Video summary
The video introduces Pierce Kempus, who joins the Third Maine Volunteer Infantry for a special reenactment event at Fort McClary State Park in Kery, Maine. Upon arriving in modern clothing, Pierce quickly realizes he is an outsider among experienced hobbyists dressed in period uniforms, earning him the nickname "fresh fish," a Civil War term for green recruits. His initial challenge involves getting properly outfitted, which includes a humorous struggle with a belt that requires cutting and punching to fit his smaller waist. Throughout this process, he interviews long-time reenactors who share their dedication to the craft, noting that many have been practicing for over two decades. They emphasize that these events allow participants to escape modern life, immersing themselves in history with friends while sharing knowledge with the public about the Civil War.
After settling into camp life, the atmosphere shifts dramatically when the unit receives orders to fall in and begin military drills. Pierce, who admits to having no prior formal training other than watching YouTube videos, is thrown into a rigorous schedule of learning musket handling, marching, and bayonet exercises within just ten minutes. The training covers specific techniques such as "support arms," where the heavy musket is held at a 45-degree angle, and complex bayonet maneuvers that transform the weapon into a ten-pound spear for thrusting and parrying. Despite the physical exhaustion and the intimidating nature of handling black powder weapons without prior experience, Pierce finds the power of marching in unison with his comrades to be an awe-inspiring experience that brings history to life.
The climax of the episode occurs when Pierce is selected to perform a live fire demonstration in front of the public. He nervously learns the intricate steps of loading a muzzle-loading musket, which involves biting open paper cartridges to extract gunpowder—a process he accidentally messes up several times—and carefully placing percussion caps on the nipples. After receiving detailed safety instructions regarding stance and hammer positioning, he participates in a "fire by company" drill where multiple men fire their weapons simultaneously. The loud bangs and the sight of smoke from neighboring barrels create an intense moment that Pierce describes as being completely hooked, highlighting both the danger and the unique thrill of using historical firearms.
Following the firing demonstration, the group enjoys lunch featuring "hard tack," a dry flour-and-water biscuit that serves as a stark reminder of the hardships faced by soldiers during the war. The video concludes with reflections on the value of historical reenactment, particularly in an era where many feel dissatisfied with modern conveniences like dating apps and long commutes. Pierce and the reenactors argue that stepping away from contemporary life to inhabit a different time offers a meaningful community experience and a chance to live a cooler, more immersive existence. Ultimately, the episode confirms that despite the physical discomfort and initial intimidation, the passion for history makes this a worthwhile endeavor that Pierce would definitely repeat.
Read the full video transcript
Hello everybody. My name is Pierce
Kempus and welcome to the first episode
of what is going to be known as Beyond
the Piers. As you can see, we are not in
the Portland Media Center. In fact, we
are at Fort McCclary State Park in Kery,
Maine. We are going to be watching a
very special reenactment done by a very
unique group of hobbyists. So, without a
shadow of a doubt and without further
ado, let's get to it.
It was definitely very intimidating at
first coming into camp and
being in normal clothes and you go in
and there's a bunch of guys and they're
all in period clothes and you're the new
guy, right? So, you know, you're what
they call fresh fish, right? Which is a
a Civil War term for uh just completely
green Union soldiers. Um, but my first
objective of the day was to meet with
the sergeant or the organizer of the
event and the quartermaster.
>> That's right. They're right. Um,
>> our new guys here.
>> All right.
>> I mean, I don't know. Maybe.
>> Holy [ __ ] You are small with a big
head.
>> Yes, sir. I am small with a big head.
>> Cuz it was time for me to get properly
outfitted.
All
>> righty, folks. We are here at Fort
Mclary with the third main. Um, as you
can see, I very much don't look the
part. So, it's time to play a little bit
of dress up.
>> It's funny, right? because the
belt that they provided me did not
remotely fit because my waist was way
too small. So, they actually had to take
a hole punch and punch additional holes
into the belt so it would fit me. And
they had to cut a piece of it off to get
the stopper to uh properly stay where it
needed to stay. I was given the nickname
supermodel by one of the older guys in
the union.
I can't tell if that was
affectionate or if that was a dig.
It was really important for me as
somebody documenting the third main to
get to know some of the reenactors and
get to know their stories and get to
know how long they've been doing it.
>> This
>> So I've been reenacting for a little
over six years now.
>> Doing it about 24 years.
>> 24. Wow.
>> Yeah.
>> I've been here a year. I've been a few
years. I've been with the third main for
five years but reenacting for over 20
embarrassing long time uh 26 years
>> and some of their favorite stories.
