The White River Gaurd Inc. is an incorporated non-profit entity in Hamilton County Indiana and is also referred to as WRG and "the Guard". They attend re-enactment, history, and educational events throughout the country, and have at times attended events in Canada. The majority of the events the group attends are reenactments commemorating battles and significant events of the War of 1812. The group generally portrays a militia unit from the Indiana Territory but at times can be attached to the 2nd KY Volunteers.
You could have seen the Guard at War of 1812 bicentennial events such as Prophet's Town, Battle of the Thames, Mississinewa, Natchez, and Battle of New Orleans among others. Mississinewa in Marion, IN and Fort Fest in Fort Jennings, OH are just a couple of the annual events that the Guard attends as wells as assisting with educational programs at Conner Prairie Living History Park in Fishers, IN on topics such as the battle for the Alamo and Independence Day. The members are always looking for new venues to attend each year especially in the Midwest. If you are in charge of an event or venue please use our Contact Us page to inquire.
The Guard is known for many different things, they first made their name by the cooking they do at their camp sites. With many of the members having training in historic food ways, their camp is a great place to stop to see what kind of receipts they are working on. The food is not usually your typical "camp" food, but instead you may see anything from hearth bread being cooked to venison stuffed rabbit, various pork loin or chicken receipts, and even a hog roast. In addition to the cooking the Guard prides itself on interaction with the visitors. It is not uncommon to see the camp bustling with visitors looking as the various activities going on. There are members who set up various "stations" if they attend an event such as gunsmithing, cartography, wood working and leather work. At some events you may even have the opportunity to see the cabinet of curiosity a historic side show with treasures rarely seen!
At many of the events the guard attends, they are one of the largest units in attendance. As such, that tends to earn them special recognition and attention. In the time they have been a company, they have grown from four active members to 5 or more tents a couple of fly's and at times over 20 members in attendance who field their own unit instead of falling in with another.
Members of the Guard come from many different backgrounds and experiences each bringing their own strengths, enthusiasm and talents. As such, many of the members have built their own rifles and side arms with the assistance of others at a Tuesday night work nite. Some are skilled blacksmiths who make knives, tomahawks and other accouterments. Others are skilled leather workers, taking the process from skinning to tanning through to a finished work of art. Some of the other skills that the members pose are woodworking, sewing/tailoring, cartography, and historic food ways.
Every spring the guard organizes a "breakfast trek" prior to the busy season of reenactments to help the unit work on skills and build some comaraderie. The event has had everything from a trek requiring the participants to build a fire and cook breakfast to learning and practicing Roger's Rangers tactics as well as tracking and live firing the firearms.
Each year closes and the next year opens with the annual meeting. The annual meeting is held during the month of December. During the annual meeting members review any old and new concerns, vote on renewing corporate positions, and discuss the next years schedule. The meeting is usually complimented with a pitch-in dinner.
The goal of the Guard is to always have fun, portray history accurately, and educate the public actively.
(c) copyright White River Guard Inc., 2019
721 E Broadway St, Fortville, IN 46040