Under the Redcoat 2013

The declaration of martial law.

Because of two major anniversary events this year (namely Monmouth and Battle of the Hook), our Rev War unit elected not to attend Under the Redcoat this year.  Now that Ashley is living in VA, though, I decided to go anyway on my own, and with her schedule just so happening to work out to allow her both Saturday and Sunday off for the UTR weekend, we were able to enjoy some time together at one of our favorite reenacting events of the year.

Preparing for nooning on Saturday.

This year's UTR was considerably smaller than has been the norm the past several years, and I assume it was for the same reason our regiment had to decline taking part: just too many larger anniversary experiences on the list this year!  Also, with the Gettysburg 150th the very next weekend, I know a lot of the reenactors who typically wouldn't miss UTR who opted to do that instead.  Ashley and I had talked about going to Gettysburg for the battle and then decided not to after the not-too-fun soaring temperatures of last year!

The UTR encampment and guard duty patrol was thus considerably reduced in number, but those who were there still put their best forward with excellent demonstrations and enthusiastic guest engagement.  I have to admit, though, that it did feel a bit strange walking down Duke of Glouchester Street and only getting stopped once - and by an exceedingly friendly group of guards, nonetheless!  Much different from the usual strict questionings, mandatory searches, and stern glares one is typically subjected to at check points in UTR British-occupied Williamsburg in the past! 

Guards keeping watch over the entry points to the occupied city of Williamsburg.

But we certainly had a lovely time over the weekend, and enjoyed the rare luxury of not having official camp duties to tend to by stopping to visit friends in camp, going to some of the special weekend programming, and strolling around town.  Hopefully next year, we'll be back again in the company of our regiment for even more fun!

Strolling through camp on Saturday.

Under the Redcoat 2011

I know many people from the history/costume blogging world attended Under the Redcoat this year and it was so wonderful to meet in person those of you we've had the pleasure of "meeting" online over the course of the weekend!  It will be fun to hear everyone's different perspectives of the weekend and to see pictures of things we may have missed, as we were busy in camp for the majority of the weekend.

We arrived on Thursday night and got settled in.  Friday morning, we strolled the streets of Colonial Williamsburg and reunited with our friends from Teacups in the Garden to watch some Rev City scenes and to share a peaceful lunch together.  Later in the afternoon, we were spectators for the first event of UTR as the Provost Guard marched into town to begin setting up on Market Square.  The crowd was smaller and certainly less vocal than last year, but the arrival of the British in town still drew an appropriately dismayed and angry reaction from the onlookers.

British troops march into Williamsburg with camp followers.

Saturday morning, we were up early to join our unit in their camp on Market Square.  A few of us ventured over to the CW Costume Design Center to explore their tag sale.  There was already quite a crowd gathered, but there were a few nice pieces still waiting to be discovered on the racks; we each made a small purchase and were happy to help some of our friends find some new things as well.  After our shopping excursion, we headed back to camp to help prepare the day's meals and aid with some necessary mending of uniforms.  It was great fun meeting so many new people and interacting with the eager and inquisitive visitors.  We had several curious young ones who were, for the most part, enthusiastic about learning about camp chores and what life was like in a military camp.  In the afternoon, we took one of the gents in our unit for a quick tour of some CW sites, as it was his first visit to the town.  It's always a treat introducing someone new to the wonders of CW.  Once evening descended, we all dressed in our best and gathered in a private room at King's Arms for a rousing evening of wonderful food and song.  Our apologies if our hearty eighteenth-century voices disturbed anyone belowstairs!  To cap off the day's events, a few of us ended the night by joining the large group gathered behind Chowning's, where we admired many others who had similarly donned their finest in honor of this unique yearly gathering.

A few of our followers in camp.

On the second full day of UTR, the men of our regiment were kept busy with guard duty and patrolling the streets of the town. Many of them were successful in making arrests of suspicious persons and searching out secret camps.  We all anxiously awaited their intriguing stories when they returned to camp!  We distaff were busy again with camp duties, preparing meals, keeping water buckets full and everything tidy, and such.  Luckily, there was again some time to visit around town, which was spent stopping in to see some CW friends and to make plans for the coming week.  After a couple of afternoon firing demonstrations, we all began breaking down camp and preparing to depart.  With a long drive ahead back to CT for most of our members, our group thinned out early in the afternoon; the rest of us enjoyed a relaxing afternoon in camp before finally packing up and saying goodbye until our next event.

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Redcoat firing demonstration.

We had another great year at UTR, this time made even more enjoyable and memorable by the company of our unit, and we're looking forward to reading more accounts of the weekend.  There are always so many stories and threads to this event, which is what makes it so unique each and every year.  Don't forget to look at our flickr set to see some more of our pictures from this weekend, and be sure to check back here as we continue to update about our upcoming week in Williamsburg!

Under the Redcoat 2010 (or, Frolicks in Williamsburg, volume the third)

One of the primary factors in deciding when to visit Williamsburg this year was Under the Redcoat. For those of you unfamiliar with this special event, hosted by CW each year, here is a brief overview: In 1781, Lord Cornwallis and his troops marched through Williamsburg on their way to Yorktown, occupying the city for ten days. For one weekend each summer, CW invites several independent British re-enactment troops to “occupy” the city. The troops and their followers (families and other civilians) re-enact their march into the city. They set up camp, establish barricades, search “suspicious” townspeople (arresting those who they deem a threat to the crown), and end the weekend with a drill and firing competition before marching out. All weekend the troops provide the ambiance of a city under enemy occupation. Camp followers meanwhile offer CW visitors a personal perspective on camp life, open fire cooking, 18th century military medicine, and so much more.

It has been quite a while since we’ve been able to plan a trip in the middle of the summer, so we were very excited to be attending UTR this year. The weekend began on Friday afternoon as we watched the troops march down Duke of Gloucester Street to Market Square, where they began setting up camp next to the Courthouse. There were a few “boos” and shouts of “Go home!” (to which one officer responded, “I wish I could”) As we were watching the troops settle into camp, a young boy turned to his father and said, “Dad, what kind of play is this?”

Saturday we walked into town by way of Nicholson Street and were immediately approached by a group of redcoats asking for our papers as they began rummaging through our baskets. After much debate (and some batting of eyelashes), we were urged to visit the Guardhouse to obtain our papers.

Being searched... the first time.

We began walking over straight away, but before we had even reached the Courthouse, we were stopped again. Once again, we were asked for our papers and searched. We were then personally escorted to the Guardhouse, where we waited patiently with our guard to stand before the clerk. In front of us, one woman was being asked to stay for an examination by the doctor for possible insanity (I will vouch here for his excellent judgment). We were asked to be searched one more time before being asked to pledge our oath to the crown. Rebecca was given a signed Loyalty Oath that proved her allegiance. I, on the other hand, was given a Parole. For the remainder of the weekend, our papers prevented us from being arrested again, but didn't stop the occasional search and constant accusations of being in alliance with the French.

Below are some pictures from the camp and the military hospital, which was set-up in the East Advance building at the Governor’s Palace.

Before they marched out of the city on Sunday, they held a drill and firing competition:

We were told by several people that the weekend was a smaller affair this year with fewer regiments participating than in years past. Even if the camp was smaller this year, the entire weekend remains an invaluable first-hand experience for re-enactors and visitors to experience 18th century military and civilian life.