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Revolutionary War buffs came to New Jersey from as far away as California, Florida and Ontario to replay the battle. They included a seventh-generation descendant of Molly Pitcher—Elizabeth Hays, 17, of Carlisle, Pa.—who carried water to parched Continental cannoneers, as her ancestor had done 200 years earlier. Many participants have faced each other on past battlegrounds; in fact, most plan family vacations around them. Said Maveret Daigle of Albany, whose husband fought at Monmouth: "I never used to go on these, until a very pretty woman told me what fun my husband was on these re-enactments." True to historical accuracy, Mrs. Daigle became a camp follower, cooking, washing clothes and keeping the tent clean. She has marched with her husband to Bennington, Vt., Ridgefield, Conn., and Short Hills, N.J., and has become an enthusiast. "When we camp in the forts," she explains, "you can almost sense how it was. The walls have vibes."
The hobbyists deck themselves out in historically accurate garb and gear, right down to pewter buttons. Otto de Pierne, a chemical researcher from East Norwalk, Conn., spent $7,000 outfitting himself as a surgeon, even collecting the original bottles for 118 drugs carried by 18th century battlefield medics, as well as all the drugs—except opium—which he had to simulate. At Monmouth, he put on his 18th century glasses but apologized for wearing modern shoes. He also brought along his colonial desk, with quill pen and linen paper.
With participants willingly spending their own money to relive the past —British uniforms alone cost up to $600 —New Jersey's American Revolution Bicentennial Celebration Commission ended up spending only $25,000 on the battle, far less than expected. The agency provided 75 Port-O-Sans for the crowd, a convenience not available in the 18th century, and the New Jersey National Guard served free meals from its field kitchens. Thus the commission set a timely and unusual example for governmental units in the 20th century rebellion against high government spending. Because the agency used up only $90,000 of its $140,000 budget for two years of celebration, it plans to return $50,000 to the state treasury. Two hundred years later, New Jersey's citizen patriots have won again.