>> We did uh the 160th Battle of the
Wilderness and it did nothing but rain
for 3 days. So we were all water logged
soaked. None of us slept well. But some
of the jokes and laughter from just
being miserable as a collective company
was hilarious. and I will never forget
it.
>> Over the years, the national events, uh,
while the campaigner events have been
some of the highlights, getting to
experience different battle sites, uh,
walking similar steps, the men did, um,
brings it to life for you. getting away
from whatever is going on in my real
modern life and spending the entire
weekend with my friends in another time
and place
>> and just more stuff about them.
>> What are you looking forward forward to
today?
>> Um meeting with the public to kind of
share um our knowledge of the Civil War
from what we're portraying. It's all
about seeing what people want to learn
and teaching them new things to keep
this history alive.
>> It's learning new things. Like I've just
have bought some new irons. So now I'm
going to try my period irons for the
first time today.
>> Perfect. Well, thank you so much for
being here and we look forward to see
everything that you accomplish today and
do
>> acting for sure.
Camp life was super peaceful
until it wasn't.
>> The second the order was given to fall
in. It was all business.
>> Shoulder arms.
>> Prime.
>> That's what they were.
I don't have my sword. Sorry.
>> Fix bay.
>> He uh he swed around
kind of bad. Then he took the
>> and he drank. Count two.
>> Two.
Two. One. and I broke my
>> shoulder arm.
>> I was given absolutely no training prior
to working with the third man. The
extent of my training was sitting there
with a fake gun in my living room
watching YouTube videos on musket
drills.
>> That's what keeps it inside the stock.
>> This one on an end field is just
straight.
>> Just straight.
Um, do not put cleaning patches in this.
>> Funny enough, some of the drills that
were in the YouTube video, I actually
ended up doing
arms.
Here we go. Um, with the way your feet
are, you always stay like this. Your
feet don't move. So, one more time,
shoulder arms.
>> So, from shoulder arms, we can do a
myriad of things. The most common would
be uh support arms. So what support arms
is is you put the musket in front of you
like that. Grab with your left and
you're going to twist it so the hammer
is facing away from you.
>> You're going to grab the small of the
stock
with your left hand. Your left hand's
going to come underneath
and the hammer is going to rest on the
crook of your elbow. Traditionally, the
third main has what's called School of
the Soldier. It's a event that the
public is not allowed to. And it's a
place where new recruits or people that
join the community get to learn the
proper drilling and how to use the
musket, how to march, how to do all of
that. I had none of that.
>> Support arms.
hand down.
You
>> keep Yeah,
>> I was thrown in a uniform, given a
musket, and given all of 10 minutes of
instruction on how to properly portray a
Union soldier.
It was awesome.
>> There you go. Uh that's about most of
them what you're going to be using when
we do drill.
>> Mhm.
>> Um we might have to do more for firing
drills and stuff like that.
>> Um oh god
>> for for basic for using the muzzle uh
excuse me using the musket like for when
you're firing.
>> Once I had a general idea of what I was
doing, we started to march up to the
battery field for bayonet drills.
Where's your
>> doing great?
>> I don't want you to sweat to death,
Norris. So,
>> I think I'm already there.
>> He has the propensity to do that.
>> He's just showing us what not to do.
Okay, pay attention.
>> I love you, Norris.
We're not taking our
>> signal. Lieutenant, I'll let you
assemble your signal as you see fit.
>> Again, plenty of exercise.
>> Silver linings everywhere.
>> We're going to leave. There must
>> attention company.
>> Does everyone have a canteen full of
water?
>> Very good. This is your last chance to
go fill if you do not. Infantry on the
right by twos. Count.
>> One, two,
>> one, two.
>> One.
>> Very good. Without doubling.
>> Right face.
>> Right face. Without doubling.
>> Two paces forward. March.
>> I'm just going to fit my two other guys
in here. Front.
>> Front.
>> Right dress.
I was going to be on his shoulder.
>> All right. So, uh, my two fresh fish,
you're going to come over here.
>> It was very intimidating.
>> Right here.
>> Uh,
first one.
>> All right. Now, I think we're ready.
Captain,
>> can you take your place in line?
>> Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.
>> We'll go up to the drill field. The
coffee
without doubling right face
up top
forward march.
Now, I was told that there's a power to
marching in unison with a bunch of men
in the same uniform as you, carrying the
same musketss as you, to the same beat
as you. But I didn't really know what
that power felt like until I experienced
it myself. And believe me, it is
awesome.
So if you order the farm kind of keeping
your left
>> hello everybody
>> I am the senior non-commissioned officer
of company Afantry
>> we have some other gentlemen here from
Rhode Island
rights are two.
>> The public was watching at this point
and we started to do bayonet drills.
