Feminism and Following

Let me start out this post by making something clear.  What you are about to read is purely my opinion.  One female follower of HM 17^th Regt. of Foot.  Not necessarily endorsed by the whole.I proudly call myself a feminist.  I was raised in a family of strong women and firmly believe there’s nothing any male member of the Regt. can do that I can’t (within reason).  But, on the weekends, I lace myself into a corset, put on uncomfortable shoes and clothes, and portray a woman following the army.  I submit to orders, dip candles, sew by hand, cry on cue, and get pretty desperate when I get caught looting.  It’s “funcomfortable”.  Why would I do this?  Aren’t feminism and submission incompatible?  Wouldn’t it be more fun and feminist to prove I can reenact a battle just as well as men?First of all, let me just say that I understand the urge to “play with the boys” if you will.  I have it too sometimes.  Shooting a gun can be WAY more fun than, say, laundry.  Plus, let’s face it.  People buy tickets for battle reenactments.  Women’s roles interpretation are generally a nice side benefit, unless it’s Princeton.  So if you want to join the guys in your regt. in battle, that’s your choice.So why don’t I?  First of all, accuracy.  As you can see throughout our website, accuracy and research are bedrocks for the 17th.  Now, did some women dress like men and join the army?  Yes.  Deborah Sampson is proof of that.  Did some women go to extraordinary lengths to help the army?  Considering Mary Ludwig Hays and Margaret Corbin, each a candidate for inspiring “Molly Pitcher”, it’s clear some did.  So a good Deborah Sampson or Mary Hays or Margaret Corbin impression can be just as accurate as mine.  But remember.  We only know of cases like these in the Continental army.  So you can argue that while a well-researched Deborah Sampson impression works for the rebels, she may not be right for HM 17^th Regt of Foot.  Secondly, these cases are outliers.  Did they exist?  Yes.  Could there be more?  Sure.  But they’re still very rare.  Meanwhile, we can prove that hundreds of women followed both the British and American armies, serving in women’s roles.  Check out our follower's page for proof.  These women did laundry.  They nursed.  They sold goods.  They cooked (not for the men but for each other).  They received rations.  They raised kids and followed husbands, sons, and fathers.  So a “camp follower” impression IS an equally accurate impression of an army on campaign.The second reason is my personal soapbox.  Think about something.  When I mention “women during the Revolutionary War”, who do you think of?  My bet is Betsy Ross, Abigail Adams, Martha Washington, maybe the Schuyler sisters thanks to Hamilton, or possibly Deborah Sampson or “Molly Pitcher”.  Now don’t get me wrong.  Every single one of these women are extraordinary, important, and deserve recognition for their contributions.  But the majority of them are high-class ladies, unlikely to endure the hardships of a campaign.  They might visit camp and stay there, but only when the army is in winter quarters.  The ones who did follow the army, as said before, are outliers.  Now, did you know about Baroness von Riedesel?  She was the gentry wife of a Hessian general who followed him to America and kept a journal of her time with General Burgoyne’s army.  That journal includes a detailed account of her experience at the Battle of Saratoga.  She was also taken prisoner by the Continental army.  How about Mrs. Reed of Trenton?  She was the wife of a Continental officer who was forced to house Hessians in her home before the 1^st Battle of Trenton.  According to her daughter Martha, when a Hessian woman wanted her shoe buckle and Mrs. Reed hesitated, the Hessian took the shoes off Mrs. Reed’s feet and hit her in the face with the heel.  In front of her kids!  (Read William Dwyer’s “The Day is Ours” for more information).  Check out our friend  Kirsten's research on Bridget Connor as well, who was drummed out of camp for stealing shirts.  Then there’s the hundreds of nameless followers we know nothing about.  These women’s stories are real, they’re important, and they deserve to be told.  If we don’t tell them, who will?They’re why I do this hobby.  They’re why I choose to be “funcomfortable” as I do.  To me, personally, I am being a feminist by telling these forgotten stories and portraying what the women actually did.  I choose to honor these women by putting their stories out there when they’ve been ignored for centuries.  Considering that neither army could function without its follower community, one could argue these women are just as important as the men they followed.  Now how’s that for feminism?God save the King!Katherine Becnel  

Sewing Parties and Getting Things Done.

