To the Men of the Pioneer Platoon

[Bushrod Carter]

Men of the Pioneer Platoon,

Thank you for giving me such a fantastic experience this past weekend! In doing this hobby for 21 years, this past weekend was a first for me. I appreciate your confidence in me, and again I will say, it was a tremendous honor for me to have marched with you this past weekend. Our small platoon, made up from so many different mess and individuals, came together as a unit and solidified more quickly than any I've participated with in the past. Unity of purpose and desire made the Pioneers the best unit on the field this past weekend.

Special thanks go to Steve Acker and the event hosts for allowing us this experience. Steve gave us the "rope" to act as an independent pioneer command, worked with us to do the things we desired while at the same time working our abilities into the expectations and needs of the battalion.

Special thanks also goes to Nate Petersburg for his willingness to step up and lead as platoon sergeant after a "long winter's nap." And, as expected, his abilities and leadership weren't even rusty! I hope we all see more of Mr. Petersburg in the near future.

Also, thank you to each of the corporals for ably leading your sections. Each of you did a fantastic job!

Last, but not least is a big thank you to each of the men who did EVERYTHING that was expected and asked of you and more, without a single complaint or question. You worked through the heat, through short rations, and through bloody blisters to make the experience better for EVERYONE at the event. Simply OUTSTANDING!

The Pioneers worked as a TEAM and MADE things happen - not only with axes, but with rifles as well, to protect the battalion, when it needed you! Who else double quicked, after felling trees and hauling head logs, to defend a position and then counter attacked hurling the enemy back in a disorganized route? TWICE!

I look forward to marching with each of you again, and I hope we will all wear the crossed hatchets again as a unit.

Until next time, when it will be my pleasure to serve with you all again, I am,

Patrick Craddock
late 2nd Lt., Com'd'g Pioneers

[Dale Beasley]

Pat,
Those Boys did real good.

[Steamboat Willie]

Pat,

Those Boys owe me 20 rounds.:)

Best Regards,

The twice captured,

[blackhattertuck]

Boys,

The sound of chopping axes and falling trees REALLY put me in the right place and time on Saturday night. I cannot complement the Pioneer Platoon more. You guys were awesome!

[confederal]

As being part of the pioneer platoon, I can say I had an excellent weekend. It was a great experience and hope that I will be able to participate in something like that again in the future for I will be keeping my crossed axes!

Here's to all the pioneers!

[PVT.THIB]

I declare the Pioneer Boys sure do make good guards for us Jonnies! I want to thank you boys for making my captivity a memorible one.

[paulcalloway]

Thanks for all of your hard work on that "Ferry Crossing".

[tenfed1861]

Y'all looked good this weekend.Y'all did a great job building works to hold us off.Too bad we couldn't return the favor of holding a few of y'all captive.

[Daryl Black]

Pat,

Thanks for the opportunity to do something I've always wanted to do. The weekend exceeded my most ambitious imaginations.

Reb prisoners,

Thanks for being good sports.

Platoon-mates,

I haven't had that much fun at a LH/reenactment in a long, long time. Wannnna play check?

[Steve Acker]

From the creek crossing, to the putting up our works during the battle, to assisting us in giving what for to our jean cloth chums, thanks you. Seeing a group jell as quickly and as tightly as you guys did in such a small amount of time is a direct result of good people led be good people. Way to go Pat, Nate and the rest for you guys added another layer to the event, a layer guys will talk about for a long time to come.

Steve Acker
Only 3 ticks so far. Aftaid to look where the sun never shines

[Csayankee]

Great Job guys, specially Saturday Evening, however I still can't get the picture of you boys pushing back the Confed attack. I think I may be scared for life.

[GWHall]

Being a part of this platoon is in my top experiences of my ten years of the insanity that is reenacting/living history. I would gladly fall in with any members of the platoon again, and I extend a huge thank you to Pat Craddock and Nate Petersburg for leading us with such a positive attitude and resolve. As the event went on and I grew more and more tired, the leadership from the two of you were an inspiration to keep going. After the all of the work through the weekend, our final march past the Federal battalion on Sunday, hearing the kind words from every company as we passed was quite a moment for myself.

