Can I Pet the Horse?

Greenville, OH
July 28-29,2012

The horse was called Norman.

I arrived at my usual time Friday evening at the Garst Museum in Greenville, Ohio.  Being the first to arrive and the contact for the unit with the event coordinators, I met with the blacksmith, who (with one other) was the living history organizer for the event.

Since this was a timeline event and the Civil War needed to be kept together, he took me to the 4th Indiana Light Artillery.  Since we represented the opposing side in our War of Northern Aggression, he suggested a nice little corner under the shade near the artillery unit.  Between us was a small space where a horse was going to be hitched.

I made sure to give a wide berth to the area so the horse would not be trampling my tent. Cpl Carte and Sgt Nyman camped beside me.

The timeline event had reenactors all the way from the French and Indian War to the American Civil War.  Numbers were small, but that is generally to be expected at an event in its second year.  The horse belonged to an old friend of my from my days in Revolutionary War reenacting—one Cindy Jackson.

The horse was fine overall—my only complaint was that it must have thought it was a rooster as it decided to make a 4:30 am wake-up call.

Besides our living history area, the event also had a festival of sorts across the street from us where various vendors and artisans sold their modern wares.  They even had a Beatles tribute band play for a while at 7 pm Saturday evening.  None of this was an issue for us as it was completely separated from the living history area, and the noise was not noticeable.

“Can I pet the horse?”

Before the event I kept in communication with Rob Frost, commander of the 4th Indiana Light Artillery.  We gave some ideas of our numbers and sketched out some rough scenarios we could have for a skirmish.  Since his was the only Union unit there, and we were the only Confederate unit, and we were infantry and his was artillery, we discussed the possibility of some of us galvanizing Federal to provide infantry support, and he galvanizing a cannon to give us artillery support.  But neither of us had quite the turn-out we were hoping, so we worked it out that we would each stay with our units, and the 1st Tennessee would attack a gun.  Since we had about 10 for Saturday and would be losing a lot for Sunday, we decided the 1st would win on Saturday, and then all die a glorious and dramatic death on Sunday. Some of 4th seemed reluctant to play due to the low turnout, but we could make something happen.  I never turn down an opportunity to burn powder.

“Can I pet the horse?”

I saw many of Rev War guys I knew—I was surprised to learn that the Mad River Light Artillery works closely with 4th Indiana—many members of both units.  Some of the Mad River Light Artillery were old friends of mine—I even was their powder monkey once at a battle at the Fair at New Boston.

“Can I pet the horse?”

Since our unit only infantry unit there, and since I was the one to organize getting infantry unit there, I somehow ended up Confederate commander.  Sgt Mott came without stripes (intentionally), and Sgt Nyman, Cpl Carte, and Cpl Kletzli all conceded command to me.  My rule of thumb at auxiliary events such as this is this (those not voted on by the company at the Regimental Meeting), is that all officers and NCOs attending the event keep their rank, with highest rank in attendance holding command.  All have the option to relinquish their rank for the event—as it is sometimes more relaxing not to worry about the responsibility of the rank.  As private, I am last in line for command on these auxiliary events, although since I organize them, I am first in line among the privates.  Sgt Mott suggested that since I am shooting for Major on the Independent Guard Battalion, I should have the experience—so after ensuring all NCOs agreed, I took command for Saturday.

It was good experience.

“Can I pet the horse?”

The breakfast both days held a good choice of donuts with coffee, but I also fried my bacon and eggs.

There were a few sutlers, though more geared for the Rev War period, but the blacksmith had a good choice of items.  The Annie Oakley Festival also in town same weekend (on the fairgrounds on the opposite end of town), so we got lots of public from festival coming here.

“Can I pet the horse?”

Which brings me to the main problem with camping next to a horse.

“Can I pet the horse?”

Every member of the public, and I do mean every, seemed very interested in that horse.  Every time someone passed by our camp, which was very frequently since we were right on the main footpath, they would stop at the horse and ask us if they could pet it—or perhaps ask some other question about the horse.

“Can I pet the horse?”

So, for every time we were asked that question, we had to give the same answer.

“It’s not our horse.”

It gave me an endearing sympathy for the cavalry units.  We were always nice enough to direct them to Cindy, who finally told us that anyone could pet the horse—they just needed to watch that the horse didn’t step on them.

“Can I pet the horse?”

The Cannon demonstrations started at 10am for every two hours, with the one at 2pm scheduled the same time as our skirmish.  So we planned to take to the field and attack at the end of that demonstration.

“Can I pet the horse?”

We drilled twice for about ten minutes each before the skirmish, blowing some powder to show off a little to public. I realized halfway through I never called a single manual of arms—then started calling the shoulder arms part.

“Can I pet the horse?”

The time came for the skirmish and we marched to our start.  I asked Sgt/Pvt Mott to sing a tune on way.  I had prepared him ahead of time if he could do one—and he was ready only for either “Eliza Jane” or “Pick a Bail of Cotton”. I told him to choose based on how much he wished to annoy Cpl Kletzli.  Apparently he had a high desire for annoyance—he chose “Pick a Bail of Cotton”.

