• Home
  • Shop
  • Completed Costumes/Impressions
  • Emma and Her Dresses
  • Patterns & Kits
  • Free Patterns and Instructions

Kitty Calash

~ Confessions of a Known Bonnet-Wearer

Kitty Calash

Tag Archives: Brigade of the American Revolution

Surreal School

29 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by kittycalash in Events, Living History, Reenacting

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

10th Massachusetts, authenticity, Brigade of the American Revolution, common people, common soldier, interpretation, living history, Revolutionary War, vacation

On the King's Highway, behind Knox's HQ

On the King’s Highway, behind Knox’s HQ

The School of Instruction is always interesting, and this year was no exception. One of my favorite activities is walking with the troops (well, behind). The experience is usually surreal, and the walk we took behind Knox’s Headquarters met expectations.

Clash of the Time Periods

Clash of the Time Periods

Knox’s Headquarters was a new location for us, with new activities: we played a Jingling Match, which resulted in as much giggling as jingling, and felt like the Walking Dead met the 18th Century.

Jingling without Giggling is the hard part

Jingling without Giggling is the hard part

The game is pretty simple: mark out an area, blindfold as many as are willing to play, and set one without blindfold loose. The object is to touch the person ringing the bell, and it is a hilarious and merry game indeed, though I do agree with Mr McC that playing with a number of men full in their cups, or at certain sites (Stony Point comes to mind) would be too dangerous.
WildJingling

Still, it’s simple and fun, if a little Kubrickian when you first tie on the blindfold. The person who catches the jingler is the next one to taunt the blindfolded.

tomBrianwill

Next stop? Bell research, of course. I definitely want to play this in Newport later this summer.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Twitter

Like this:

Like Loading...

“As much so as we can”

26 Friday Sep 2014

Posted by kittycalash in History, Living History, Research

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

10th Massachusetts, 18th century, Brigade of the American Revolution, common soldier, Library, Orderly Book, Research, resources, Revolutionary War, Society of the Cincinnati

Captain Christopher Marshall Orderly Book, 1781. Society of the Cincinnati Library.

Captain Christopher Marshall Orderly Book, 1781. Society of the Cincinnati Library.

It’s been a tougher week than usual chez Calash, what with the AP Euro History and Honors English homework and struggles of the Young Mr, early mornings at work for window installation (finally, thank you!) and a round (lost) with an Orange Line Special virus brought home by Mr S.  The bright note came in the mail, though, and thank you USPS for your really reliable and right on (this) time delivery!

I have been working to get this book from the Society of the Cincinnati Library on behalf, and at the behest, of the 10th Massachusetts. The SoC have an pretty amazing collection, and they undertook a project to have their entire collection of British and Continental Orderly books conserved. These are incredibly fragile and almost ephemeral books: they’re the daily record of orders, courts martial, movements, complaints and requests for a regiment. It’s like the notes you might keep if you had to meet with your boss and other direct reports every day and keep track of many orders affecting the several hundred unruly, hungry, and possibly irritable guys under your command. But you’re taking notes with quill and ink, in longhand, and no one is going to email minutes out later that afternoon.

Bridget Connor turned up in an orderly book, so they can have a novelistic appeal (handy for those of us who approach military history from the social history world). So far, this book has produced no Bridgets, but it has not disappointed. Reader, I wept.

This book has moved me. Take this:

The disadvantage and difficulties which from inevitable Circumstances we labour under instead of depressing should inspirit us to surmount them. That we are involved in them is only our misfortune; not to make efforts to Conquer them will be our fault: and if we cannot be so well prepared as we ought at least let us be as much so as we can.

There are sketches of the “disposition of the New hampshire Massachusetts Rhode Island and Connecticut lines.” And, as I read to the Young Mr, there is unfinished business in nasty rooms.

Some part of the Camp and about the long Barracks in particular is relaxing into nastiness. Regimental QuarterMasters have been ordered to have them Clean and keep them so. An Officer of each Company has been ordered to visit the Barracks every day and to Confine & Report those who throw bones of meat Pot Liquor or filth of any kind near the Barracks. Yet all this has been done and no report has been made. it is hatefull to General Howe to Reitterate orders as it ought to be shamefull those who make it necessary.

Why, the Young Mr and I just had a similar talk last night…though, thankfully, there were no bones of meat involved.

