Alden’s 6th-7th Massachusetts Reg’t, 1776-1783

09/30/2026

250 years later, Valcour Island’s story is coming back to life.

On October 11, 1776, American forces faced a powerful British fleet on Lake Champlain. They lost the battle, but their stand helped delay the British advance and gave the Revolution precious time.

Join us on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at Plattsburgh City Beach for the 250th anniversary commemoration and reenactment. Come for the history, the lakeside setting, and the chance to see a story that shaped the Revolution brought to life. Bring the family, bring a friend, and come say hello to Alden’s!

09/29/2026

09/28/2026

🇺🇸 MEET US MONDAY — MEET ANTHONY! 🇺🇸

This week, we’re getting to know Anthony Carpenter, a longtime reenactor whose journey into the hobby started after seeing his brother, Brian, at an N-SSA shoot. Decades later, the two are still at it—although Anthony freely admits that when it comes to different eras, he tends to follow wherever Brian leads.

From the Civil War to the French & Indian War, the American Revolution, the Jacobite Rebellion, and even the War of 1812, Anthony has collected a lifetime of experiences, friendships, and some apparently very questionable stories involving his brother and a potato.

Let’s meet Anthony!

• Your brother Brian got into reenacting first, and you followed a few years later. What finally convinced you to join him, and what do you remember about your first events?

When I saw Brian at an N-SSA shoot, I wanted to be a part of it. I was still in high school, so I started saving money to get equipped. College got in the way, but I finally got everything together. By then, Brian was fully reenacting, so I followed him into the 137th New York and never looked back.

• Before Brian dragged you into all of this, were you already interested in history, or did reenacting create that interest for you?

Believe it or not, it was books my parents bought me. The American Heritage Junior Library series covered all different historical topics. I read every single one of them multiple times, and I was hooked. I still have close to a full set.

• Do you remember your first impression and kit? Looking back now, how historically accurate—or wonderfully inaccurate—was it? 😂

With Brian’s gentle “guidance,” I was steered toward accurate gear. That guidance continues to this day, and I’m actually very grateful for it. It has saved me from farbiness more than once.

• You’ve been reenacting for decades and have explored more than one period of history. What different eras and impressions have you done over the years?

Well, I follow where Brian leads… Civil War, French & Indian War, Revolutionary War, and even a few Jacobite Rebellion events and one War of 1812 Grand Tactical.

• Of all the periods you’ve reenacted, is there one that has always felt most like “home” to you? Why?

I have a special affection for the Civil War, having several ancestors who participated. I also made some great friends there.

I don’t miss all that traveling to Virginia and Tennessee, though!

• You and Brian have been doing this together for an awfully long time. What has it been like having your brother alongside you for so much of your reenacting life?

It has brought us much closer. Living in different cities, we may not have been able to spend as much time together as we do now through reenacting.

• Brian described your years together as involving plenty of fun, laughs, and occasionally griping about event organizers and farbs. 😂 From your perspective, what are the Carpenter brothers like at a reenactment together?

I think we’re known for our wit—sometimes inappropriate, but never mean or malicious. We both enjoy camp life and the camaraderie.

• Since we’ve already heard Brian’s side, this is your opportunity: What’s a reenacting story involving your brother that he probably hoped you wouldn’t tell us?

All you need to do is ask him about the 125th Antietam, the Berdan Sharpshooters, and a potato.

I still laugh out loud at that.

• Of all the large anniversary events, battles, historic sites, and trips you’ve experienced over the years, which one still stands out most clearly in your memory?

To this day, a few events stand out: the 125th anniversary series of Civil War events, the 250th French & Indian War event at Fort Niagara, and, more recently, the excellent 250th Boston Tea Party event that Brian and I had the privilege of participating in.

• What’s one of those moments when everything came together—the setting, the people, the sounds, the atmosphere—and for a little while it genuinely felt like you had stepped into another time?

At the 125th Gettysburg, our unit was lying down just behind the Angle as 40 Union artillery pieces fired over our heads at the advancing Confederate infantry lines.

Just awesome!

• These days, what’s your favorite part of an event: getting onto the battlefield, talking with the public, camp life, seeing longtime friends, evenings around the fire, or something else?

Having been a teacher in the past, talking with youngsters is great. And, of course, I love the evenings in camp around the fires with your reenacting family.

• You’ve watched generations of reenactors come into the hobby. What do you enjoy about seeing younger and newer members getting excited about living history?

I’m happy to see that the hobby will continue on when the Old Guard has moved on.

