Learn to talk like a true Civil War Soldier

http://celticfringe.net/history/vocab.htm

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Poem of Pvt. Miles O'Reilly

Thirty-seven (Poem) by Private Miles O'Reilly

APRIL 20, I864
BY PRIVATE MILES O'REILLY

THREE years ago today
'We raised our hands to heaven,
And on the rolls of muster
Our names were thirty-seven ;
There were just a thousand bayonets,
And the swords were thirty-seven,
As we took the oath of service
With our right hands raised to heaven.

Oh 'twas a gallant day,
In memory still adored.
That day of our sun-bright nuptials
With the musket and the sword':
Shrill rang the fifes, the bugles blared,
And beneath a cloudless heaven
Twinkled a thousand bayonets,
And the swords were thirty-seven.

Of the thousand stalwart bayonets
Two hundred march today;
Hundreds lie in Virginia swamps,
And hundreds in Maryland clay;
And other hundreds, less happy, drag
Their shattered limbs around.

And envy the deep, long, blessed sleep
Of the battle-field's holy ground.
For the swords—one night, a week ago,
The remnant, just eleven,
Gathered around a banqueting board
With seats for thirty-seven;

There were two limped in on crutches,
And two had each but a hand
To pour the wine and raise the cup
As we toasted "Our flag and land!"

And the room' seemed filled with whispers
As we looked at the vacant seats,
And, with choking throats, we pushed aside
The rich but untasted meats;

Then in silence we brimmed our gl*****,
As we rose up—just eleven,
And bowed as we drank to the loved and the dead
Who had made us THIRTY-SEVEN.

Keeping warm

The Spoon and the Taco

Many times, Civil War events can get downright nipply. What can you do to help prevent your sleeping area from becoming an ice box? Well, you could do what I do. Namely, spoon with your pards. This technique involves packing in tight with your homeys and sharing bodily warmth. Homophobia is nice, but it won't keep you warm at night. Now, what do you do when you have no pards with which to spoon? I propose a technique that I have named The Taco. What you do is:
1) Lay down a ground cloth. This will keep you dry. If you don't have a gum blanket (shame on you) you can try a shelter half. Personally, I save my shelter half for my feet.
2) Lay down all your blankets. You would be surprised how much heat your body loses to the ground. Having a blanket (or several) underneath you will keep you warmer than having all your blankets on top of you. In this case all your blankets will go under you (at first.)
3) Lie down. (Did you think you were going to stand all night?)
4) Grab one edge of the mass of stuff you are lying on and pull it completely over you. You should wind up lying on one half of the pile and under the other half. Otherwise you did something wrong and you probably are a degenerate. Do you see what you have done? You have effectively doubled the amount of cover for yourself. If you have two blankets and one ground cloth, let's say, then you are lying on one ground cloth and two blankets and also under two blankets and one ground cloth. The blankets under you will help hold in warmth from the ground, and the ground cloth over top of you will keep out the wind. You don't have as much wiggle room, but it will keep you warmer. Make sure you don't pull the closed end of the taco too tightly. This keep heat from escaping directly through the blankets. It's also a good idea to tuck your feet in to keep them warm. I like to use my shelter half to tuck in my feet. It keeps the wind out pretty well, and there is enough of it to get good coverage. If your camp has a fire, sleep next to it with the open side of the taco towards it for convection heating.

 

I got this off another website that didn't have the author's name.....so if any knows who wrote this please post their name so we can regonize them.

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Staying dry

http://www.gavolbn.org/StayingDry.htm

toad Suck...toad Suck...toad Suck...park

Fort Gibson Heritage Days

This comming weekend..April 21 will be the muster at the ole Fort! Be thar! It will be most fun. Preston and Tom are supposed to play Saturday night for a jollification!