“Can I pet the horse?”

At the far end of the battlefield, Kletzli and Mott found a trail that led to the flank of the artillery, so they took Pvt Mercer down trail to wait for us and provide a nice surprise.

We advanced on field, swinging to opposite flank in a skirmish line.  I made mistake of putting Pvt Jackson Nyman on left end of my line.  To shift to left side of field, several times I ordered “to the left flank, by files right, march”.  But each time I got this strange look from Pvt Nyman as if he were asking, “You want me to do WHAT?”  I’ll have to remember that each end of the line must have a skilled private, if I don’t have an NCO to put there.

“Can I pet the horse?”
Other than a few minor difficulties, the battle went well—they moved the small mountain howitzer into position to fight us. The howitzer misfired a few times, and I was trying to drag things out, so I took my time advancing my line.  At the appointed time, Mott’s crew advanced onto the field from the opposite flank, and we had them in a good crossfire.  One of the Rev War regulars from the 6-pound Rev cannon assisted the Howizter by firing his flintlock at us, which had only slightly better reliability than that howitzer.

When I finally thought that the battle had dragged on long enough (I really have no idea how long we went), I waited for a final successful shot from the cannon and then ordered and advance at the double-quick to take the gun.  Pvt Ellifrit’s only disappointment was that he could not take a hit since he never had anyone shooting at him.

“Can I pet the horse?”

We lost all but four of us after the skirmish.  No supper was provided, but vendors on the grounds across the street did have a good selection.  I had a pork chop sandwich.  Cpl Carte had a buffalo burger.  One of the organizers allowed us into the museum to explore a bit—which was good to see.  Overall the organizers were great—free ice, showers, and porcelain.

“Can I pet the horse?”

As there were only four of us Sunday, I carried a rifle for the battle and gave Sgt Nyman the command.  We knew we would lose, so Sgt Nyman, Cpl Carte, and I all made a devious little plan for Pvt Nyman (Sgt Nyman’s son).  We decided that at the right time, we would all die, and not tell Pvt Nyman.  Basically, Pvt Nyman was to be the last man standing.  I don’t think any of us had any real idea what he might do.

“Can I pet the horse?”

We followed the trail around the field Kletzli and Mott found on Saturday and awaited for the demonstration artillery fire, then took the field.  Spread out as skirmishers, the four of us advanced quickly as we fired.  The artillery fired once from the six-pounder Napolean gun, and we advanced some more.  Then the Revolutionary War cannon gave us a surprised as they joined the fight with a blast from their six-pounder.  Two shots—the third was when we were supposed to die.  The Civil War gun prepared their second shot, and I and Cpl Carte drifted toward Sgt Nyman so the cannon could make a good kill shot (oops—the Rev War gun wasn’t supposed to count).  The three of us went down at the gun’s blast, leaving Pvt Nyman, in a state of total confusion.  I heard a good applause from the crowd—they liked our dramatic deaths.  Pvt Nyman at least did not give up any ground—he scrambled to the edge of the woods and continued with some pot shots at the artillery.  The Civil War Napolean turned toward Nyman and made a final blast, taking the private down.

“Can I pet the horse?”

It was a good event—we had a great time. Simple breakfast was the only provided food, but as long as we know in advance, I am okay with that.  Our starving private suggested they add a Saturday meal—they were unaware that is the standard for most events, so they said they would consider it for next year.  I know we will be back.

And yes, you can pet the horse—his name is Norman.  Just watch that you don’t let it step on you.

Local article about event

Analysis of Wingless Dynamit Nobel Caps

Performed at Fort Wayne, Indiana

July 15, 2012

At the Fort Wayne event Zack Carte and I tested out the Dynamit Nobel wingless percussion caps that can commonly be found at sutlers.  They have the appeal of being significantly cheaper than the normal RWS or CCI caps, so several of us have been curious to try them out to see if they could be used as an alternative.

The price of the wingless caps are between $5 and $6, about half the cost of the RWS and CCI 4 wing caps.  However, these are probably not period correct, as all photos I have seen of dug up caps have wings.

Our examination as a possible alternative is for infantry only—for other purposes this review does not apply.  For example, if you are cavalry and considering using these caps for your weapons, please ignore this review since the issues noted may not apply.  This review is to take into consideration having men standing immediately next to you, on either side, and being affected by what you do. Cavalry, for example, is not likely to have someone in close proximity, unless dismounted.

We fired about 10 caps with no powder.  Their behavior was similar to the 4 wing RWS.  With one exception there was no tearing and no evidence these would fragment.  In a control test we ran a few 4 wing RWS caps through the same testing and got nearly identical results—only one exception to no tearing or evidence of a risk of fragmentation.  We then proceeded to fire 2 rounds double charged (about 130-140 grain) with no issue.

Our control tests included the 4 wing RWS caps, the 4 wing CCI caps and the 4 wing Navy Arms caps.  As expected, and consistent with previous testing, the RWS and CCI caps had no issue, but the Navy arms caps showed tearing.  The Navy Arms cap wrapped one wing around the hammer, tearing nearly in half.

