Why is this period so completely ignored?

[Jake MacReedy]

You all have touched upon a subject that's near and dear to my heart!  For years, I've been wanting to start a reenactment group covering this period...even came up with a name: The American Plainsmen Society! To me, this is one of the most interesting periods in our history, especially when it comes to the West.  We could have "sub-matches" at shoots where we could use percussion revolvers and single shot pistols, flint or percussion, and use rifles like the 1841 or 1842.

Anyway, it's been a dream of mine, and maybe we can all make it become a reality.

Regards,
Jake, aka Ron Clark

[wildman1]

Ya might try checking with the NMLRA, that seems ta be pretty much what they do, including reenacting. WM

[Caleb Hobbs]

Jake:

That sounds intriguing. I'd be interested in hearing more about your ideas. By the way, I also like the name -- The American Plainsmen Society.

Caleb

[Forty Rod]

Jake:

That sounds intriguing. I'd be interested in hearing more about your ideas. By the way, I also like the name -- The American Plainsmen Society.

Caleb

That leaves out the Rocky Mountains and the entire Great Basin.  There's a lot more history there than many people realize.

[JimBob]

That leaves out the Rocky Mountains and the entire Great Basin.  There's a lot more history there than many people realize.

Indeed there is, too much really to be covered by one umbrella as far as forming a re-enactment organization that did more than cover one aspect of what was happening.Probably the single largest event of the period was the development and migration west on the Oregon Trail.

[Oregon Bill]

Jake: I'm liking your idea a lot. And I don't know why it would leave out the Great Basin or the Rockies. If you were headed West, you had to pass through both regions, with plenty of opportunities to peel off and settle where you thought you might make a go of it. Territory would run from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City, Oregon, with trails, side trails and cutoffs in between, including the ones to the gold fields. You could go by wagon, by horse, by pack animal, on foot, by handcart, by raft down the Columbia (at grave risk to life) whatever. You could go stag, with pals or with family.

[Jake MacReedy]

Wildman1, I am a member of the NMLRA, and, in fact, will be set up there in Booth A66 at the Fall Shoot in September as a vendor!

Forty Rod, the name I picked is a catch-all, meant to cover everything West of Independence, Missouri!  I include the Rockies and the Great Basin, and even California itself in my vision!  Don't let the name fool ya, pard! A lot of those old Mountain Men became "plainsmen" of sorts after the fur trade played out, and they became scouts and such for the Army and wagon trains heading west, as you well know,as an historian yourself.

Oregon, I'm glad you like the idea!  I need to "flesh it out" and see what we can make of it.

As for it not being able to cover the era properly because of its diversity, the NMLRA folks and the AMM folks do a pretty good job of covering everything from the French & Indian War (and before) through 1840!  And that covers a LOT of ground and equipment changes & developments!

Who knows? We might have something here!  I'm sitting in Iraq right now, but will be home in June.  Hopefully, more pards will climb on board with this as well!

Regards,
Jake

[wildman1]

I'm not as involved as I would like ta be, but I know that they have rendezvous and a living history section.  WM

[Caleb Hobbs]

Jake:

Watch yer topknot over there, and come home safe.

Caleb

[Jake MacReedy]

Will do, Caleb!  I'm here as a contractor on ops.  Still going at 58! (Retired Special Operations guy)

Thanks!
Jake

[Oregon Bill]

Jake: I'm 58, too, but have led a much less interesting life, although I could tell stories about my first wife that would curl your hair ... 
Be safe!
Bill

[Jake MacReedy]

Ha!  That's great, Bill!  We'll stay in touch about the American Plainsmen Society...who knows, it might just become a reality!

Jake

[Delmonico]

Ha!  That's great, Bill!  We'll stay in touch about the American Plainsmen Society...who knows, it might just become a reality!

Jake

Let me know on it and I'll pass the word, should be some interest out here where the trails went through.

[Jake MacReedy]

Will do, Delmonico!

[Oregon Bill]

I posted this on another board as well:

I think a group of BP shooters could have a mighty good time working with a pair of percussion revolvers, a percussion plains rifle and a percussion shotgun.
To simulate an attack on the Plains, you could open a stage with long range fire (say, prone from beneath a wagon) at a target at 100 yards. Indians would often wait for the initial fusilade of rifle fire then close while the defenders reloaded.
After the rifle fire, you could get up on your hind legs and open up with shotties and buckshot at say, 40 yards, then finish the stage with closer-range revolver fire.
You could also arrange a team event with one emigrant reloading the rifles.
It wouldn't take much to dream up some Gold Rush camp scenarios either. Geez, you could even require a miner to chop a rattlesnake in two with a shovel!
Just having some fun with this ....

[Jake MacReedy]

Bill,

I like your ideas!  I hope we can make this go somewhere...sounds like it would be a good time.

Jake

[Oregon Bill]

Just trying to think outside the SASS box a bit ...

[Drayton Calhoun]

Sounds good to me!

[Silver Creek Slim]

The late '40s and early '50s was when my ancestors immigrated to the wilds of Wisconsin.

Slim

[Oregon Bill]

Slim: Mine too. They left Kinderhook, N.Y., and ended up in Sauk County.