It was like coming home for Brantford’s Brian Armstrong, who returned to re-enacting this summer after a 14-year hiatus.
“I did it steady for 25 years, I was just a kid – a teenager when I started, but I’ve been out of the hobby for the last 14 years,” Armstrong said Saturday at the 18th American Civil War Re-enactment at the Woodlawn and Train Station Museum in Otterville, hosted by the South Norwich Historical Society and Canadians in the Grand Army of the Republic.
“I was too busy working,” he laughed. “Now I’m retired.”
Sitting near a campfire outside his Civil War period tent where he would spend the night, Armstrong said he most enjoys “the people” at re-enactments, “the relaxed way of life” and the ambiance.
“All the people you deal with, they’re all friends. Even the guys on the other side of the field – I’ve got friends over there, too. It’s good to meet up with friends I haven’t seen in a long, long time and it’s just like you never left. There’s a lot of older guys here, but there’s a lot of younger kids interested, teenagers getting involved. It’s good to know it’s going to keep going for a little while. And now that I’m retired I’ll be here every year.”
Re-enactment skirmishes between the Federals and Confederates – with about 40 participants in total – were held Saturday and Sunday. Visitors were able to visit both camps. There was also a Saturday twilight lantern tour which included a night ‘battle.’
“It’s kind of cool because you can actually see the flames coming out of their rifles.”
Dressed in the Federal uniform of 49
th
New York, Armstrong remembers his last re-enactment in Otterville, which happened to be the first time they re-enacted the Fenian raids.
“The Fenians were the Irish, trained by the US during the Civil War. They had Irish brigades, and they decided to come to Canada, to hold Canada hostage to free Ireland in 1866. Basically that (re-enactment) is all the same people, just different uniforms.”
Armstrong participated in three events this summer including a Jacobite Rebellion at Backus-Page (Wallacetown), and the Fenian Raids at Fort Erie.
“A lot of us jump over – I can do War of 1812 as well. It’s a lot of the same people.”