From the perspective of risk of fragmentation, the caps are safe.  However, they sparked brightly, like having a sparkler light up on the nipple.  Zack reported others using these wingless caps in battle lines and getting sparks hitting his face, and based on the amount of sparking it is obvious how dangerous they can be to the eyes of all nearby.  The biggest risk would be to a soldier in the front rank when fired from a soldier in the rear.

I personally test-fired a series in battle at Sharon Woods.  I was at right end of line, so was in a safe position in relation to other soldiers.  They are quite small and a bit difficult to manage, but that bright sparking was disruptive and disturbing.  I supposed one could get used to it, but I do not like it.  It was like having a firecracker at your face.

That sparking into the eyes of someone is enough to say that these caps should NEVER be used in infantry battle lines.  If you always fight in skirmish lines only, or are not infantry—there is no issue.  There is no fragmentation so they are safe from injury in that perspective, but sparking in close infantry lines is not something that should be risked.  Any captain reading this should take the responsibility to pass this information on to his men to not use these caps out of consideration for the eyesight of his comrades.

Review of musket caps tests:

4 Wing CCI caps: acceptable.  No fragmentation.  Cost is about 20% less than the 4-Wing RWS caps.  Regular use over time showed a bit of residue over the nipple after firing, which could potentially cause blockage if your nipple hole was small.  My nipple hole is large and I have never encountered a problem.  Reliability does seem to be a bit less than the RWS 4-wing caps.  I have encountered about 1 per 100 that are outright duds (they were nothing but copper).

4 Wing RWS caps:  best choice, but the most expensive.  Did experience fragmentation one time during battle from the soldier next to me, though I feel this was a fluke.

4 Wing Navy Arms caps: wings on the caps showed tearing after every firing, regardless of load, suggesting an unacceptable risk of fragmentation.  Every double-charged load caused fragmentation.  Price was comparable to the 4-Wing CCI caps, but they are difficult to find (at least here in Ohio).

Dynamit Noble Wingless caps:  least expensive and reliable, but had a much brighter flash when fired that could be disconcerting until the soldier gets used to it.  Also a risk of sparking in the eyes of soldiers on either side. Avoid if in infantry lines to prevent eye injury. If authenticity is important, you will need to pass on these anyhow as 4-wing caps are the period-correct choice.

6 Wing CCI caps:  fired hot and loud.  Price is nearly as inexpensive as the wingless caps.  Almost don't need a powder load when firing one of these.  Have not tested for fragmentation, but rumor has it that these are prone to fragment like the Navy Arms caps, though my experience suggest otherwise.  I find these acceptable, but only if the entire unit is using them as you will stand out due to how much louder they are.   They also have a bit more flash to them, but not as bad as the wingless Dynamit Noble caps.  If authenticity is important, you will need to pass on these as 4-wing caps are the period-correct choice.

Where's the Park?

Fort Wayne, IN

July 14-15, 2012

We had never been to this event in Fort Wayne, known as the Camp Allen Muster.  I stumbled across this one by accident looking for alternative events last year.  It was scheduled the same time as our usual event at McConnelsville, OH, but when it came up for a vote at our Regimental meeting, somehow Fort Wayne won out.  Capt Sharp had his concerns, since we knew nothing about the event.  All we really knew of it was that there were picture’s on the park’s website of members of the 19th Virginia from past events.  I had looked at the satellite view of the park from Google Maps, and the site looked of reasonable size.

But that Google Maps thing can really be deceiving.

The 1st TN attacking the fort. Nearly the entire park is in view.

I arrived Friday.  I drove up Spy Run Drive where the park was located and could see some of the fort buildings, so I knew I was at the site.  I saw what looked like some kind of private access road into the park with red wooden barricades, so thought the main entrance was perhaps up a bit.  I drove all the way up to the next streetlight, and there was nothing.  I turned to go around where the park was and passed by a gravel driveway at a trailhead, but nothing to indicate an entrance to the park.  I drove all the way around the park and came back to that access road.  I did not know what else to do, so I turned down the road.  About fifty feet down I came to a stop and asked a couple setting up an apparent sutler tent about registration and who I need to talk to, to which they pointed me in the right direction.  I looked around at the park—at the fort which took about one third of the panorama, the access road, which was really a large walkway, that went along a river on the left side, forking in front of my car to lead directly to the fort about one hundred feet in front of me, and I noted two buildings beside me.  It looked neat, but I kept wondering where the rest of the park was.  I could not imagine where I would even park my car, much less where some tents might be set up.

Except—that was the entire park.  Okay, we had complained about the small battlefield at Jackson, Michigan.  Four battalions fight on that battlefield and barely have room to maneuver.  Well, this entire park in Fort Wayne, Indiana, would fit in that battlefield in Michigan.  We figured this was probably about the size of the park we have to work with at the Durbin Bean Bake.

