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Reenactment Unit . |
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| * | In
1986, Boy Scout Troop 438, in cooperation with the Dundalk Patapsco
Neck
Historical Society and the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce hosted a
Defenders
Day celebration at Battle Acre (site of the Battle of North Point) in
Baltimore
County. A group of Canadian reenactors (IMUC), who had hosted the troop
the previous year at Fort York in Toronto, attended the celebration.
Although
a total of less than 200 people were involved, the event was an
enormous
success, especially the media exposure. As a result, the Chamber of
Commerce
proposed making it an annual affair and the following year, the
Defenders
Day Celebration at North Point began.
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| * | It
was immediately
apparent that the existing Boy Scout's wooden muskets and
dacron/polyester
uniforms simply weren't good enough, so in 1987, Explorer Post 438 was
created, representing the 1st Baltimore Rifle Company (aka Aisquith's
Sharp
Shooters). Restricted to older youths, ages 14-20 (adults 21 and older)
the Post researched and created authentic equipment and clothing and
began
practicing with real, period-correct weapons. Because the Exploring
program
is co-ed, the Post also researched and began to develop period correct
interpretations for women.
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Through the
years, our unit grew with the Defenders Day Celebration and attended
many
other 1812-period reenactments including New Orleans, Fort George,
Stoney
Creek, Fort Erie, and Bladensburg; just to name a few. Due to lack of
public
attendance and unit participation, the Defenders Day celebration
was cancelled after 1998, but was resurrected in 2006, and will
continue
to grow as the bicentenial of the battles of 1814 grow near. This unit
will continue to play an important part since in addition to the
Maryland
Militia
Company of Riflemen, we also represent the American Militia Officers,
British
and American Sailors, British Soldiers, and ladies and children in the
colonial/regency era dress.
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