Chapter Selection Menu: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 E Next>>
Pirate Fest, June 2013 - Put-in-Bay, OH
Photo: Jim Shipley
Chapter 5th: Of the events of Saturday afternoon; The pre-battle meeting which your author did not attend because his role is limited and, quite frankly, he didn't know it was even going on; Possible preparations for the pirate parade...or not... which includes more info on the Wrong Crowd since they seemed to be involved with this...or not...; A look at this year's costume contest including the many guises of Ty the host; and The Saturday battle wherein what happened there is revealed.
Mission and his New Girlfriend
Saturday is always a busy day at the Put-in-Bay Pirate Fest, what with the pirate parade, the battle and the contest and so forth, so we shall focus on those things in this chapter. But first, we have to talk about the pirate dog. Actually, there were a whole pack of dogs hanging around in the park, but no one seems to have taken the time to photograph them. (Including me, sadly. Usually photographing animals is one of my fortes, but I fell completely short this time.)
Some people showed up with their dogs completely decked out in pirate garb and that appealed to my sense of propriety, so I had one couple take a photo of me with theirs. I almost led this chapter off with that photo, since it seems to thimblize the nature of this Journal and its author, but it has nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of the chapter, so I decided to just stick it in here and let the matter go at that.
Photo: Jim Shipley
Some Members of the Wrong Crowd: Ed Rembert, Stephen Priddy, Leaders
M.A. d'Dogge
and Billie,
Cheeky Actress/Bess, Jim Shipley and Marcus
Speaking of dogs, I believe the Wrong Crowd gathered around Clint and Billie so they could be in the pirate parade which took place early in the afternoon. (Actually, I have no idea if they were in the parade or not, but the photos I found seem to suggest they did. Why else would Clint be carrying the flag like that?)
Of course, having said that, I also notice that there were no photos of the actual parade in anyone's photo albums, so it may not have even happened for all I know. See, I was busy working my booth while the Wrong Crowd was exerting their influence on those without anything pressing to do. Apparently wandering about the city and making faces at the crowds who gathered to watch them made for good afternoon entertainment.
 Photo: Jim Shipley More Wrong Crowd: M.A. d'Dogge, Ed, Vince Giacalone, Billie and Richard. |
 Photo: Terry Smith The Wrong Crowd Misguiding Our Youth |
Photo: Michael Colossimo
Vince in the Shadow of the Flag
A prominent acolyte of the Wrong Crowd this year was first time Put-in-Bay attendee Vince Giacalone. Vince is one of those people who just seems to invite a nickname so I kept trying different ones out to see what fit.
First I started out calling him Vincewise, but no member of the Wrong Crowd should be given a moniker like that. (It could lower your esteem amongst the membership.) Then I called him Vince Clortho for a while, mostly because it was a funny play on his name (and stature), but other than that, this nickname really didn't make any sense either. When I saw the photos from the event, I was instantly reminded of another character, as you see in the bottom row of photos in this section. However, he wasn't really the sort of chatty glib salesman that Charlie Dog was, so that wasn't ideal either. You know, if anyone reading this has a good nickname in mind, feel free to email me and I'll start calling him that.
"Vincewise? You've got to be kidding..."
Even if he wasn't quite like Charlie the animated dog, Vince was still a very animated character. This was only his second pirate event, although he told me he had been reenacting since 2000 with French and Indian War groups. He explained that he liked pirate events because they weren't quite as onerous with rules and there were so many options with regard to garb and equipment. He had originally gotten involved with pirate reenacting thanks to Ed Rembert, who noted how amazing the Put-in-Bay event would be. Between that and the multiple opportunities for dress, "it sounded like something I couldn't miss!"
"Who's Using My Name?"
Vince first became interested in pirates when he received a book on the topic which he read with great fascination. (Unfortunately he didn't remember the name of the book or I'd share it with you.) When I asked him what he thought of the event, he revealed that he usually didn't get a lot of opportunities to meet folks, but this event proved to be an excellent venue for that. He also like the chance to learn more about the lives of pirates along with all the parties and attention that he got while wandering about Put-in-Bay in pirate garb.
