19th Indiana Company A

"Use of this Iron Brigade Emblem by Permission"

WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO.

The 19th Indiana Volunteer Infantry regiment is a part of the Union Battalion of the Northwest Civil war Council (NCWC). The NCWC and in turn the 19th Indiana, is an Oregon-Washington based living history organization dedicated to preserving and portraying the period of the American Civil War. As a part of the NCWC, the 19th Indiana participates in events which consist of authentic encampments and battle re-enactments.

Our encampments consist of Union and Confederate military and civilian camps with canvas tents and other sundry furniture and equipment commonly found in Civil War period camps. During the course of each event weekend, we present for the visiting spectators several Civil War style battles. We do not attempt to recreate any specific battle, due to our limited numbers. Rather we attempt to demonstrate to the public the general tactics by which the Civil War battles were fought. In these battles we use working reproductions of original weapons and fire blank charges of black powder.

We in the 19th Indiana are serious students of the Civil War period. We are not here simply to play Cowboys and Indians with our guns. Nor are we here to glorify war. Our purpose is two fold: 1). To stimulate the public’s interest in the history of our nation. 2). Honor those remarkable people who had to endure the Real Civil War, the worst national tragedy in our history.

A serious interest in these two ideals is the only requirement for anyone joining the 19th Indiana. We certainly do not require new members to have achieved any particular level of knowledge regarding the Civil War or its period, but we do expect our members to have a serious interest in learning.

Lest you think this all sounds too serious, we should state here that none of us would be re-enactors if the hobby wasn’t a lot of fun. And though we do strive to meet our two ideals, we have a lot of fun doing it.

There is a special camaraderie among re-enactors and the 19th is no exception. Our members come from all walks of life and from all over the Northwest, but we all have the Civil War in common. As a member of the 19th, you can look forward to long evenings around campfires; absorbing discussions of the Civil War period and how best to re-enact it; and occasional parties and social events as well.