In my December column, I wrote about the confusion at the Civil War Centennial reenactment of the Battle of Antietam. In doing so I ventured an opinion that that reenactment was the last one to take place on the actual original battlefield it was commemorating. I was incorrect. A reenactment of “Pickett’s Charge” the following year was held on the original field at Gettysburg.
Reader and Gettysburg resident Mike Strong advised me that he “attended a dress rehearsal of Pickett’s Charge in 1962 that was staged on the Gettysburg Battlefield.” Unfortunately, he missed the actual reenactment the following year due to being hospitalized with mononucleosis. The early dress rehearsal was no doubt an attempt to avoid the confusing preparations that subsequently occurred at Antietam. Some classified the rehearsal for the Gettysburg Centennial as a commemoration of the ninety-ninth anniversary of the battle, and I suppose you could term it so if you wish. Did the rehearsal result in an excellent show in 1963? Apparently not.
On July 4, 1963, a newspaper reported that: “Some 30,000 persons, happy under a mellow sun, saw Pickett’s Charge launched almost on schedule yesterday.” The report went on to state that “there were some 500 buffs on each side.” The charge reenactment ended on a rather bizarre note, because when the opposing sides were 100 feet apart, the shooting stopped and both “lowered their arms, marched together to a spot behind the Bloody Angle, formed hollow squares, and pledged allegiance to the national government and raised the Stars and Stripes on a tall staff while a US Navy band played the National Anthem.”
“Some problems” occurred, with spectators sitting atop the stone wall adjacent to the Bloody Angle, a helicopter buzzing over the assault, and a mongrel dog that had to be “shooed out of the line of fire by State Troopers.” There were antics in reenactor ranks as well, as “carloads of patent medicine, heavily laced with alcohol, were sold to preserve the health and bolster the courage of the troops.” Mike recalled that “the circus atmosphere surrounding the 1963 event led to the Superintendent deciding that no more re-enactments would take place on the Gettysburg National Military Park grounds. The 115th event took place across from Howe Avenue on land that was privately owned and was subsequently acquired by the NPS.”
Dixie Gun Works, the iconic black powder retailer, has published its 2019 catalog, with some new items of interest to the Civil War shooter. The catalog lists new Pedersoli rifles, including a reproduction of the
by Joe Bilby
1854 Austrian Lorenz rifle. The Lorenz, in both original .54 caliber and reamed out to .58 caliber, was widely used by both sides during the Civil War. The Fifth New Jersey Infantry was originally equipped with Lorenz rifles. The rest of the Second New Jersey Brigade shouldered smoothbores, so the men of the Fifth were permanently assigned to skirmish duties, most notably during the brigade’s first big fight at Williamsburg, Va., in 1862. Dixie also sells a special Pedersoli mold for the .54 caliber gun. It casts a .547 diameter slug weighing 430 grains and features two deep grease grooves and two rifling bands. Another new rifle in the Dixie catalog is the Pedersoli remake of the famed Whitworth sharpshooter rifle. This .45 caliber gun, designed by British inventor Joseph Whitworth with hexagonal rifling, was perhaps the most accurate small arm of the era. Queen Victoria reputedly fired one and hit a target at 400 yards. Small numbers of Whitworths were used to equip select Confederate marksmen in sharpshooter units during the last years of the Civil War.
Sticklers for historical accuracy see some faults in the Pedersoli Whitworth, as Pedersoli apparently used a shortened standard P53 stock rather than a Whitworth specific stock and equipped the gun with Enfield brass mounts, although the original Whitworths had iron mounts. One thing everyone agrees on, however, is the Pedersoli Whitworth’s shooting qualities are excellent. One friend of mine critical of the gun’s historical details added that “Pedersoli arms have great bores and can shoot well.” Dixie offers a .451 hexagonal bullet mold and hexagonal wads, which are sold separately. Traditional six-gun
Revolver Reload Kit: Each kit contains everything you need, except powder and caps. Round balls, felt Wonder Wads, and the new Wonder Seals. Provides enough for 4 complete loads (24 rounds). .36 and .44 calibers.
MA6006 Reload Kit - .36 cal MA6007 Reload Kit - .44 cal
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shooters should be happy with Dixie’s new “Revolver Reload Kit.” The kit has everything you need, except the powder, to reload your percussion ignition revolver, including round balls, felt Wonder Wads, and the new Wonder Seals. The kit has enough material for 24 rounds, or four complete reloads. Some shooters use the seals above the ball to eliminate the possibility of a chain or cross fire. A snug fit bullet would suffice for that, but the Wonder Wad is great because it sweeps fouling out of the barrel behind the ball. Most chain fires are ignited by an ill-fitting cap that has fallen off the nipple (cone), but shooting folklore from the 1950s, when revolver shooters used to smear Crisco on the cylinder chambers above the bullet, persists in some quarters, and seals are easier to apply. With blanks it might be a good idea to use both seals and wads, just to be on the safe side, however. Among the other new Dixie offerings for hand gunners are a traditional “slim Jim” style holster designed for the massive Walker Colt revolver and a revolver loading stand adaptable to both .36 and .44 caliber guns.