Vince is currently working farming hops. (He explained that they were very tasty when they were processed into a product popular with many reenactors.) (And non-renenactors.) He told me he had more hobbies than he could hope to mention, but among them were "making things, rebuilding engines and other mechanics, making inventions, history and creating and learning languages". So, all nicknaming and other nonsense aside, he was a welcome addition to our little troupe.
 Photo: Michael Colossimo Vince Having a Quiet Smoke |
 Photo: Jim Shipley Vince As Charlie Dog |
 Photo: Borrowed Charlie Dog as Charlie Dog |
 Photo: Jim Shipley Vince Strikes a Pose |
Michael Amazes and Confuses the Battlers
At some point during the early afternoon, they also held a battle meeting. As you may have guessed, I did not attend this because my role in a battle isn't much to speak of these days. Very limited. Plus, since a lot of these meetings deal with making sure your gun is working properly, explaining how it should be handled during the battle and so forth, which doesn't really interest me. This is because I neither own, nor have any desire to own, a gun. I don't mind firing them now and then, but I don't get the same thrill out of it as some folks. Instead I got the 2 minute briefing on which way people were going to go during the battle and how it was planned to end.
Now, you'll notice several members of the Wrong Crowd in the meeting photo. This is because the Wrong Crowd is often all about firing guns and making as much smoke and noise as they possibly can. So they all had to attend the meeting. I guess membership has it's privileges.
The Appearance of the Kid's Scavenger Hunt
Since we're talking about things I didn't see, let's mention the Kid's Scavenger Hunt. (Well, if it was, in fact, a scavenger hunt. Last year I'm pretty certain there was a scavenger hunt, so I'm guessing they did that again. I don't know if the implication here is that kids today are a bunch of scavengers or what, but scavenger hunts sure do seem to be a popular event at pirate events for them.) Whatever it was, it burst upon me as I was walking through the encampment taking photos of things. Since the mountain had come to Mohammed, I took a photo of it as you see at left.
It was being led by the Captain Jack Sparrow Crew, as I believe it was the past two years as well. Even more interesting to those of you who recall last year's PIB Journal, the girl in the middle of it was none other than Peppermint Patty! (You should go read about her. She will reappear in this Journal and you need to brush up on your Peppermint Patty lore.)
Other than that brief moment, I had no experience of Kid's Scavenger Hunt (or perhaps the Kid's Not Scavenger Hunt). Fortunately, Terry Smith had gone a wandering on Saturday and captured several images from this which you can see below. There appears to have also been a game of liar's dice played with the kids, which they are all familiar with thanks to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. (It's so nice that movies today teach the youth such valuable skills.)
 Photo: Terry Smith The Kids Gather Around Captain Jack's Crew |
 Photo: Terry Smith Angelica Oversees a Spirited Game of Liar's Dice |
Photo: Michael Colossimo - Group 1
This brings us to the costume contest. I was so busy working the surgeon's display that I missed the first round. Fortunately there were several people there with cameras and I was able to find an image of it. This group included Matt Vincent (foppishly standing at the far left) and several people I didn't know.
Ty and the committee (or someone with authority) had apparently decided to streamline the contest rules so that it was done differently this year. All the contestants were brought up to the stage in groups and interviewed, after which the judges would be left to confer or play liar's dice or whatever it is they do when they judge.
I thought this was a fabulous idea because it made the contest go faster. Well, it moved faster when there weren't too many people from our crew hamming it up on stage, as you see below.
 Photo: Mission Jay, Cheeky Actress, M.A. d'Dogge, Shannon and Ty Mugging |
 Photo: Terry Smith Followed By a Bit of Folies Bergère. (Jay is Really Selling It) |
There were 22 or 3 contestants as I recall it. I could show you photos of them as I have in the past, but since I don't know anything about most of the people and I didn't take any notes, I doubt it would be very interesting to read (or write). Instead, I will show you photos of two interview groups that I wanted to share. The first is below left and includes Mary Diamond and Maggie and a very noisy woman who rallied her crew to cheer for her boisterously. She was most vocal when she wasn't picked for the final round, accusing the judges of rigging the contest. So that was sort of amusing. The second group I show included Tammi, who brought her dog Grace. Tammi was charming, as always, but notice who everyone is looking at in the photo (including the parrot)?
