Granted, it might not seem like much however instead of strafing you senseless with pages upon pages of tedious text on Civil War Reenacting, we strongly recommend that you simply attend one our monthly meetings held the last Sunday of every month at the Grange in Sayville, LI. All visitors are welcome and you can watch us drill, inspect our gear, and, most important, ask any questions that might come to mind.

Or you can contact us via e-mail at our address: liny67th@yahoo.com

In the meantime, here are some basics that may satisfy your curiosity...

Yes, the 67th New York is based on an actual regiment that fought in the Civil War. The original unit was raised mostly in Brooklyn and Long Island with a few companies originating from upstate New York. Our historical ‘archive’ on the original 67th provides us with a solid historical basis for emulating the men and how they lived as soldiers. And from this material, members are eventually required to take on the nom-de-guerre, or the persona, of one of the original soldiers. A surprising amount of detail can be learned by requesting pension records and other documentation from the National Archives in Washington so that members can flesh out an ‘impression’ that can be used at events.

The Re-enacting season traditionally kicks off with parades on St. Patrick’s Day and ends Remembrance Day (November 19th) in Gettysburg with a grand procession through the main street followed by ceremonies inside the cemetery & battlefield. Pictures are worth a thousand words. Our photo album better demonstrates just what we do during the year. As you will see, there are several different types of events we perform:

Educational Programs: Elementary schools invite us, typically in the spring, to give lessons to grades learning the Civil War. We do this by setting up a small camp with at least three soldiers and interacting with the children.

Living History Events: These are simply educational programs held for the general public. An establishment, such as Old Bethpage Village Restoration or the Smithtown Historical Society will invite us to set up a full camp where we can fully engage with the general public. We perform ‘living history’ on our own but more often than not we join other reenacting units on Long Island. The season’s largest is held right on Gettysburg Battlefield along with the other regiments of the Mifflin Guard, a rare privilege indeed as the National Park Service as a rule does not allow re-enactors to perform on their lands.

Parades: For holidays such as Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and especially Saint Patrick’s Day, local villages on Long Island ask us to march in their celebrations.

Special Events: Occasionally, we’re asked to perform at ceremonies, such as honoring veterans’ graves at cemeteries, assisting in the dedication of a monument, or partaking in some historical commemoration.

Re-enactments: Ah yes, this is what gives us our name. Re-enactments can range in size from mere hundreds to tens of thousands of participants yet regardless of scope they all seek to meticulously recreate an actual battle as it happened. These are scripted affairs so as to ensure the viewing public sees the battle as it occurred. More often than not, thanks to the chaos that is this hobby, re-enactments don’t unfold quite as expected nevertheless the aim is to stay true to the real battle. In addition to the annual re-enactments at Cedar Creek in Virginia, and Neshaminy Park in Pennsylvania, we typically attend one other ‘mega-event’ on the road, usually on big anniversary dates such as the 140th of Gettysburg or Antietam.

Lest you believe we are simply grown men running round with guns playing war...we actually are paid for many of the events listed above. We are a non-profit educational organziation incorporated under the New York State Board of Regents. In addition to serving the community as 'Living Historians', a substantial portion of what we earn is donated to the The Civil War Preservation Trust so that Civil War battlefields and other relevants sites may be saved from neglect or 21st Century development.

This hobby if anything requires commitment, if only to defray the costs of participating. While it is true that the initial capital outlay for a soldier can be daunting, the quality of most equipment is of such a high degree that one can count on the investment to last several seasons. To ease the financial burden, we allow new members to borrow our own surplus gear until they have the means to buy their own. We have included an excerpt from the re-enactors’ trade magazine, the The Camp Chase Gazette , that will give you an idea of the costs involved. Just click on the icon...

Fun loving as we are, two matters we never joke about are health & safety.

We strive for authenticity but only if it does not conflict with either of these two central tenets of our hobby. We all have day jobs and families and do not fancy losing life and limb senselessly. We are equally vigorous in excluding anyone who may threaten either or both through their behavior or carelessness. Hence, the following disclaimer...

HOWEVER...

...then we are definitely interested !!!

See you at the Grange