Glendale AAR Thread

[GrumpyDave]

Re: Glendale AAR Thread

Noah, the bandage stayed on my ankle quite nicely, until I removed it Saturday before bedtime.

Jason, You jumped three feet up in the air and backwards all at the same time at the sight of the snake. I will say that your scream was a loud gutteral manly scream, like a "WWWAAAAAOOOOHH, I hate snakes!!!!!" It was a right nice black snake.

Paul Bocco...., That wasn't a shebang; the thing was so big I kept looking for clowns, midgets and acrobats.


Thanks to the organizers all of you. What a great event.

ticks, ticks, ticks....

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Glendale AAR Thread

That's disgusting!!!! In all my years of doing this nonsense, I've only ever had to pull TWO ticks out of my own flesh, and only had to brush off about a dozen more that seemed to not know where to stop for dinner.

48!!!! Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!!

[Soup Bone]

Re: Glendale AAR Thread

P.S. - 26 ticks, can anyone beat that?
Yep, Kendall Mattern of 2nd Va Co. E had a grand total of 48!!!!!!!!!!!

[Charles Heath]

Re: Glendale AAR Thread

Well I guess I'll weigh in....

Didn't you weigh-in just before the boxing match with Petey at Winter 1864? ;)

You are correct about Ley, as the event certainly would not have happened without him, and I really do not know anyone else who would have been able to react as positively to "the new way of doing business," which is likely to send some shock waves through the living history community. That being said, we'll speak of this in a few weeks, as this may be the very factor that drives the hobbies, such that they are, back together in such a way we would never have anticipated.

We (the event committee) did not get off the ground until November, so we had only 5 1/2 months to put this thing together.

That would be 16 November at12:48 pm. I remember it well.

A "normal," if there is such a thing, CR event takes 2 years to prepare, and the first year is generally pure research. Ask Kevin sometime. The cut line for research gave Joe about 3 1/2 weeks to pull it together. Considering the 47th Virginia regimental was at hand, the ORs were available, and two good books about the role of the Penna. Reserves were also accessible, this wasn't as bad of a chore as looking up some truly obscure outfit. As time went on, Joe would find more and more cool details and factoids, and sometimes they were worked into the plans. This battle deserves a really good book, and something beyond the current publication (the name escapes me), which is essentially just a string of snippets from the ORs. Glendale deserves far more attention than it has received.

I'm proud to say I didn't have to bake a single piece of hardtack or ship's bread for this event. That is saying something, too. Over the years, we have had some strange hardtack, but the best had to have been the worm castles at Chatham Manor. Sparky was beside himself with joy that his hardbread finally yielded live, wriggling, honest to goodness worms. Nic "Bug Man" Ellis, Ph.D, verified this, too.

P.S. - 26 ticks, can anyone beat that?

Joe, I keep telling you ticks really dig that EVOO. Lard is the way to go, bro!

[Enfilade]

Re: Glendale AAR Thread

P.S. - 26 ticks, can anyone beat that?[/QUOTE]

NO! But I can tell you that certain parts of my anatomy looked like I had the shingles! All species of ticks really do suck!

The NSR had a good time hanging out again with the SWB. Stiles did great! Dusty was stuck with me most of the time as I was 3rd Sgt and he was Lt of 2nd Platoon- skirmishing, being held in reserve. He just about lost me after I stepped into a tiger trapped gopher hole that I went all the way up to my knee! I couldn't tell whether he led me into it or not...

Met lots of new folks. Saw lots of old friends. Was hungry, tired, thirsty, cold, wet, exhausted. Pretty much experienced all the stuff a real soldier would have experienced. Except not getting shot at with real rounds. And, we did our part to preserve a little History.

All in all, a good time. I guess I'll see you all again at Pickett's Mill, or in Dusty's case, Fredericksburg.

Mark Berrier
North State Rifles

http://www.northstaterifles.com

[Moose]

Re: Glendale AAR Thread

Well I guess I'll weigh in.....
First and foremost I would like to thank the other guys on the committee who helped out, Almost, Pete, Charels, and especially Ley Watson, with out whom the event would have not happened, really.