Thanks to everyone who was in the platoon, helped organize the platoon, helped organized both the Fed and Johnny battalions, and the event. I'll remember this one a long time.

[C.R. Henderson]

KEEP 'EM SHARP PIONEERS!!!! Out standing job guys. Who knew woodcraft could be so much fun!:D

[theknapsack]

This was definitely one of my favorite impressions. Thanks for allowing us to be pioneers, Pat, Steve, and all you Armory Guards folks! I liked battling with my shirt off as well. Got me in touch with my roots.

[PVT.THIB]

Riley, you were the funnest guard to mess with! I don't know how you got me up that hill with me dragging my feet. I guess that loaded weapon to my back helped a bit.

[MarkTK36thIL]

One of the most unique and fantastic experiences I've had in reenacting. If I may say so myself, we were a mirror match for those of General Order's #3.

Officer and NCOs did a awesome job managing us, keeping an eye out for safety, and encouraging us to keep chopping. Hearing the cheers coming from the Buckeyes and rebs when the trees came down gave a great feeling to be a pioneer.

The Buckeye engineers of Co. G gave many suggestions rock placement and we repayed the favor by keeping them cool in that Georgia heat, and the "Ferry Crossing" joke is the most memorable one-liner I can think of.

While I never did get to see a scorpian, there is just nothing like here a WHACK!, hearing a crack, and the whoosh of a 80 ft. pine tree coming to the ground. To see those raw stumps all behind the breastworks is a first time experience for many, and I hope to do again soon.

[Eric Tipton]

To the Pioneer Platoon - Great Job!

We gave you a lot of grief, cheers, pine cones and jeers along the banks as you boys were placing those stones for the foot bridge - all in good fun. We actually appreciated the cool shower as we were working up quite a sweat watching you boys work that hard. I'd say we pretty much deserved it. ;)

Seeing the trees fall while we had various sniping going on was one of my memorable period moments. Watching you untangle various and larger trees from the branches was a treat as well. Actually having a headlog was also quite a luxury. All weekend, we watched you guys work your a**es off and my hat goes off to you for that.

[Pat.Lewis]

Wannnna play check?

They'uns ain't no good at checkers. But I do think I'll have a club sandwich...extra mayo.

Seriously, that was one impression I couldn't have been happier with. In all honesty, as cohesive as we were, as efficiently as we worked together, and as interesting a learning experience as this weekend was, it will be hard to return to a line company in the future.

Pioneers, believe me, the way we worked this weekend proved a whole lot to me about how quickly veteran troops could throw up a formidable position. Once the axmen got in a groove we were frighteningly efficient. All my tours at Chickamauga this summer will be going out to Battleline Road to talk about constructing log works. Those Confederates, hearing the axes work throughout the night of Sept. 19th, must have absolutely dreaded assaulting that ever-strengthening wall in the morning (as the fellows across from us this weekend may have some idea, I'll wager).

A few hours work made our hill virtually impenetrable, and that's frightening to think about in life-and-death terms.

[trippcor]

I have to say I thought our works were impressive until I say what the pioneers had built on y'alls side Sunday afternoon while cleaning up after the event. I am sure glad we did not have to try and take those works. I am not sure event out 12 pounder would have punched a hole in them.

[MarkTK36thIL]

We gave you a lot of grief, cheers, pine cones and jeers along the banks as you boys were placing those stones for the foot bridge - all in good fun. We actually appreciated the cool shower as we were working up quite a sweat watching you boys work that hard. I'd say we pretty much deserved it. ;)

It is times like those that you really get a first person experience. Besides, the organization of the Pioneer Brigade wasn't all that well received when Regt. commanders realized they were giving up 20 of their best men and 1 capable officer. So, I guess "we" deserved it too!

