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really do some homework: read soldiers' letters, solider journals—
things that pertain directly to the action that you're attempting to
portray. It's not going to do you a whole lot of good researching a
soldier who served in the Army of Northern Virginia if you're doing
an event that pertains to the Army of Tennessee. You have to pare
it down to a little finer point.
FP: What have you learned about your great-great grandfather?
RM: He was poor—I know that much, because he applied for a
pension after the war. On the pension, he basically stated that he
had no money. He was a farmer by trade and lived in Bethlehem.
Robert W. Miller served in Co. G, 42nd Ga.
Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War.
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Interestingly enough, due to this event, I discovered an indi
vidual who had a photograph.of my ancestor that we did not know
existed. I was contacted by this individual prior to this event,
a Mr. Robert Elliott of Gwinnett County. He said he had recently
acquired this photograph, plus pension records. I will have to
say the man was gracious enough to actually give it to me. I am
deeply indebted to him for that. Robert W. Miller, and most of the
soldiers that comprised this regiment, were essentially farmers. My
ancestor—we know at some point they had one slave. It appears,
though, that they sold him off to pay some debts. Likewise, most
of the soldiers were in pretty similar conditions. When he joined,
it was in March of 1862. The Confederate government was about to
institute conscription—in other words, the draft. So you do get a
sense that he may have been enlisting to avoid the stain of con
scription. He was a private. He wasn't General Lee or anything.
FP: How many battles have you participated in, as a re-enactor?
RM: I can't count the number. Hundreds. The problem is, most
of them aren't history. It's just a bunch of guys going out there
and having fun. A few coolers. Beer in coolers. These guys who are
here today are out here for the purpose of attempting to do this
as accurately as possible. We have some 20th century foibles that
have intermixed into this. For instance, we have this giant tent
and such over here (with corporate logos.) But we're doing this to
raise funds for this site, because this site is used for educational
purposes. We conduct 19th century tours of this site.
FP: Oo you ever go to the extreme of dieting, to get that lean,
hungry look the way some Civil War re-enactors do?
RM: I'm not going tp go to that extent, because I have to
fulfill my job come Monday morning. But I have for certain events
grown a beard or purchased a specific item of clothing that could
correspond to what.we know those solders would have had. You do
what you w."* with what you have.
FP: Be, ti.?se events, do you avoid modem conveniences?
RM: I vrill say that as soon as I'm at the event, all that non
sense stops. But I don't go to the extent of ensconcing myself
in my ivory tower so I can get a better feel here. You do your re
search prior to that particular event
I
FP: Were there any battles near this site?
RM: Just up the road in Winder, a skirmish took place by the
name of Jug Tavern—the Battle of Jug Tavern. It was essen
tially a cavalry engagement, in the summer of 1864, but nothing
compared to say the Battle of Atlanta or the Battle of Kennesaw
Mountain. At most, just a few thousand men were involved. It was
a running type of battle, not a standup fight. A few shots were
fired and everybody skedaddled.
Joan Stroer jstroerQbelisouth.net
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