>> Attention company.
>> A five is going to be
>> bayonet.
>> Five.
>> And suddenly the musket's no longer a
musket. Now the musket is a 10 lb spear.
And that was freaking awesome.
>> Hassad,
right foot, left foot. Very good.
Hassad, right foot, left foot. Retreat.
Advance.
Thrust.
Guard. In prime. Parry. Thrust.
Guard. You're just going to briefly
throw the musket out and then
immediately pull it back. Lunge
>> real quick so you're not losing control.
Yep. There you go. It's just a very
quick attack. You're going to Don't wait
for me to tell you to go back to guard.
Just immediately go back to it. Right
vault.
Retreat.
Thrust.
Guard.
Left. Vault.
Raise the stocks.
Strike.
Guard.
Raise the stocks.
>> Strike.
>> Guard. You move your feet on the
>> I'm pretty sure at one point I lunged
out with my musket and proceeded to hit
myself in the lip with the buttstock.
Yep.
>> Back. Just a little hop to get out of
the enemy's reach. Thrust
>> guard
in quartz. Parry
thrust
guard shoulder arms order arms place
red.
So now I've taught them how to attack
them how to defend
a couple of other things.
>> After bayonet drills and after we were
all properly tired,
uh it was lunchtime. whatever you
>> This is a lot harder than I expected it
to be. Uh, this wool is very warm. Uh,
that musket is very heavy. And quite
frankly,
>> I'm having the time of my life.
>> In lunchtime, we got to hang around the
camp. We got to eat some much needed
grub. I got to rest my arms. And I got
to experience an absolutely brilliant
Civil War delicacy. What's that?
>> All right, Pierce, what are you about to
do right now?
>> All right, so um this is the Civil War
delicacy known as hard attack. It is
quite literally flour and water. It is
uh one of the most tasty things that
ever came out of the Civil War. And I'm
going to eat my first piece for the
first time.
>> I was
for a year before.
>> It's hard. time there.
>> What was that last four years that I was
I got forever before?
>> Yeah, it's actually not a delicacy.
>> Would you give it a rating?
>> Oh, a rating?
>> Rating for the heart attack?
>> Yeah. How would you rate your heart
attack?
>> Can you Can you rate a negative 10?
>> This is This is going to be a negative
10.
>> RIP for the Colonials.
>> Not good.
>> This is the inside of Fort McClary. As
you can see, Fort McLary has been a
pinnacle of defense for Kery and Maine
since the Massachusetts Bay Colony,
which is where Maine's story began. As
you can see, it was in the revolution as
well as well as the War of 1812. And of
course, you can't forget
Fort Mclair was also planned for
utilization in the Civil War as well.
Cool thing about Fort Clary is that it
also has artillery.
If you look over here,
we have
a very, very large cannon.
As you can see, it's on rails, which
suggested that it still is occasionally
used. Personally, I would not want to be
on the receiving end of that. No thanks.
a hot day. You're out
forever
again.
He will never return or never
ride forever. He's the sweetest of
Boston. He's a man who never returned.
He's the man who never returned.
>> Getting worse.
>> Oh, that's going great, guys.
>> Oh, yeah.
So following lunch, we formed up again.
And
they told me, "Pice,
we're going to teach you how to fire a
musket.
You're going to be firing a musket in
front of the public." And I was like,
"I'm sorry."
>> You'll then be given the order to charge
cartridge. Charge cartridge. You'll pour
the powder out of the cartridge and then
you'll stick the paper in.
>> I've just learned how to hold this
thing. Now you want me to Now Now Now
you want me to You want me to shoot it?
>> Battle reenactment. You're not going to
use your hammer here. We're out here
public. You will.
>> The next order will be to draw a rammer.
It's going to be a two stroke motion.
You're going to bring it to a 45.
>> Mine's stuck. It
>> literally is.
>> Oh yeah, that's the Actually, hold on.
me. I can fight with the sergeants.
>> I was a little nervous learning how to
shoot a musket. I've shot many a rifle
in my day, but I've never shot a
historical musket.
>> Northern limit to ram cartridge. You'll
take the rammer, ram down
be basically two taps, push it all the
way down in
it would be the order will be to return
rammer. Then we'll come back up through
two-stroke motion back down into the
right.
>> I've never done anything black powder.
I've never done any muzzle loader
hunting.
>> Next order will be to prime. You're
going to bring the piece up and you're
going to want at a 45 in the front right
is important. It's going to be above
your cat pouch. Make sure the butt is
above your cap pouch. You're going to
reach over the musket, grab a percussion
cap,
>> and then you make sure the piece is at
halfcock.
and put the percussion cap on the
nipple.
