For two hours on Saturday, August 1 the lawn on the corner of Elgin and King Street in Colborne will be filled with the sights and sounds of 1812. Cramahe resident, Chris Robins will lead his group of re-enactors as they demonstrate and re-enact events and routines of 200 years ago.
The busy group draws most of its numbers from the student body and graduates of CDCI West in Cobourg where Chris teaches. Family members and friends fill out the group. On the Canada Day weekend they were at the Cobourg Waterfront Festival, and the day after they perform in Colborne they will head over to Presqu'ile.
Around noon on Saturday they will set up an encampment with displays and demonstrations. Gary Titus will talk about surgery as it was performed 200 years ago. Later in the afternoon he will double as a native warrior along with a CDCI West student who lives in Alderville.
Fashion, weapons, militia and muskets will all be on display as the re-enactors immerse themselves in the time. At the end of the two hours they will "fight" a company battle.
Chris explains that there were two acknowledged ways to fight at that time. Soldiers would stand shoulder to shoulder in tight lines, or they would fight as skirmishers, hiding behind trees in loose lines, never out of hearing or sight of the commander. The skirmishers worked in pairs - one shooting and the other providing protection.
The technology at that time provided two weapons alternatives. Smooth bore muskets could be loaded up to three times a minute but they were totally inaccurate at over 30 yards. Rifle muskets were far more accurate. Sharpshooters could hit their mark at 2-300 yards. But the rifles were harder to load.
The afternoon promises to be informative and exciting as part of Colborne goes back in time 200 years.
For more photos of the Canada Day re-enactment at Cobourg:
more re-enactment photos
No comments:
Post a Comment