Second to all who came out to the event to help raise money for Glendale. As I was the Federal guide I can not speak of the Johnny's but the Feds were a good groups guys. Got to meet some new people (the boys from the LR and Jason Spellmen), hopefully are paths will cross agian, and soon. Got to mess with my fellow CRs (Grumpy, Kenvin, Brain, and Doug), and got to bring some close friends out of the woodwork (Almost and Hunter). Grumpy did an excellent job as Fed commander, and I would like to thanks Jerry Stiles for putting forth a great effort and for being so paitent with me and the Confederate information.

I would like to make one correction. Grumpy Dave on Sunday said that the organizers spend up to a year planning for these things, he is correct in most cases, but not in ours. We (the event committee) did not get off the ground until November, so we had only 5 1/2 months to put this thing together, so if things weren't perfect folks, please understand, we went from crawl to sprint in thirty seconds to get this thing off the ground.

As for everyones questions on the hardtack here is the answer:
Batch #1: Nothing special
Batch#2: Slightly green tinted water for a "molded" look (2 cups water w/green food coloring)
Batch#3: Black pepper for the visual effect of "floor sweepings" (1 tbsp. coarse ground; note- need to find a way to get stale black peper)
Batch#4: Coarse ground cornmeal, for off texture and floor sweepings (1 cup of cornmeal substituted for 1 cup flour)
Batch#5: Fine ground corn meal for off texture (1 cup of cornmeal substituted for 1 cup flour)

Glad everyone had a good time.

P.S. - 26 ticks, can anyone beat that?

[PieBoy96]

Re: Glendale AAR Thread

Yes, I was the lucky one to receive the pleasurable appearance of Skinny Anne. As soon as I opened the letter and pulled that sketch out, about a dozen faces around me suddenly lit up, haha. At a break in the march, I read aloud the "hardships" of life at a western fort. I won't be posting that gem I got in the mail... just hope that at the next event, your "cousin Billy" sends you a highly descriptive letter, too!

Overall, the event was a good time. I enjoyed the boiled beef, and many thanks to those who cooked it up, as it saved much time and effort for 30 guys cooking up rations around 2 fires. The hardcrackers, despite the Panera ones, were a nice change from the usual Bent crackers, which I find almost TOO yummy to be hardtack. Thanks to Joe for making all the crackers.

The extended tour of the wooded property on Saturday afternoon wasn't too exciting, and I'm glad we avoided that on Sunday (even if it had not rained, I wouldn't have enjoyed it too much). I know that because of the NPS ground we were on, our skirmishers couldn't have rounds as we marched through the woods.. which told us in the ranks that probably nothing was going to happen then. But it was still a nice representation of moving through "unknown" land.

Friday night was a bit chilly, but Saturday night was near perfect sleeping weather. Our huge shebang kept us dry from the intermittent rain, and many thanks to Cody Harding, the Architect of such a structure.

Thanks to the event organizers for putting on the event - it was nice to come meet some new people at a site I hadn't been to before, and I hope to see them all again soon.

[ley74]

Re: Glendale AAR Thread

Since early Sunday, when this weather system started through, we have had 5.5 inches of rain and are expecting a little more today. Fred was not able to plant this week and may loose part of another. Our tire tracks will not approach the damage done by God to that particular spot on Hayrake Field. Emmitt is a happy camper. The wheat looks good.

I will be walking the property on Sunday to take down markers and check things out. The performance bond will expire May 5th and we (yep) need to make sure all is well. The great thing is that you guys love this land so much you take great care to do no harm. This gave us the courage to pony up the contingent dollars to make sure the event went on.

Since I am in the vicinity, it was a real pleasure to spend so much time there over the past five months. While Kabuki is important, I was envious of the experiences you felt.

Almost is getting a rubber snake for Christmas, I swear it. Speaking of Almost (Jason Hanby):

Eternal Father, Lord of Hosts
Watch o'er the ones who guard our coasts
Protect them from the raging seas
And give them light and life and peace.
Grant them from thy great throne above
The shield and shelter of thy love.
Lord, guard and guide the ones who fly
Through the great spaces in the sky
Be with them always in the air,
In darken storms or sunlight fair,
Oh, hear us when we lift our prayer,
For those in peril in the air!
Grant to them Your eternal peace, Oh Lord,
For they have followed your commandment,
That No Greater Love has he, who would give up his life for another.

Amen

Be careful on your cruise and come home safely.

As a community, we are blessed to know many folks who contribute so much. Post eventium depression for me has taken the form of knowing we will never get to do Glendale again. The ground will be safe, however. That should probably be good enough.

