What would you like to experiance at future events?

[BrianHicks]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

This just came to my mind also...what about doing a court martial for some soldiers accused of desertion or some other crime? Not all scenarios need to be out marching and burning powder, even though those are really fun. But I've never heard of a living history scenario of a court martial. All you would need is a prosecution, a defense, a jury, a basic scenario of what occurred for the two lawyers to go off of, maybe some witnesses, and a knowledge of military justice and proceedings of the time. The case could be argued for an hour or two, and at the end, the jury can decide who is hanged and who gets to join their company again. Of course, nobody is executed.:D

That, I think, would be an interesting peek into the life of a civil war soldier that I've never seen done before.

Kenny,

This December at the Fort Moultrie, Charleston SC event (1858), we'll be recreating a session of the Courts Martial of the Post Surgeon.

[CompanyWag]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

Brian,
Didn't mean to go outside the scope of the thread. This may be as close as I will ever get to the Petersburg thing.....looks like some really awesome trench war and defending forts here!
http://www.battleoffortsanders.com/Site/Welcome.html

Interesting video on that site. Complete with tree stumps strung with trip wires. Very ambitious; Orlando Poe would be proud! Is this a "mainstream" event?

Paul McKee

[BrianHicks]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

Luke,

The fort they have built looks remarkable! Unfortunately, our end of the Hobby isn't capable of such feats. Perhaps if we were to have our events as 'pay-for-view' for spectators, we'd turn a profit and afford such future undertakings and be able to achieve that level of infrastructure construction.

[KPavia]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

This just came to my mind also...what about doing a court martial for some soldiers accused of desertion or some other crime? Not all scenarios need to be out marching and burning powder, even though those are really fun. But I've never heard of a living history scenario of a court martial. All you would need is a prosecution, a defense, a jury, a basic scenario of what occurred for the two lawyers to go off of, maybe some witnesses, and a knowledge of military justice and proceedings of the time. The case could be argued for an hour or two, and at the end, the jury can decide who is hanged and who gets to join their company again. Of course, nobody is executed.:D

That, I think, would be an interesting peek into the life of a civil war soldier that I've never seen done before.

[lukegilly13]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

Sure... with unlimited resources, funds, land, time and men, we could do some great things... such as re-create a section of opposing trenches such as were at Petersburg!

Brian,
Didn't mean to go outside the scope of the thread. This may be as close as I will ever get to the Petersburg thing.....looks like some really awesome trench war and defending forts here!
http://www.battleoffortsanders.com/Site/Welcome.html

[MO-Pard]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

More "Campaigner Events", where you are actually on the move, self-sufficient, and go more than a friday night, saturday and sunday morning. No 35 mile forced-marches like the 19th Iowa.... but "interaction" with your foe over 4-7 miles per day.

There doesn't have to be anything fancy scenariowise (though specific activities/scenarios are always welcome), just the chance to test mind and body for a few days. Live like a soldier for 48 hours-plus, and get in their heads and boots. I know these type events are only within the attitude and/or ability of a very small percentage of the proclaimed C/P/H'ers out here, but I know to those who have the ability/attitude, we need more BGR's, Marmaduke's and Piney Woods, style events.

There is nothing else like them and no better experience. These events are different and have been by far the best, deepest and most numerous experiences I have ever had in the hobby.

Thanks for asking.......

[BrianHicks]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

In the early stages of brainstorming, there is no such thing as a bad idea. Think big...you can always pare it back later retaining the essence of the original idea.

Case in point: We always talked about tearing up a section of railroad, destroying the parallel telegraph line and then bending the rails into Sherman's Hairpins. In the actual execution, it was unrealistic to actually tear up a real roadbed with ties and ballast. But at one event, we managed to secure a number of light gage rails, heat them up and bend them around a nearby tree. Check another experience off the to-do list.

On the other hand, when we built our winter quarters we originally were thinking small. Build maybe one dugout out in a friend's woods and dismantle it and fill it in at the end of the weekend. The owner of the woods seemed incredulous that we'd ultimately destroy our work. "Wouldn't you want to use it next winter?" Cool. We eventually built several elaborate dugouts with chinked crib walls, wood floors and fireplaces with wood barrel chimneys and enjoyed them several winters in a row. In fact, some of the best and most memorable living history I've ever experienced, was in those winter quarters we built with just a few pards.

Paul McKee

Paul,

There is nothing wrong with thinking big.

Realistic, practical.. and more importantly...'do-able' is what I'm asking for here.

Sure... with unlimited resources, funds, land, time and men, we could do some great things... such as re-create a section of opposing trenches such as were at Petersburg! But realistically, on what scale can we do this for the size events we participate in on our end of the hobby?

Ideas for scenarios, vignettes, etc. which are achievable are what I'm asking for here. Not the wet dream, wow... wouldn't it be great 'if' scenarios... but real world... with hard work, achievable scenarios, vignettes and events, which we would like to participate in.

