By Mark Gochman Editor Equestrian Adventurer

 

 

 
 

Recently I watched an amazing film, “Horses of Gettysburg,” the previously untold story of the over 70,000 horses and mules that participated in the Civil War battle that was a turning point in American History.  It’s a captivating film not only for history buffs, but also for horse lovers.

As I watched incredible scenes of riders galloping into position, cavalry charges, and private moments on horseback, I wanted to learn more about these riders and how they learned to ride in period tack, at high speed, and sometimes amid gunfire. What I learned is that all across the country – from Fort Tejon, north of Los Angeles, to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania – the hobby of period cavalry reenacting attracts thousands of participants, and many more spectators. 

above: Mona Raymond and Midnight-Contributed Photo

 

Colonel Darrell Markijohn, member of the 6th Ohio Cavalry reenacting unit and an attorney by day, began reenacting Civil War cavalry battles 13 years ago.  “It’s definitely one of the best things I’ve ever done,” Markijohn told me, “it really gets the blood up.” 

I asked Markijohn about the demanding riding I had seen in “Horses of Gettysburg,” and he told me that while riding in reenactments could sometimes be “aggressive, with two lines riding at each other carrying sabers,” he stressed that one of the main things for horse and rider is endurance.  “We sometimes do ten to fifteen miles per day, according to the standard cavalry manual, altering gaits between walking and trotting, and sometimes getting off and walking alongside the horses, as a way to cover the most ground.”

Reenacting is not a hobby limited to men. Women have the option of wearing hoop skirts and period women’s dress or wearing uniforms and participating in the cavalry, either representing the documented cases of women who masqueraded as men to participate in the Civil War or doing what is referred to in the reenacting world as a “male impression.”   Children also participate in period dress.

Members of the Victorian Ladies Aside, an organization dedicated to preserving side saddle riding (known correctly as “riding aside”), also attend Civil War reenactments and promote side saddle riding while wearing period dress.

Laurie Post, a former three day eventer, started doing reenactments out of Fort Tejon, north of Los Angeles, which has an in-house Dragoon Unit that recreates the U.S. Cavalry in the period before the Civil War. “What I really enjoy is the camaraderie, the excitement and the friendship,” she told me. “The history is so fascinating, and it’s a huge rush riding into a battlefield.”

Mona Raymond owns her own hunter/jumper barn in Stamford, Connecticut and has been teaching riding for 25 years.  “It’s a whole different way of riding, and it’s great to be doing something really fun and different from the competition of showing,” she said. Raymond participates with the Second US Cavalry Company H, an equestrian living history group made up of riders primarily from the Mid-Atlantic States.

To give interested riders a place to vacation and learn the skills of cavalry riding, John Doran started the U.S. Cavalry School in Twist, Washington, USA. His goal is to “put on as close to historically accurate a cavalry school as we can.” 

“The only requirement,” Doran told me, “is that people bring a love of horses and history.”

What, Where, When, and How

If you’re looking for an equestrian viewing experience that’s charged with excitement, or even thinking of taking your riding career in a different direction, there are plenty of available resources:

Gettysburg Reenactment, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1-3, with over 100 cavalry troopers.  www.gettysburgreenactment.com

“Horses of Gettysburg,” Inecom Entertainment Company: a fantastic DVD with inspiring scenes of horses and riders, narrated by Ronald F. Maxwell, who directed the epic films “Gettysburg” and “Gods and Generals.” www.inecom.com

Manassas (Bull Run) Reenactment, the biggest full scale (infantry, artillery and cavalry) event this year, will be held on July 21-23 in Middletown, Virginia.  There will be 12,000 reenactors and up to 150 cavalry troopers. The Reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek, also in Middletown, Virginia takes place on October 21 & 22, 2006.    www.cedarcreekbattlefield.org 

Morgan’s Raid II, has the largest number of cavalry reenactors;  300 cavalry troopers are expected at this cavalry only event.  The 6th Ohio and 2nd Virginia sponsor the event.   It is scheduled for Sept 6-10. www.morgansraidii.net         

The Battle of the Little Big Horn reenactment will be held this year June 23-25, near Hardin, Montana. www.custerslaststand.org

John Doran’s U.S. Cavalry School in Twist, Washington: http://www.uscavalryschool.org

Victorian Ladies Aside, promoting the art of riding side saddle:www.victorianladiesaside.com  

For more information on cavalry and other reenactment groups and events, you can contact local historical societies and history museums in your area.  The United States Volunteer Cavalry Regiment is an East Coast umbrella organization www.usvcavalry.com There are also numerous regional organizations around the country such as the American Civil War Society in Southern California http://acws.net/about_acws.htm

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