Student Feature: Wesley Cline
Student Feature: Wesley Cline
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Wesley Cline, a Littleton High School senior, has been involved in history reenactments ever since he was five years old. He attended the reenactment at Lexington and Concord and realized that this was an incredible opportunity to live through a different time in history that cannot be replicated inside a classroom. In middle school, Wes wanted to be part of a Revolutionary War organization, but a friend convinced him to join the nation’s largest Civil War Cavalry Unit, which he eventually pursued in his freshman year.
Historical reenactments are recreations of historical events, including more than just battles. The majority of recreations involve “encampments” where participants live with limited resources in realistic conditions to those that soldiers would have endured. These events are largely organized by private and public companies and organizations that identify as battlefield preservation groups. They sponsor annual reenactments at or near their respective battlefields. The most prominent American Civil War reenactment today is the Gettysburg Battlefield, put on by the Gettysburg Anniversary Committee.
Wes has had the chance to attend many Civil and Revolutionary War events over the years. These reenactments have included massive battles in Virginia and Pennsylvania, one of which had 9,000+ involved. Some include a small event at Sturbridge Village, landing at Long Wharf in Boston and marching to the statehouse through the streets to commemorate the 250th landing of British troops in Boston. Some have also been at a smaller scale such as encampments or “Living History Events” without combat, to smaller skirmishes in and around Massachusetts. He mainly reenacted in the American Civil War as a Confederate dismounted cavalry man in the 35th Virginia, Company A, and as a dismounted cavalryman in the 1st Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry. He has also reenacted as a British private in the 10th Regiment of Foot for the American Revolution.
Reenactments are extremely important today because it is an engaging way to both illustrate what conflicts and life used to look like, as well as an excellent opportunity to ask professionals questions, as they generally know a massive amount about historical impressions. Reenactments are an engaging and realistic way to teach about history . It engages and impacts viewers in a way that virtual reality and classrooms simply cannot.
Learning history firsthand, Wes has benefitted in class by knowing an extensive array of contextual details. However, knowing the specifics of American conflict is not widely expected in history classes, so it has given him an advantage in a unique way.
To further continue his reenacting career, Wes will be attending Gettysburg College next year and will be a member of their reenacting unit, the 26th Pennsylvania College Guard. In addition to this he started to participate in French World War I reenacting in April.
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