About sixteen (eleven rifles) of 1st Tennessee showed up.  The 50th Virginia was also there, although they had no privates arrive—all were NCOs or officers.  I guess they ended up demoting a few of them.  Major Duane (last name) of the Independent Guard was there, falling in the 50th VA, his old unit.  The Federal force was the 44th Indiana, who I do not think I had ever met before.  In total, there were about twenty soldiers per side. Col Julian of the Independent Guard was also there.  Col Julian did ask if I was going to join him on the battalion staff, but Capt Sharp needed the rifles, so I informed him I would be a private under JR this weekend.

Col Julian asked if he could play captain over the combined Confederate force, as a company, and asked Capt Sharp if he would play Lieutenant.  JR was rather reluctant, but he agreed in order to please his colonel.

We drilled for a bit on Saturday as a combined company.  Capt Sharp did not think Col. Julian had ever been a captain of a company, to which I replied that perhaps he was using this event as an excuse to try out being a captain.  It is a bit different from being colonel, and I know that in reenacting it is always enjoyable to experience something new.

Our drill soon turned into a skirmish as the Federals decided to intrude on our drill.  It was certainly refreshing seeing blue coats itching to play with us.

The main battle started not long after our drill.   There is not much to say about what happened, since the area is so small to work in.  The Federals pushed out from fort.  We pushed back—the rebels won.

JR took us through a lot of drill later, but we needed it, and it was good.  We worked out a few more kinks.

A fire ban provided an unfortunate experience.  Due to the drought we have been experiencing, we were not allowed a campfire. This meant no hot water for coffee or cleaning guns, and no bacon and eggs for breakfast (which is a staple for me).  The fire ban was not the fault of the park—it is just something that happens.  They were kind enough to provide coffee and a continental breakfast for us.  Some of us used the hose to flush cold water through their guns.  The park officials allowed us access to hot faucet water, and suggested possibly running water through the coffee makers to get near boiling water, which I think a few of us did.  I simply used my fallback method of using nothing but blackpowder solvent when hot water is not available—takes a bit longer and uses a lot more cleaning patches, but mine comes out the cleanest gun.  I had even bet Capt Sharp that he could not get a mark on my hand from rubbing the ramrod end into the breach of my rifle—a bet I won.

Saturday supper was catered fried and baked chicken, with the reenactors providing potluck sides.  It was a good meal.

Cpl Moore (Girth) and Pvt Springer (Mercer) spent some time that evening with the Federals that stationed in the fort.  When they returned some time after dark, they were excited about the 44th Indiana.  “These are like the best Federals ever!” they said.  They even said that if they had not liked JR and 1st Tennessee so much, they would be Federal with the 44th.  The fort had fans, TVs refrigerators—all the modern conveniences.  The 44th were enjoying pizza.  Girth and Mercer were harping on how cool all that was—this coming from the guys who always campaign next to the campfire every night.

Capt Sharp with Little Pud, his prize from the festival.

One major negative of this event is that occurred during some kind of major festival of some sort.  This festival, which had a rock concert every evening (which at least ended by 11 pm).  The festival was tolerable even though it was across the river from us, but it would have been nice if was not there.  An air boat gave rides down the river, which was not tolerable—every time air boat came past he opened up the throttle and drowned out all other sounds, even our own thoughts.  However, the coordinators did say they were looking at rescheduling the event for the end of October in 2013.  We gave the some tips on how to avoid conflicts with our schedule and with significant events.

There were some issues of parking cars—they had us park either across the street or around the corner, both of which competed against the festival.  One car vandalized, so they allowed us to park cars within the park, which was patrolled.  I would strongly recommend parking within the park during the night—if they continue to allow that—and then parking in one of the lots in the morning.

The public walked through the park, following the trail all day, starting at daybreak, going to late at night, never trying closing.  The security was there to prevent any issues.

Sunday was much more laid back.  No morning drill, and nothing planned until the battalion—er company drill—at 1 pm.  The drill was little more than marching around the park and firing at the fort.  The battle started shortly after.  It started with us in possession of the fort and the Federals trying to drive us out.  The final objective was for us to take their artillery piece.  One thing is for sure—the 44th Indiana does like to play.  We sometimes have a hard time finding blue targets that like to give us a challenge.  I hope we run into the 44th again.

Although the park was small—you really could not have more than 40 or so reenactors—it was an excellent event.  There is no hope to see cavalry there due to it’s small size.  The festival was a problem, along with the airboat rides that stormed up and down the river, but the coordinators are looking at changing the date of the event to late October in 2013, so the festival and other noise issues should not be around.  It is located just north of downtown Fort Wayne, so security is a bit important.  They let us park our cars on the grounds (right by our tents) overnight where a security guard patrolled, and I would strongly recommend doing so, and the relocating the cars back to the parking lot in the morning.  This event was opposite McConnelsville, which is what we usually do on this date, so I asked Capt Sharp which event he thought was better—he gave his vote for Fort Wayne.  A powder bounty was also given to us, much to our surprise, which equated to about a third of a pound each.

