This weekend my friend Chris and I went to see a re-enactment of the western-most civil war battle called the Battle of Picacho Pass. The funny thing is that it involved about 25 people and there were about 200 re-enactors there. To accommodate that glut, they re-enacted a couple of New Mexico civil war battles (just for good measure). The grand finale though was Picacho Pass....which was held at (you guessed it) Picacho Peak State Park (just off Interstate 10).
Now....Chris is the only person I've met so far from work who has the same twisted sense of humor I have and he's also the only person I could convince to come with me to this extravaganza. As I was waiting to meet up with him at the Best Buy parking lot, I started worrying that he would show up in a civil war uniform and then I started worrying about what side's uniform he would wear. I was racking my brain....did he seem OVERLY enthusiastic about this event....or was he just normally enthusiastic? (Of course that begs the question about displaying ANY enthusiasm for this event....) Luckily he didn't have any uniform on when he showed up. Of course, (without prompting) his first words were an apology because his "uniform was still at the cleaners." Hahahahaha! I told him that I keep mine in the trunk of my car but since he wasn't wearing his....I didn't want to make him feel awkward... .I then told him that I was a Virginian so he could guess what color it is....(heh heh heh). We're off to a great start.
We drove down I10 which I have dubbed the "Mad Max Freeway" because there are vast expanses of nothing, always an accident where a car has flipped over and 18 wheelers going between 90-100 mph. (I drive that freeway almost every weekend when I go to Tucson and have survived a wheel flying over my car and a driver having a heart attack and swerving over the median... Good times.) Chris told me that there are also occasionally coyote shootouts -- not the animal kind but the human traffiker kind. Haven't had that pleasure yet. But there is still time.
Picacho Peak is a particularly pointy mountain located in a small range about 40 mins north of Tucson. I've been told that Picacho actually means peak so I guess it's called peak peak. Weird. We arrived alive and, after a cursory look at some pathetic union re-enactors lining up in their tent camp, eagerly went to the "battlefield" because the schedule said that there was an artillery demonstration going on. The fellow giving the talk about civil war artillery was awesome! He was fat and he had on the red hat, etc. (which I assume designates someone as Field Artillery.....of course it also designated them as a target). He meticulously described how to place gun powder in the "cannon" and the fuse and light it. The great part was during the question and answer session where he started to expound on some of his personal beliefs. He told us that we need to learn about the civil war b ecause "We don't need another Hitler. We don't need another Stalin." I didn't quite get the connection but I agree in principle. He then said that "laying around listening to CDs ain't cuttin' it." OK.....I guess I'll have to stop laying around now. Then he said "I want you to learn about politics, I want you to learn about history." Good....good. (Can you tell that I've started writing these gems down now?) He finished with the proclamation that we should all "get a book and read." Chris later confessed that he bought the book "Gods and Generals" afterwards and I told him that I was proud of him.
After being enlightened, the Battle of Glorietta Pass (?) started which seemed like it was mainly a field artillery battle. I was a little disappointed in the lack of re-enactors who played dead. They were basically running around the field (or slowly walking depending on their age and girth) in clouds of smoke and yelling unintelligible things.....very much like most current battlefields are today. It ended in about 20 minutes and all the spectators went over to the encampment area to look at the displays. There was also a union band playing tunes from that time. Nearly every display had a few medical instruments (the most gruesome and fascinating part of most civil war displays) -- I guess those saws, plyer things and huge syringes hold up well in old age.
We saw a display for a group called the Sons of the Confederate which, awkwardly, was visited by a group of black kids (who didn't seem to understand the history there). I snapped a picture of that because I love awkwardness (I'm sort of sick that way). Also, the entire time there was a group that had climbed up the side of one of the hills and planted a huge confederate flag. There was a lot of yelling in that direction but Chris and I avoided it (could be another Waco). Creepy.
Then, Chris and I went to see the Cavalry troops. There were about 7 of them in union uniforms and they had these pretty awesome horses. They answered questions and they told us that, while all of the horses were in the Army, several of them were civilians or retired. There was one active duty soldier. Apparently, the horses (which all had "US" tattooed on their sides) were "signed out" these guys who take care of them as if they own them (sort of like a rifle is signed out to a soldier). They came from Ft. Huachuca, which has great stables. Interesting. One fellow (a civilian dude) seemed pretty bitter about being there and Chris commented that he looked like he "wanted his Saturday back." This guy told us several times "We aren't re-enactors. We are NOT re-enactors." I found that hilarious because they sure looked like re-enactors and they participated in the RE-ENACTMENT of the Battle of Picacho Pass. What does that make them in your mind? hmmmmm
The Battle of Picacho Pass (which reportedly took an hour) was re-enacted in 10 minutes. Here's how it went. Some non-re-enactor union calvary types arrest about 3 confederates and then a bunch of other confederates show up and kill several of the non-re-enactors. The end. Apparently the union lieutenant who was killed in the actual battle is buried near where the railroad now runs.
As we were leaving, I insisted on getting a picture with some re-enactors. Chris thought that we should get a picture with union re-enactors only because other pictures could come back to haunt us. So, I attached that "politically correct" picture to this e-mail.
The trip was a big success and we've decided that we need to visit the Renaissance Fair because the nut cases that go to that type of thing have to be at least as crazy as these guys. Chris also has an outfit he wants to wear to that one....
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