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I am pleased to announce to you the “long awaited” Mounted Cavalry adjunct to the dual 150th Battles of Shiloh that are taking place in West Tennessee at the end of March/beginning of April, 2012!
Let me say to begin with that while there is much controversy over the validity of two efforts for this event on the same dates and within a few miles of one another, this forum will not be used as a “sounding board” for discussing the politics or the mechanisms behind such actions. It is, however to be used to discuss what we are attempting to put together for those horsemen of like mind, who subscribe to doing the best that can be done to correctly portray the mounted cavalryman of both the northern and southern armies.
We have been able to put together three phases of participation which will afford a unique, once-in-a-lifetime set of opportunities with regards to this monumental battle of April, 1862. As is often the case with these large “mega-events” within which we will be working, please make no mistake that the event(s) themselves will be "Mainstream" in their nature, make up and scope. Just as the infantry is doing with their Paddle-Wheel arrival to Pittsburg Landing, we will be working in proximity to the main event and it will rest with the unit commanders and participants to focus on the intended units being portrayed, the scenarios laid out, their impression and the adherence to the authenticity guidelines which are soon to follow, in order to make this a success. We do feel, however, that we are setting the stage for just that!
Here are the three phases planned for the extended weekend and offered for your consideration:
Phase One: The Ride from Corinth (CS): Those who can arrive on Wed. afternoon (March 28th) will be transported to Corinth, MS,.where we will bedroll it Wed. night and then rise early Thursday (March 29th) to recreate Gen. A. S. Johnston's march to Shiloh. Mr. Keith Willingham has worked very hard, over the past two years to put this together and has assured me that it is independent of the two mainstream events. He has also assured me that authentic guidelines will be upheld and no women will be allowed in the ranks of the participants. This will be approximately 22 miles in length and will follow the route that Hardee's Corp. took in their approach. To our knowledge, this has not been done before. If you have not made a ride like this, then you owe it to yourself to make this one. We will complete the approach on Friday morning (March 30th). For this phase, we will target two impressions. That of N. B. Forrest's Tennessee Cavalry and that of John A. Wharton's Texas Cavalry.
Phase Two: Escort the Reinforcements (US): Late Friday afternoon we will fall back to the trailers and change to our Federal tack and impressions. We will then make our way to the river where some time after midnight, the paddle-wheel boat will make it's first arrival with the reinforcement troops of the 15th Iowa Infantry. There will be three landings necessary to complete the transfer and by mid morning of Saturday (March 31st ), they will all be in place. We will then escort them approximately five miles to the main event site and will work and camp with them, conducting duties and actions, through and until Sunday morning. For this phase, we will be portraying the 11th Illinois Cavalry.
Phase Three: Fallen Timbers (CS): Sunday (April 1st ), we will go back and change again to early war Confederate and portray Forrest's and Wharton's cavalry and recreate the legendary rear guard action at “Fallen Timbers” which took place against the men of William T. Sherman.
As an unprecedented treat to this phase, we will be conducting this action on the very ground that Forrest's Cavalry actually engaged Sherman and his men 150 years earlier! I have been told that this land has never been used for any reenacting purposes before.
As you can see, we have an unprecedented array of memorable cavalry action lined up and I hope that you will plan now to attend and be a part of this historic endeavor!
Ken Knopp has agreed to assist in writing the authenticity guidelines for all units portrayed. This should be ready for public consumption by early August. Plenty of time for you to hone your impressions and tack.
Guidelines for registration are being established and will soon be announced here on the Cavalry Forum.
Let me say to begin with that while there is much controversy over the validity of two efforts for this event on the same dates and within a few miles of one another, this forum will not be used as a “sounding board” for discussing the politics or the mechanisms behind such actions. It is, however to be used to discuss what we are attempting to put together for those horsemen of like mind, who subscribe to doing the best that can be done to correctly portray the mounted cavalryman of both the northern and southern armies.
We have been able to put together three phases of participation which will afford a unique, once-in-a-lifetime set of opportunities with regards to this monumental battle of April, 1862. As is often the case with these large “mega-events” within which we will be working, please make no mistake that the event(s) themselves will be "Mainstream" in their nature, make up and scope. Just as the infantry is doing with their Paddle-Wheel arrival to Pittsburg Landing, we will be working in proximity to the main event and it will rest with the unit commanders and participants to focus on the intended units being portrayed, the scenarios laid out, their impression and the adherence to the authenticity guidelines which are soon to follow, in order to make this a success. We do feel, however, that we are setting the stage for just that!
Here are the three phases planned for the extended weekend and offered for your consideration:
Phase One: The Ride from Corinth (CS): Those who can arrive on Wed. afternoon (March 28th) will be transported to Corinth, MS,.where we will bedroll it Wed. night and then rise early Thursday (March 29th) to recreate Gen. A. S. Johnston's march to Shiloh. Mr. Keith Willingham has worked very hard, over the past two years to put this together and has assured me that it is independent of the two mainstream events. He has also assured me that authentic guidelines will be upheld and no women will be allowed in the ranks of the participants. This will be approximately 22 miles in length and will follow the route that Hardee's Corp. took in their approach. To our knowledge, this has not been done before. If you have not made a ride like this, then you owe it to yourself to make this one. We will complete the approach on Friday morning (March 30th). For this phase, we will target two impressions. That of N. B. Forrest's Tennessee Cavalry and that of John A. Wharton's Texas Cavalry.
Phase Two: Escort the Reinforcements (US): Late Friday afternoon we will fall back to the trailers and change to our Federal tack and impressions. We will then make our way to the river where some time after midnight, the paddle-wheel boat will make it's first arrival with the reinforcement troops of the 15th Iowa Infantry. There will be three landings necessary to complete the transfer and by mid morning of Saturday (March 31st ), they will all be in place. We will then escort them approximately five miles to the main event site and will work and camp with them, conducting duties and actions, through and until Sunday morning. For this phase, we will be portraying the 11th Illinois Cavalry.
Phase Three: Fallen Timbers (CS): Sunday (April 1st ), we will go back and change again to early war Confederate and portray Forrest's and Wharton's cavalry and recreate the legendary rear guard action at “Fallen Timbers” which took place against the men of William T. Sherman.
As an unprecedented treat to this phase, we will be conducting this action on the very ground that Forrest's Cavalry actually engaged Sherman and his men 150 years earlier! I have been told that this land has never been used for any reenacting purposes before.
As you can see, we have an unprecedented array of memorable cavalry action lined up and I hope that you will plan now to attend and be a part of this historic endeavor!
Ken Knopp has agreed to assist in writing the authenticity guidelines for all units portrayed. This should be ready for public consumption by early August. Plenty of time for you to hone your impressions and tack.
Guidelines for registration are being established and will soon be announced here on the Cavalry Forum.
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