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155th Anniversary LH at Petersburg National Military Park
Featuring the Five Forks Campaign - March 27-29, 2020.
The Hard Head Mess & Citizens Guard are pleased to announce our 6th Wisconsin Living History at Petersburg National Military Park focusing on the battles of White Oak Road (called Gravely Run by the Sixth Wisconsin Soldiers) and Five Forks. This event will feature marching the battlefield tracing the actions of the 6th Wisconsin Veteran Volunteer Infantry during the Five Forks Campaign, reading docents from the men we attempt to portray, and demonstrations for the public telling the story the boys of 1861-1865 on their 155th anniversary. Like most Hard Head Mess & Citizens Guard battlefield Living Histories this event will have a moving portion and is by invitation only. Please be in shape to march about five miles during the weekend like the men of the 6th Wisconsin Veteran Volunteer Infantry did.
Event Requirements
• Each invited participant needs to meet the uniform & equipage requirements established by the event hosts. These requirements can be located directly after this section. All clothing and equipage must be accurate in terms of pattern, construction, and materials compared with original articles at all times. Unacceptable clothing and equipage will be removed. We will not go into precise detail, but all buttonholes, buttons, and homemade garments shall be sewn by hand. Machine work if documented is acceptable. Accouterments should be sewn by hand except where documented. Please take note as we will have an inspection before the event begins on Saturday morning. Anyone failing to meet the requirements may be asked to adjust their gear to meet those guidelines or surrender participation. If you need guidance please refer to the Hard Head Mess Uniform & Equipage Standards at: http://hardheadmess.org/uniforms.html
• We will have only 40 slots available to represent the Sixth Wisconsin Veteran Volunteers. We recommend registering early to be a participant for our living history weekend.
• We are asking all participants to send in a $20.00 registration fee to cover rations for the event and a small donation towards battlefield preservation.
• Although we are not marching over 5 miles this weekend, please be ready for an weather challenges given the time of the year. We will make the best of it and embrace the suck if weather declines.
Our Impression – The Sixth Wisconsin Veteran Volunteer Infantry
We will be portraying a company of the 6th Wisconsin Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment depicting their actions of March 31st, 1865 at the battle of White Oak Road and the hard-fought victory at the Battle of Five Forks on April 1st, 1865 during the Five Forks Campaign. The uniform and equipage of the late war 6th Wisconsin was one of transition. The Pattern 1858 Dress Hat and the Uniform Coat were not always replenished and the introduction of the forage cap and fatigue blouse were becoming more prominent. Photographic evidence of the late war 6th Wisconsin soldiers should be reviewed with a timeline since several of those great dress hat photos of the calico boys were after the Five Forks campaign. There is a late war photograph of Micky Sullivan that shows him in a forage cap and fatigue blouse.
Uniform & Equipage for this impression shall consist of:
Jefferson Bootees preferred, Infantry Boots accepted
Pattern of 1858 Type II Forage Cap preferred
Pattern of 1858 Dress Hat worn accepted
Fatigue Blouse preferred, Uniform Coat accepted
Sky Blue Kersey Issue Trousers
Issue Shirt preferred, Civilian Shirt accepted
Issue pattern drawers preferred, Civilian patterns accepted
Suspenders
Issue Wool Socks preferred, wool and cotton socks accepted
Pattern of 1856 Waist Belt with leather loop keeper preferred or brass belt keeper preferred
Pattern of 1858 Smoothside Canteen with cotton sling preferred
Pattern of 1851 Haversack
Mess Furniture
Cartridge Box, Cartridge Box Belt, & Cap Box
Model of 1861 or 1863 Springfield Rifle – Musket preferred, Pattern of 1853 Enfield Rifle-Musket accepted with corresponding bayonet
Two rivet “Gaylord” pattern Bayonet Scabbard or seven rivet pattern preferred
Rubber Blanket preferred, rubber poncho accepted
U.S. Issue Wool Blanket
U.S. Issue Shelter Half
Pattern of 1855 Doublebag Knapsack preferred, Blanket Roll accepted
Foot Pattern Overcoat - Optional
Please feel free to PM me or post with questions. I have inserted our event packet with registration materials. In addition we have set up a group page on Facebook. Please contact Andy Ackeret, Dave Gerow, Casey Hulbott, or myself to gain access to our Facebook page.
We want to thank Aaron Rowland at Petersburg National Military Park for working with our group over the past year to lock in a date and work with us on event preparations. Several of our members will be doing a walk through at Five Forks in November for our marching routes. We look forward to a really good living history experience.
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