[KPavia]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

Guarding the supply train as it is attacked by enemy cavalry would be pretty different and interesting, I think.

EDIT: It would be pretty realistic to do. You'd just need some cavalry, oppossing infantry or cavalry, and probably enough wagons to where you can stretch the train out to about half a mile or so. The objective for the enemy cavalry could be to capture the supplies. To me, it would be pretty easy to do. The only "hard" part would be acquiring wagons.

[CompanyWag]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

Several of the ideas put forth so far have been great, some have been done before, and some are just a little beyond what can be expected to be done, and still be reasonable and realistic.

In the early stages of brainstorming, there is no such thing as a bad idea. Think big...you can always pare it back later retaining the essence of the original idea.

Case in point: We always talked about tearing up a section of railroad, destroying the parallel telegraph line and then bending the rails into Sherman's Hairpins. In the actual execution, it was unrealistic to actually tear up a real roadbed with ties and ballast. But at one event, we managed to secure a number of light gage rails, heat them up and bend them around a nearby tree. Check another experience off the to-do list.

On the other hand, when we built our winter quarters we originally were thinking small. Build maybe one dugout out in a friend's woods and dismantle it and fill it in at the end of the weekend. The owner of the woods seemed incredulous that we'd ultimately destroy our work. "Wouldn't you want to use it next winter?" Cool. We eventually built several elaborate dugouts with chinked crib walls, wood floors and fireplaces with wood barrel chimneys and enjoyed them several winters in a row. In fact, some of the best and most memorable living history I've ever experienced, was in those winter quarters we built with just a few pards.

Paul McKee

[Duff]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

I would really like to do Petersburg trenches, with accurate earthworks and support systems. If I had my way it would be a two part event, once in the summer and once in the winter. Not sure how realistic it is, but I would love to do it.

[coastaltrash]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

We ransacked a federal camp at Shiloh in 2002, which was a highlight of the weekend for me personally.

Not sure what an event organizer could provide that has not been performed already. Really and truly most of the excitement of an event rests squarely on the shoulders of the participants themselves. Woodburn's half a pie speech at Doneslon was not planned, but when you ask most of the people who attended to name one thing that is what they would bring up.

[BrianHicks]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

Remember Gents, let's keep our desires within realistic capabilities.

Several of the ideas put forth so far have been great, some have been done before, and some are just a little beyond what can be expected to be done, and still be reasonable and realistic.

I know there area still many other ideas of what you'd like to see at future events, so lets keep the comments coming.

[lukegilly13]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

Maybe it is my lack of experience but I would like to participate in an event
1. where the battle does not end....(ex: Marye's Heights in Fredericksburg where the federals had to pile up the dead bodies at night to sleep because raising up drew fire)
2. A completely unscripted event where sides were camped miles apart and they meet on a battle field and through the report of cav create battle plans and assault the next day (of course this could probably not happen do to safety)
3. Petersburg....trenches, creater, the works!

[CompanyWag]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

Here's a few I've always wanted to do:

1. An event centered around troops in transport, either crowded onto the decks of a river steamboat...or riding in (or on top of) rail boxcars.

2. An entire event convalescing in a large general hopital setting like Camp Joe Holt outside Louisville.

3. Loot and burn a plantation. Perhaps not as unrealistic to do as it may sound at first.

4. An event centered around c1864 veteran reenlistment furloughs...Either from the point of view of leaving the camps on furlough or arriving at some destination during the furlough (would justify impressions from different regiments).

5. I've done winter quarters years ago...it was nice, but we built only 4 or 5 cabins. I'd like to experience an entire company, or better yet a battalion in winter quarters complete with officers' huts, sinks, sutler's etc.

6. An event centered around service in a divisional supply train. Lots of mules, wagons and filthy-mouthed mule drivers. Get raided by enemy cavalry and either chase them off or lose your wagons to looting and the torch and get herded away as prisoners.

7. Construction event. Could be centered around building a blockhouse guarding a rail crossing, or digging earthenwork fortifications.

Just a few thoughts that immediately come to mind.

Paul McKee

[Silas]

Re: What would you like to experiance at future events?

Oh, man. We did an historic route the day before High Tide. You could have joined us. The planned distance was between 15 and 20 miles. Then there was the 6th Corps march.

I've done more than twenty miles in a day in my CW attire a couple times. It's easier to do twenty in a day in some climates at certain times of the year than in other climates or times. The theory of ten minutes rest with an hour's march sounds great on paper. For our Cashtown march, the roads baked us during the mid afternoon portion of the march as the heat index pushed the hundred plus level. Even ten minutes rest after only a half hour's march was insufficient to revive those of us in good shape. I played out at sixteen. Three other guys joined me when I gave up. The farthest anyone went was two CVG'rs who went 17.5 miles.

You need to make plans for Piney Woods. You won't do 15-20 in a day, but you'll sometimes feel like you had by the end of the second or third day of the marching, fighting and campaigning.