Five Years On: How One Conversation Changed Everything
- darrenscivilwarpag8
- Dec 26, 2025
- 4 min read
If you had told me five years ago that I’d be running a social media platform and hosting a podcast, I’d have laughed. Yet here we are—five years on—and it feels like the right moment to reflect on how this journey began.
Let me take you back to 2019.
At the time, I was attending a reenactment event as a member of The Sealed Knot, having reenacted the English Civil Wars for around eighteen years. Standing on one side of the beer tent, something caught my eye on the other side: the unmistakable shine of polished brass belonging to the 4th U.S. Infantry Regiment, Company K.
Curiosity got the better of me, and before long I found myself in conversation with Kieran Barwick. What followed was a fantastic discussion about the American Civil War. Eventually, I crossed over to the other side of the beer tent with Kieran, who introduced me to his father—Captain Chris Barwick, commander of the 4th U.S. Infantry.
After a lengthy and enthusiastic conversation about the American Civil War, Chris looked at me, pointed his finger, and said:
“You’re doing the wrong thing.
Come and see us in the morning.”
And of course, I did.
As a side note, the 4th U.S. Infantry is part of the Southern Skirmish Association (SSA)—a society founded in 1968, the same year as The Sealed Knot. My first event with this wonderful regiment, and the society as a whole, was Military Odyssey 2019, held at Detling in Kent—widely regarded as one of the biggest and best reenactment events in the UK.
From the moment I arrived, I was made to feel incredibly welcome. I’d especially like to mention Gemma Mitchell, Sgt. Chris Lean, Captain Chris Barwick, Kieran and most importantly Rae Barwick – “ Mrs boss.” The warmth, friendliness, and family atmosphere of the 4th U.S. Infantry left a lasting impression on me, as did the wider Soskan community.
Walking onto the battlefield for the first time with them genuinely felt like stepping into the movie Gettysburg.
A few months earlier, however, I had been suffering from a severe bout of depression. Joining the 4th U.S. Infantry played a huge role in helping me recover from a very dark period in my life. It didn’t just help my mental health—it reignited a passion I had mentioned many times but had long since buried: my love for the American Civil War.
Check out the 4th U.S Website here 👇
That passion began, quite simply, with the 1993 film Gettysburg. But as life often does, marriage, children, and responsibilities took over, and that passion faded into the background.
Joining the 4th U.S. Infantry and the Southern Skirmish Association lit that fire once again.
Then came March 2020.
The world turned upside down. COVID-19 brought reenactments and events to a complete halt. I had been waiting a full year to fully immerse myself as a member of the regiment, but suddenly everything stopped.
Rather than sit idle, I read. I researched. I immersed myself in the American Civil War. The problem was—I had all this information and no one to talk to about it.
In December 2020, the 158th anniversary of the Battle of Fredericksburg came around. Having recently suffered from COVID myself, I was stuck indoors and extremely bored. On a whim, I decided to go on camera and explain the Battle of Fredericksburg, sharing it with my fellow reenactor friends.
Around the same time, I watched a livestream hosted by the American Battlefield Trust featuring historian and author Chris Mackowski. I fired questions into the comments section, and after the livestream ended, Chris took the time to answer every single one.
That’s when I thought: Wouldn’t it be better if Chris explained Fredericksburg himself?
I reached out—fully expecting no reply.
To my surprise, I received one:
“Sure, I’d love to talk about Fredericksburg.”
Initially, this was only meant to be shared within a private reenactment group. But it quickly became clear that this conversation was too good not to share more widely.
Watch here 👇
On 26 December 2020, I launched the American Civil War & UK History YouTube channel. The Fredericksburg episode became the first podcast. A few days earlier, I had recorded a short video explaining why I loved history and the American Civil War—a video you can still watch today.
Watch here 👇
I’d also like to give a huge shout-out to Paul Michael Jason the man behind the excellent Untold Civil War Podcast. Paul offered invaluable advice when I was launching the audio side of things. Please do check out his podcast—it’s outstanding.
So here we are, five years on.
Many doors have opened. I’ve gone down paths I never imagined—including co-founding, with my great friend Gina Denham, the Monuments for UK Veterans of the American Civil War Association.
I became a member and social media manager for the American Civil War Round Table UK, served on the committee of the Southern Skirmish Association, and later became social media manager for Emerging Civil War—a role I will always be grateful for
To everyone I’ve met along the way: you know who you are, and thank you.
And finally, if Ron Maxwell hadn’t made a little movie called Gettysburg, I wouldn’t be writing this post at all.
Here’s to the next five years.
Cheers. 🍻
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