Thank You Company B

[Hairy Nation Boys]

I would like to thank the men of company B for all their hardwork this past week. Not one person complained if you had a detail or guard. None of you complained when we were going to have a night off of guard but yet were asked to guard the prisoners we captured.

And most importantly thank you for being patient with me. As you know this was only the 2nd time in my life that I have been an officer. I made some mistakes but you all took it with ease and acceptance. In two years lets get the band back together!


You made me very proud to have been your captain.

Take care,

Holler

[LibertyHallVols]

Holler,

You did a right fine job! You learned quickly and had good control of your company. Also, I would like to thank you for recognizing the seriousness of Scottie's case on Thursday night as more than just "the chills" and getting us up and taking action. It could have been a lot worse had it not been for your quick thinking.

[NewHopeChurch]

I'll second that. :-p

[MarkTK36thIL]

Weather on Friday morning (http://www.weather.com/outlook/driving/interstate/pastweather/hourly/USLA0335?stn=0&when=031309)
The weather didn't break 40 degrees for most of the day.

I had a great time Holler, and I enjoyed cooking for the company. Looking forward to serving with you again.

[Cravens]

Root hog or die!! Still have not adjusted to normal life yet. Company B........you guy's are forever my friends. I finally fell asleep for those of you who not what I am talking about in the S#$% A&* platoon. Again thanks for everything to those who were there.

David B. Cravens
Hog S!@#
Hairy Nation Boys

[Ben Piazza]

Glad to hear you finally got some sleep Hog. And Mark, the stew Thursday night was what kept most of us going through the night I think.

Holler you did a fantastic job and it was a great honor serving under you. Had the time of my life and I won't forget it.

[regularyank]

I had a great time in company B! Best event for me so far. I was so impressed on how every one came together to get through thursday night.

[boozie]

I would like to thank Holler for doing a great job in leading us. I would also like to thank everyone in the company for pitching in and getting it done. I'm not sure about the SA stuff anymore. I think after Thursday night we made a new name for ourselves; the "Lumberjack Company." Everyone pitched in there, we stayed warm and ate because every man pitched in bringing wood to the camp.

It was an honor to serve with every one of you!

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Good job Lumberjack Company!

And also before I forget...

Thank you to Lt. Arnold
Orderly Sgt. Busenbark
2nd Sgt Native (I was thinking of you today at Mass!)
3rd Sgt Todd
Cpl Bogert
Cpl Dawson
Cpl Gerow
Cpl Martin
Cpl Malis(When needed)
Jake Wickham
Sam Cruikshank
Robert Gobtop (Ol' #8)
Michael Deagon (Hercules)
Ian McWherter
Cody Johnson
Ryan Johnson
John Harmon
Taylor Clark
David Cravens (Hog Sh*t , Chicken Foot, John Bell Hood)
Troy Groves
Homer Keen
Dan Munson (Shakespere)
Ben Piazza (Curly)
Mark Krausz
George Stone


Have a great week and don't ever forget what we did...together!

Holler

[boozie]

A little fuzzy, but my case in point!

[BrettKIllinois]

Thank you Holler for all of your hard work leading up to this and for leading us and KEEPING US SAFE. Gentlemen it was a pleasure and I hope we can do more together in the future.

A special cheers to Hog-S*@t and Sam two of the best pards a guy could have.

[prestontoprail]

You guys know how much of an incredible time we had at this event. Considering that we had worked with most of you before, it was merely a treat to have us put together and operate as a fighting force for the week. I love each and every one of you guys who comprised "Co.B" for the event and there are some of you who I will never want to do an event without.

With the perspective of my platoon, I thought it couldn't get any better having Andrew Martin and "Cpl. Dawson" as my corporals. You guys were not only sharp and intense with your duty, but you also inspired alot of the privates in your squads. Andrew had our friend George Stone in his squad and actually changed that guys REAL life. He was transformed into a different person after that event and it was all due to Andrew's devotion to his squad members and helping them through the event. I heard nothing but amazing things for Dan and Andrew for their attitudes and knowledge. Of course Boozie is my favorite orderly and Holler is my favorite CO, so they were just too easy to work with and get along with for the march.

I also enjoyed meeting many people who I had only known about or talked to online before the event such as Ian Mcwherter, Michael Deagon, Cody Johnson and Homer Keen, all outstanding impressions and great guys to boot. Of course no event is complete with out David Cravens and his devoted contributions to the soldiering. Of course it was amazing seeing Jake Wickam, Gobtop, Sam Cruikshank, Troy Goves, Sean Malis, Bogert and Native again. You guys are all the cream of the crop and I hope we can all come together again for such an experience. We also had three of our Hardcase boys there who had never done a week long campaign event: Taylor Clark, Ryan Johnson and Ben Piazza. I'd like to congradulate them on going all the way and making that event happen for themselves.

Since the event ended in such a sudden and flustering way, I wanted to address our situation on Thursday night:

As many of you know we had a new fella with us at that event , his first person name was George Stone, so many of you knew him by that name. His real name is Josh Anderson and he is Timothy's cousin as well as a friend of mine for the past year. About three months before the event he decided that he wanted to do Civil War reenacting, it just snuck up and bit him in the ass.......and he wanted IPW to be his first experience. We told him how hard the event would be and is mostly for experienced campaigners. He understood and went about spending hundreds of dollars on his kit, meanwhile we spent as much time as we could in 3 short months training him on EVERYTHING from the very beginning.

