How close to authentic

[Bristow Kid]

How close to authentic were the uniforms and weapons in Gods and Generals and Gettysburg??

[St. George]

The ones closest to the lens are pretty correct - the ones further back, well - you can tell they're using some Levi's...

The only thing they don't show is the dirt and poor condition of uniforms worn on campaign, and there are some awfully damned 'old' men and well-fed ones at that, who are seen at a time when the Summer's campaigning would've leaned them out more than a bit.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Bristow Kid]

thanks for the info I was just wanting to know about uniform styles basically I aint exactly soldier sized either LOL

[Frenchie]

The styling is pretty accurate (not authentic - that means "existed in the period"). My main complaint is the Federals are too uniform-looking, the Rebs aren't uniform-looking enough (within regiments), there are way too many TBGs (tubby bearded guys), there are too many older men, and everybody is too clean.

[St. George]

Though well produced, and providing an excellent way to understand the battle, it works best as a 'visual leadership study' for the book.

Shaara's - 'The Killer Angels' has long been used by the Army's Command & General Staff College instructors as a part of the 'Recommended Reading List'.

When it came out - as an Officer Professional Development/Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development class, I had my Cavalry Squadron leadership first read the book, and then we went to see the then-new movie.

It was followed by dinner, and eventually, their written Leadership Study on a character of their choosing (except for Chamberlain).

It was 'very' well-received by all, and I know those men went on to use it in 'their' outfits.

As an aside - when Chamberlain decided to 'Refuse the Line', and extended his troops, he called - 'BAYONETS!!'

That command came out of the blue, but when he did that - everyone came out of their seats and cheered...

Good boys, those...

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Pony Soldier]

St. George,
                Yours is an NCOPD I wish I could have attended.  My compliments, sir.

[Captain Lee Bishop]

I think Dr Atwater at the Ordnance Museum said it best about the Gettysburg movie, "It's a good looking movie and I do like it, but it was mostly made by re-enactors, FOA re-enactors." The book is pretty good but it does have a few historical flaws (for example, Chamberlin was not the person who lead the charge down off Little Round Top). The uniforms are pretty good and there is a good argument for the over-fed re-enactors in the film, but in all fairness almost all those folks did this movie without being paid. As a longtime CW artillery re-enactor, I loved the use of field guns in the film. They did a great job of getting across the concussion from them, better than almost any other films I've ever seen.

Shaara's - 'The Killer Angels' has long been used by the Army's Command & General Staff College instructors as a part of the 'Recommended Reading List'. When it came out - as an Officer Professional Development/Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development class, I had my Cavalry Squadron leadership first read the book, and then we went to see the then-new movie. It was followed by dinner, and eventually, their written Leadership Study on a character of their choosing (except for Chamberlain).

I wound up doing THREE 'staff rides' to the battlefield itself. One was as a ROTC cadet doing the CTLT thing (like a OJT thing with an active duty unit right after advanced camp), as a )-1 at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, then again with the Brigade staff out of Ft Lewis. I also used to go out to the battlefield often when I was in Maryland, so I became very familiar with the battle and the ground. I even once went back to the field after the re-enactment in 1998, at Devil's Den in my Ordnance LT uniform:

[St. George]

I do believe that when Chamberlain led the movie's bayonet charge - it was called 'artistic license' - but it was so powerful and so popular that that particular scene from 'Gettysburg' was painted by Mort Kuntsler and is sold at the Gettysburg Museum Gift Shop.

I took ODP/NCODP pretty seriously - and after initially bridling a bit - they found out that learning some 'usable' history was a good thing in and of itself.

In America, we did Staff Rides and Tactical Exercises Without Troops, while overseas, we did Battlefield Walks and other similar activities - and this was in addition to their Professional Reading and Professional Writing assignments.

The best part of it was the 'trickle-down effect' - when young troopers were reading and discussing what their young Sergeants had just finished.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Dusty Tagalon]

I decided one of the uniforms I wear the most will be depicting the 37th Iowa, (the Graybeards). Then I am just fat, age is OK.

Dusty

[St. George]

Ah, 'The Greybeards' - the 37th Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry...

By special authority of the War Department,  the 37th Iowa Volunteer Infantry was made up of men beyond military age.

Their average age was 57.

More than 100 were in their 60's, while a number were in their 70's, and at least one man on the roster was past 80.

Iowa alone had such a Regiment - men beyond military age, who had sons and grandsons in the Army and asked the Government to take them into the ranks.

The Regiment was mustered at Camp Strong, Muscatine, Iowa, on October 10, 1862.

It was mustered out at Davenport, Iowa, on May 24, 1865, having operated in the Western Theater.

The Tally: 1,041 served, 3 KIA, 4 WIA, 2 died of wounds, 145 died of disease, 364 discharged for disease, wounds, etc.

They gave the Union Army 1300 sons and grandsons.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Pitspitr]

"FOA" ?

[Captain Lee Bishop]

I do believe that when Chamberlain led the movie's bayonet charge - it was called 'artistic license' - but it was so powerful and so popular that that particular scene from 'Gettysburg' was painted by Mort Kuntsler and is sold at the Gettysburg Museum Gift Shop.

Yeah, he practically painted the movie scene itself. I don't want to get too far into this, but although Chamberlin DID order the charge and was involved in it, it was actually led from the front by one of his junior LTs.

"FOA" ?

Sorry, I meant "FOR"...

[Zouave Officer]

All I have to say on this topic is that for the next Movie "Last Full Measure," if they intend to use the same cast, ALL should be put on a combination of the Jenny Craig diet and Slim Fast.

Pardon my silence on this topic, but this is one movie that I'll apply the line "If you can't say anything good, don't say anything at all." 

[Pitspitr]

Sorry, I meant "FOR"...

Yep, St. George patiently drew me a picture. I thought you were using a modern military abbreviation like SNAFU or SOP, that I wasn't aware of. 

[Captain Lee Bishop]

I doubt that will get filmed anyway. Besides, who really wants to see a film about the end of the war? Most southern audiences don't want to see that.  Also Gods and Generals did pretty poorly, it certainly didn't do as good as Gettysburg did. My understanding is that both didn't do too well domestically but Gettysburg did very well in Europe and other countries it was shown in. Turner put a lot of his own money into G&G, and I don't think he recovered much from that investment as he sold the rights to "Last Full Measure" soon afterward. I'm still hoping that someday, they'll release the full 6 hour cut of G&G, where they cut out over 2 hours of plot, including the entire battle of Antietam!