Historical Tidbits — 2nd Battle of Trenton

When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. January 7, 1777                 2nd Battle of Trenton On New Year’s Day, Washington’s force of 5,000 massed again in Trenton. The next day Cornwallis arrived with an army 5,500. After …

Historical Tidbits — 1st Encampment at Morristown

When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. January 6, 1777                 1st Encampment at Morristown Remnants of the American forces (2,000 – 4,000 troops) after the battles of Trenton and Princeton are billeted in homes and structures …

Becoming a Colonial Brewer

In 1994, I became interested in the someone rebellious and definitely an anachronistic hobby of home-brewing.  Brewing beer at home became legal (again) in 1979 so by the time I got involved it was a weird mix of semi-commercial home-brew supply stores that sold malt, yeast, and hops in various forms plus a hodgepodge of …

Historical Tidbits — Battle of Princeton

When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. January 5, 1777                 Battle of Princeton Preparing to crush Washington’s Army at Assunpink Creek, Cornwallis ordered reinforcements brought down to his position at Trenton.  This left only a small …

Second Annual Cast Iron Chef at Fort Mifflin

On January 28th, Fort Mifflin on the Delaware (www.fortmifflin.us) and the Regimental Brewmeister (www.colonialbrewer.com) will be conducting a very unique program at Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia.  This is our second annual Cast Iron Chef program and it promises to be spectacular.  Cast Iron Chef is an opportunity our guest to gain hands on experience working …

Freedom From Religion was needed even in the 18th Century.

The wonder of lightning has captivated and intrigued humans throughout history, often sparking mythological interpretations (eg Thor is the Norse god of thunder). These interpretations occurred long before science could answer some of the questions that kept humans in awe. Even in more traditional religions, thunder and lightning have spiritual connotations.  In Judaism, it’s customary …

“Beer” Recipe: Battle of the Bees Mead

Bees played a small role in the Revolutionary War on two notable occasions. The first is “The Battle of the Bees” that occurred Oct. 3, 1780 at McIntyre’s Farm, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.  Loyalists, led by Capt. John Doyle, were traveling down Beattie’s Ford Road with 60 wagons. Their mission: to plunder area farms …

Re-Enactor, Interpreter, or Living Historian?

In my tagline, I use the two terms that are sometimes seen as synonyms and just as often as antonyms by the Living History community:  Re-enactor and Interpreter.  So, are you a re-enactor, an interpreter, or a living historian?  Are you part of the exhibit, the staff, a visitor, or something else altogether?  These are …