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The 17th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment |
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Company E Inc's: |
Photo taken at the 17th's 2002 Christmas Party in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Initially, re-enacting is expensive. However, once the prospective member has acquired the basic uniform and accouterments required to re-enact a Union Infantryman in the Civil War, the cost to participate in a local Civil War weekend event is minimal.
One of the key objectives of the 17th is to create the image of Union Infantrymen in the field of the 1860's. This requires the infantryman's uniform and equipment to appear recently issued, and not look a 140 years old, or from a museum. New uniforms and accouterments quickly acquire that used, or "veteran" look, after a few events.
With that in mind, we strongly suggest that you obtain and use quality reproduction equipment, and leave collector items at home.
Drawing of a infantryman, from Jack Goggins' book, Arms and Equipment of the Civil War
The basic infantry uniform and associated accouterments with approximate cost are as follows:
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The cost to purchase all the items identified above to become a member of the 17th is approximately $1,400.
Although this is quite an expense to get started into re-enacting, once it has been made, the cost of participating in a local Civil War weekend re-enactment event is minimal. And being a non-profit organization, these costs may be deductible on your Federal Income Tax.
The actual cost is dependent on quality of the item, and where it is purchased. All the items required for membership can be obtained from vendors, or sutlers, who sell Civil War reproduction "goods" via Internet, or mail order catalogs. A number of sutlers set up their "stores" at major Civil War events for re-enactors.
Word of caution when selecting a sutler. Be aware that there are some sutlers who offer merchandise of poor quality, and/or charge too high of a price for the merchandise offered.
To help avoid this problem, the members of the 17th have created a Recommended Sutlers List to assist the prospective member in selecting a sutler.
It may appear somewhat overwhelming for the prospective member to:
Identify the items that will make up their uniform.
Determine the quality of the items required for their infantry impression.
Identify the sutler that will best meet their needs.
But all things are not what they appear. Hopefully, the prospective member will have an enjoyable time in selecting his uniform with the assistance of a member of the 17th helping him through the process of becoming a Union Infantryman re-enactor!
Recommended Sutlers List
(updated February, 2005)
