Event :  FORT GEORGE

Date :  July 31 - August 1, 2010 (Friday, Saturday)

Location :  Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada

Website :  http://fortgeorge2010.org/

Event Coordinator (M.A.L.) :  Jenny

Directions :  CLICK HERE

Specific Information : You have the option of a late war militia impression or blue faced reds Regimentals. So this being said, if you have a Blue faced red Regimental then by all means wear it. If you have an open front hunting frock, by all means wear it. If you don't have either wear what ever Militia kit that you have.

Orders from the Commander : We have been changed from the 1st battalion to the Militia Battalion. As of now, I do not have a Command role. But I have volunteered Michael and Owen as Corporals. I hope that is of your liking.

We will be very busy. So you will need at least 60 rounds each day. Justin has rolled cartridges for the unit kitty but please bring the 180 rounds for the weekend. We will be doing a great deal of skirmishing and independent firing.

Our Kit is to be Militia. Bring your best Kit. fielding in just small clothes will not be acceptable. please at minimum wear a hunting frock. there is an extra hunting frock in the barrow box. If you need it please email me so I can pack it. Canteens are required to field in any capacity. they will be inspected, and must be full at the time of inspection. So make sure you have it packed.

Ladies and gentlemen of the Regiment, You will be asked to help with some of the scenarios and with some crowd control. If you do not feel comfortable doing this Please let me know. I would like a volunteer to serve as our civilian representative . They will be in charge of our civilian activities. as I will be focused on the Military activities. If you would like to serve in this capacity please respond back.
 

Arrival & Setup :  This is a very desirable event, and I encourage folks to make this a good vacation. By special arrangements with Fort George, you can spend most of a week here, as the Fort will be open to re-enactors from Wednesday night (July 28th) through Tuesday morning (August 3rd). A week won't be enough as there are a myriad of things to do and see between Niagara-On-the-Lake and Toronto (an hour and a half away). Of course, Passport or Enhanced Drivers License is required to get back into the United States.

The 1st & 2nd Brigades will be camped outside the fort's walls, between the fort and the Niagara River, where there is always a breeze to cool off the warm afternoons. The 3rd Brigade will be inside the fort, in the Southeast Bastion, which is the bastion closest to our main camp. The fort is huge, and except for the SE bastion and the walls that get assaulted, it will be considered neutral ground. In fact, Sunday's closing parade will be a joint parade of both the BB and the CL on the fort's parade ground. There are NO firepit restrictions. The fort's grounds outside the walls are also huge (over a square mile), so we will never run out of space. You will never even see it all. There are many buildings inside the fort, and Navy Hall by the river, so we have plenty of indoor space available, especially if it rains and we need to move programs inside. There is an indoor colonial kitchen if anyone wants to host cooking demonstrations. The Fort itself includes barracks space in period block houses, a Georgian Officer's Mess building available to reenactors, as well as camping space inside and outside the fort; probably the finest fully recreated Georgian military buildings in North America.

Niagara-On-the-Lake is itself one of Ontario's finest tourist destinations, with hundreds of shops, the Shaw festival, B+Bs, hotels, etc. within easy walking distance, but you will want to check out surrounding areas as well.

You can get more information on Fort George at: http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/on/fortgeorge/index.aspx

More on Niagara-On-the-Lake at: http://www.niagaraonthelake.com/

Toronto Tourism is at: http://www.seetorontonow.com/

Niagara falls tourism is at: http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/

Ontario Province Tourism is at: http://www.ontariotravel.net/

At this event, there will be multiple programs running simultaneously, so just resign yourself that you cannot do everything, we will have to pick and choose.

There will be six battles, and in addition the siege will run from dawn until dusk each day. More on that to follow, but first, here's what we have for the ladies. The Grand Promenade 4PM Saturday afternoon will be the ladies chance to show off their finery and dress work. Everyone who has put extra effort into their kits should show it off! The Fort considers this event for the public (a fashion show on a grand scale) to be as important as any of the military aspects. Ladies dress is to be middle-class or better, and gussied up as best you can. The ladies will need escorts from amongst the gentlemen, so we should dress up as well as we can also. By the way, the ladies have indoor changing rooms and a shower. There will be a dance in the evening, but ONLY the ladies participating in the Promenade will be given Dance cards Saturday afternoon. The dance cards will be for three specific dance sets and times during the evening. They will be responsible for finding partners to fill their cards. Ladies who do not promenade may not dance. Men who are not asked to fill a dance card may not dance.

So after the promenade, we move into the Saturday evening events, which include the dance. Visit the website for the Rules for this Dance, and for links to other websites that have information on dances, the steps, and the music. There will also be an authentic 18th Century Tavern (of unbelievable vice and squalor) in the Officer's Mess building, with period correct punches and many activities, to help us while away the evening. If you want to revel with less authenticity, there will be a keg in another part of the Fort.

The battle scenario details are on the website, but as stated, there will be six battles. In addition, the siege will run all day long, all days. Bring lots of powder for manning the redoubts. Saturday evening, Old Fort Niagara, on the other side of the river, will open up a bombardment of Fort George.

Scenario #1 Friday afternoon, Coup de Main. Everyone who is there for a Friday afternoon action will be engaged.

Scenario #2 Saturday morning, Opening the lines, starring the Artillery. Both armies engaged-the Brits from the walls and the Continentals from the siege lines.

Scenario #3 Saturday afternoon, The Convoy. Both armies FULLY engaged. This will be a STRENUOUS battle over a lot of ground. Anyone not up for it can continue siege firing from the walls.

Scenario #4 Saturday evening, Escalade. Selected troops only. Everyone else fully engaged in partying at the 18th C. tavern and dancing inside the fort.

Scenario #5 Sunday morning, Ambush/Boat Raid.

Scenario #6 Sunday afternoon, The Last Ditch. Both armies FULLY engaged.

Meals are easy. The Friends of Fort George are going to put on a cooked breakfast and lunch for both Saturday & Sunday, for $10/day. This is a good deal, two years ago on 40% of the re-enactors signed up for it. After seeing what was served in 2009, last year, 100% of us signed up for it, and no one was disappointed. The Fort will send us the menu shortly. So you only have to cook Saturday dinner (or head for one of the great restaurants in town, all within walking distance.)

Also check the website for details on the fencing instruction for beginners and experienced fencers and the 3-5 different fencing competitions, as well as horsemanship, archery, and other contests.

Border crossings into Canada will be easy, as they have all been notified with official paperwork, most of them are very used to re-enactors crossing, and several of them have re-enactors that work at them. We will have a letter for you to present to ease your crossing. There is no practical limit on black powder, as long as it is made up into cartridges (no bulk). And, here is a tip from U.S. Customs. This is NOT about registering your firearms, this is about registering ANYTHING not made in the U.S., as otherwise you might be charged duty to bring it back into the U.S.

Tip: Register Items Before You Leave The United States - (08/21/2009) If your laptop computer was made in Japan, for instance, you might have to pay duty on it each time you bring it back into the United States, unless you could prove that you owned it before you left on your trip. Documents that fully describe the item, such as sales receipts, insurance policies, or jeweler's appraisals, are acceptable forms of proof. To make things easier, you can register certain items with CBP before you depart, including watches, cameras, laptop computers, firearms, and CD players, as long as they have serial numbers or other unique, permanent markings. Take the items to the nearest CBP office and request a Certificate of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad (CBP Form 4457). It shows that you had the items with you before leaving the United States and all items listed on it will be allowed duty-free entry. CBP officers must see the item you are registering in order to certify the certificate of registration. You can also register items with CBP at the international airport from which you're departing. Keep the certificate for future trips.