[plankholder]

What really struck me was how fast and efficently the platoon worked, it really put in perspective how quickly the armies would have stripped an area. The whole element really added depth to the weekend, and speaking for those of us down in the "bowling alley" of a road-those thick pine headlogs were really, really,really appreciated. Bully Job Fellas, thanks. Eli Geery, Co.E

[huntdaw]

But Tripp, they had axes. We didn't have anything except weak minds, strong backs and deadfall to work with. :)

One question I had about that tree chopping thing. Most state parks/historic sites would have an immediate coronary if someone came in and started chopping down trees. Were the pioneers given carte blanche to cut down anything they wanted, or were they trees that needed to be taken out and were marked in some way? I assume we were in a place that had been predetermined for that part of the event so it would be an easy task for park staff to tag dying trees, invasive species etc and let the pioneers have some fun while doing them a favor. Or, did you guys just go around chopping down whatever struck your fancy?

[Steve Acker]

The rangers gave the Pioneers the okay to do what you saw them do. Soft wood and dead were the orders and the Pioneers did their business.

Steve Acker

[Pat.Lewis]

Soft wood and dead were the orders and the Pioneers did their business.


So now there aren't any pines left standing within about 150 yards of the Federal line. If we could have clear cut everything, we may have been even more efficient getting works thrown up. I don't know that I would have wanted to chop hardwood, though. Pine wore me out enough.

[Bushrod Carter]

Were the pioneers given carte blanche to cut down anything they wanted, or were they trees that needed to be taken out and were marked in some way?

Two words: EVENT PLANNING

[Jim of The SRR]

You Pioneers did a FINE, FINE job! I was duly impressed with the spirit and elan you put into the effort. The teamwork was great and it was enjoyable for all of us to watch y'all go to work. It is even more fun when the Confederates counterattacked our right and you responded to teh call rapidly to close up our flank.

Regards,
Jim Butler
known as Adjutant, 29th Ohio

[confederal]

Jackets or no jackets...shirts or no shirts...we pioneers were ready. It was awesome when the rebs made that assault because it was so sudden and when I heard Pat giving out orders to grab your arms and move over to the right flank..I had gotten in so much of a hurry I didnt even grab my own gun and I had just taken one and ran over to the right flank as quick as I could. Then there was the time we fought with our shirts off...

[Pat.Lewis]

Then there was the time we fought with our shirts off...

Do I perhaps smell a Pioneer-themed prequel to They Died With Their Boots On? "They Fought With Their Shirts Off."

...dibs on the Errol Flynn role.

[Daryl Black]

Why is it no surprise you'd speak for the Flynn part?

[TKlas]

To the men of the Pioneers,

You gents were excellent and added immensely to the living history experience for many at the event. The sound of axes on Saturday evening preparing the works will be a fond memory while we were setting the picket posts of the battalion.

Congratulations for an impression well done and for the quickest switch from axes to rifles I had ever seen during the Sunday morning assault of our works.

Tom

[paulcalloway]

If the Confederates had launched a silent assault on Saturday night around 5 PM, they could have gotten within about 20 feet of our lines without raising any suspicion. Every set of eyes on our lines was faced to the rear watching the pioneers do their work.

[PieBoy96]

Sounds like the Pioneer Platoon was quite a hit last weekend. Wish I could have made the event to see it in action!

If anyone is interested, on June 13-15, the Liberty Rifles is hosting a living history at Stones River Battlefield, TN portraying the Pioneer Brigade (Army of the Cumberland). We will actually be clearing a ROAD through the woods on original ground... so lots of trees will be coming down! We will also be doing some unique demonstrations for the public of the dual capabilities of the pioneers. Right now we have over 20 men coming, but a few last minute additions are MORE than welcome. For $10, we will be providing cooked food and an appropriate yellow pioneer insignia to be worn on the left sleeve (as per an account by a member of the Pioneer Brigade).

If you want to use that axe some more, drop me a PM and I can send you some additional information, impression guidelines, etc. Do it soon so I can get your name in for food.

Also check out Cody Harding's article on the Pioneer Brigade: http://www.libertyrifles.org/research/pioneerbrigade.html



(Mods----Paul C. gave me the OK to post this here in the Pioneer discussion thread)

[Eugene Haley]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for a really fun event. It was a blast and I would do it again in a heart beat. Cutting down them big ol' Georgia pines, making a brush pile I am sure the park hates us for and getting called to protect our right flank were things you don't get to experience very often. It was a pleasure serving with everyone and I too will be keeping my crossed axes awaiting to be called upon again.