[dusty27]

Re: Glendale AAR Thread

Greg,

I had no problem with anyone falling out of ranks for medical reasons. What I don't appreciate is them then critiquing everyone who was able to complete the event and went through the battle, slept on hard ground, hurdled more logs than track runners, ate scant rations, dealt with ticks, etc.

I was one of the first people to ask you if you were ok in the field. No shame in taking a break. But if you're going to return, do so full time or don't.

And for sure, don't tell the rest of us how we can improve.

As to our meeting at Pickett's Mill, we won't. I'm not attending.

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: Glendale AAR Thread

I had a GREAT time as well....have never done that much skirmishing before, especially in the woods. Paul, it was great to meet you and be "comrads in arms" with you for skirmishing.

Thanks to everyone who made this event possible....I had a great time and can't wait to do it again.

The skirmishing was an experience...to be able to do it on original ground...and with individuals who conducted themselves in the most proffessional manner was something AWESOME.

Rob, it was nice meeting you as well...Your'e with a great unit, stick with them and learn.

Paul B.

[Charles Heath]

Re: Glendale AAR Thread

"Shocker" is a 2E moniker that some may recognize. Check out "Bone's" hands.

Dusty,

Yessuh, I had to 'splain Soup's digital positioning to Bev last night. The title seemed most appropriate. I take it you have seen the rather large truck rear window decals of this same hand gesture? ;) Okay, enough of that.

From the very beginning, we said this was "not for the faint of heart," and it wasn't the typical waddle around the park mobile living history. Ley pointed out something important that is well worth repeating here. Not many years ago, that Malvern Hill unit was pretty tiny. The lady who still lives in the Crew House sold a portion of her land to the APCWS, and the site expanded greatly. You may or may not have seen some of the first class survey monuments in the piney woods, but they are there, and reminders of the current NPS boundary. The Murrow family and friends sold more land to the CWPT only recently, as you have read in the CWPT's Hallowed Ground magazine, and mailings.

In a gutsy move, and with The Slaugher Pen debt hanging over their heads, the CWPT picked up a heck of a chunk of the Glendale battlefield. Realistically, the steep slopes, wetlands, and other sensitive areas are not prime building lots, however, a heck of a lot of that land could be cut up into residential lots, as we speak. A slump in the housing market is actually helping the battlefield preservation situation at the moment, but to return to Glendale for a moment, the NPS and CWPT folks were very concerned that we would tear up the real estate, and leave a wake of destruction behind us. Those concerns were very real, based on some recent precedents, and working with the environmental issues was "a heck of a thing." A very good thing, I might add. I'm hoping the rain began to dissolve some of the cartridge tubes and arsenal pack wrappers, the few cleaning swatches we missed are sinking into the leaves and mud, and the heavier rains washed away the footprints.

This event had some costs for the locals. As you could see the majority of the fields were planted in wheat by Fred & Emmett, the two farmers who tend this sacred soil, and Fred held off planting corn (no-till methods, of course) until Monday after the event. As you noticed, the rainfall made the soil a bit wet, and I hope it dries out enough to run the grain drill across by the end of this week, and I hope his big tractor tires mush down the wheel ruts left by a certain little silver-gray Saturn automobile that need not have been in that field Sunday morning. Othewise, the Saint of Short Pump will be out there with a rake and shovel making good on our promises.

In other news, you fellows did really well on the pre-staged firewood, since the land had so much deadfall hanging about, so the remainder was collected and donated to the NPS for use in other living history programs. The keyed-alike industrial duty Master locks on certain gates were donated to the CWPT.

We had a good giggle Sunday morning about the fellows who kept asking about "sutlers." That has been a running joke for a while now. :p

[SCTiger]

Re: Glendale AAR Thread

I'd worry a little less about what WE were wearing, saying, and taking and worry about how YOU can finish a full event.

Man.....................

A real mean spirited response online, but lets see you do that in person. I have finished plenty of campaigner events. See you at Pickett's Mill. Bring your A-game Dusty.

[dusty27]

Re: Glendale AAR Thread

Charles,

"Shocker" is a 2E moniker that some may recognize. Check out "Bone's" hands.

Thanks for the event. It was a ball-buster.

[Charles Heath]

Re: Glendale AAR Thread

Jer,

John Martin is my hero. We needed to get an item to him late Saturday, and none of us on the Kabuki Team knew his real name, so we said "just get this to 63," and the boys will know who that is. He didn't come looking for it later, so he must have received it. I'm tickled he completed the event, and I hope he had a good time.