 Group with Mary (center) and Maggie (being interviewed) |
 Group with Tammi (being interviewed) and Grace |
Once the interviews were over, the judges huddled to decide who would be going to the Caymen Islands this year. (This is the prize for the costume contest.) While that was going on, Ty had to entertain everyone up on the stage, something that doesn't translate very well to this Journal. (Which tries to be funny by making strange observations rather than telling jokes because... well... I am terrible at telling jokes. I am one of those people who forgets or convolutes the punch line so that it's not funny any more. "Wait! I mean, 'To get to the other side.') Anyhow, in the spirit of the Journal, I thought I'd spend the time we have to wait for the judges focusing on the various costumes Ty chose each year, mainly so I could get the Dude in here yet again. (3rd year running.)
 Ty - 2010 |
 Ty and the Dude - 2011 |
 Ty Interviewing Shannon - 2012 |
 Ty, Mike & Blackbeard - 2013 |
The finalists for the costume contest were announced. Cheeky Actress, Shannon and Blackbeard all returned to the stage. There was some further commentary, but with the streamlined process, they cut the badinage down dramatically and just announced the winner. A newcomer to the event - Blackbeard - won the trip to the Caymens. He was very excited, but not nearly as excited as his girlfriend or wife or whomever she is.
 Photo: Mission The Finalists on Stage |
 Photo: Mission Blackbeard Takes the Title! |
 Photo: Terry Smith Blackbeard and His Mate Celebrate |
Adam Reveal the Secrets of the Ages to Peppermint Patty
With the contest completed, we arrive at the battle portion of Saturday. Before I talk about the battle proper, wanted to report on something else I saw. As I mentioned previously, Peppermint Patty was with us again . In addition to being a part of the scavenger hunt (or whatever it was), she got an opportunity to learn a little about sword fighting from Adam Mudd.
I believe Adam had been practicing swordfighting moves with Michael when PP appeared. (I hope I am not spoiling anyone's fun by revealing that all the swordfighting moves used in reenactment pirate battles are carefully rehearsed so that no one actually gets hurt.) (Oh, and wrestling is fake too.) When I found them, Adam was explaining to Peppermint Patty the proper way to break an opponent's hold on you when your swords were locked. If you're curious, you typically push the sword from the side where your hold is the weakest. So Adam showed PP this by having her push against his hand straight on and then pushing it from the side. Very neat.
Next he got Patty's friend to take up a blade and engaged her in some actual swordplay.
Now, I know just what you're thinking. OK, I actually have no idea what you're thinking, but if you're like me, you're thinking, "If that was Peppermint Patty, her friend must be... Marcie!" Yes! Adam got Marcie involved in a sword fight! See the irony? Peppermint Patty is a natural athlete, but Adam was teaching Marcie - the quiet, bookish one - to sword fight! Ha ha. (What do you mean, "What did he teach her?" Who cares? We're savoring irony here.)
 Adam Gives Patty High Fives |
 "Ho! Ha ha! Guard! Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin!" |
 Adam Attacks Marcie |
"Does anyone got a quarter? I wanna make a call..."
It soon time for the battle and that meant we all had to gather by the public phone. This was an extraordinary thing. No, not because there were a bunch of golden age of the pirates pirates standing around by a modern contrivance, but because there was a working public phone at all! I mean, have you tried to find one lately? I wanted to place a call on the road a couple months ago when I discovered I had left my cell phone at home. So I went looking for a public phone on the street and actually couldn't find one that worked. I finally had to abandon that plan.
Photo: Terry Smith
The American Defenders - Nathanael Logsdon, Marcus Cain, Stephen
Priddy, Jay Babcock and Adam Mudd
Anyhow, we pirates gathered at the public phone while a bunch of blue-coated defenders gathered at the other end of the field.