I think we all had a good time at this event.  The big events with something planned every hour have their place and are enjoyable, but these small events give us time to spend together.  I am sure Fort Wayne is an event we will attend again.

The Battle of Blacklick Creek

Reynoldsburg, OH
June 23-24, 2012

Someone is calling this Ohio's largest Civil War reenactment, but I'm not sure where they get that.  It is large,  and definitely in the running for the largest, but the Confederate side only had three companies to form the single battalion.  There were something like four artillery pieces per side, and perhaps 15 cavalry--which are impressive numbers.  Blue targets on foot were also impressive--but appeared to be about equal to us. I would like to know how they qualify the Reynoldsburg as the largest in Ohio.  I am under the understanding that Hale Farm shows two full battalions per side.  Fort Recovery's numbers aren't quite up to Reynoldsburg, but they aren't far off--I think last year had more Rebels, but lacked comparable Yankees.

But anyway, it was an excellent weekend.  Saturday had two battles, and one battle for Sunday.  Plus Saturday lunch and dinner provided, along with a healthy Sunday breakfast.  None of it was period food--but who's noticing anyhow?  The number of sutlers there was also quite extensive.  At least two gunsmiths, and three large sutlers.  The number of sutlers, in my opinion, puts it in competition with the number of sutlers at Jackson, Michigan.  Jackson still has quite a bit more, but this is only the third year for this event as a full scale event on its own standing.   If based on the number of sutlers--this is definitely the largest event in Ohio.

Pvt Quinn Marcotte's camp

This weekend Capt. Sharp challenged the unit to go on the campaign--to prepare us for some of the nationals we were planning for 2013.  I packed up my knapsack with a full dog tent--complete with both ends--my skillet and plate, my lantern, my coffee pot (very important), poles for the dog, about seven stakes, and plenty of rope.  I topped it off my strapping one of my chairs to the package.  I stuffed both my haversacks with as much food as they could hold.  Once I parked my car, I cootered up, and attempted to put on the knapsack.  I could see the campsite from where I was parked--perhaps only about 200 yards, so I didn't worry about having problems going that far.  But after the third attempt at putting the knapsack on, I began to worry I would be able to get past my car.

I did finally get the pack on--with the poles swing every-which-way and the chair barely hanging on.  As I walked, I could feel the lantern and coffee pot bumping against my backside.  I had originally planned on walking in with my full cooler in my arms, as well, but thought better of it after working for the best way to carry my musket.

I did make it to camp without much trouble--but ascertained that this would be a bad idea if the hike was much longer.  I figured I might be able to go about a quarter to half a mile before dropping over dead.

I set up my dog tent, which was quite the experience since I had never done one before.  The poles I cut were a bit thin--but they were very green, so I figured they would do the job and not break.  It was a bit of a struggle trying to work a balancing act to get everything positioned so it wouldn't fall over, but I finally succeeded.  What I hadn't counted on was that the uprights were extremely flimsy--they would hold the dog, but they certainly wouldn't take the added weight of a canteen or lantern.  One could easily push down on the ridge pole and lower the top all the way to the ground.  The green uprights wouldn't snap, but it sure would spring up in a hurry like a trampoline once you let go.

I was surprised at how well I slept.  I had feared my back would ache halfway through the night, but the only  problem I ran into was a bit of achiness in my calves (I have no idea why).  I did struggle a bit to keep warm enough--some time during the night I lost my nightcap.  I had to use the kerchief in my pocket over my head.  The wool blanket was also just shy of warm enough.

Capt Sharp had a discussion with Colonel David Julian of the Independent Guard Battalion.  The 1st Tennessee is a member of this battalion, and I had expressed interest in running for the position of major on the battalion staff.  The captain ordered me to meet with the colonel, who brevetted me to the position of major for the weekend--or at least until Jackson in August when the elections are held (assuming I at least give the impression I know what I'm doing).  The officer who had been elected to the position of major was not there this weekend, and I had heard he had be brevetted to Lt Colonel.

Being green to command I was not sure what to expect.  I knew what I needed to do for battalion parade and all, but the battlefield was a bit different.  We had only three companies, which gave me third company as my wing.

The morning battle was a challenge.  It went well--we were supposed to lose, though.  Despite this, it had quite the thrill.  It started off standard enough, except the colonel quickly separated my wing off on the left, meaning my first command started at the first shot. 

We were beside an opening in the woods, and we know Federal cavalry might try to work their way through.  So I kept my attention on that hole while the wing attacked the enemy to our front.  I wasn't long before I saw some saddles approach the hole from the other side of the woods, so attempted to get my wing to refuse the flank, knowing they had to move quickly.  My idea was to about-face the company, left wheel them, then about-face.  They would be in perfect position to defend our flank.  Unfortunately, it didn't work out like that.  We knew their level of drill was not on par with the rest of us, but I was hoping they would simply trust me and do as I commanded, not worrying with the enemy to the front.  At the first command, "Right-about face", all I got were a few confused stares.  I finally pointed at the cav units, who were now breaking out of the hole, and said, "You have enemy to your flank!!!".  Somehow, they got into position and shooed them off.  When it happened again, my command simply changed to "Refuse the flank".  The captain did a better job of getting his men at that point.