This going to be a good read.

I know the SoC has a beautiful library and nice website, but folks, if you are into this history, throw them some love. I checked their 990s and they’re struggling just like everyone else. And if not them, please, support your favorite local historical site, organization, museum, whatever. Every place has something magical that will change your day. Your money– even a small donation– helps them do that work.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Twitter

Like this:

Like Loading...

Camp Life

22 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by kittycalash in Events, Living History

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

10th Massachusetts, 18th century, Brigade of the American Revolution, common dress, common people, common soldier, cooking, Events, living history, Revolutionary War

The Ks, Mr C, Mr McC, and the Ss in camp

The Ks, Mr C, Mr McC, and the Ss in camp

When I don’t manage to write up the weekend quickly, I risk forgetting what happened, which is sad when you think how intense the time can be. This past weekend was a little different from others as there were more of us in camp than usual. I locked the camera in the car along with my car keys, and never remembered to ask Mr S for his key when he was present…so the images are all from other sources.

Last week I was party to the Great Oatmeal Debate by Text Message as I tried to determine whether or not oatmeal was correct in period, and if so, what kind.  Let’s call it Hannah Glasse’s “oatmeal flummery” and move on.

To make Oatmeal-Flummery. GET fome oatmeal, put it into a broad deep pan, then co ver it with water, stir it together, and let itftand twelve hours, then pour off that water clear, and put on a good deal of fresh water, shift it again in twelve hours, and fo orrin twelve more ; then pour off the water clear, and ftrain the oatmeal through a coarfe hair-fieve, and pour it into a fauce-pan, keeping it stir ring all the time with a stick till it boils and is very thick ; then pour it into difhes ; when cold turn it into plates, and eat it with what you pleafe, either wine and fugar, or beer and sugar, or milk. It eats very pretty with cyder and fugar.

We were very lucky to have hard wood for fires, and I was very lucky indeed to have Mr McC on hand to tend to the fire, especially on Sunday morning, when I did not get up and start dressing until 6:00 AM. He joined us early Saturday morning with a kettle of hot coffee in hand, proving long experience with the un-caffeinated reenactor in the wild.

We ate very well this past weekend, with contributions from Mr McC, Mr L, the family C, and purchases from the Georgian Kitchen and Sugar Loafe Baking Company.

The Georgian Kitchen and Sugar Loafe Baking Co at Walloomsac

The Georgian Kitchen and Sugar Loafe Baking Co at Walloomsac

The Young Mr eventually bought his own loaf of bread, stuffed it in his haversack, and ate from it fairly continually on Sunday. If there had been a ginger cookie as large as a loaf of bread, I expect he would have bought that instead, but bread was a reasonable choice (though I think it proven tricky to hold a musket and a loaf of bread simultaneously….)

18th century militia in small clothes

Militia in Small Clothes

18th century militia marching in New York countryside

Mr S (left handed, as you can see) following MrMcC

The 10th Massachusetts, fielding as militia, are in the second and third rows above; I was shocked–shocked!– to see them fielding in their small clothes, but it is documented, and as they said when they lay down and even left ranks before fielding, “We’re militia. We’re not listening.” (Left to right, that’s Mr FC, Mr S, Mr McC and, in the rear, Mr L.)

For me, the best part of the weekend was, as it always is, being outside of time. (I even had a nap on Saturday, when the gents were up at the battle: more delicious than stew or cookies or even quince cake.)

At Sunday’s divine service, I was reminded again of why I enjoy this, and why we keep doing this, even when it all seems ridiculous in the face of the larger world.

The old service from the Book of Common Prayer is not that different from what we used in church. The formal rhythm and familiar words always remind me of how different the 18th century was from our own time, and how small people could feel in the face of a world without electricity, internal combustion engines, and modern weapons of war. As we lined a psalm and recited the liturgy that hoped for peace, I thought of Ferguson again, and of the ways that people bind together in beliefs without regard to class or color, and had some hope (even as I recited om mani padme hum internally). A moment of grace is often more easily found stepping outside yourself, and stepping out of time and out of doors can help.

