Q: What is Civil War Reenacting all about?

A: A better term might be Living History, Civil War reenactors portray soldiers, politicians, and civilians from the era that surrounds the American Civil War during 1860-1864. Reenacting is a hobby, not unlike golf or fishing. It is open to men and women who are interested in recreating the lifestyle of a specific time period.

Q: Was there a real 140th?

A: Absolutely. The 140th Pennsylvania Volunteers were formed in 1862 in Beaver, Greene, Mercer and Washington counties. Men of all walks of life (farmers, teachers, preachers, and college students) volunteered to answer President Abraham Lincoln’s call for 300,000 men. A brief history can be found here.

Q: Were they in any battles?

A: Yes, Chancellorsville, Spottsylvania, The Wilderness Campaign, and Gettysburg to name a few. In all the 140th was engaged in 17 battles.

Q: What is that "red cloverleaf thingy"?

A: It is called a "trefoil" (pronounced tree-foil) and it is a corps (pronounced "core") badge. As the northern army continued to grow in size it became necessary to break it into what are known as Corps. Each Corps had 3 to 4 Divisions, with each Division having 3 to 4 Brigades. Each Brigade was made up of 3 to 4 Regiments and every Regiment had 10 Companies of 100 or so men. For speedy recognition of where soldiers belonged; each Corp was given a symbol such as a diamond, maltese cross, a trefoil (clover), circle, half moon, and so on. Then each Division was given a designated color, Red 1st Division, White 2nd, Blue 3rd. So the Red Clover (Trefoil) indicates the 2nd Corps, 1st Division, 3rd Brigade.

Q: How historically accurate is reenacting?

A: Authenticity varies from group to group. The reenactors in the "140th, Co. A" strive to be as accurate as possible and still have fun and be safe. We do what we can to wear the proper uniforms, carry the proper firearms and use the correct tents and equipment. While in camp, we do all we can to keep "non-period" items (like cola cans) out of sight. There are other units that are more strict than we are, and some units that are more lenient.

Q: What kind of events does the 140th. take part in?

A: We do everything from large scale events like the large scale reenactments at Gettysburg, to smaller events in the local area, to school visits & symposiums.

Q: How can I become involved?

A: Males 18 years of age can petition to join the 140th. Males 16 or 17 years old can also petition to join the 140th, however they do have to have a signed consent form from their parents or guardian. Those interested in joining the 140th will have to attend either 2 meetings and 1 event or 1 meeting and 2 events. They will then be brought before the membership for consideration. Membership dues are $28 a year or $7 a quarter.

Q: What will be expected of me?

A: We expect the members of the 140th to attend our monthly meetings. (The 140th, Co. A meets at 7 p.m. for drill and 8 p.m. for business on the second Wednesday of every month at the Greene County Historical Museum.) Members are expected to attend a minimum of 2 events a year. You will also be expected to be in uniform for any event you attend and not dishonor the men that we so proudly portray. When at an event you are a member of the infantry during the American Civil War. You will be expected to follow the proper rules of protocol from that era.

Q: What if I’m under 16 years old?

A: Males 12 to 16 years of age who are musicians can audition to play bugle, drum or fife for our unit. They will have to have an adult attend all events with them and have a signed permission slip from their parents or guardian.

Q: What if I’m a woman?

A: Since there is no record of a female being a member of the original 140th, we do not allow women to join our ranks as a soldier. We do have a ladies organization that works very closely with us that we would be happy to put you in contact with.

Q: Is Reenacting expensive?

A: That depends on you, and how much you want to put in to it. If you outfit yourself from head to toe in the proper uniform, accoutrements, firearm, etc., you can spend a few thousand dollars, however, we do not expect someone to rush out and spend that kind of cash right away. You can buy things a little at a time, and some of the items you can have made for you, or find pre-owned to save some money.

Q: Where do you get all that "stuff"?

A: There are a number of stores (or as we call them "sutlers") that cater to reenactors. While we do not recommend one sutler over another, there are some that have treated us better than others over the years. We will be happy to give you a list of sutlers upon request.

Q: What if I don’t want to portray a soldier?

A: As we pointed out earlier, there are a variety of roles for reenactors. Some people are not comfortable with firearms; others do not like talking in public. You can portray anything from a soldier to a politician to a blacksmith. However, be warned, if you intend to portray a specific person (i.e. Abraham Lincoln) you should a) look like him and b) know EVERYTHING you can about him. Also, most events have their own people to portray well-known generals and politicians.

Q: Do I have to live in Greene County?

A: No. We have members from Washington and Allegheny counties as well as associate members from as far away as the state of California.

Q: What if I don’t like it after I’m involved?

A: Reenacting is a hobby. Like any hobby, some people lose interest or want to take a break from it from time to time. That is one reason why we only require members to attend 2 events a year. However, if you want to take a “hiatus”, we can place you on “inactive” status until you are ready to return. Or, if you wish to stop reenacting all together, you can ask to be removed from membership. There is always a good market for anything you may have purchased.

Q: What if I have more questions?

A: You can go to our Contacts page and contact our organization for more information.