Antietam Living History Encampment

Dunker Church, Antietam National Battlefield

Sharpsburg, MD

July 17-19, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

 

 

[6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

 

[11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

 

 

[16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21]

 

 

 

Newly Issued Items: Black slouch hat, 7' A-frame tent, Double Bag Knapsack (late war version with field modifications), backup canteen


Gettysburg Living History Encampment

Spangler's Spring, Gettysburg National Battlefield

Gettysburg, PA

March 29-31, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

The park service invited our company to encamp at the Spangler's Spring site [1, 2] for the weekend and to do several demonstrations for visitors touring Gettysburg National Park.  Most of the 6NHV Contra-Band arrived the night before and took over the Arrow Horse downtown [3].  Of course, the real concert has held back at camp later that night [4]

[1] [2] [3] [4]

 

The demonstrations for the public involved Captain Dewey's famous "bullet-shaped bullet" speech on Civil War combat, a bit of drill [6], some firing demonstrations [7], and Q&A (one particularly astute audience member inquired if it was possible to get venereal disease from cooking meat on a bayonet after it had been used in combat).  Following the demonstrations in the field, the audience was invited back to camp for a taste of how soldiers lived in the 1860's [8, 9].

[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

 

Time between presentations was occupied cleaning weapons, eating, posing for photos, touring the adjacent battlefield or playing with the band.

[10] [11] [12] [13] [14]

 

Newly Issued Item: none


6th New Hampshire Regimental 2009 Annual Meeting

Long Pond Ironworks

West Milford, NJ

February 8, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 6NHV have their yearly meeting at the Long Pond Ironworks [1] near the Monksville Reservoir [2] on the NY/NJ border.  The meeting was very well organized and covered a great deal of business during the afternoon.  Attendance was good [3] and the schedule for 2009 was drafted and voted upon.  The most notable item of business was that I was voted in as a member of the 6th and given the number C52.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

After the meeting I paid a brief visit to the museum [4] on the premises.  A glace was enough to show how tough the conditions were for ironworkers in the 18th and early 19th centuries.  Will have to see more during out event there in June.

 

While I was in North Jersey, I headed into NYC to for a long weekend of civil war-related events and to have my portrait drawn.  Details in Trips 2009.

 

Newly Issued Item: Mill Creek Merchantile Union Sack Coat, Lined, Navy Blue


New York Historical Society (website)

Grant and Lee: In Wartime and Peace Exhibit

New York City, NY

December 20, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

C company of the 6NHV was invited by the New York Historical Society to participate in part of their Grant & Lee exhibit (October 17, 2008 - March 29, 2009)

at the museum [1, 2].  The mission was to display some authentic civil war items and speak to patrons about the war [3], generate interest (AKA harass) on the street [4] and guard the priceless painting of General Grant [5]. 

[1] Photo by P. Silver

[2] Photo by P. Silver

[3]

[4] Photo by P. Silver

[5]

 

The museum had quite an impressive collection of items on display.  Some items included Grant's and Lee's [6] sack coats, Grant's saddle, and Lee's Sword from Appomattox [7].  Additional displays included a more manageably-sized copy of Philippoteaux's masterpiece cyclorama at Gettysburg [8] and a small movie theatre, painted to blend in with the edges of the documentary being shown [9].

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

 

While our focus was obviously the civil war aspect, after hours, we discovered that the museum boasted an impressive, albeit eclectic, collection of items related to NY history.  Of interest was this stage coach (did not note details) [10], an extensive collection of early pistols [11] and William Bradford's Summer in the Land of the Midnight Sun, ca. 1880 [12].  An excellent series of works which I was unable to photograph was Thomas Cole's Course of Empire, whose 5 pieces alone are worth the cost of entry.

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

In the afternoon, Pete stopped by [13] to see the exhibit and take some photos [1,2,4].  After closing time some of us, headed around the corner for drinks before everyone went home [14].  The museum staff treated us very well and we hope to be invited back next exhibit.

 

Newly Issued Item: Fall Creek Suttlery Brograns


144th Battle of Cedar Creek [Battle of Belle Grove] (website)

Middletown, VA

October 17-19, 2008  [October 19, 1864]

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 6th was up and at `em early [1] in the brisk October morning for an usually hearty breakfast [2].  Cedar Creek being the last battle of the campaigning season, Captain Dewey had our company out on the parade grounds an hour ahead of time, so Brigade could not claim we were late every single battle formation.  Unfortunately this gave us time to make fires for coffee [3] and carve excusatory sings [4] before being called to attention.  As a result three of our [besotted] comrades were taken in custody, despite the need for crack troops in the upcoming battle.  Shortly after this unfortunate happening we departed camp and marched out to the battlefield [5].

