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What happens when you join?

Upon payment of your annual dues ($20 plus a $20 one-time recording fee), you are placed on the unit muster roll with the rank of "Private". You now have the right to vote on all unit business (We hold our annual unit business meeting and officer/NCO elections every November) such as the events we wish to attend each year; which side we will portray at the events; authorization to buy equipment for the unit; etc. You also vote in the annual unit elections. The only requirements to be eligible for election to a unit position are to be a member in good standing; to have participated as a Private for one year; and to possess the required knowledge for the position sought after (see Unit By-Laws, #7). You are not required to purchase all your gear at once. You are highly encouraged however, to become fully equipped as soon as possible. You can participate without a musket (the single-most expensive item) but all who do so quickly realize that it’s much more fun to be a "shooter". Your initial investment is expensive (hand-made items made to period specifications aren’t cheap), but most of your gear will last for years and years. In fact, as your gear begins to show a little wear, you begin to take on the look of a veteran. In a manner of speaking, the worse you look, the better you look!

The unit generally participates in eight to ten reenactments per year plus living histories and memorials. We usually don’t take the field in the Summer months (too hot) or the Winter months (too cold and wet) but there are occasional exceptions. For instance, we sometimes participate in living histories (different from reenactments in that there are no battles) at historic sites, usually National Battlefield Parks such as Shiloh; Murfreesboro; Chickamauga; Kennesaw Mountain; Andersonville; etc. The Park Service prefers to host these events in the Summertime, when the most tourists visit the sites. We will hold a wintertime "Camp of Instruction" to go over drill and other living history skills that we don’t have much time for at the busy reenactments.

Most members prefer to ride together to and from events to split the gas; chew the fat; visit historic sites in the area before arriving at the event site; and in general make the trip seem to go by faster. Where possible, we will "caravan" to events.

Reality Check:

Civil War reenacting does not mean Marine Corps boot camp! However, we are portraying soldiers, so you can expect to be given orders by commissioned and non-commissioned officers when in the field. You will never be given any order which is personally demeaning or not in compliance with the Military Code of Conduct (besides, in a hobby, no one can force you to do anything anyway, but your cooperation is expected, and appreciated). You may have to stand short periods of guard duty; go on firewood-gathering details or canteen-filling details; or some other fatigue duty that is necessary at a particular site. In the field you are encouraged to limit "contemporary conversation" to an essential minimum to help emphasize the atmosphere of the period. This doesn’t mean "acting"; It just means maintaining a period attitude which helps to enhance everyone’s experience.

Civil War reenacting does not mean survival camp! You are welcome to eat cornmeal and blue beef and drink acorn coffee if you want to, but that is up to you. What you eat or drink in period containers is strictly your call. However, visible modern food and/or drink containers will not be tolerated. A cooler for perishable items that is hidden in a tent under a period blanket is fine. In cold weather, a sleeping bag that is hidden under a period blanket is fine. We want to encourage you to experience as much of the soldiers’ lives as you want to, but we also realize that we all have to go back to work on Monday! Therefore, we have no problem with such anachronisms that don’t call attention to themselves. On the other hand, things that do call attention to themselves such as flashlights, Coleman lanterns or stoves, modern eye-glasses, modern shoes, wristwatches, etc, will not be tolerated.

Civil War reenacting is not an Olympic event! However, we believe in participating in reenactments. We don’t go to an event to lay around all day. We can stay home and do that (especially if our wives are not at home!). We believe in drill. There are a lot of issues about the period that can be debated, but drill is not one of them. The soldiers drilled regularly and often. Plus, we are using exact copies of the very same drill manuals that they used, so our replication in this respect is exact! Drilling also makes us a more efficient fighting force as well as increasing the safety factor necessary for large numbers of men using black powder, muzzle-loading weapons in close order formations. When in formation, we will march from one point to another just as they did. At reenactments however, the drills rarely last over one hour at a time (and usually only one per weekend), and the marches are rarely further than a mile, if that far. So it is not necessary to be an athlete to participate. However, the better physical shape you are in, the more you will enjoy reenacting, or anything else for that matter.

Reenacting FAQ: Click on the link to get answers to a few of the most asked questions in reenacting by potential and new recruits. If you have others, please ask a member of the 33rd or one of our points of contact.

Points of Contact:

Please feel free to contact / e-mail one of our unit points of contact for more information on joining the 33rd Alabama.

Bivouac   Reenacting    Quartermaster   Sutlers   Events   Gallery   Histories   Reconnoiter   The Cleburne