"Good," of course, is a variable term, but what was sucking hind tit in the hot, cold, dry, wet, sweaty, tick-races, etc., during the weekend somehow comes back in a little happier glow of light later on in the week. Ever notice an event that whips your ass during the weekend, suddenly looks a lot better by about the time a week has passed, the ticks have been pulled (or fattened up for the livestock auction), and the soreness goes away?

Part of the time honored Andrew Jerram philosophy of reenacting is "It sucked. It sucked. It really sucked. It sucked so much it was great." I try to keep that in the back of my mind when forming the mental aspect of an event, and how the participants should feel at certain points along the way. When you read the background material, and the Men of '62 complained about skirmishing through the woods east of Richmond, I believe that print will jump off the page in a more experienced light. It's a heck of a difference between performing skirmish drill in a park-like setting, and moving and grooving through the woods, over hills, ravines, wetlands (step lightly, boys), briars, etc. In some places, it is difficult to see a man not 20 feet away in those woods. Do that for several miles and a few things jump from the pages of history the next time you read about them.

The SWB and friends in the form of Co. I, 47th Virginia, really shined at Glendale-Malvern Hill 2008. The NCO cadre provided that strong structure known as a backbone, and the one time I was able to get between the main company and the advance on Saturday was right about the time you folks were locating your ammunition, and the advance party had moved to the Whitlock House area. Certain aspects needed to work like clockwork at that time, from the artillery insertion (modified a couple of rods to the west in anticipation of the rains and geting a lowboy out of the pines without causing too much damage to truck, trailer, piece, limber, trees, snail darters, etc.) , placing the fire suppression bucket at the CS resting point near the 17th Virginia Ravine, and making sure LHG Mobile Water in "Blackie" was able to shunt from the old and new Whitlock House ruins to a position to serve the fed resting spot at "The Intersection" that would become the CS Saturday night camp. Sticking with the schedule was what allowed us perform certain tasks in the background without being too dang obvious about it. Your bugler was great. As has happened at other events, the Kabuki could hear the calls, and knew where you were and whether or not you were on or off schedule.

Petey and Joe did darn well as guides. If one reads the accounts of the Peninsular Campaign, and the Seven Days in particular, guides were used, and those civilian guides gave the armies mixed results. Moving troops overland is one of the most difficult tasks in this hobby, if not the most difficult. Co. I, 47th Virginia performed superbly, and the Boys of '62 would have been proud. Having both commanders unable to attend any of the walk throughs presented a special challenge, and Petey only had two trips along the route of march. Joe had a couple more, but the look of the land changes from the depths of winter to the time when the dogwoods and redbuds are in bloom, and the leaves are emerging on the trees. In another two weeks, we would not have been able to easily find much of the NPS boundary line on the right flank, in spite of their well placed flagging to keep the hunters in check.

A few months ago, our beloved Cupcake mentioned a suggestion about "why not have an event where folks march a certain distance, and keep the gearhead stuff to a minimum." Well, here was the event for that. Nothing material was out of the reach of the average CW reenacting enthusiast. Because of that, as he predicted, some participants who normally wouldn't try this sort of madness, er, um, genre of event, came out and had a fine time. Excellent suggestion.

On a comical note, Bev put the following caption under Soupbone's image in the photo section of the listserver: "The Shocker." Ham that he is, that photo is definitely a good one. Terri took some photos from her vantage point as a Kabuki with the LHG's water truck, and if my low tech world can get them from the CD to the photo section, I'll post them fairly soon.

One of these days, we'll get another crack at that dang dump site.

[Bill]

Re: Glendale AAR Thread

Well Guys;


I'd say the majority went for the "eat it fast and flop down for a rest" method. Although a few grommet cooks went all out and fried up a tasty meal.

Jim,

I was one of those "grommet" cooks. Sliced up the ham, potato, and green onion in my boiler. Added some of the sugar and set it on the fire to boil for a while. I added a more water as it boiled away. Turned out pretty darned good. Of course, I was mighty hungry!

BYW, what exactly were those hardtack made from? Obviously nothing that exists in nature. I had three of them in my coat pocket during the march back to Malvern Hill. The coat was soaking wet, but the hardtack was still hard as a rock.

I had a great time at the event. Thanks to everyone involved.