104th Illinois Companies

From our youngest members to the oldest, all have one thing in common a desire to learn as much as possible about the common Western Federal soldier and his daily life during the war. Our camp impression is that of an army on the move using mostly shelter tents. Some members prefer to bivouac. We dont use camp furniture other than what may have bee... n found in camps, such as cracker or ammunition boxes. Many members have taken a name from the original roster of the 104th and have been researching and developing first person impressions based on information available about that particular person. The 104th Illinois is always looking for quality recruits, whether new to the hobby or a veteran reenactor. What do we do? The 104th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Co. H, is a Civil War reenacting unit based mostly in Northern and Central Illinois. We strive to educate the public and ourselves through an accurate portrayal of a mid to late war Union infantry soldier in the western theater. Our unit consists of separate military and civilian camps. The military members live the life of an Illinois infantry soldier by: drilling, camping, standing guard and fighting for the Union during the course of a weekend reenactment. When are we in the field? We have events scheduled year round. January is our annual meeting, drill and party. We drill once a month during the winter months to keep our veterans sharp and maintain our level of experience. It is also a good time to train, teach, and prepare the new recruits for the upcoming campaign season. Our battle reenactment season begins in earnest the last week of April, in Keokuk, Iowa. We have one to two events every month through the end of October. In December we start our monthly drills and begin planning for the next year. We also gather to take part in parades, memorial ceremonies, and other events throughout the year. Members are encouraged to attend as many events as possible. Woodstock, IL Civil War monument rededicationRead More