Change for MSG for Pea Ridge

[Campjacksonboy]

Re: Change for MSG for Pea Ridge

So far a dozen. Now why would the locals care how many Missourians are coming?
Frank Aufmuth

[mslaird]

Re: Change for MSG for Pea Ridge

It is the anniversary and they like to come out and see all of us when we do programs. They were wondering how many enactors would be present hailing from outside our area local area. (Northwest Arkansas/Southwest Missouri/Northeast Oklahoma) They are looking forward to seeing you folks as well. The word has spread about it. Thanks for the information. I will see you there.

[Thomas Alleman]

Re: Change for MSG for Pea Ridge

Is MI close to MO, damn I want to go, so many great descriptions of Van Dorns army and yeah a I got a one of dem der white jackets. How I am I going to get it dirty if I do not get to wear it at a event, hey Comer could you come and pick me up so I can go? I will get to MO this year. I have been to Pea Ridge and it is a pristine place. Hey maybe Hodge will be out filming you guys, HA HA. I am trying to go to Athens and Of course Marm's, I should just get a job out there and I can go to all the MO events. Hey is there any historic building restoration jobs out there? Well sounds like a great L/H, do take lots of pics for those who cannot make it.

[roundshot]

Re: Change for MSG for Pea Ridge

Just FYI, for some of you guys seeking a close approximation of the stamped CS "rope border" buckle issued to Missouri troops pre-Pea Ridge along with their MH&G accouterments, Blockade Runner (dare I say it!!) has something you might find of interest: http://www.blockaderunner.com/Catalog/catpg23.htm.

Scroll about 2/3 of the way down the page to the "Rope Border buckle." It's not a true copy of the original item (some difference in lettering) , but it's about as close as anything out there today as far as a reproduction of this buckle. Not an endorsement, just a FYI.

If anyone doubts these were issued, read Anderson's "Misssouri Brigade."

[Michael Comer]

Re: Change for MSG for Pea Ridge

hey Comer could you come and pick me up so I can go?

If you can get in the area, I can sure get you the rest of the way. But, I ain't comin' to Michigan to fetch you.

[23rdIllinoisIrish]

Re: Change for MSG for Pea Ridge

So far a dozen. Now why would the locals care how many Missourians are coming?
Frank Aufmuth

Frank,
Most assuredly to marvel at our quick Missourah wit...

It is the anniversary and they like to come out and see all of us when we do programs. They were wondering how many enactors would be present hailing from outside our area local area. (Northwest Arkansas/Southwest Missouri/Northeast Oklahoma) They are looking forward to seeing you folks as well. The word has spread about it. Thanks for the information. I will see you there.

Mr. Laird,
Come by and visit us in the Holmes camp after the hostilities. Will you be wearing that stunning commutation jacket? :sarcastic

[mslaird]

Re: Change for MSG for Pea Ridge

Not this time around although it is a nice jacket and a job well done, I will be with the 3rd Louisiana Infantry at Leetown for the event.

[MissouriStateGuard]

Re: Change for MSG for Pea Ridge

I recently had the opportunity to review "The Battle Raged... With Terrible Fury:" Battlefield Archeology of Pea Ridge National Military Park," dated November 2005. This is the final report of the archeological survey conducted at that site between 2001 and 2003. It is a highly interesting document numbering nearly two hundred fifty pages.

The authors state their ability to survey areas of the Pea Ridge battlefield was limited by thick underbrush and timber density. Therefore they concentrated on the open fields around Leetown, and Cox's and Clemons' fields near Elkhorn Tavern. But most of the thicker woods around Elkhorn Tavern, incorporating much of the route of advance and areas held by the Missouri State Guard, were unable to be included. A usual crew consisted of between 6 and 12 metal detector operators working through a series of sweeps at intervals of approximately 15 feet.

The small arms projectiles recovered can be broken down into the following groups:

409- .69 (should read .65) caliber round balls (these may include case shot balls)
156- .69 Minie Balls
129- unidentified pieces of lead too deformed from impact to classify
125- .58 Minie Balls
41- .54 caliber round balls
38- .31 caliber balls, probably buckshot
21- .54 caliber Minie Balls
21- .36 round balls
17- .44 conical bullets
16- .44 round balls
12- .36 conical bullets
6- .52 Sharps bullets
1- .56 conical bullet
1- .50 Maynard bullet
1- .32 "non-military" ball

Also of interest are that only four percussion caps, all musket size, were recovered (and two of these were of modern variety attributed to reenactors.)

The overall conclusion for small arms-types present is based on the recovery of these small arms projectiles from across the entire battlefield. The conclusion: "Archeological record clearly demonstrates shotguns and country rifles were present in very small numbers." Only one "non-military" bullet was recovered, along with a civilian backaction lock, triggerguard, and a flintlock hammer. Thus, they conclude, the majority of those involved in the fight had military weapons. They also conclude that the many eyewitness reports stating many of the Southern forces had civilian weapons are erroneous.

This is the identical conclusion the same archeological team made following their survey of Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, where the authors' stated "the ratio of civilian weapons used on the battlefield is much lower than popular memory would indicate." Again, participant accounts stating that large number of civilian weapons were present and used were given little validation; this includes an explanation that State Guardsmen claiming to have used "shotguns" really mean "muskets" as muskets fired shot, too.

I personally have a few issues with such blanket statements. I don't know that the recovery of one thousand bullets from a two day battle involving nearly 30,000 troops can present anything more conclusive than to demonstrate the type and caliber of weapons present. Claiming the bullets recovered reflect the number of such caliber weapons on the field assumes two things: every participant fired a like number of rounds, and the recovery of these bullets is a true reflection of the numbers present, but still undiscovered.

