For the Cause
SARVER — For Civil War re-enactors, it is all about authenticity.
Sue Przybylek, 73, of Sarver is part of the Sons and Daughters of the Cause, a group of about 10 people who have online meetings and travel to Civil War reenactments.
Przybylek affectionately calls her group the “Motel Militia.”
“We don't camp out,” she said. Unlike some re-enactors, the Sons and Daughters of the Cause stay in hotels instead of tents.
When she was in her 30s with three young children, she was part of the Hampton Historical Society. At the Depreciation Lands Museum in Allison Park, she gave demonstrations and talks to people about life when that area was first being settled.
“It wasn't until my children were grown up that I decided to be a little more elegant,” Przybylek said. That is when she decided to participate in Civil War reenactments.
She travels throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia visiting battlefields and participating in reenactments.
According to Bill May, founder of the Butler County Civil War Roundtable, the popularity of reenactments is declining.
“There were 20,000 re-enactors at Gettysburg over the summer,” he said.
But May thinks the numbers of re-enactors will drop after the 150th anniversary of the final Civil War battle in 2015.
Rose Haberchak and her husband, Edward, of Apollo also are members of the Sons and Daughters of the Cause. Rose said she and her husband attend about six reenactments a year. “It is very enjoyable,” she said.
If the reenactment is more than three hours away, the group stays overnight, said Przybylek.
Those who think reenactments are just about the battles are wrong. A lot goes into the reenactments to make them as authentic as possible.
This includes the clothing that is worn. Przybylek and her group are very serious about getting the clothing close to what would have been worn during the Civil War era.
“I make all my own bonnets and all my own clothes,” Przybylek said. “We look at photos to see how they are dressed.”
At the time, carte-de- visite photography was very popular, in which inexpensive portraits were fixed to thicker card stock.
“The images became very popular because it was the first photographed war,” May said.
Having a well-documented historical period has made it easier to make the reenactments authentic.
“I've just started making my own clothes,” Haberchak said. She said the influence of other women in the group making their own clothing has caused her to start making her own, too.
Przybylek makes all of her own clothing and uses books such as “Dating Fabrics — A Color Guide” to choose the dyes and colors that would best suit the cloth. She is able to find the cloth in the natural dyes she needs from stores such as Claypoole's Fabric in Worthington.The women use four natural fibers to make their clothing, according to Przybylek. Those fibers are silk, cotton, wool and linen. The clothes are made with natural dyes as were the clothes from the Civil War era to keep the authenticity of the clothing.“It is very comfortable,” Przybylek said.At that time, women wore hoop skirts, so there was more room to move, which was much different from the period before.“Before was the Jane Austen period, and it was very tight clothing,” Przybylek said.During the Civil War era a lot of the patterns used were diamonds and paisley and some with Greek influences. The garments also were embellished with beading and lace.According to Przybylek, people at that time only washed their clothes once or twice a year. They did not need to wash their clothes because their under garments did not allow their clothes to touch their skin.Just like their clothes, people at the time only washed their hair once or twice a year; women would wear a piece of fabric between their hair and bonnet to keep the bonnet clean. Women also would part their hair in the middle to make their faces look full and healthy.Przybylek has done extensive research on the period to be able to make her reenacting as accurate as possible. “The Internet offers a wonderful source, and I own an extensive collection of books,” she said.Her research has helped her bring to life Mrs. Julia Grant, Elizabeth Van Lew and Mrs. Emily Warren Roebling. She impersonates these women during the reenactments and sometimes she will speak to nonprofit groups.When the Haberchaks attend reenactments, they choose characters that complement each other. When Edward goes as a mortician, Rose will dress as a mourning woman. They also sometimes go as Senator and Mrs. Buckalew. He was the Pennsylvania senator at the time of the Civil War.Outside of the reenactments, Rose Haberchak gives talks and teas as her characters, and she also gives lessons on manners and morals that were appropriate in the Civil War era.“We love to interact with people,” Przybylek said.
