August 1st, Sgt Minus and Cpl Leon Brooks visited the Pine Hill Scout Reservation to do living history for Cub Scouts. 1st Sgt Minus did a Civil War presentation and Cpl Brooks did Revolutionary War.
Two exhibits were set up, one for Rev War and one for Civil War, which included poster boards and artifacts. There were other stations as well as ours. The event staff scheduled the order in which the dens visited them. Each presentation was to go for 25 minutes.
Unfailingly, I received the usual questions from the kids, who wanted to know if I fought in the war and if I shot anyone. A twenty-five minute presentation is a long time for this age, so my presentation was mostly show and tell, explaining the uniform and the uses of different artifacts in the exhibit. This time I had a volunteer in each den serve as a model who put on the the parts of a 1st Rhode Island uniform as I explained them, the finally being them holding a musket, and exclaiming: "He is now dressed to kill!" This held their attention and gave me a chance to tell them about the 1st RI and blacks in the Rev War. I demonstrated how a flintlock musket works, and I let everyone have a chance to hold the musket. I played a recording of fife and drum music and explained how in those days boys their age served as fifers or drummers in the army. Then I had them form up in ranks and briefly drill. At the end of the presentation they were sworn into the 1st Rhode Island of Foot of the Continental Army.
Cpl Leon Brooks
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