Because of family life, at some events, I'll arrive late. That's what happened for the latest Assault on Ft Mercer reenactment. I've attended this event before. The park is located in Red Bank, along the Delaware River, almost on the other side from Ft. Mifflin and the Philadelphia airport. Both forts were attempting to block the British advance on the revolutionary capital during the Philadelphia campaign of 1777. Today, the park has the original James and Ann Whitall House, constructed in 1748, walking trails, many monuments, pavilions for picnics, a children's playground, etc. It's a beautiful site to relax. I arrived around 1 pm.

While strolling the grounds, I spotted a man with a pork pie hat (flat-topped crown and narrow brim). He looked familiar. I then remembered meeting him at another event a year ago. I said hello, and we started chatting. He's from the NYC region, so we discussed his job driving a bus and my favorite team since I was a kid, the NY Yankees! After our chat ended, the British reenactors staged a dueling scene that I had never witnessed at a reenactment before.

Dueling is an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons. The most famous American duel was when Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in 1804. Many of you might be familiar with Alexander Hamilton from attending the Broadway musical Hamilton. In this scenario, a British officer is having an affair with another officer's wife. That's the reason for the duel. In this photo, participants seconds (helpers) loaded the muskets and then exchanged them. The hands/muskets formed a triangle. I never took an image like it before.

Ah, cannon blast. As I've shared with my photo friends, if an event has a cannon, we must get at least one great image. This one could be my most illuminated blast yet. It just dominates the whole photo. The key is that the cannon was in the shade, under a tree. Most reenactments occur when the light is at its worst. When I first saw it immediately afterward, I went, wow!

When reviewing this photo, I thought he resembled a historical statue. He seemed so heroic with his firm gaze and clutching his bayoneted musket, staring down the enemy with his dead and wounded fallen comrades around him. Even the light emanating through the trees spotlights him, shaded in darkness. I applied minimal post-processing to this image. If photography had been back in colonial times, this photo would be an excellent recruiting poster!

Exciting historical news recently emerged from some excavating on this site. A Hessian soldier was identified from his skull among the remains of 15 Hessian soldiers. Two years ago, two Hessian reenactors and a photo friend showed me the site where the discovery occurred.

At first glance, I often know I will make numerous changes when post-processing. I knew immediately that this shot would be better in B&W because of the light. It was late afternoon, so there was a tremendous light contrast, especially on the column. I purposely added more grain to give the photo a gritty feel.

I was able to photograph some of Eugene Hough's flag ceremony in the late afternoon. It's a moving tribute, and I've seen him conduct this important celebration before.  

The Heritage Flag was gifted to Eugene Hough in 2017. The flag ceremony has been experienced by over 5000 people in 11 states, in both urban and rural communities. The ceremony conducted by Eugene Hough teaches history and respect for our country and each other.

Check out my photo gallery with over 80 photos from this event. Starting in January, I'll be writing two blogs per month. Currently, I post on the first day of each month. Now, I'll also post a new blog on the 15th. I have so much to write about!

Happy Holidays! My youngest son likes penguins.

Thank you for reading! Blog #78 will be posted on January 1, 2025. Be safe & well!

Ken Bohrer