JACKSON MAN RELIVES HISTORY

Mark LaClair made his uniform using a pattern of the British uniform used during the French and Indian War.

Mark LaClair demonstrates how to load a musket.

Mark LaClair of Jackson has a love of history that has taken him as far as Ft. Niagara in New York to reenact the French and Indian War battle fought there over 200 years ago.

LaClair is a member of the First of Foot military reenactment group, a group of two dozen mostly from the St. Louis area that go around to historic sites to reenact battles of long ago.

LaClair got involved in reenactments about 10 years ago.

He met another reenactor, Ed Delaney sometime later at a school at Ft. Leonard Wood.

Someone commented during lunch that the militaries back in the 18th century fought stupid.

LaClair rebutted the remark and said that they actually were using the best strategies for the weaponry of the day.

Delaney overheard the argument and asked LaClair to join the First of Foot outfit.

LaClair said he goes to about six reenactments every year. And half of those are at Ft. Massac and Ft. de Chartres both in Illinois.

At Ft. Niagara last July, LaClair got to be involved in a battle reenactment that had more than 200 British and 50 French reenactors.

He said he does it because he has always been fascinated with history.

Stories of his ancestors in the Civil War and one from the Revolutionary War got him interested.

Stories LaClair heard about Alexander McClain Jr., an ancestor who fought in the Revolutionary battles of Cow Pens, King's Mountain and Gilford Courthouse ignited LaClair's interest in reenacting.

He said that he does it out of respect for men of the past and what they went through.

LaClair's wife Debra doesn't like to participate in the reenactments, but Melissa the oldest of three daughters has her own uniform and travels with her father to these reenactments.

LaClair said that people interested in seeing reenactments should contact tourism offices in their area for information.

For people interested in becoming a reenactor themselves should realize that the uniforms usually have to be made by the reenactor.

Some uniforms are sold, but they are very expensive.

LaClair made his own uniform using a pattern of the British troops regulation uniform during the 1750s.

LaClair purchased his musket from Navy Arms which sells import muskets from Italy.

LaCLair said that his uniform consists of a tricorn hat, neck stock, shirt, weskit (vest), coat, knee britches, canvas leggings, stockings and buckle shoes.

He also has a musket with bayonet, cartridge box and a tomahawk.

LaClair uses a tomahawk instead of the standard issue sword of the British military because in the American colonies the swords were impractical and were turned in for tomahawks.

LaClair's group is patterned after the British outfit First of Foot that was involved in the capture of Lewisburg in Nova Scotia at the mouth of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1758.

They also were involved in the New York campaign of 1759 that was involved in the taking of Ft. Ticonderoga during the French and Indian War.

LaClair's group is trying to go to a reenactment scheduled for Lewisburg in the future.