Chuck Wagons, Cattle, Cavalry, Cowboys, and Indians at Fort Stanton Live 2013 .............CONTINUED

The Mescalero Apache War dancers were putting on quite a display with their dancing and chanting along with the group beating the war drums at Fort Stanton Live activities.  There were two young dancers who were dancing equally well with the group.  I don't know the custom of the dances or dancers but it appeared the women sort of did their dance out on the parameter from where the men were dancing.

My wife Linda is also writing a blog about the same event from her perspective and telling a lot about the military ball and other aspects of our outing.  You will find her blog to be quite interesting www.southwestloversblog.blogspot.com.

There were numerous tents set up around the parade grounds with all sorts of interesting accoutrements.

During the times when there were not official duties to be performed by the re-enactors, the men and  women were usually relaxing at their camp and/or carrying out some task.

One I found particularly interesting was the lady who was diligently painting signs for the items she was selling.  Her husband came by and posed for a picture, and they both gave me the nickle tour of the inside of their tent where uniforms were displayed on the sleeping cots. ( Let me add here, if there is anyone out there who can identify any of the people in these pictures, I will be more than happy to add their names.) Hanging proudly at the end of the tent was a picture of the President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, for whom this county was named.

There is an amazing amount of pride that is shown by these re-enactors, whether it be men, women or children.  Some of the young people we saw at the dance and around the grounds are some of the kids I have seen personally three, four and even five years ago.  In talking with Larry Pope, who I believe is the camp commander of Fort Stanton, a couple of years ago during the humongous rain storm--he conveyed to me that his children had been coming with him to these re-enactments since they were very, very small.

There were a number of small children in perfect period attire as well many adults who it was plain to see had spent a lot of money in accumulating their attire with authenticity in mind.  As a chuck wagon competition cook and late 1880's to 1927 chuck wagon period re-enactor, I know what it takes to achieve the "look" that is needed at this type of re-enactment. 

Larry Pope with daughter at 2011 Fort Stanton Live

Larry Pope relaxing at his camp at Fort Seldon

It is a passion of gathering, accumulating, acquiring, bartering, ebay shopping, and acquisitions from relatives of anything that will "fit" into the scene we are portraying.  Larry Pope's passion is one that is rarely equaled. He makes a lot, if not all, of his uniforms--including hats- as well as the pom poms that affix to some of the head gear.  He and his camp truly make up a setting from out of the past.

There are two types of re-enactors described by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Tony Horwitz, in his book Confederates in the Attic.  First is the the term  farb, which is a derogatory term often used by historical re-enactor groups to describe hobbyists who are indifferent to the exactness of their attire and participate with a "it's good enough" attitude. Whereas secondly, the hard core, or progressive re-enactor may even go to the extreme of a crash diet prior to a Civil War re-enactment so as to appear like a starved Confederate soldier.  This hardcore re-enactor may even be so steadfast in their beliefs that maybe a fellow re-enactor who has gotten the correct "look," but through a modern means and not "the way it was done back then" would still be a farb.  Some hardcore re-enactors in the Horwitz book had devised ways that would make them, after being "killed," look like they had lain in the field and become bloated. The book Linda and I are doing delves into this fanaticism of re-enactors and uses it as a basis for the plot of our story........oops, sorry.  I said that was for another time. 

What timepiece is it?

Propane, definitely an old rig, but not period.

Almost well hidden

In walking around I notice things that are modern and don't quite fit into the time the re-enactors are depicting.  I point these out to show the difference in hardcore, mainstream, and farbs. So, if there is anyone from the Fort Stanton Live re-enactors who might be reading this; please don't take offense, I am not pointing fingers at what is and is not correct--I am only doing so for the purpose of demonstrating how re-enacting can be looked upon from various perspectives.   I have tried to place myself into one of these categories and find it difficult to do so; for instance, when I am doing some repairs on my wagon I try to follow as much as my abilities will permit  the ways that the particular repair would have been made "back then."  I don't have the abilities of a blacksmith so I have to use modern means and try and make a repair look as if it was done with foundry methods.  When it comes to competition cooking I utilize methods and vessels that will make the job easier when cooking for 50-60 guests, such as using aluminum pan liners, mechanical can openers, potato peelers, bulk oil (instead of tallow), and I can even occasionally be caught wearing a wrist watch instead of a pocket watch.   I guess in Horwitz's' description, I would be categorized as a mainstream farb although writing this blog has caused me to reconsider some areas of my re-enacting.  For instance, if I get invited to participate in Fort Stanton Live next year I think I will try and entice a friend to help develop an aura surrounding Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight with the chuck wagon.  I can depict them delivering beeves from Fort Sumner to Fort Stanton to feed the soldiers.  I have already checked J. Evetts Haley's book Charles Goodnight Cowman and Plainsman to learn about the cattle drives the two men made up into New Mexico when they founded the "trail" that was named for them.  It seems as though Oliver Loving did potentially deliver beeves to Fort Stanton prior to the two ranchers getting together for their later trail drives. It is also true that Confederate Colonel Baylor, who was at one time at Fort Stanton, was also a friend of Charlie Goodnight.   It was on the third trail drive when Loving and Goodnight put their herd together that Goodnight came up with the idea of taking an army wagon and having it rebuilt to his specifications, such as using bois d arc wood and having the axles made of metal instead of wood and adding the all important chuck box which held all of the necessary items to feed approximately eighteen cowhands on the trail for six months.  

Coming up next is the spectacular Apache ambush...................