Speaking of stepping out…

woman undressing in stays and petticoats

Almost steppin’ out of the 18th century…

We had to pack up and flee back to the 21st century on Sunday afternoon, and I was caught getting partially undressed outside our tent (between my height and Natural Gace, I find outdoor dressing easier). No matter what you do, or when you do it, a healthy sense of humor about oneself is always useful.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Twitter

Like this:

Like Loading...

Boil and Not Too Much Trouble

19 Tuesday Aug 2014

Posted by kittycalash in Events, Food, Living History, Reenacting, Research

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

10th Massachusetts, authenticity, Bennington, Brigade of the American Revolution, common people, common soldier, cooking, Enos Hitchcock, food, hearth cooking, history, living history, Research

Camp cooking can get old. Stew, sigh. Bread, sigh. Cheese, sigh. Apples, sigh.

Don’t get me wrong: all of the above are delicious today. Historically, New England troops are all about cheese and cider, and have much to say about the quality of beef, but menu can be repetitive and lacking in challenge.

Ever since I had boiled flour pudding at Coggeshall Farm, I’ve wanted to make it since I so much enjoyed the texture.

When I found it mentioned by Enos Hitchcock, I was particularly excited.

1777 May 24
Dined upon flowr puding & Venison Steak.

Flowr puding? I love that guy! But there it is, documented, even if eaten by the officers and not the private soldiers. It’s common enough that I think it likely almost everyone knew how to make it. The trick would have been getting hold of eggs and milk, which is easy enough for me, if not for the soldiers of 1777. Fortunately, as we drove down Cottrell Road headed for home, a flock of Plymouth Rock chickens crossed the road in front of us: there were the eggs, at least in our time.

postcard of kittens eating christmas pudding

Not your chaplain’s pudding.

The method I had tried at home worked: I beat three eggs and four spoons of milk in my tall redware mug, and added the liquid slowly to the flour and salt mixture. The whole mixture went into a cloth bag, which I tied with a string and boiled in the smallest kettle, not want to risk any damage to the beef stew. I’ll test the works at home on my nearest kin and willing victims before I loose it upon a regiment and hungry guests.

Although the pudding was a strange shape, it cooked up quickly in about 45 minutes, had a firm texture and a satisfactory enough flavor. I would have liked it to rise a bit more, which is an argument either for beating the eggs with a fork in the confined cylinder of the cup, or risking the splash of the whisk in a bowl, or, finally, for a smaller whisk.

Still, not too bad for expanding the camp cooking repertoire of Things That Can be Boiled and Eaten.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Twitter

Like this:

Like Loading...

Miss Calash Regrets

18 Monday Aug 2014

Posted by kittycalash in Events

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

10th Massachusetts, Bennington, Brigade of the American Revolution, Events

corn field at sunset along the Hoosick River, NY

The view from our camp & kitchen

..She’s unable to post today.*

An excellent time was had by all at Bennington, but a busy week lies ahead and Miss Calash craves your patience as she must report early to construction workers, furniture researchers, granting agencies and numerous other disasters and joys too varied to recount here.

Regular posting will resume later this week with reflections upon Puddings Boil’d in Camp, Mustering While Chewing, Letters Carried To and Fro, and other Trivialities.

* To the tune of “Miss Otis Regrets,” by Cole Porter.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Twitter

Like this:

Like Loading...
← Older posts

Kitty Calash FB

Kitty Calash FB

The Etsy Shop!

Kitty Calash Swag on Teespring

Archives

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,928 other subscribers

Blogroll

  • A Most Beguiling Accomplishment
  • Afroculinaria: Michael Twitty
  • British Tars
  • Clothing the Carolinas
  • Drunk Tailor
  • History Research Shenanigans
  • Kleidung um 1800
  • New Vintage Lady
  • Not Your Momma's History
  • Our Girl History
  • Picking for Pleasure
  • Places in Time
  • Ran Away From the Subscriber
  • Slave Rebellion Reenactment
  • The Hidden Wardrobe
  • The Quintessential Clothes Pen
  • Worn Through

Etsy Shop

  • Kitty Calash on Etsy

Resources

  • Casey Fashion Plate Collection, LAPL

Sutlers

  • Burnley & Trowbridge
  • Wm Booth, Draper
wordpress statistics

Creative Commons License
Kitty Calash blog by Kirsten Hammerstrom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

A WordPress.com Website.

  • Follow Following
    • Kitty Calash
    • Join 627 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Kitty Calash
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: