Standards
of the Columbia Rifles
B. Enlisted men shall salute officers.
C. NCOs shall be shown the proper respect for their rank.
D. All Members are expected to comply with orders for guard mount and fatigue details.
E. When a member does not spend the night in the military camp, they shall endeavor to arrive in the military camp prior to reveille, to be present for morning roll call and to participate in the unit's activities. Morning roll call is to commence at the last note of reveille, per period manuals. Absence from roll calls may result in members being placed on the Orderly Sergeant's "black list" and assigned additional duty.
F. Roll Call: All Members shall fall in for roll call unless otherwise excused by the Orderly Sergeant. Members shall fall in for roll call with blouses fully buttoned (not just the top button) with headgear and with hands free (i.e. no hardtack, coffee cups, etc.). When on campaign, Members shall fall in for roll calls under arms, meaning with musket and leather accoutrements on, unless weapons are stacked. When falling in under arms, Members shall fall in at the position of Shoulder Arms. When falling in without weapons, Members shall fall in at Parade Rest and shall remain quiet. When the Orderly Sergeant calls a Member's name, the Member shall answer with a firm "Here" (not "Here, First Sergeant").
F. As a general rule, only members who are present for a day's drill will be allowed to participate in the battles, marches, and scenarios.
G. The Columbia Rifles' typical impression is that of troops on campaign or on picket-post detail. Members are, however, expected to modify their impression to conform to the scenario.
B. If it becomes necessary to leave camp, Members should obtain permission from the Orderly Sergeant or the ranking NCO present. Passes to leave camp may be required at Company events.
B. To the greatest extent possible, conversation in camp should be that of the typical Civil War soldier. First-person impression should be used. When first-person is not used, members shall restrict 21st-century speech to respectful tones and topics that will not adversely affect the living history experience of others.
B. Furniture, such as camp stools, is forbidden because soldiers on campaign could not carry such bulky impediments, and wagon transportation would not have been wasted to move it. In camp, members are encouraged to use gum blankets/ponchos or logs upon which to sit. Members are also discouraged from using hay bales for camp furniture, because the modern small hay and straw bales did not exist during the Civil War. Period bales were made in a hay press and usually weighed between 300 and 1,000 pounds. Hay bales or straw bales even in period-correct sizes would not have been available to the average soldier on campaign.
A. Drinking: Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages in camp is forbidden.
All drinks of any sort shall be transferred to period vessels, and no
modern beverage container shall be used or visible in the camp. If members
choose to risk censure of their officers and temperate comrades, alcohol
shall be consumed from the container proper to the beverage: beer and ale
from their proper earthenware bottles, whiskey from jugs or dark glass
period bottles, etc. Members are discouraged from beer/ale, as this was
rarely available to enlisted men and was practically never available to
them while on campaign. Whiskey and applejack were more common.B. Smoking: Cigarettes shall not be smoked in the military camp. If members smoke, they are strongly encouraged to smoke a pipe in lieu of cigarettes, Simple clay pipes or handmade wooden pipes were the most prevalent among enlisted men. Meerschaum was an expensive material not suited to outdoor use. The availability of factory-made cigars during the war fluctuated depending on a number of circumstances: without some prior documentation relative to the specific scenario, members are best advised to avoid them. Matches shall be used; modern lighters are not allowed. Use of period-correct tobacco is encouraged.
C. Women in the Ranks: Women were not allowed to serve as soldiers in the armies of the Civil War era and, as such, female soldiers in the Rifles are prohibited.
D. Ladies and Civilians in Camp: Picket lines and reserve posts were the army's forward positions. As such, they were places of great danger even in periods of relative calm. It is extremely unlikely that civilians, particularly women, would be casual visitors to these areas. Accordingly, civilians are strongly discouraged from visiting the campaigner camp. This is not meant to preclude interaction with authentic civilian reenactors. Indeed, pickets and skirmishers often were the first to encounter civilians in the field. The Rifles intend to provide a framework in which unique and historically accurate scenarios can take place. While in garrison, ladies in period clothing are not permitted in the military camp without a pass, permission of the Officer of the Day or commanding officer, and a proper escort. Women are not allowed within the company street (with enlisted men) at any time unless a specific vignette has been established and/or approved by the unit commander. Prostitute impressions will be treated as such and escorted from the boundaries of the military camp. Civilian members shall never enter the battlefield at any event at any time when military forces are present.
E. Hair: Period hairstyles are required. Soldiers wore their hair short for reasons of hygiene. Long hair or hair with an obviously modern cut or color is forbidden.
F. Jewelry: It is preferred that jewelry on soldiers be minimized. Wedding rings (simple, non-ornamental rings are preferred) are allowed, as are period-correct jewelry that a soldier may have worn on campaign (for example, a religious medal worn by a Catholic, etc.).
G. Watches: Although watches were fairly common in the 1860s, obviously not all soldiers had one. Furthermore, the bugle and his superior officers regulated a soldier's day, thus minimizing the necessity for watches. Period-correct watches should have a key wind and a roman-numeral face. Wristwatches are forbidden.
H. Medication: Members who are on modern medication should bring them to events so that the Member's health is not impaired. Modern medication should be carried in a period container and should not be openly visible.
A. Drill (Manual of Arms, School of the Soldier, School of the Company, School of the Battalion) will be in accordance with Silas Casey's Infantry Tactics (1862).
B. Camp procedures (i.e. guard mount, parade, discipline, etc.) shall be in accordance with the Revised United States Army Regulations of 1861, with Revisions to June 25, 1863 (as appropriate).
Members are highly encouraged to obtain and become intimately familiar with the following publications:
C. Customs of Service for Non-commissioned Officers and Soldiers (1864), by August Kautz.
D. Parade, Inspection, and Evolutions of the Battalion, by Dominic Dal Bello.
E. Instructions for Guards and Pickets, by Dominic Dal Bello.
F. The Hardcracker Handbook, compiled by Calvin Kinzer.