Unusual happenings at reenactments

Some times a person is priviledged to see some interesting and unusual sights at a WBTS reenactment. I shall recite a few and maybe you readers can corntribute some as well.

Sometimes when serving on a gun (cannon), when the gun fires it will produce this giant smoke ring. My dad used to do this while smoking his pipe. I don't know what causes this phenomenon but I have a few theories. It could be they are using powder encased in a donut-shaped package. Maybe using a mixture of gunpowder and cherios, or tobacco, or pot.

If you happened to be a pony soldier, you well know bringing a horse into the scene is to introduce a variable. One cannot always be sure of the horse's behavior, no matter how well trained or how gentle. Here are a few examples I have witnessed.

One of my friends in the 8th Texas Cavalry has a horse name Maxwell; yeah that's right Maxwell. My friend, whom I shall refer to as Hank, took lots of pride in Maxwell. Yessir, he never tired talking about his beautiful black mare named Maxwell. The thing is, "black beauty" had never played war horse before.

When the cannons began to boom and the muskets began to rattle (muskets always rattle, doncha know), Maxwell decided, War is not my best game, but I sure know how to Rodeo. While everyone else was shooting Yankees and wielding sabres, Hank was fighting for his life topside of Maxwell, who was exibiting her best moves as a rodeo star. Ultimately Hank went sailing with his arms a-flapping all the while. Hank came to earth pretty much nose first. He wasn't seriously injuried but his dignity was ripped to tatters.

Yours truly once borrowed a horse because my own was not available. Don't do this if you can avoid it. I rode the gentle old mare around before the battle and she handled like the 20-year-old that she was. Nice ride, good gates, very laid back. Our unit was standing to horse immediately in the rear of a row of guns (cannons, doncha remember). For the opening salvo the cannons did what is known in the trade as a ripple fire from the right to the left. When the guns started belching fire and brimstone my gentle old mare sez, I don't wanta play. She turned into a demon, reared up front hooves flaying and teeth bared. She thumped me good with a hoof to the shoulder and broke away to find a quieter place to sleep.

Another example - the script called for a cavalry duel between our best sabre-wielding pony soldier and the best Yankee long knife. They put on a good show but the script called for our good ole Reb to lose and fall to the ground. He was well practiced at falling. ' Course, the horses had not been consulted as to their preference. The Yank's horse slipped out from under him like the saddle was greased and - so - the script was quickly changed to suit the horse's taste.

I could go on, but you get the idea. Anyone like to contribute????