Into the Wilderness: Raising the 7th Maine

[Bill Cross]

Since the old forum is in suspended animation, please forgive me posting this anew.

You are cordially invited to participate in the 7th Maine Volunteer Infantry for “Into the Wilderness,” April 30-May 2nd 2004 at Brandy Station, VA. The event will be a 140th anniversary commemoration of the Wilderness Campaign, and will portray a possible encounter between forces at the outset of the campaign which has come down through history as perhaps the most sanguinary of the Civil War.

One of the Federal battalions portrayed with be the 7th Maine. The regiment will be commanded by veteran campaigner Mike Murley of the Rowdy Pards, and will have individual companies from several prominent campaigner groups commanded by some fine individuals, including John Wedeward of the 33rd Wisconsin, Chris Piering of the Potomac Legion, Fran Kiger of the Kearny Guards, and David Chinnis who will be raising a company of “Southern” Maine men from the Carolinas.

Authenticity regulations will reflect the individual character of Maine regiments. Our goal is not to turn individuals away, but to ensure they are properly kitted-out to portray the fighting men of Maine. Research to date shows the 7th was newly-resupplied with standard "vanilla" accoutrements. Alas, the Volunteer Maine Militia brass and 2-band Windsor/Mississippi rifles were probably long-gone by April '64.

Colors appropriate to the 7th are currently in production thanks to Tim Kindred.

A bulk gear buy of shelter halves, tent poles and correct wooden tent pegs will be made possible thanks to Chris Daley. The shelter halves will then be “issued” at the event. The Skillet Licker is offering leather buys to attendees. Casey Osgood has just come on-board with a tarred haversack deal and a very attractive price on a Schuylkill Arsenal fatigue blouse ID'd to a New England man with a Spring 1864 likely date of issue.

In order to receive an application and to learn about details of the event as we get closer, please send an email to:

7thMaine-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The list server is designed to provide event information, and will be supplemented by the 7th Maine web site:

www.7thMaine.com

All those who register can subscribe to a separate list server promoting first person skills for the event. You do not have to remain in first person continuously, but all modern talk and anachronisms are forbidden (if you need to ask a pard where he got that kewl gear, please step away from the campfire).

Hurrah for the Union!

Bill Cross
Regimental whip
7th Maine

[DukeRPSC]

Re: Into the Wilderness: Raising the 7th Maine

Bill:

Thanks for posting this. The event follows the successful organizational pattern employed by Sayler's Creek 2000 & McDowell 2001 & 2003 and other quality events. The command and organizational teams for blue and grey reflect the successful teams employed at the foregoing as well. There is every reason to believe that the involvement of the same personnel, augmented by an extraordinary level of pre-event information and a detailed organizational scheme & scenario, will deliver to participants an unprecedented experience. Hopes run very high for Into the Wilderness. I encourage all interested parties to apply early.

Duke
David Culberson
The Rowdy Pards & PLHA

[Bill Cross]

Further additions to the 7th Maine web site

Our web master has been sidelined by some health issues, and we wish him a speedy return to form, but prior to his hiatus, Tim Kindred has posted some wonderful period images, further details about the 7th Maine, the uniform guidelines, and accounts of others who were on the scene.

Enrollment for the 7th continues, with the price having increased New Year's Day from $25 to $30. Companies are sorting themselves out, with Fran Kiger acting as the nexus for Bill Watson's "Incubator Mess" attendees, and Western messes aggregating around John Wedeward. Potomac Legion attendees will be grouped with Chris Piering's company unless specifically requesting other billets, and those groups and individuals coming up from the South will be under the command of Dave Chinnis. Other companies are currently under discussion, and any campaigner group that feels capable of raising their own company should contact me.

[Bill Cross]

Re: Further additions to the 7th Maine web site

Bill Watson, one of the organizers for "Into the Wilderness," is hosting a tune-up one-day training exercise he whimsically is calling a "Wake Up the Bears March" near Gouldsboro, PA. Even if you're not planning on attending ITW, this is an excellent way to shake off the Winter cobwebs or improve your field skills. When Bill says they'll be working a skirmish line, you can bet that your skirmish skills will be all they should be by the end of the day.

================================================== =======

It looks like we'll (Company I Mess and the Indian Queen Mess) have an eight--mile Wake Up The Bears hike near Gouldsboro in the Poconos in northeastern Pennsylvania on April 24, the Saturday before the Into the Wilderness event.

It's the same deal as last time, with two wrinkles:
-- The route will be a loop, so we end up where we started.
-- One mile will be cross-country, no roads, using a compass and bugle to keep a skirmish line going in the right direction. (Yes, some of us will know where we are, so we won't get seriously lost even though we've got 27,000 acres to bounce around in.)

More than half of our route is banned to autos. The other part is used by autos, but it is a dirt road through state game lands and the only people using it will be trout fishermen.

Other items of interest:
-- Bring your own rations, we'll stop for lunch and cook them up.
-- Don't really care what uniform is worn or whether it is top-quality. This "event" is like a Thursday drill for a football team, we're wearing pads but not our game uniforms. -- Anyone who wants to learn more about how to function as an 186x military unit is welcome to attend.
-- Our rest halts will be marked by refresher sessions on basic drill.
-- Step off at 9 a.m. and be back to the vehicles by dusk.
-- No black powder.
-- No alcohol.
-- No fee.
-- No portajohns, so bring toilet paper.
-- We'll function as if in the presence of the enemy at all times, and we'll function as the point company assigned to skirmish for a larger advance guard formation coming up in our immediate rear.

Anyone interested should please send me an email so I can get a 2004 Wake Up The Bears list organized. Detailed directions and whatnot will be sent along later, but for general planning this is near Gouldsboro on Interstate 380 in northeastern Pennsylvania. Our parking area is about two tenths of a mile off the Interstate, so there's no fumbling around with unmarked local roads or anything.

Hope to hear from some of you.


Bill Watson
Company I Mess
Potomac Legion
wjwatson@ptdprolog.net