of NJ militiamen who served, there is only one account of a rifleman's frock ever, we therefore do not accept them as an authentic garment for our impressions at this time.
Summary - no rifleman's frocks, there is just no supporting evidence for that item being used by our target unit.
Clothing - the most common fibers of the day were wool, linen and hemp. Cotton was grown extensively but in the era before the cotton gin, it was slow-going and tedious to process. Most was sent to Great Britain to be turned into various textiles. While some returned to the colonies as clothing, it was simply not as common as the other fibers in day to day clothing. In your hunt for clothing for your impression, try to avoid cotton if you can. It's not forbidden per se, just discouraged.
Another note on clothing; much of it was made or altered to fit the individual. Period paintings/sketches/drawings always seem to portray form-fitting clothes regardless of body shape of the individual, this specifically for legwear, waistcoats and coats. Shirts however, were often baggy and flowing.
So to sum it up - avoid cottons as best as you can, and be prepared to have your clothing taken in a bit if necessary so that it is not baggy.
Hats - hats were virtually always worn. Even as recent as the 1950's, a man was not considered "fully dressed" unless he wore a hat. This was very true of the colonial era. When choosing your hat, it's a good idea to not go low-budget. A "cheap" hat just does not look as authentic and will likely self destruct far too soon. You will end up having to buy another. Buying a decent one up front will save you money in the long run. Research has also shown that most hats of the period were "round-blocked". That is that when they were made, they were formed over a round mold unlike modern hats which are formed over an oval mold. This is easily seen in the shape of the crown. A variety of civilian styles are OK to use with our impression.
Summation - try as best as you can to buy a round-blocked, good quality felt (or beaver fur) hat.
Facial Hair - in our modern era with the resurgence of facial hair popularity, it sometimes tough to convince folks that facial hair was a "no no" back then. The truth is that extensive research into this has shown this to be absolutely true. Beards and /or mustaches are just not commonly seen in the colonial era, period. While an argument can certainly be made that they existed (we see some paintings depicting them on beggars for instance) or we can find some references to them in writings (devout Jews of the era wore them) , they just were not common nor mainstream. Therefore we ask that as part of our overall presentation, you maintain no more than 3-4 days facial hair growth if necessary (we know that they often did not shave every day when on duty, but they were required to shave every few days. As a compromise, we ask for no more than 3-4 days growth to portray a militiaman who may not have had the opportunity to shave).
Summation - no mustaches and/or beards. A few day's growth is fine.
Muskets - Contrary to what many folks might believe, firearms were simply not too common in colonial NJ, (even though they were required by law for militiamen!). Time and time again we hear of period writings lamenting the lack of muskets for the militia. Because of this, the ones that were obtained were gotten from a wide variety of sources. Bearing this in mind, there is no one type of musket that we absolutely require. We only ask that you avoid late model French muskets (1777+ models), rifles such as the famed Pennsylvania Rifle, or later model British arms as they are incorrect for our impression. Early 1st model Brown Bess's are ideal as are civilian fowlers- they both are the recommended solutions, though other arms (early French, Spanish, Dutch) are also acceptable. A good authentically-made musket can be quite expensive but will be dependable and will last a lifetime, if you can afford one ($1200-$2000 range) we encourage you to go that route. Next to that, if you can find a Miroku Brown Bess or French Charleville, we love them. They were made in Japan back in the 1970's and 1980's and are great muskets. They are hard to find now but you can check with places like Ackermann Arms as they sometimes carry them. Pedersoli reproductions are also good. they can be found at places like Cabellas and other big stores and are still being made in quantity. Expect to pay around 900-1000 dollars. However we do understand that this impression can get quite expensive, with that while we do advise against it, sometimes the lower budget-level muskets as can be found at Middlesex Trading Village or at Loyalist Arms may be the best option for those on a tight budget. But with a caveat - you get what you pay for. It will not be anywhere near as historically accurate as the other ones, but with some work can be bettered.
Summation - if you can afford a good custom-built, authentic musket, go that route, absolutely. If you are on a tighter budget, an early (1720's, etc) Brown Bess or civilian fowler are your best bet.
Eye glasses - A very common error among new reenactors is to put a lot of thought into their uniform, but neglect their eye wear. A pair of modern glasses (especially ones with transition lenses) can disrupt the overall look of what might be an otherwise perfect impression and decidedly ruin it. We ask that you at the very least look into purchasing a pair of reproduction frames as can be found at Townsends or Godwins. These too are not perfect, but for lack of anything on the market that is better, these are reluctantly acceptable and far better than modern frames. We have heard of some reenactors actually obtaining original frames and having the lenses replaced. Sometimes they can pop up on eBay and other places. That is always your best bet if you can manage it.
Summation - if you wear glasses as some of us do, please avoid modern frames and/or transition lenses as they are not acceptable. There are acceptable frames sold by some vendors that are easily obtained. Original frames can also sometimes be found - that is the best option.
Shoes - Avoid modern shoes. Like modern eye wear, a pair of modern shoes can disrupt an otherwise great impression. Like so many things, there are a wide variety of opinions on which vendor's shoes are best. A good mid-level shoe for quality and appearance is Fugawee. We've found that Townsend's shoes are a maybe not quite as good (based on opinion), Robert Land shoes as can be found at Najecki's are better. Mattimore Harness Shoes are also excellent.
Summation - getting the right shoe is important. Avoid modern footwear.
Rifleman's Frock - This ubiquitous article of clothing is so ingrained into Revolutionary War lore that it's often the first article of clothing a new reenactor seeks to purchase. The problem is that while amazingly common among Continental troops for the duration of the war, the NJ militia wore their own clothing which would rarely if ever include a "rifleman's frock". In fact, there is only one single account of a Hunterdon NJ militiaman wearing a rifle frock during the Battle of Monmouth. We do not think that he was issued this as they basically were not issued any real uniform. Since the Continental army was issued them prior, he may have bartered, traded, or otherwise purchased it. We simply do not know. We just know that of the hundreds of NJ militiamen who served, there is only one account of a rifleman's frock ever, we therefore do not accept them as an authentic garment for our impressions at this time.
Summary - no rifleman's frocks, there is just no supporting evidence for that item being used by our target unit.
So to sum this all up once again in an easy to digest manner:
Don't: Beards, modern eyeglasses, ill-fitting clothing, modern fabrics including most cottons, and modern shoes.
Do: shave, wear contacts or get proper frames for eyeglasses, get properly fitting clothes (we can even help you sew things to better the fit), and it's best to not cut corners on shoes.
Don't: Beards, modern eyeglasses, ill-fitting clothing, modern fabrics including most cottons, and modern shoes.
Do: shave, wear contacts or get proper frames for eyeglasses, get properly fitting clothes (we can even help you sew things to better the fit), and it's best to not cut corners on shoes.