150th Firing on Fort Sumter

[Clsinclair]

Gentlemen, I am looking for a 125 man militia unit to do an authentic impression from April 8th to April 17th 2011 outside of Fort Moultrie. There will be a 70 person EBUFU unit inside the fort. I am the reenactor coordinator for the 150th Firing on Fort Sumter and I have been given permission to have three 125 men militia units outside of Fort Moultrie, a 70 man unit inside of Fort Moultrie and 50 for inside of Fort Sumter. Silas Tacket is in charge of those inside of Fort Sumter. Those inside of Fort Moultrie will portray a unit that was there and the requirements are a Dark Gray Cassimere Frock Coat with SC buttons with matching trousers. A M 42 Springfield or 1816 Conversion. A complete list of guidelines will be posted later.

I need a leader to take command and to raise one of the 125 person militia units outside the fort and there may be opportunities for some inside the fort . The week will be divided to the 8th to 12th and 12th to the 17th. And everyone will have the opportunity to stay the 10 days. This is not a reenactment but a Living History. The week will consist of drill, marching, more drill, and demonstrations for the public. There will be some artillery pieces on the beach and at Fort Johnson and the actually firing will start around 4 AM on April 12th. We do have a web page but noting has been added to it. Information will be posted later. Personally I have participated at the P.L.H.A. Fort Moultrie 4 day LH during the Hunley Funeral, Rich Mountain, Re-Opp of Fort Sumter, and a yearly LH at Fort Sumter around April 12th. I may not be able to get three units because there will be standards and camping standards will be high. Common tents will be the norm for the enlisted men and Wall tent for the Staff Officers are acceptable and was being issued.

I can be contacted at clsinclair@comporium.net if anyone is interested.

Claude Sinclair

150th Firing on Fort Sumter
Reenactor Coordinator

[elcid01]

Re: 150th Firing on Fort Sumter

Email Sent:

[OldKingCrow]

Re: 150th Firing on Fort Sumter

Are mounted folks an option ?

Interested in an early banjo music/player ?

[MarionRifles]

Re: 150th Firing on Fort Sumter

I'm interested, keep me posted.

[SCTiger]

Re: 150th Firing on Fort Sumter

We will offer our support to Claude and the Palmetto Battalion on this one. For 2010 we will submit a proposal for a heavy artillery weekend drill at Fort Moultrie in June. Which will help in preparing for the gun drill. I have invited Claude and the PB artillery to participate.

Pete Berezuk is coordinating the LH "To Prevent the Effusion of Blood" for January, 2011. It will commemorate Anderson's initial movement to Fort Sumter and the Star of the West engagement. This will also be another opportunity to warm up for the "Firing 150th".

To the average lay person out there, they may know a handful of military WBTS events, courtesy of the movies and popular culture, Gettysburg, Battery Wagner, Shiloh, Appomattox and Fort Sumter are the big ones.

There are over 375, 000 visitors to Fort Sumter each year, it's the biggest tourist attraction in Charleston and South Carolina. It's a complex logistical place to reenact from and there are other considerations as well. So we are hoping to soon see the advertisement, registration and standards posted. I am sure Claude will get a ton of support from this board.

[tenfed1861]

Re: 150th Firing on Fort Sumter

The South Union Guard is in fact working on a militia impression.We have uniforms picked out.If you'd like,I could see how many would be interested in helping out with this event.10 days doing a living history in Charleston would be a great way to spend an April.

[Silas]

Re: 150th Firing on Fort Sumter

In Ft. Sumter, my goal is to do as many things we can that the original soldiers did during those fateful days. For example, we'll have guards posted 24/7 for the seven days we are there and eat the same type of supurb rations that the garrison consumed in the final days. If you like pork, rice and a little farina, you're in luck. This real life aspect is in addition to the usual LH demonstrations during public hours. I'll be rereading and recombing Crawford's excellent account plus Doubleday's rather biased account for specifics of things to do on the day and times when things occurred a hundred fifty years earlier.

I've provided authenticity standards to Claude and am awaiting approval by the NPS.

The present suggestion is for one company to occupy the fort from Friday through Sunday with a new company occupying for the remaining days. Those who can stay for the full time or for significant, noncontiguous chunks are welcome.

The eyes of the nation are going to focus again on Sumter. I cannot wait to be there.

[Clsinclair]

Re: 150th Firing on Fort Sumter

I have a a follow-up meeting with the NPS on November 17, 2009. I will be able to provide more details at that time. Thank you for your interest.

[Clsinclair]

Re: 150th Firing on Fort Sumter

Gentlemen,

Everything is a go and I hope to post details later this weekend. We will be raising three 100 men companies to represent three of the companies that were on the grounds of Fort Moultrie or nearby. Each company will be required to wear what that company was wearing. Company Officers will be dressed in dark blue single row of buttons frock coats. The three companies will be wearing SC buttons and SC belt buckles per the NPS.