The possibility that Federal forces fired more ammunition than Southern troops, thereby skewing the ratio of projectiles recovered and the authors' conclusion, is not addressed. However given historical records that state many of the Missouri troops entered the fight with less than 30 rounds, while the Federals had 60 rounds plus a reserve, this is a possibility worth consideration. (The same can be said for Wilson's Creek, with Federal accounts claiming complete exhaustion of their 60 rounds and MSG soldiers claiming to have fired less than 10 rounds during the entire battle.) Also worth considering is that a State Guardsmen loading a common rifle with loose powder and patched ball could not load and fire as quickly as a Federal soldier with a musket and buck and ball cartridges; therefore leaving fewer projectiles for future recovery.

Another point worth consideration is the inability of metal detectors to locate smaller objects, such as civilian rifle balls and buckshot, at varying depths and soil conditions. The volunteer crewmembers used a variety of personally-owned metal detectors, each with different capabilities. While I did not participate in the Pea Ridge survey I have participated in other surveys, and I can say with certainty that the audible "return" from small objects are given less importance than louder "returns," especially in areas contaminated by more recent trash (aluminum foil, pull tabs, nails, etc.) and after several hours of hard survey work. The operator exercises much personal discression in choosing to mark and/or dig such weaker "returns." This may help to explain why only four percussion caps were recovered, and 38 buckshot.

A number of the .36 and .44 round balls recovered and identified as pistol balls carried the marks of "cloth patching impressions." I don't know of any revolvers which required a cloth patch; however it was necessary for common rifles.

Some of the impacted .54 round balls recovered bore no discernable rifling marks, indicating being fired from a smoothbore weapon. While the possiblity of their coming from smoothbore horse pistols is addressed, the possibility of their being fired from a shotgun is not considered.

Most of the .65 round balls have no marks present other than dimpling from the buckshot in "Buck and Ball" cartridges. The only mention these balls may have come from shotguns and not muskets is the single sentence: "As a mater [sic] of reference for size the .69-caliber round ball can be fired in a 12-gauge shotgun." Were .65 balls fired from shotguns at Pea Ridge? If you believe Corporal Nathan S. Harwood, G Company, 9th Iowa Infantry, they may very well have been. Harwood, recalling how his regiment faced the Missouri Confederates at Elkhorn Tavern, states "Many of the rebels were armed with double-barreled shotguns loaded with ball cartridge, and at short range [they] were terribly effective." [the bold italics are mine]

I would not go as far as to say that all, or even most, of the .65 balls were fired from shotguns and not muskets. But to discount the possibility that any were fired from shotguns is shortsighted.

I will extend the option that nearly half of the projectiles recovered could have come from civilian rifles and shotguns: the buckshot, the .36 and .44 round balls marked with cloth patches, the unidentifiable pieces of lead projectiles, and the .54 and .65 round balls lacking indications of rifling. They probably did not, but to say they could not seems as spurious a conclusion as saying they definately did.

As I said before I did not participate in this archeological survey, and I have not had the opportunity to view the recovered projectiles, so I have no firsthand information on how or why the projectiles were classified as they were. I can say, having read the report, that little effort was put into documenting primary source accounts covering weapons and ammunition in the hands of Price's Missouri troops.

In all fairness the authors probably did not have access to such accounts, and if they had they might have been able to present an additional view. I understand now that Robert Serio and a group of researchers have been for several years assisting the Pea Ridge interpretive staff in collecting these participant accounts. I have shared my sources with both Mr. Serio and the park, and will continue to do so. Hopefully in the near future we will all be better able to marry the historical and archeological records to get a more complete understanding of the armament of Missouri troops at the Elkhorn Tavern.

Until a more complete understanding is reached, I would encourage anyone interested in a Missouri State Guard impression to continue using the historical record of primary source accounts to direct their efforts.

V/R,
Kip

[Old Cremona]

Re: Change for MSG for Pea Ridge

Whew! I was getting a little worried about halfway through your post, Kip. The only weapon I have to use at the upcoming LH is a borrowed shotgun. It sounds like that's still okay, though.

[MissouriStateGuard]

Re: Change for MSG for Pea Ridge

Carl,

Keep your finger's crossed- there seems to be some confusion on whether shotguns will be allowed. Apparently the Pea Ridge staff told the WIG/4th Arkansas group that shotguns are not allowed per NPS black powder safety regulations and they cannot use them, even though historically the 4th Arkansas did have them at the time of the battle. However I know of no NPS regulation to prevent their use, and we have certainly used them at Wilson's Creek and Pea Ridge in the past with no problem (the only concession made was not to place them in the rear rank.)

I really don't think this will be a problem, but there seems to be a miscommunication somewhere. I bet this will be cleared up before too long.

Regardless you are still bringing your banjo, right!:)

V/R,
Kip

[Campjacksonboy]

Re: Change for MSG for Pea Ridge

This is the first I've heard of that rule.
Frank

[trippcor]

Re: Change for MSG for Pea Ridge

As I posted on the other thread, this issue has been resolved. Shotguns will be allowed for both the MSG and 4th Arkansas impressions. I will update the website soon.

[Spewy]

Re: Change for MSG for Pea Ridge

Kip,

Too bad we'll be doing Federal this weekend or we could resurrect the
Silver Grey's "Flying Shotgun Squad".

[MissouriStateGuard]

Re: Change for MSG for Pea Ridge

Bob,

Yeah, twenty guys armed with double barrel shotguns makes for a formidible sight!

Lexington has never been the same.:(

V/R,
Kip

[fahtz]

Re: Change for MSG for Pea Ridge

I bet 20 dudes with original 5 foot long fowlers would be an awesome sight too!