>> So, shooting a musket
for the first time in front of the
public
was a little intimidating of a concept
for sure.
>> For your footwork, you will then be
ordered to if you're the shoulder
without a fire, you'd be told to come to
the right. Come right, your feet
immediately come to a T and the musket
is held at 45 just like you were
priming. Mhm.
at the order to aim that is going to
link your thumb bring the piece to full
[ __ ] and aim.
Then of course order to fire will be to
fire.
>> We were given excellent instructions on
how to load and fire a musket.
>> If you recover, you're going to go
basically back to come to ready.
We actually all want to do that. Go.
Section.
Come to the ready. Section. Aim.
Bring the hammer back. Good.
>> Don't actually pull the trigger and
fire, but
fire. Bang.
Recover arms. So, in this case, the
hammer should be down. They take great
detail and great care to make sure that
the new recruits know what they're doing
safely. shoulder arms. Pretend you've
gone through the loading process.
Then
section, come to the ready.
Section aim.
Make sure your pieces are at full [ __ ]
Fire.
Now we we'll practice this. Recover.
Gently run that hammer back down to
halfcock.
Oops.
>> Yep. Bullock.
>> Yeah. And it's going to be harder with
the cap. Generally speaking, unless
something's unsafe going on, you're not
going to be recovered. But you need to
understand the fact the mechanism of
recover is just going from full [ __ ] to
that gentle jump turn back
because I mean shooting a musket is one
of the most dangerous things at these
reenactments. Obviously there's cannons,
obviously there's horseback, but there
were no cannons at this event. There
were no horses. So, the musketss took
the cake for being the most dangerous
thing at the event.
>> The key thing is that if you're in the
line, you're in the rear rank. This is
the distance between you and the man in
front of you is just your arm. I square
your back. Make sure I'm where I need to
be.
So, we're at the ready
section
ahead
right now.
So where I want to have my bands recover
is between your hedge be between my
second and third band. That's where your
ear is going to be the safest if I
actually fire. So we'll do that again.
Cross your back
section A.
So again straight ahead recover
shoulder arms quarter arms.
ahead. Easy, Ben.
>> So, one of the one of the key parts of
shooting a musket in Civil War style is
you take the ammo and you have to bite
the you have to bite it open to get the
gunpowder out. And I'm pretty sure
without fail I managed to get gunpowder
in my mouth three times.
Right. March.
After I was deemed safe to use a musket,
they marched us all up to the field and
my heart was pounding at that point. I
did not know what to expect.
>> Order arms
in place. Rest.
>> Good afternoon, everyone. My name is
Dalton with the third main volunteer
infantry company A. We're currently
getting ready to do a firing
demonstration on how the men would load
and fire during the war.
>> I was just trying to stay in character
to the best of my abilities, but I was
so nervous.
Ram it down.
Make sure it gets all the power to be
pressed.
Returning
the rammer
and you know the the the higherups are
talking and they're like, "All right, up
next they're going to do a live fire
drill." And I'm like, "Oh my gosh, this
is real. This is actually happening.
You're going to bring it up above this
cap. Release the cap. Going to
culminate.
Put it onto the nipple of the muscle.
The last step is shoulder arm.
>> Shoulder arm.
>> So I'm sitting there like struggling to
hold up his 10 pound musket. My arms are
shaking. And then I hear ready.
>> Firing by company. Company ready.
Nobody is getting.
>> And at that point, I'm so nervous. My
gun is at halfcock as I was taught.
And then aim.
>> Aim.
>> And sure enough, to my left and to my
right, there were two musket barrels
from the guys behind me. And I'm sitting
there with my musket with my uh with my
hammer all the way back. And then
boom.
And let me tell you, I was freaking
hooked.
>> What they have just done is fired by
company. Each regiment had about 10
companies.
>> I can't.
>> During a battle, they could go and order
a single company to fire or they could
have an entire regiment fire. All in
all, it was a super special event.
>> Being with a group of people as
impassioned about reenactment as the
third main are in a historical place to
the state of Maine was really special.
>> Ready.
Commence firing.
And I'm very thankful I got the chance
to do it.
I
think that the value of historical
reenactment is it gives people a
community uh to live in a different
time.
I think it goes without saying that a
lot of people are really dissatisfied
with the way that life is nowadays. Be
it dating apps, jobs,
um, commutes, buses.
So, it gives people a chance to wear
different clothes than they normally do
and to use different furniture and use
different stuff than they normally do.
>> Cease fire
>> and live a different life.
I don't really think there's anything
wrong with stepping away from your life
for a little bit to live a different
one. Especially a life as cool as the
life of a historical reenactor.
Will I do it again?
Duh.