Who do you portray?

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

Yep, I knew that WWE. Jest yankin yer chain a little.  WM

over on the NCOWS board there are a couple of them 1960's colt armies in use now.

[wildman1]

KOOL.  WM

[captmack]

I portray an early Texas Ranger for the time period.

Capt. Mack

[captmack]

For the Texas Revolution reenactments I portray a volunteer in Col. Jim Bowie's command.

Cpl. Prather McLain

[captmack]

For the War of Southern Independence I am a Corporal in Terry's Texas Rangers.

Cpl McLain

[Cap'n Redneck]

I model my impression on an injun-fightin' ranger of the early 60s.....too bad I'm so fond of my "Chinchester" 1887 shotgun....
I really ought to use my Lefaucheux-style hammered double more often...

[Jake MacReedy]

Took these from the "Creating the Plainsmen Persona" thread, where I originally logged them.  I like having several personas with which to work...gives me more "flexibility!"

"It's 1848.  I'm 58 years old, which makes me a VERY old man at that time!  But I've lived my life outdoors, in the "wilds" and have learned to take care of myself quite well.  I've spanned the era of flintlock rifles and muskets, on down to new-fangled Colt's revolvers and such.  I was born in what would become Southern Indiana in 1790...was just a welp when the Ohio Country wars erupted in the 1790's.  In the War of 1812, I served with the militia in the Ohio Country, fighting against the Shawnee and their British allies.  After that, I headed west, finally winding up in Texas.  Served with Bowie's forces in the taking of Bexar in December, 1835, but missed out on that little fracas at the Alamo in March of the next year...I was off with Major Williamson's Ranging Company, chasing after some Comanches up the Colorado River from Bastrop.  Stayed with the Rangers after Independence, and fought in a number of engagements with the Kiowa and Comanche, ranging all the way into the LLano Estacado.  Thought about retiring to a little ranch east of Austin, but was called back to "help out" the Rangers during the Mexican-American War.  Now, the war is over, and Texas is now part of the United States. I'm still of scouting, with my trusty Colt's Dragoon and Bowie knife, and my good ol' Kentucky rifle that I had the barrel "freshened" out to .50 caliber.  Also had that ol' Kentuck converted over from a firelock to them fancy new-fangled percussion caps...now I don't have to worry about the winds blowin' away my primin' charge!  And that Colt's Revolver...Heaven's sake, man!...that thing'll blow a Comanch right off his horse at 60 paces easy!

Jake"

(Please remember!  I am writing this from the perspective of someone who lived on the Texas frontier in the 1840's...his perspective was vastly different from what yours may be today!)


"It's the year 1863.  Things are a mite touchy out here on the Southern Plains, what with the War Between the States goin' on.  I've been makin' my living out here long before them blue-bellies and Rebs showed up, raisin' such a ruckus!  Makes it a mite hard for folks to ply their trade and make their livin' with all this shootin' and raidin' goin' on! Came out here in the 1830's, when I was yet in my 20's...was a free trapper, an escort for the freighters on the Santa Fe Trail (knew ol' Kit Carson 'fore he became a Colonel in the blue bellies Army!...even helped him out in 1841 when he and them other fellers saved that wagon train...them Colt's Paterson revolvers sure came in handy that day!)

Now I scout for the blue bellies and slip in and out of Texas for 'em from time to time.  Got me a good Colt's Army revolver that I won in a poker game off a young Texas Ranger back in early 1861, right after the war started...it's one of 'em that has a "fluted" cylinder...heard Ben McCullough got 'em from ol' Sam Colt hisself just 'fore the war started (some say that ol' Sam actually smuggled them guns into Texas after the hoorah had already got underway!).  It's a great shooter, with almost the same power of my old Dragoon...but it's a lot lighter!  An' I still got my ol' Model 1842 Short Rifle Musket, that's been my companion for quite a spell now.  It'll throw a big chunk o' lead quite a distance, if you hold 'er right!.  And I always have my trusty ol' Bowie knife that I picked up back in about 1845...it's sharp as a razor and just as handy in a close-up scrape!  Not bad "companions" to have out here on the Plains, where a man never knows who's gonna show up in his camp at night!

Jake"

And I'm working on an additional one as well!

Regards,
Jake, aka Ron Clark

[BlackHillsScout]

Thanks Jake and the other folks, You all are giving me some great ideas to build on.

[Tsalagidave]

It is always interesting to hear how we all use the proverbial creative space to come up with an interesting persona for various events. I think that the best way to pull off the impression is to create a period version of yourself under said period circumstances. Sometimes, I am in the mood to portray a wealthy college boy that is well traveled and other times, I like being a regular rancher/settler type. If you do blue-collar work, like mechanic or freight hauler, the same titles transfer over. Likewise, if you work in an office, there were plenty of clerks, scriveners, business owners, etc. you can portray. It seems to be more interesting when someone adapts the period vernacular but acts simply like themselves handling the job of rancher, soldier, etc.

Good stuff guys.  I look forward to catching up with some of the folks here at the next event.

-Dave