Who are the Union Army Veterans ...
In forests and on plowed fields of the North American continent, our ancestors endured a terrible civil war. Since each side was convinced of the righteousness of it's cause, it took a massive expenditure of blood and treasure before the Confederacy and it's "peculiar institution" of slavery was totally defeated. It is now over 137 years since the guns fell silent, but the spirit of those brave men and women live on....in the bodies of present day civil war reenactors. And, for the Union side, the Union Army Veterans (the "UAV") preserves our American heritage through the recreation of civil war history. As "living historians", UAV members portray the Federal infantry soldiers of the United States Army and often portray soldiers who were guarding the frontier in Texas, prior to the war.
That great American hero, Sam Houston, the first President of the Republic of Texas and the governor of the State of Texas in 1860, stated that it would be a mistake for Texas to join the Confederacy, especially after fighting so hard to join the Union only fifteen years earlier. Almost 2,000 Texans agreed with Sam Houston, leaving the state and joining the Union Army at the outbreak of hostilities. The UAV is made up of proud Texans who choose to portray those brave men from the villages and farms of the frontier who fought to free the slaves and to preserve the Union.
The UAV is one of the largest Federal reenacting units in the South and is composed of highly educated professionals who study Civil War history, not just by research, but by experiencing it. Unit members have extensive living history experience, especially in the number and scope of major national level reenactment events, including the largest ever reenactment of a Civil War battle, Gettysburg, held in July, 1998 when 23,000 reenactors participated in recreating the cataclysmic three day battle that was pivotal in the history of our nation. Some members have worked as extras on feature films, one of the most memorable, the movie "Gettysburg" based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Killer Angels. Also, members were prominent in the Red Badge of Courage based episode of the highly acclaimed PBS series, "Wishbone". In 2001, our members were "hired" to present civil war living history for Grapevine's annual "Main Street Days" and 2001 & 2002 for Six Flags Over Texas. With this experience, our attention to safety issues, and our authentic mid-ninteenth century military formations and encampments, the UAV is in great demand at local and regional battle reenactments, living history events, festivals, memorial services, and parades.
There is never a charge for a public school class presentation, but due to the volume of requests from schools in the spring, they are booked far in advance.
Some basic scenarios available
for presentations:
"Heavy Marching Order": the uniform, weapons, & equipage of
the soldier.
"Ladies & the Homefront": presented by a female civilian reenactor.
"Hardtack & Coffee": the soldier's diet in the Civil War (with
samples!).
"Drill, Drill, & More Drill": where the audience is taught to
march.
"Sutler Pies": the storekeepers who supplied the soldier's incidentals.
"Why We Fight": relating the many feelings of the Union soldier.
"Songs of the Union Army": (patriotic & religious) presented
by a musician.
"The Minie Ball": loading and firing the civil war rifle-musket.
"A Letter From Home": a dramatic reading of a civil war soldier's
mail,
"A Union Soldier From Texas" telling the story, in "first person"
what he *and his family experienced during the war.
With enough prior notice, UAV members can
also portray soldiers from
either the Federal or Confederate Infantry, Artillery, or Cavalry.
If you would like to learn more about how to join our ranks, please view our How to Join page. There you will find our unit's Authencity Guide, and Open Letter from our Founder and a Membership Application.