• What advice would you give someone who wants to start reenacting today—especially before they start spending money on clothing and equipment?

Research, research, and then get in with a good group of folks—like Alden’s!

• What’s something about reenacting that people looking in from the outside probably don’t understand until they’ve actually spent an entire weekend in camp?

“Why do we do this?”

The wool clothes during the summer, sleeping in tents with no floors, and all the other inconveniences—those are part of what makes the experience grand and glorious to those of us who love it.

• After all these years, what keeps you packing everything up and coming back for another event?

Brian. To spend time with him, my nephews, and all of our Alden’s friends.

• If you could describe reenacting in one sentence, what would it be?

Reenacting takes hold of you, gets inside of you, and gives you memories for a lifetime.

09/23/2026

Today, on Native American Day, we take a moment to recognize the Native people whose stories are an essential part of the history we portray.

The American Revolution was not simply a war between Patriots and the British. Native nations had their own governments, communities, alliances, interests, and difficult decisions to make as war spread across their homelands.

Here in New York, that story is especially important.

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy — the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora Nations — initially sought to remain neutral. As the war continued, however, the Confederacy became divided. Many Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga, and Onondaga people fought alongside the British, while the Oneida and Tuscarora provided significant support to the American cause. Individuals within those nations could make different choices as well.

For the Oneida in particular, that support included serving as warriors, scouts, guides, messengers, and intelligence gatherers. Oneida warriors fought alongside American forces at places such as Oriskany and later served with Washington’s army at Valley Forge.

But their story shouldn’t end with which uniform they fought beside.

For Native communities, the Revolution was also a struggle taking place on and around their own lands. Villages were destroyed, families were displaced, and the conflict created divisions within the Haudenosaunee Confederacy that had consequences long after the fighting ended.

When we talk about the American Revolution, these stories belong in the conversation too.

Living history gives us an opportunity not only to remember the names and battles we already know, but to keep learning about all of the people who experienced them.

Today, we remember and honor the Native people who lived this history — as warriors, diplomats, scouts, families, leaders, allies, and communities whose stories remain an important part of the American Revolution.

09/22/2026

Every reenactor has that ONE thing they refuse to attend an event without.

Maybe it’s an important piece of your kit. Maybe it’s coffee, a favorite camp chair, dry socks, snacks, sunscreen, or the emergency sewing kit that has saved everyone at least once.

So, reenactors: what is the one thing you absolutely must have at every event?

Serious answers, funny answers, and oddly specific answers are all encouraged. Let’s see what everyone considers essential!

09/21/2026

🇺🇸 MEET US MONDAY — MEET ALAN! 🇺🇸

Alan may be one of the quieter people around camp, but don’t let that fool you—he’s paying attention! Whether he’s talking muskets, enjoying a cigar, finding a new “necessary” gadget, or simply sitting around the fire with friends, Alan has been part of the reenacting community for years.

Let’s get to know him!

• How did you first get involved in reenacting, and what do you remember about those first few events you attended with Sue?

My best friend, Rick, and his wife were always on the go back when they lived in New York, so we went to see what they were doing. The memory that sticks out the most was the first time I double-loaded the barrel.

• We’ve heard that part of the reason you and Sue started was because your friends kept disappearing to reenactments every weekend. At what point did you realize, “Well, I guess we’re reenactors now too”?

It was after we did an event at the church we all attended. Once you have a “basic” loaner kit, it kind of sticks.

• Were you already interested in history before reenacting, or did being around the hobby make that interest grow?

I’ve always been interested in history but never took the time to research it as much as I wanted to. Being involved in reenacting has helped me learn more about it.

• The Civil War is an era you’re especially interested in. What is it about Civil War history that fascinates you most?

The fact that the war was fought over slavery and that slavery was abolished at the end of the war.

• Even though the Civil War may be a favorite, you’re part of Alden’s for the Revolutionary War. Has reenacting the 18th century given you a new appreciation for this period of American history?

Yes. It’s shown me how important this war was to our independence.

• With the 250th anniversary underway, are there particular events, battles, or historic sites you’re especially excited to experience?

I would say the Battle of Saratoga coming in 2027. Having something so close to home that was such an important turning point is exciting.

• You may be one of the quieter people in camp at first, but we’ve noticed you’re usually paying attention to everything going on around you. What subjects can someone bring up that will immediately get you talking?

Chatting about our muskets and cleaning them as a group, or interesting ways to do things better or more efficiently. I’ll also always chat about a good cigar and the camaraderie after a battle—when I’m able to be on the field.