So by Thursday afternoon of that event he had already gone through more marching, sleep deprivation, minimal food intake and rigorous fighting and running than he had ever done in his life. It was a shock to us when learned that he had never been camping before in his life! He had already lost four inches in his waist and was about to crumble by Thursday evening. I talked to him and asked if he could make it through the cold, soaking night. He expressed that although he had been having the experience of a lifetime, he was completely fatigued and took all that he could take. And for alot of us we were surprised that he made it that far anyway. I talked to Fred Baker about having him shuttled out to the parking area where he could rest and wait for us to finish the event and Fred told me I had to get him IMMEDIATELY as there was only one chance opportunity to get him out on "cousin Phils" truck.

As I was fetching Josh, they had told Timothy to catch that ride as well considering his lung deficiency that he got while in Iraq. His doctor even persuades him not to reenact at all and we couldn't risk him going to a hospital in the morning for his lungs caving in under the extreme cold temperatures. Since Timothy cannot drive at night and Josh was hardly able to move, I had to help them get out of the field. When we arrived at the parking area we realized they didn't have any accommodations for anyone to stay warm and rest (there was a small fly with some sleeping bags, but not much cover from the elements), so I had to drive them into town for a late night hotel room from the graces of Bogert and John Harmon who had to get out for lung reasons as well.

However, we were awake and peeling off back to the event Friday morning when we noticed everyone was back at the parking lot and were getting out. It was only then we noticed the event was canceled and we were ready to jump back in for the rest of the cold, wet march. So unfortunately , we got scared of the idea that most would think that we just disappeared and bailed out on the event because the weather was getting bad. But there were legitimate reasons for why we were not there Thursday night, and we did not leave and were coming back. Once we started to read how the true "measure of muster" for the event was how everyone came together and survived Thursday night, we felt guilty and unable to explain our situation with everyone scattering off in the pouring rain.

So in case anyone was wondering, that is what happened to us and since we knew we were coming back we made sure that there was an "authentic" excuse to our absence for the night, such as specific guard detail or battalion errands. We did not know it would be the last night and that things would turn out as they did. I'm sorry to anyone who felt we ran out on them or skipped out on our leadership responsibilities. It was not the case.

[David Dalton]

I my self was watin for that thursday night match with high pockets and chaw!!! Us boys in Co.F made sum wagers but never seen the fight go through. HMMMM.... Just joking but would have spiked the battalions morale for sure...

O by the way Co B you took good care of us 3 is time of need...Hope to join you all next time...

DD

[NewHopeChurch]

Indeed, three cheers for Co. B's hard life-saving work on Thursday night!

You know, my money was on Chaw. He just seems like he could take a hundred hits and keep on going.

As for Captain Murray...I'dve put real money down to see that one...

[Coatsy]

Preston,

Even though Co. B was the delightful source of all types of jokes for Co. G I don't think anyone is going to look down on the boys that had the worst of it on Thurs PM/Fri AM. The fact that Holler and Co helped those who needed help is a good testament to Co. B's character. Nativists an all! Fred and Tom had a sound way out for those who needed help and that is all there is to it.

I hope your pard "Stone" keeps coming out. And I hope Tim is doing well.


~el Herbo

[BrettKIllinois]

Don't worry Herb, Company G's retreat at the double quick from a sqaud of rebs was a good laugh for us too.

[Mgreer]

I would like to thank Mr. Holler, he was one af the few officers who (in first person) treated me as a man and not as a contraband.

[Coatsy]

Brett,

It was an epic retreat. Totally epic.

[Rob Murray]

As for Captain Murray...I'dve put real money down to see that one...
Seems I missed something.

[Cravens]

I also wanted to thank Corporal Martin for his story on Tuesday night. It was a real pick me up. I miss all of you pards already!

Hog
David B. Cravens
Hairy Nation Boys
Lumberjack mess

[AndrewMartin]

geez guys cut it out. you're making me feel like dr. phil. no but really, it says a lot about company b for me to not hardly know anyone and feel like i've known you all for 10+ years in a matter of 4 short days. everyone should be extremely proud of what was accomplished last week. i know am, and i know that i'm ready to do this all over again with company b next week. Serving as a cpl. in this company, with the talent of all involved was the easiest job imaginable.

[rejtiger]

Well Co. B its all been said at this point, so with misty eyes... BIG PIG, LITTLE PIG!!!

[NewHopeChurch]

Seems I missed something.
Let's just say that your prize fight in New York would have garnered woldwide attention...haha

[Hairy Nation Boys]

What prize fight? I am missing something too.

[Charles Heath]

Maybe this is a prize fight between those who don't know the functional differences between cotton and wool.

[MarkTK36thIL]

Holler, it was going to be a boxing match between Co.'s B and F or G.

[Mgreer]

I think you sould have put Del up agenst ne man blue or grey and he would have wooped 'em...lol

[Cpl. Bell]

Holler and all of B Company,

I just want everyone to know that I thoroughly enjoyed serving with one of the best units in the hobby. We came together from all over the nation and formed a functioning and integrated body of troops that performed everytime above expectations.

Holler, Boozie, all our NCOs and the S*#t Asses and the Grenadier Sections were the best. I feel honored that I was moved around in the company. I was able to fight and march with everyone. In fact, I think I was assigned to every Cpl.!

I had the time of my life with ALL of you!

Thank you for warmly welcoming me to your company. I will forever have the fondest memories of my service with you from warm nights with fire-flys to the freezing rain.

For those that may have complained about us, I say... "Get over it!"

I hope that we might serve again!

Yours,

[BrettKIllinois]

Sean, are you going to put any of your photos online?