Sewing parties are another tradition for the 17th.  About once a month, the unit gets together at a member's house and work on our kits.  Many reenacting units have these events.  Our sewing parties last from Friday evening till Sunday afternoon, and it is both a lot of work and a lot of fun.  For the 17th, sewing parties first began in January 2015.  It was through these sewing parties, as well as the contributions of our individual members, that we outfitted our unit in about 9 months and were able to officially debut the 17th at the Browns Raid event in September 2015. From the very first sewing party, January 2015.At this particular sewing party this weekend, we focused on trousers for new members and loaner gear trousers.  The followers also worked on stays, caps, and setting up our camp-life page for the website.  More to come, so be on the look out!Below are some pictures from the weekend.  Enjoy!

God Save the King!Katherine Becnel

Battle of Princeton and the Ravages of Princetown.

January 3, 2017 was the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Princeton, where HM 17th Regt. of Foot bravely fought General George Washington, Brig. Gen. Henry Knox, and Brig. Gen. Hugh Mercer's troops.  Ultimately the Continental Army prevailed in the conclusion of what would be known as the Ten Crucial Days, a major turning point in the American Revolution.  Several weeks ago, HM 17th Regt. of Foot reenacted the battle.  It was a very snowy and bitterly cold weekend.  But we braved the harsh conditions to produce an extremely successful event!Photo by Wilson Freeman, Driftingfocus Photography.Princeton is a particularly special and important event for the 17^th.  Historically, the Battle of Princeton is “our battle”.  HM 17^th of Foot actually received the honor of having an unbroken laurel wreath added to their insignia as a result of their courageous efforts at Princeton.  As such, Princeton has become an annual event for us.  Every year we recreate the battle, complete with a battlefield tour led by Dr. Will Tatum.  This year, the tour and reenactment was January 8, 2017, just days after the 240^th anniversary of the battle on that very spot.Photo by Wilson Freeman, Driftingfocus photographyPhoto by Steve AlpertThere are accounts from the actual Battle of Princeton that the 17^th Regiment of Foot continued to fight even against impossible odds.  They “deliberately pulled off their knapsacks and gave 3 cheers, then broke through the Rebels, faced about, attacked and broke through them a second time.” (from William M. Dwyer’s “The Day is Ours”). That's a quote from someone at the actual battle.  With primary sources like that, what else would you expect from a progressive unit?  Using these accounts, HM 17^th Regt of Foot completed knapsacks for every member who attended the Battle of Princeton this year.  We also made leggings, based on accounts of what the 17^th wore on January 3, 1777.  It was amazing to be moving over the same ground that was actually fought over 240 years ago!Painting on L features HM 17th Regt of Foot at Princeton.  Photo on Right by Wilson Freeman, Driftingfocus Photography.  Put together by Andrew Kirk.However, this year, we took the event a step further.  In addition to the Battlefield tour and battle reenactment, the 17^th was actually in Princeton the day before, January 7.  Our HQ was Morven Museum and we invited the public to see the “Ravages of Princeton”. Photo by Wilson Freeman, Driftingfocus photography Our purpose was to show the public what it was actually like for civilians and townfolk when British troops occupied Princeton prior to the battle.  In Palmer Square, local townspeople were “strongly encouraged” to take the Loyalty Oath, administered by Captain Tatum.  Some still chose to refuse.  They were Quakers.  They were women.  They did not see why they would have to take the Oath.  Others willingly signed and swore loyalty to their rightful King, like this wise young lad.Photo by Wilson Freeman, Driftingfocus photography.After administering the Loyalty Oath, the group gathered to warm up around the fire, show the public some Musket Drills, and lunch.Lunch at Morven. 17th members gathered around the fire, and yours truly enjoying lunch.  Photos by Wilson Freeman, Driftingfocus Photography Later, some of our members went rogue.  Accounts abound of looting, Pillaging, and other ravages by soldiers on both sides of the American Revolution.  As such, no event entitled “Ravages at Princeton” would be complete without a little bad behavior.  Several innocent bystanders were brutally robbed by civilians, drunken soldiers, and even our own camp followers.  There’s also reports that Captain Tatum was even assaulted by a certain camp follower, with a lettuce no less!Photo by Wilson Freeman, Driftingfocus photographyThankfully, all the “nasty pieces of baggage” were arrested and court-martialed.  Some were given lashes.  Others escaped justice due to contradictory testimony and lack of evidence.  One camp follower made the mistake of proudly claiming she was a loyal British subject and therefore should be entitled to the belongings of the local populace who would not take the Oath.  When she was reminded of the lettuce incident, she was quickly drummed out of camp and her marriage dissolved.  Note - all of the "sentences" are actually based in historical fact. 