The last time we had the cav problem I tried to get the wing into position, and was still struggling with them.  I heard someone shout at me from behind and turned and saw the 1st Tennessee about to barrel down on me.  "Now what do I do?" I thought.  I managed to get the men to fall back, but somehow the 1st Tennessee got split.  Their front rank was to the right of my wing, while their rear rank was to my left.  Well, at least we had a solid line with which to defend.

The battle ended fighting on two fronts.  The Federal cavalry was to our rear, while the Yankee infantry ran up our front.  I finally tried to decide whether or not I should sheave my sword--I was down to only one man left to command.

When the dead came back to life, we reformed the battalion to do the normal charge at the public.  When the Independent Guard does this, it is organized.  At the command "Charge," the bayonets are lowered, but the march step remains unchanged--the line is maintained.  The Rebel Yell starts at the command.

Unfortunately, not all units understand that this is the correct way of doing this per the drill manuals.  Many units, including many of the Federal units there that day, think that at the command "Charge", you lower the bayonet and start running full steam ahead.  This is not only totally FARBIE, but also very dangerous--what if you trip in your sprint toward the public?  Next thing you know, you've skewered some kid.

Now I go on this tangent to to explain what happened next.  Third company is not normally with the Independent Guard.  In fact, I was informed that the only time we see them is at this event.  At the command, "Charge", third company began a sprint to the crowd.  There was quite the look of terror on the colonel's face when he saw that.

The second battle was good as well.  I don't remember quite as much from it--it didn't hold quite the significant memories of the first, other than we won.  When we started our charge to the crowd, however, the colonel passed on the fix bayonet command, so the charge was done without bayonets.

Sunday I got up feeling good, despite sleeping on the ground.  My sleeping cap stayed on my head and this time I added my poncho on top of my blanket to keep warm.  I put on my frock and straw hat and got the fire going--it always seems I'm the first one up, so there's never a fire going other than a couple of embers.  What's an officer to do?

The officer's meeting for the battle was much better than Saturday.   The rank insignia must have been kept plenty warm overnight.  The planning was quick--Capt Steiner gave the colonel his two-headed quarter and allowed him to call for the victor of the day's battle. The only disappointment was that the tactical was canceled--for the third time in a row.  The past two years had rain as an excuse, but this weekend was dry.  But the excuse give was that with the tactical at 9am and the main battle at 1:30 pm, the men might be worn out for the battle and not be able to put on a good show.  The captains, however, were offered the opportunity to work with each other the hold a tactical of their own, if they desired.  

The colonel of a Federal battalion that was not otherwise present was there to rally both sides to help guide the future of this hobby--I believe he was from the Army of the Ohio.  He described how in the past units and battalions would have animosity toward each other and not even know why, finally to get together recently and decide to make a change.  What he had to say offered a great hope for the future of this hobby. Too many times I have seen units and leaders try too hard to assert themselves as the most import to this hobby at the cost of chasing away the reenactors who can truly make a difference to the future of this hobby.  Now, perhaps that they will start seeing that we are all peers, regardless of rank or affiliation.  The various units, battalions, and divisions can all work together to continue to improve this hobby--educating the pubic instead of chasing them away with infighting.  There's nothing better than shooting each other down during the battle, only to shake hands afterward, thanking each other for a good time and looking forward to the next.

The colonel also mentioned that the Ohio Village is planning a reenactment sometime next year--something that sounds quite the thrill to us all.  The Ohio Village is probably among the best places to hold a reenactment.  Having grown up in Columbus, I've been to the Village a number of times, and it would be spectacular what we could do on those grounds.  The only concern, which was brought up, was that the Columbus Crew stadium is nearby, and they held vulgar rock concerts there, where foul language could be heard from loud speakers from quite a distance away--perhaps if we encounter that, the Columbus Police will be happy to intervene, as they should have the first time that occurred.

After the meeting, the colonel discussed with the staff his intentions of a breastworks around the makeshift town we were to defend for the scenario.  The battalion was then formed and taken out to the battle field where we took the split rail fencing and bails of straw to secure ourselves for the battle.  During this time, Capt. Sharp notice a platoon of Federals crossing the end of the field, so ordered a few of his men after them--I guess the tactical was on again.  

Once the breastworks were finished, the colonel reformed the battalion and passed command to me to march them back to camp.  Not much to do, but it was an honor.

Back in camp, Pvt Silvers returned from his excursion after the Yankees and relayed his experience of retaking an artillery piece three times.