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4] Photo by Daniel Flora

[5]

 

The rebs weren't hard to find as they had placed artillery all along the ridge ahead of us [6].  Soon they were advancing and pouring shot into our company [7].  Our men fought fiercely until an artillery round hit square amid our men, killing 8-10 outright.  When I came too, the Colonel was kicking the corpses of my friends and shouting in a madly futile attempt to re-animate them to fight again [8].  Seeing that the sixth had been badly reduced, the enemy pressed their advance and we were forced to retreat across a small the creek [9].  It was on the far side near the Heater House where our Corporal was bayoneted after spitting water in the face of a rebel medic who attempted to steal his canteen as he lay wounded [10].

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

 

Under the continued "leadership" of Captain Dewey [11], we were able to regroup and counter-attack [12], pushing the 'sesh back, taking the far bank again [13].  Another hard bit more fighting and the rebels were routed [14].  Rebel dead and dying lay strewn about the field, some corpses dismembered, others burned so badly as to eerily resemble the chattels they died to maintain [15]. 

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

 

Before leaving the field, I had my ferrotype taken with the regimental colors to commemorate this Union victory [16].  Our men were exhausted as bedraggled as we made our way back into camp [17].  Upon return, a general merriment sprung up as people sat down for dinner [18, 19] the sun set [20].

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

 

While some sat fireside [21], I headed to celebrate the day's victory at the dance held up on the hill [22] .  Music from the captured 2nd South Carolina String Band could be heard for miles as dancers reeled and waltzed into the night [23].  The dance was ended and the band put to death twenty eight seconds into their very popular [in the south] version of Kill That Yankee Soldier.  As fortune would have it, the 6th New Hampshire Contra-band was playing [24] all the old hits (The Battlecry of Freedom, Angelina Baker, Oh Lemuel) back at camp and there was beer left for a tired private [25].

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

 

Newly Issued Item: chrome drinking cup, private purchase _-button vest, 1861 Pattern Cartridge Box (AKA 1855 .58 cal.) with shoulder strap, enlisted waist belt & cap pouch, 9th Corps pin


145th Battle of Gettysburg (website)

Gettysburg, PA

July 3-6, 2008 [July 1–3, 1863]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walt & the guys from the Gebirgs finally talked me into trying the Amerikanischer Bürgerkrieg so I fell in with the 6th NHV at the 145th Gettysburg.  I figured that I had been re-enacting WWII for long enough that I could swing Civil War without any problem, but  I was surprised how different doing CivWar felt because it included several elements which were unheard of in WWII.  These included the encampment arranged in a pre-determined grid [1], having no sides on "shelter halves" [2], getting ready for inspections every morning [3] and marching around endlessly in shoes with zero tread [4].

 

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4] Photo by David Reiner

 

The linear [5] combat took some adjusting too as well, especially on this scale.  The cannon barrages, for [6] and against [7] were thundering and the black powder released an ever-thickening cloud obscuring the battlefield.  A nice smoke ring can be seen on the lefthand side, while a barn burns down in the background [8]!

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

 

The Napolionic-era tactics of the day prohibited every unit from fighting simultaneously so there were lulls in the action for us [9].  Eventually we got our chance [10] and, under the steadfast leadership of Captain Dewey [11], we advanced [12]...and retreated [13].

[9]

[10] Photo by David Reiner

[11]

[12]

[13]

 

The climax of the fighting was, of course, Pickett's Charge.  I got a photo by the stone wall [14] before the big push [15].  The infantry charge ended up costing the rebels 6,555 soldiers, many of whom can be seen in front of our lines [16,17].  After the battle the troops were marched triumphantly back to camp [18].

[14]

[15] Photo by David Reiner

[16]

[17]

[18]

 

The encampments were more decentralized than WWII [19], which made for some great photos.  The suttlers [20] seemed more exotic too somehow.  Maybe because I didn't recognize many of the wares.  Back in camp, it didn't take me long to realize that three of the activities the 6th excel at focus on are cooking [21] (in the prehumously excavated grave of our captain), playing rowdy music [22] and boozing [23].

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

 

While the 6th Contra-band rocked the Union camp, I headed up to the dance for a bit.  This was a true introduction to Victorian dance.  We did the Virginia reel, the ___________, and the ___________, played by the 2nd South Carolina String Band [27].  I was new to the dancing, but it was entertaining to try and to watch everyone else going nuts.  Quite the dance.

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27] [28]

[29]

 

Newly Issued Item: None (all items on loan from the Walter Dewey Collection)