Justice is served.  Photos by Wilson Freeman, Driftingfocus Photography.Of course, no battle is complete without an adversary.  The 17^th would be incredibly remiss if we did not mention the other side.  While we were ravaging Princeton, a model company of Continental forces were at the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton, interpreting their side of the days leading up to the Battle of Princeton.  Photo by Richard Patterson, the Old Barracks Museum, TrentonThis amazing group of guys survived sub-freezing temperatures and 5 inches of snow to march 14 miles in the middle of the night from Trenton to Princeton.  They followed the route that Washington’s forces took 240 years ago following the 2^nd Battle of Trenton.  This event would not have been the same without their amazing contributions.  Bravo men!  Huzzah!All in all, this truly was an amazing event.  We had wonderful opportunities to really interact with the public.  Some of our favorite moments actually came from those who didn't realize the event was happening.  In order to warm up, there were several times in between "vignettes" that members would duck into a coffee shop.  While we often received strange looks, there were many who approached us to ask what was going on.  This offered many opportunities to really talk with people and explain some of their history.  This event was unprecedented in reenacting in many ways.  We interpreted situations that the public doesn't normally think about or interact with.  It gave us a chance to bring to life an aspect of military history that in fact has very little to do with battles.  And of course, the battle itself was spectacular.  Thank you so much to everyone who came together to plan this event, participate, and attend it.  It could not have happened without all of you.  We look forward to many more "funcomfortable" and successful events this year!God Save the King!Katherine Becnel  

Funcomfortable

At our Princeton event this past weekend (recap post still to come), HM 17th Regt of Foot in America, as well as other British and Continental reenactor regiments, braved some particularly harsh weather conditions.  Below freezing temperatures all weekend.  Falling snow all day Saturday.  Trudging through about 5 inches of snow Saturday and Sunday.  All while wearing 18th century clothing.  These conditions are definitely not something anyone could term "comfortable".  As such, our head camp follower, Mary Sherlock, came up with the perfect term for the weekend.  It was "funcomfortable".When we thought about this term a little further, we realized that "funcomfortable" perfectly sums up not just our weekend at Princeton, but the 17th Regt as a whole.  There are many things we do that most people, including US, cannot call "comfortable".  Is it comfortable to wear stays and multiple layers of petticoats in 90 degree heat while you're doing laundry by a fire surrounded by stone buildings?  Not particularly.  Is it comfortable to trudge through the snow so you can recreate an 18th century battle that your side actually lost?  I think most of our members would agree it was definitely NOT comfortable.  Is it comfortable to prick your fingers on needles while you hand-sew a garment?  Is it comfortable to have to undo a long line of stitches because you’ve made a mistake, then redo it?  No, sometimes it’s not.  In fact, many of these could be called the very definition of “uncomfortable”.But here’s the thing.  Every one of those situations are also things that we find FUN.  While it may be extremely uncomfortable to be standing by a fire in 90 degree heat in multiple layers of 18^th century clothing, it IS fun to be able to tell a visitor at Fort Ticonderoga how camp followers did laundry for the army.  While it may be super uncomfortable to not be able to feel your toes while you recreate a battle, it IS fun to honor the valor the very regiment you are portraying displayed 240 years ago when you drop your knapsack and run at the Continental Army on the field of battle at Princeton.  It is a lot of fun to be able to make history come alive for yourself, your friends, and the general public.  It is a lot of fun to be able to engage with them, and get them thinking about the past in a whole new way.  And while it can hurt quite a bit when a needle pricks your thumb, sewing parties surrounded by your friends, all working on the same things you are, can be an absolute blast.So.  That’s what we are.  That’s what we embrace.  We are “funcomfortable”.  We hope you find time to be “funcomfortable” with us in 2017.God Save The King!Katherine Becnel