That afternoon battle was a thrill.  It surprised us that the Federals only chose one direction from which to attack us, making our defense much easier.  In order to have a good line-of-site to them, my wing had to form in front of the breastworks.  Fire was heavy.  I managed to get my pistol emptied somewhere.  I kept my eye on the colonel, and saw him signal me to advance.  Third company's captain must have also seen the signal as he ordered his me out--at the mosey.  As we were advancing out to outflank the Federals, I saw the 1st Tennessee double-quick into a line in front of us and realized that if we didn't hurry, we were going to miss the rest of the battle, so ordered them into the line at the double-quick.  At some point, the Rebel forces uncovered a Gatling gun and mowed down the surviving Federals--at least that was what I was told.  I was so occupied, I didn't notice the Gatling being brought out, even though I knew it was coming.  Yeah, we knew it probably was unlikely Confederates would have a Gatling gun, but it was withheld until the end of the battle, and was used only as a tool to bring the battle to a conclusion--not as something to be the center of attention.  I can only wonder at what the public's impression was.

We again had to do our final charge at the public to give them their thrill.  Despite all the implied warnings, I was concerned third company still didn't understand what we were saying, and it didn't help when we saw the Federals charge in chaos.  So I planted myself in the center of third company at the beginning of the march.  The colonel was requested to allow the fixing of bayonets, and he reluctantly agreed.  I know the concern was only with third company, so I made sure that everything could be done to minimize the concern.  As we approached, the colonel commanded, "Charge", where by first company charged bayonets, color company (1st Tennessee, which out of safety concerns, does not charge bayonets) held at port arms, and third company charged bayonets, then began running forward.  I caught them in time, about-facing and using my sword to force them to keep the line, ordering them to keep in the line.  I was surprised how well it worked.  The line was a bit jumbled, but their race to the finish changed to the organized march the charge was intended to be.

As a final say on third company--the 43rd Tennessee--I like them.  They are aggressive on the battlefield--a good thing--I had to halt their advance a few times to keep them from ending up in the middle of the fray--the captain was quick to command the advances.  I think that they just need to work on some drills.  The charge issue is more of a thing of the Independent Guard--we do things by the drill manuals, and the 43rd is not a member of our battalion.  I think if they spend a bit more time on their drills, they have the potential for being a crack unit out there--they have the heart and energy to do the job well.

I have to say that so far this was by far the best weekend of the year.  Stuffed silly and battling like crazy--even though my normal quantity of powder burnt reached near zero.

Local News Article

Sitting By the Roadside

Grove City, OH

June 2-3, 2012

Arriving late afternoon on Friday, I was surprised at how cool the weather had come, especially after suffering from 90 degrees plus last weekend.  I was the first one of the Confederates to arrive, so I looked around for someone to tells us where the Confederate camp was supposed to be.  I stumbled into the 76th Ohio's camp and asked them--who weren't much help.  They suggested I camp out a few miles down the highway.  I just smiled, nodded, and backed away quietly--off to look for someone with a clipboard who looked a bit frazzled (or at least hopefully so).  It took awhile, but I did stumble into just the person.

He gave us a general area--anywhere between this gravel walk and the treeline in the distance.  Since it seemed to balance us with the Federals and kept us reasonably close to the public, I choose to set camp right next to the gravel walkway.  I should have noticed the lamppost I was setting up underneath--but I was focused on getting my canvas up so that I could relax for the evening.

I never did experience nightfall.  That lamppost made my canvas shine like the morning sun all night long.

But we got to chat a bit with the sutlers set up across from our camp.  That's one thing I have to say about this event--the sutlers were far better that Sharon Woods, even though this was a decidedly smaller event.  I replaced my cartridge box with the sutlers we talked with for one that I could fit tins in (my regular box was too small for tins, and I have another box I use for Federal only as it has a "USA" plate on the front).  A few other of our unit found other items to add to their gear.

The event coordinators did not have anything planned for us other than to be living history.  It was a timeline event, though there seemed to be a bit lacking from the timeline.  I saw a bit from Rev War, and some scraps from here and there that I'm not real sure what they were representing.  Capt. Sharp got with Capt. Jenkins of the 76th OVI to get something going.  We held a morning drill, made a raid on a sniper up a hill, then held a small assault on the Federal forces.

The event has potential--there seems to be good ground for us to work in.  Perhaps if the event is held next year, we can do more for it, though I doubt the 1st Tennessee will put it on its official schedule like they did this year.  It makes for a good auxiliary (filler) event, but as a strong all-out event, it is quite lacking.  I'm looking forward to Reynoldsburg at the end of this month.

Living History in Middle School

May 25, 2012

Heritage Middle School

Hilliard OH

Setting up camp Thursday evening for a school day on a field at Heritage Middle School in Hilliard OH we saw promise as a handful of kids came to watch us set up.  We have seen many times where kids seem to know nothing about the Civil War and are left to wonder at the failing of our school system when they don’t teach history.  I’ve even heard the question, “So which war was the Civil War?”  But the teachers we encountered at Heritage Middle School had an honest passion for teaching their kids, and the kids had an honest passion for learning.

We demonstrated a little on Thursday—I performed a short speed-loading demonstration, firing off three rounds in a minute two seconds (a little slow for me).  They were even fascinated by watching Sgt Mott start the campfire with flint and steel.

We had to be very conservative with the wood for the campfire—we only had about enough wood to burn during the actual demonstrations, so extinguished the fire for the night.

