Fry, then Freeze, then not bad!

This weekend was the British Brigade Battle of Saratoga event that a bunch of Hessians attended. The drive up was long, but tolerable. Trouble was, the weather was really, really warm for October. The highs were skirting just below 90 and it was pretty humid to boot. We set up tents, this was the first time I've camped at an event in many, many years.

Friday night had a light chill to it, but Saturday itself was quite hot. We had too many things going on in the morning (battalion drills to learn a special charge, plus assorted other drilling). The main battle started around 1:30, when it was at the hottest point, but at least there was a decent breeze.

We walked very, very far to set up our position. We were reenacting the battle of Freemen's Farm, where the British were saved only by the timely arrival of the Hessian (actually Brunswicker) soldiers. To do this we marched over some slippery dry grass filled with holes and assorted trenches.

It didn't work very well. We ended up over extended, the moves didn't work right. It probably looked OK from a distance, but overall it was rather unsatisfying. In addition, one of the soles of my shoe started to come off.

That evening, it rained. We got a bit of a lightning storm about a mile or two away but no lightning in camp, thankfully). The rain was short lived and brought on a cool front. I had a bit too much to drink and ended up throwing up much of my lunch and dinner. I should not mix so many different beers, especially poor local microbrew beers with bad aftertaste.

That night I was very cold. With only a blanket and much of my uniform it was quite chilly for me and sleep was fitful. I awoke shivering. The wind had knocked down a few tens in the night. It didn't help that I was still reeling and feeling hungover/sick.

Once the sun came out, it warmed up to a very pleasant day. Perfect for reenacting in wool. I managed to get my shoes fixed in the morning ( a quick fix...no big repair). I was feeling much better by the time the battle was about to start. The battle took place at 1:30 again and was more satisfying. We were chased into a fort/redoubt, and were then taken by assault. It was much better than the previous day's battle. We packed up the tents and headed home, hitting multiple traffic jams along the way.

One Hessian elected to pack on Sunday to leave before the battle, but stuck around to take pictures. You can see them here. Enjoy!