I should note here that the defenders were actually not golden age of pirate-era garbed. They were wearing clothing more appropriate to the early 19th century. I have already mentioned that I frequently am identified as being a pilgrim by the uninformed public especially when wearing my large, round hat, brown breeches and buckle shoes. Nathanael reported the similar problems with his crew's garb. People were asking him if they were Mormons! Of course, they were dressed in clothing about 100 years after the GAoP, so the drunken public at Put-in-Bay can be at least partially excused for being confused.
The Pirates Initial Attack! (Is the ! too much?)
The battle itself was pretty simple. The pirates came forward after making all their pay phone calls and threatened the American defenders. They used their guns to cause a lot of racket. The American defenders, having cannons, fired them and their hand weapons back at the pirates. The pirates then scurried around the gazebo (which is in the middle of the battlefield) and
Photo: Terry Smith
Matt Vincent Leads the Cannon Crew in Returning the Offense.
fired at the defenders from the other side.
The American defenders caught on to this clever ruse and repeated their cannon and hand weapon firing at the other side of the gazebo. So the pirates scurried back to the original side and then started dying as the defenders hit their mark.
In a surprise move, Michael Bagley led a group of pirates in a sneak flanking attack along the side of the battlefield and roosted the American defenders. A sword fight between Michael and Adam Mudd followed resulting in the defeat of the defenders. Those pirates who were still alive thus won the day.
 Photo: Terry Smith Michael leads Richard, Ed and George in a Sneak Attack |
 Photo: Mission The Pirate Celebrate Their Victory Over the American Defenders |
Now, there were a lot of photos of this for me to select from to share the details of the battle with you. I could have just dotted that short description with them and been done with the battle. However, that would have required making up more witty persiflage, which is hard work.
Instead of doing that, I was struck once again by how much this battle was like playing with the neighbor kids back when we were all 6 or 8 years old or so. (Except we had real black powder weapons and steel blades, of course.) With this in mind, I present the battle with some other photos I have of kids doing the same thing we were doing on the battlefield, only with toy weapons.
First we have the cannon crews...
 Photo: Terry Smith Swabbing the Cannons at Put-in-Bay |
 Photo: Mission Little Girl Swabs the Cannon (Brigand's Grove, 2011) |
Then there were the pistols used in battle...
 Photo: Terry Smith Shannon Prepares to Fire |
 Photo: Terry Smith Mary Diamond Readies Her Pistol for Defense |
 Photo: Mission (2011) Two Pirate Lads Prepare To Fire |
Of course, you can't have a good (by which I mean loud) battle without rifles.
 Photo: Mission Dan Prepares His Rifle |
 Photo: Mission Dave Checks His Gun |
 Photo: Terry Smith The American Defends with an Array of Rifles |
 Photo: Mission PiB 2010 |
Then there are the sword-fights. (Kids really have the advantage here because their swords are fake, so preparing a battle with blades is much easier for them. They just pick up a plastic sword and start whaling on each other.)
 Photo: Terry Smith Michael and Adam's Sword Fight in the Battle |
 Photo: Mission No Parking in the Sword Fight... |
 Photo: Mission Brother and Sister Sort Their Differences |
Naturally, you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs... or heads...
 Photo: Terry Smith M.A. d'Dogge Ignores the Wounded |
 Photo: Terry Smith Shannon Ignores a Wounded Harrison |
 Photo: Mission (2010) "'Tis Merely a Flesh Wound.' |
Which means there must be a surgeon to help repair the wounded. (The selection of the instrument to be used is key in motivating patients to be revived. The right tool can sometimes make them jump up magically even before it has been used!)
 Photo: Mission's Camera Administering a Cure |
 Photo: Terry Smith See? The Patient is Revived! On to the Next One... |
 Photo: Mission (2012) All Important Instrument Selection |
And, of course, there must be a pirate flag present when the pirates are victorious!
 The Pirates Celebrate Their Victory With The Skull and Bones |
 Just Like This Kid |
The moral of the story? Pirate reenactors are basically just big kids, especially when it comes to battles.
With the battle finished, we all went back to the Site B encampment and manned our stations for the remaining hour or so before it was time to close up shop.