The Cold of July

Gathering at Garst

Greenville OH

July 27-28, 2013

Since when do you need a blanket in July?  The nights were actually cold, dipping near to the 40s.  Whatever happened to summer?  I hadn’t fully prepared for cold weather, so was a bit chilled.  I was fortunate that my poncho helped with most of the lack of heat.

Who needs Pvt Winston, when Sgt Kletzli is there to start the fire?

A handful of us from the 1st Tennessee Co B made our way to Greenville for the Gathering at Garst timeline event and set up camp at the end of the row that was marked for military impressions.  In the line was the 4th Indiana Light Artillery, followed by the Mad River Light Artillery, then us.   I made a point of switching ends so that we would not be cramped up against the edge and path, and also to get us away from the horse that Sgt Kletzli kept calling “Dog Food” last year.

So, no more questions of being allowed to pet the horse, a question that had become ingrained in my psyche since last year.

Our numbers were down a bit from last year, and we avoided a forced skirmish against the artillery, opting instead to focus on living history, demonstrating the life of the soldier, and providing shooting demonstrations.  Pvt Quinn Marcotte really shined in this area, pretty much taking over the talking to the spectators, while the rest of us watched, answering only the occasional question.  There were a few breaks, but there was a near constant flow of spectators ambling through camp.  Capt Sharp, Pvt Marcotte, and I all ran through a speed shoot to show we can do that three rounds per minute.  I choked on that time as my ramrod stuck in the stock on the second shot.

We enjoyed perusing the sutlers as well.  Their merchandise was more geared toward Revolutionary War materials, which would not have been inappropriate for an occasional piece for us.  It was different from what we were used to seeing, and was a pleasant change.

It was a pleasant, laid-back weekend for us.  And we saw potential for the event in the future.  I heard rumors of other Civil War units interested in attending next year, so next year holds promise of some serious skirmishing.  There were plenty of areas for us to work with to provide something different from the usual.

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