Fort Gibson Oklahoma just East of Muskogee. Muskogee is 30 miles north of I-40

SgtMajor No More

Preston Ware is not SgtMjr of the TMVI anymore! He had a long run of it though...1998 to 2007. One fellow said he was the Strom Thurmon of reenacting. ha ha Ironicly...he was awarded a plaque for his long-time services at the very event where he declined to run for the post again. Dont be surprised if you see him in the 3rd Arks ranks alot more!

personal note: I am sure gonna miss those stripes! and sure, werent they glorious?

Great Video of Gettysburg

PL sent us this link to a YouTube video of a Gettysburg reenactment. Looks like the 145th to me. I think I saw Ron Cates. Its really very good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDxrB9-7tHY

paste the above link into your browser.

Ample Bosom

[The Texas Brigade were]...full of good-humor and confidence in themselves and in their general, Hood. They answered the numerous taunts of the Chambersburg ladies with cheers and laughter. One female had seen fit to adorn her ample bosom with a huge Yankee flag, and she stood in the door of her house, her countenance expressing the greatest contempt for the barefooted Rebs; several companies passed her without taking any notice, but at last a Texan gravely remarked, "Take care, madam, for Hood's boys are great at storming breastworks when the Yankee colors is on them." After this speech the patriotic lady beat a precipitate retreat.

Hoods Brigade enjoys a "jollification"

About noon, they forded the Potomac and entered Williamsport in a hard, driving rain. There the men stacked arms and built fires to dry their clothing, but there was little or nothing to eat.To warm his men, General Hood kindly ordered that each man be issued a gill (a quarter of a pint) of some captured whiskey. The non-drinkers shared their rations with their less temperate comrades, and, according to Texan John Stevens,

...inside of half an hour there was more drunk men in Williamsport than I think I ever saw in my life. ...some laughed, some cried, some hooped and yelled, some cussed and swore, others ripped and tore and called for gore. It kept the sober boys busy to keep the drunk ones from killing each other. Soon some fell by the wayside, helpless, and were dumped into wagons and ambulances, and hauled the balance of the day.

Just at this place the state of Maryland is only seven miles wide. On we move, and about 5 p.m. we reach the Pennsylvania line....We march a mile or two into Pennsylvania and stopped for the night near the city of Greencastle....Hood's division on that day performed a feat never performed by any troops during the war. We ate breakfast in Virginia, dinner in the state of Maryland, supper in the state of Pennsylvania and slept in the state of intoxication--four states in 24 hours....

Hoods Brigade apperance

Hood's Brigade as they appeared in May, 1863:

"May 6.  They have been down on the Blackwater towards No[r]folk; and are on their way back to Gen. Lees army. We can hear their Band playing "Old John Brown came tearing out of the Wilderness."

I stop to see them and here I find my brother Hale Foster [a member of the 4th Texas band] -- he is bare footed carrying a frying pan and a blanket.

Taken all together they are the hardest lot of men I ever met -- If this is soldiering, then it is certain we have not seen any yet -- These men have no baggage wagons -- Carry all their baggage and cooking utensils on their backs, and are not burdened at that.

-- Bare footed men are plenty -- some were bare headed -- some had pieces of clothing on. Some had a piece of meat sticking on his Bayonett [sic]. Some had his frying pan stuck on his gun barrel -- as a convenient way to carry it." excerpt from a 24th Texas soldiers diary

Flag Presentation in 1861

The Ashely Volunteers became part of the glorious 3rd ARK and VanManning their leader!

 "Captain Manning, in behalf of the ladies of Hamburg, I present to you and your gallant company, this silken flag. 'Tis a token of the confidence with which we contemplate your energy and lofty patriotism. Long may it wave.' Shield it from the accursed hand of tyranny, until the ruthless weapon of the enemy shall sever the arm which bears it, from the body! Though some may fall in the contest, the South must finally conquer; for right and justice will prevail. Remember that your liberty, your prosperity, your social relations, your future glory,' and even your existence as a free and independent race are endangered!"

"God and our rights, it was their cry.