The Palmetto Battalion will be representing the 1st SC Battalion of Artillery. Uniforms of dark gray cassimere will be required and we will be ordering a few hundred yards of Cassimere (already contracted with a well known maker in NC). This will not be a mainstream Living History. We are allowed 50 men in Fort Moultrie so we will probably need around 100 or more to have 50 men in the fort at all times. On December 1, 2009 I will start taking deposits of $35 for the fabric from non-members wanting to do the LH in Fort Moultrie. Also a .69 caliber smoothbore will be required for in the fort. I am seeking leaders that would want to raise a 100 man company. Each 100 man company will have a full compliment of NCO's and Officers. Camping will be garrison with Wall tents allowed for the Captain and Common tents for the enlisted men. Two to Three men in each Common Tent. No Shelter tents.

Send me a PM if you think that you would like to raise a company. I will have to vet each Captain with the NPS but I know the background of most leaders on this list so that should not be a problem.

Silas, you are allowed 50 men from the 8th to the 14th of April of 2011. Let me know what I need to do to assure that you will have those numbers for that time period. I know that some can't be there the full time. I can add a link to the web site that I am developing. Other than demonstrations there will be burning of gunpowder and there will be no sutlers unless we put a period one on Sullivan's Island but that is doubtful.

Participation is open to all if the soon to be posted standards can be met.

More later.

[Clsinclair]

Re: 150th Firing on Fort Sumter

We will be selling the yardage and it will be up to the buyer to contract to have it made. We have several steamstress lined up and one tailor. We are in the process of getting the proper pattern. Yes, it will be a headache. Saving $10 per yard may help with some of the headaches. You are correct on your assumption where the material is being made.

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: 150th Firing on Fort Sumter

to hand someone "X" amount of yardage and say show up in 2011 with a proper frock is gwine to be a real and true challenge.......thus why I want in on a kit if it is to be.

Heck maybe it's a stretch for us to ever have quality standards for events in the first place, but I'd say Claude and his guys are taking an extra step to coordinate the purchase of yardage to support the effort. THAT IS A HUGE UNDERTAKING!!!! Seeing Mr. Deese and his crowd behind this effort on top of TPTEB is commendable.

Claude my only suggestion would be to steer folks towards a pattern, as several who may not yet know their way around a sewing machine, or patterns probably need that little bit of guidance...kits would help, but also steering folks towards 'X' pattern would probably work just as well.

Paul B.

[SCTiger]

Re: 150th Firing on Fort Sumter

I think a PM to Claude would have worked well for you Chris. He is trying to coordinate a complex, 300 man LH that includes material standards for weapons and kits. Since you are now a "mainstreamer" as you proclaim, your choice of frock is irrelevant, since you will not be attending this or any other c/p/h event from what I can understand. Hopefully the mods will delete your contentious posts.

[Clsinclair]

Re: 150th Firing on Fort Sumter

For the 1st SC Artillery we are looking for the proper pattern for a frock coat. One member of this forum who has headed up several EBUFU events is suggesting several patterns. Yes, it will be difficult to pull this off but it will be done. An event is only as good as the enforcement of standards. If we only get 100 people then we will have 100 people. Right now I am looking for some good leaders to step forward to raise another 100 man company. Once the right person has contacted me I will give them a company to represent. I have received some PM with suggestions and offers of help. Many of the companies outside the fort had gray frock coats with a single row of Palmetto buttons. Some don't specify buttons. The list of companies were given to me by the Historian of Fort Sumter.

[SCTiger]

Re: 150th Firing on Fort Sumter

I have to retract this statement "We will offer our support to Claude and the Palmetto Battalion on this one." It was revealed on this forum that the Tramp Brigade Organization was intentionally left out of the loop and therefore we have decided not to render any support to this event. It's unfortunate that a native South Carolina Campaigner unit was disregarded in this way.

You may support this event if you just want to be there, but in my opinion it does nothing to help the the c/p/h hobby and is doubtful that the PB membership will place any Ebufu-Campaigner events on their future schedules and abide by the event standards.

[Clsinclair]

Re: 150th Firing on Fort Sumter

I have to retract this statement "We will offer our support to Claude and the Palmetto Battalion on this one." It was revealed on this forum that the Tramp Brigade Organization was intentionally left out of the loop and therefore we have decided not to render any support to this event. It's unfortunate that a native South Carolina Campaigner unit was disregarded in this way.

You may support this event if you just want to be there, but in my opinion it does nothing to help the the c/p/h hobby and is doubtful that the PB membership will place any Ebufu-Campaigner events on their future schedules and abide by the event standards.

Greg, This is news to me. Seems like I invited you and the Tramp Brigade to help at Moultrie and/or Fort Sumter. The fact is that I did invite you to help with the heavy artillery drill at Fort Moultrie. Bashing our efforts will do nothing to help the c/p/h hobby and we do have members that do EBUFU-Campaigner events with myself being included.

Claude Sinclair