Morning started early.  The school served Danishes at 6:30, and at around 7 the first group of eight graders came through.  We had four stations for the kids and had little break.  First station was Doc Gill for medical, a couple of the ladies demonstrated at another station, Sgt Mott and I demonstrating the soldier’s camp life and gear at a third station, and Sgt Shaw, Cpl Carte, and Pvt Wiseburger drilling at the fourth.  Each station was to last about half the class period so the kids could rotate through at least two stations per period.  We had about six or seven periods over the day, and I got to know Sgt Mott’s spiel pretty well by the end of the day.  Our sessions went long enough that we often missed when the kids rotated, not realizing they had switch sessions (sometimes they wondered between stations on their own) until we found ourselves repeating answers to questions.

It was  a good time, and we are looking forward to doing it again next year.

The Season Begins

Sharon Woods, Sharonville OH
May 19-20, 2012

Arriving Friday evening, we set up camp in rather cramped quarters.  Expecting to have sufficient space reserved for us, the camp organizers decided we didn't need all that space, so gave half our space to the Confederate Marines.  We somehow managed to make it work, though we occupied every square inch left to us.  We barely had space for a fire pit.

Rick Hahn of the 76th Ohio stopped by and chatted with us for a bit.  He's a good friend of the 1st Tennessee, and it is always a pleasure to make a target of him and his unit for the battle.  He was to be on the battalion staff for the battle.  He complained a bit of one of the Federal units--some "Red Legs" or something--a Kansas unit. Basically they were Jayhawkers.  As Capt JR Sharp put it--they might as well had been reenacting Al-Qaida. 

Not really a promising start.  But there are yahoos at every event--we can always make our fun through things.

Saturday morning brought us a new recruit--Shawn Swart.  He was looking for a unit to fall in with at Sharon Woods and got in touch with me through cwreenactors.com.  From everything I can tell of him, he's going to fit right in with our company.  I'm looking forward to seeing him more.  He joined us for a few Euchre games--said he hadn't played for 15 years, but I think he was just hustling us.  He and Matt Moser (aka "Satan") played against JR and I and broke our winning streak.  Unfortunately he did not get to fall in with us during the battle--the battalion commander felt some of the other units needed their numbers brought up so had him fall in with the 9th Kentucky.

The battle was hot, but it seemed to go slow--nothing but straight forward and back for the better part of the battle.  Capt. Sharp finally got bored and double-quicked us into a flanking position around the Federal forces; which, in my opinion, should have been done much sooner.  After all, General Lee is famous for flanking the enemy, so I'd assume most of the decent leaders in battle would also attempt to outflank the enemy whenever they could.  We did got a lot of heavy fire in--many of nearly emptied our cartridge boxes. My musket got so hot that even the stock around the barrel was starting to get too hot to handle.

I'm not really sure how to convey my overall impression of the weekend, other than that it had a sort of "weird" jibe.  Maybe it was the Kansas Jayhawker unit.  Maybe it was from being cramped up.  Maybe it was the near zero sutlers (unless you needed a hoop skirt). Maybe I'm just crazy.  I enjoyed the weekend--but it felt weird.  If Sharon Woods conflicts with Conner Prairie again next year, I might throw my vote in for Conner Prairie.

The Sunday battle was a big improvement over Saturday, even though we were supposed to lose on Sunday.  We lost a few soldiers, but gained Shawn, the new recruit.  Our objective was to support the Confederate retreat, starting in the town.

Our unit deployed as skirmishers beside the train depot.  Cpl Jeff Carte and I were deployed on the other side of the depot to prevent being flanked.

The federals pushed us pretty good--in fact it was a bit more than we had expected, which is always good since normally they don't seem to push at all.  We were to hold the Federals back as long as we could, then the plan was that at the bend from the village to the main battlefield, Capt Sharp would take a hit as the signal for us to start dying in progression--and have our line fall apart as the Federals fired on us.

The fire was heavy.  The hip machine-gun fire from the Henrys went ignored.  We were pushed back to the bend and held fast as long as we could, then JR went down.

At first we were slow to take hits.  I still had a number of rounds, so was indecisive about when I should go down.  But when Sgt Mott went down, we all started dropping like flies.  It seemed barely 30 seconds from when Sgt Mott went down when the only ones left were Sgt Nyman and myself.  I formed up beside him and he immediately warned me he was going down.  The Yankees seemed a little slow to offer that opportunistic shot, but it came and Jack was down.  Since I was the only one left, I looked over the Yankee line to see if I would get a shot from them, but none seemed ready to shoot.  It felt silly standing there waiting  to be shot, so I loaded my musket, all the time hoping a shot would come before my musket would be considered "hot" and therefore should be fired before I went down.  But no such luck for me--the shot from the Yankees only came as I was firing my musket.  Well, I did go down right in front of the public--I hope it was quite a show for them.

The weather for the weekend could not have been better--cool enough at night to require two blankets, but sunny and almost too warm during the day.  Those that campaigned it didn't complain much about the cold--they found ways to keep themselves comfortable by the fire during the night.