When your fathers of old went forth to die;

They conquered in death, and so shall we,

Men of the South, ne'er bend the kneel"

"Stand by that flag, 'tis the flag of the Confederate States of America: May it bear the glad tidings of triumph and liberty, when it floats o'er the nation in warl Then, when peace again sheds o'er our country her genial dews -- when you shall have returned as conquerors -- the friends whom you now leave in sadness will greet you with tears of delight; your State will encircle you with here [sic) praise -- her sons will bring their tribute of honor -- her daughters will meet you with smiles of approval -- and you will be hailed as energetic and patriotic men! Your deeds will remain as bright as 'the stars vaulted heavens at night,' and when the dust falls upon your shrouds, you will have living monuments in grateful hearts that will not crumble to decay."

You might be a civil war reenactor if...

> If you drive by some open land and think "what a great place for a
> battle".........
>
> If you've made a vehicle purchase decision based on how well it can
> accomodate your tent poles.........yep
>
> If your $20,000 vehicle sits out in the bad weather so your $200
> tent can
> stay in the garage.......
>
> If most of your clothes you own went out of style over 135 years
> ago.......
> yep
>
> If you've ever worn wool when the temperature tops 100F
> repeatedly.......
> yep
>
> If you've ever made a career decision based on its impact on your
> reenacting weekends.......
>
> If you've ever uttered the phrase "only 68 more days till our next
> event".......
>
> If there are half completed sewing projects decorating your
> furniture.......
>
> If you have better war stories than your grandfather.........
>
> If your friends refuse to attend any historic movie dramas with
> you......... yep. Family too.
>
> If your kids can and do correct their history teachers....... yep
>
> If your mailman is confused as to what rank you hold in the
> reserves.......
>
> If your birthday and Christmas wish list read like a quartermaster's
> request for supplies....... yep
>
> If you can spot 100% wool at 30 yards....... yep
>

If the only sewing machine you'll allow in your home was made before
the turn of the last century.

If you name your cat "Shiloh" because Manassas, Antietam, and
Appomattox just aren't suitable names for a cat.

If you wear those funny looking glasses all the time.

If you grow your hair and/or beard in 19th century styles.

If your idea of a dream vacation is to go to Andersonville on
Memorial Day.

If you plan all other activities around re-enacting season.

If April 15 has more significance to you than the deadline for filing
your taxes.

If your "favorite sellers" list on ebay is composed of those who sell
re-enactment supplies and Civil War artifacts.

If you would rather sleep on the ground and suffer from the heat and
cold than spend a weekend at Disneyworld.

If you go to bed at night and fall asleep thinking about how you can
make your impression more realistic.

If you build a firepit in your back yard so you can practice cooking
new recipes over an open fire.

If you go to a lot of garage sales and flea markets looking for
original equipment.

If all of your computer passwords contain the names of Civil War
battlefields.

If you listen to CD's of bugle calls in your vehicle.

Way cool website

Thank You Preston for your work on this site.  This is realy impressive. PL

Civil War reenactor suffers real wound on Anderson battlefield

ANDERSON, S.C. --History says the Battle of Anderson County was fought in May 1865 with no Confederate casualties. One participant in Saturday's reenactment wasn't so lucky.

The battle recreation had to be stopped for about 30 minutes after a Confederate cavalryman with the Laurens Orphans suffered a gunpowder burn to the leg and a cut that appeared to need stitches, said Allen Ashley, commander of the John Thomas Ashley Camp No. 43 in Honea Path.

"This is the first time this has happened," Ashley said. "We've never had one wounded in the field. It's a freak accident."

Gunpowder and wadding are used in the weapons during the reenactment, which can injure anyone close to the muzzle when the weapon is fired, Union reenactor Chris Darden said.

"In close combat, you have to raise your gun up and go over their heads," Darden said.

The Battle of Anderson County was fought May 1, 1865, nearly a month after General Robert E. lee surrendered his troops at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. It is considered by some historians the last fighting of the Civil War east of the Mississippi River.

No Confederates were injured in the battle, while the Union suffered two casualties.