• When a visitor comes into camp and starts asking questions, what is your favorite topic to talk with them about?

Local history and why we are at that particular site.

• Do you think being more of an observer has helped you learn things about reenacting and history that people might not realize you know?

Yes. I learn by watching how the other folks in camp respond to questions and by interacting with members of other groups.

• You’re known to appreciate a good cigar around camp. Is sitting back with a cigar part of the perfect reenacting evening for you, and what makes those quieter moments around camp so enjoyable?

Yes, absolutely. Once the public has gone home and we’ve wrapped up dinner, a cold b**r and a cigar are the perfect way for me to settle in and relax for the evening before bedtime.

• You also love gadgets. Has reenacting given you an entirely new category of historical gadgets, tools, and equipment to become interested in? What’s your favorite?

This isn’t necessarily a gadget, but I love the mug that Rob had made for me. I also enjoy using a good axe or hatchet to chop wood. Recently, I obtained a new box that will become my cigar box so it can stay out in camp instead of being kept in our tent.

• Between historical gadgets and modern gadgets, which ones are more likely to get you into trouble with Sue? 😂

Anything that I find useful that she finds unnecessary—like my battery-operated bug killer.

• You’ve had knee replacements that have kept you off the battlefield at times. Have you missed being out on the field, and has that changed which parts of reenacting you appreciate most?

I absolutely miss being out on the battlefield. I really miss being part of the line and feeling like I’m a part of the group. It’s a different role when you’re in camp during the battle. The expectations are different.

• What is your favorite part of being in camp—the battles and demonstrations, talking with people, sitting around the fire, meals with everyone, or just watching everything happen around you?

The battles, for sure, and sitting around the fire with our group, just enjoying life.

• Sue is such a big part of keeping camp running. What’s it like watching her in her element at an event, and what do you enjoy most about sharing reenacting with her?

I appreciate everything she does for everyone around camp, and I appreciate the fact that we get to be together for the weekend.

• What is your favorite article of clothing to wear in camp, and why?

A comfortable shirt and breeches or trousers. I’ve never felt out of place in them.

• You’ve been doing this long enough to collect plenty of memories. Is there one event, trip, ridiculous camp moment, or inside joke that still makes you laugh when you think about it?

When we were at Niagara before I had my first knee surgery, Rob stayed back and showed me how to safely slide down the redoubt.

Then there was the lovely time at Niagara when Rob left us a cow pie for morning teardown.

And, of course, Mason—oh, Mason—brought Rob black r***e powder instead of talcum powder for his chafing. 😂

• What keeps you coming back to events after all these years?

It’s a bit like modern camping, which I love, with a little more work and a lot more friends and family.

• What do you hope visitors take away after spending time with Alden’s or talking with you at an event?

I hope they learn to appreciate what we are doing and what we are representing.

• If you could describe reenacting in one sentence, what would it be?

Reenacting is stepping back in time—living, cooking, and acting as our brothers who went before us did.

• Is there anything else you’d like people to know about reenacting, Alden’s Regiment, or something about you that people might not know simply because they haven’t gotten you talking yet?

Alden’s Regiment is one of those units where the heart of the group is just as important as the history. We are the kind of reenactors who will happily spend an hour explaining a musket, a uniform stitch, or a forgotten piece of local history to a curious visitor. It’s a group where camaraderie matters just as much as the drill.

09/20/2026

The AUCKWARD SQUAD.

09/20/2026

Join your fellow townsfolk, past and present, at the Fort Plain Museum for an all-day Halloween event on October 24th! Experience local history, try your hand at colonial games, and partake in local food merchants! Free admission all day, kids' crafts and activities, and a haunted house inside the museum beginning at 5 pm. Come trick or treating!

09/20/2026

09/16/2026

Today marks the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Harlem Heights, fought on September 16, 1776.

The battle came during a difficult time for the Continental Army. After defeats on Long Island and the loss of New York City, General George Washington’s troops were exhausted, discouraged, and retreating north through Manhattan. At Harlem Heights, however, American soldiers turned and fought back.

What began as a small scouting mission grew into a determined engagement lasting several hours. The Americans pushed the British forces back before withdrawing in good order. Although it was not a large battle, it gave Washington’s army something it desperately needed: proof that they could stand their ground against one of the most powerful armies in the world.

The victory came at a cost, including the loss of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Knowlton, but it restored confidence and strengthened American morale at a moment when the cause of independence seemed uncertain.

Two hundred fifty years later, the Battle of Harlem Heights reminds us that even during the darkest and most discouraging moments, one determined stand can restore hope and change what comes next.