Oakley Tactical 2004 - Glines Crossing

[CaptainUCSB]

The registration period for the Oakley Tactical 2004 - Glines Crossing will be coming to an end this weekend.

For those of you who dont know, the Oakley Tactical is the most authentic event on the West Coast. The event is 100% first-person, with authentic ration issues, good marches, and no show battles in a period setting.

If you are interested in attending this event, please contact me immediately at captainucsb@hotmail.com and visit www.oakleytactical.com.

Patrick Furey
Oakley Tactical 2004

[CaptainUCSB]

Re: Oakley Tactical 2004 - Glines Crossing

The Oakley Tactical has been completed. Please feel free to post responses to the event or e-mail them to me at captainucsb@hotmail.com. I will post my responses on the site, along with any I receive. Also, please forward any photos you might have to me as well.

[CaptainUCSB]

Re: Oakley Tactical 2004 - Glines Crossing

To all those who attended Oakley this year:

Overall the event went very smoothly. The planning by Lance Willis was very good. However, again we had very lopsided numbers. Hopefully more authentics will be willing to leave their comfort zone and switch sides next year. Both commanders, Gary Busic and Robert Tabone, did an admirable job with the situation they were given. Gary used his overwhelming numbers successfully, and Robert stuck to the scenario even with the small numbers he was given.

As for the authenticity of the event, I was very displeased with the turnout. From what I could see, it looked like a good number of the Confederates took the impression guidelines very seriously. Members of the 10th VA, Lucky 13, 5th Texas and 1st Texas seemed more than happy to follow the guidelines and stick to them. There were, however, way too many frocks and even some battleshirts. Overall though I was happier with the authenticity on the Confederate side than that of the Federals.

The Federal sidewas dismal at best. Not to give myself a pat on the back, but the Fighting Boys Mess and just a couple of guys from the 4th US and Northern California seemed to be the only ones willing to even pay attention to the guidelines. These guidelines were not strict. Not at all! They were simple guidelines to help people advance their impressions. I know some people gave it their all this year, but very few actually went out and bought something new or tried to improve their impressions to attend the event. At least half of the unit looked like they did even read the guidelines, and did not look like members of the 2nd Maine.

For two years I have served as the Authenticity Coordinator of the Oakley Tactical at Glines Crossing. Last year we went forward with leaps and bounds compared to the previous year. This year seemed to stagnate, and possible digress a bit. Not only was the turnout low, it was less than authentic. How can we even compare this event to the Recon events back east if it is too much to ask people to improve just a little bit...or to wear forage caps and 100% natural fiber uniforms? Although I have enjoyed serving as Authenticity Coordinator for the event these last two years, it has been very discouraging to see how little many people actually care for the authenticity of the event.

As such, I am stepping down as the Authenticity Coordinator for the future Oakley events. I have received too much "hate e-mail" concerning the authenticity guidelines being too strict, and very little improvement has come to the event since last year. I did enjoy the position while I had it, but I will be happy to get away from it. Whoever tries to step up to the task for next year will be hard-pressed to improve the authenticity, especially on the Federal side. The example must come from the top, as it does from the leadership on the Confederate side. Gary, Terry and Rich all do their best to be authentic, especially at Oakley. It is their example, and that of others, that has led the Confederate side toward authenticity through the years. The same must happen on the Federal side. I have tried to be an example of authenticity, with others from my unit, but our example has gone unnoticed or even undesired. If we are willing to settle for any Federal reenactors showing up instead of requiring quality, we are settling too far. Too bad some of the Confederates wont switch sides and even up the numbers with real authentics.

When Lance approached me about becoming the Authenticity Coordinator 2 years ago, he assured me that he wanted a smaller event with better authenticity. Last year that did happen. However it seems the future of the event is uncertain. Many units have been invited that will not be able to hold up to last year's authenticity requirements, let alone this year or next year. It seems size has become more important again. Remember, the size of the event does not matter if we truly want the "most authentic event on the West Coast" to even compare to the premier events back east. Good luck to all that attend next year. I hope each of you takes authentcity very serious and proves me wrong. I look forward to that outcome. Please urge your event, authenticity and Federal/Confederate coordinators to improve the event rather than letting it turn into "Jokely II." Just because somebody wears blue/purple or grey jeanwool/polyester doesn't make them good enough for this event. This event was for authentics, and we can't and shouldn't let that change again.

Sincerely Yours,
Patrick Furey
Authenticity Coordinator
Oakley Tactical 2003-2004

PS: If anybody actually believes that I stole a bottle of alcohol from Mr. Watkins' sutlery, they are terribly mistaken. That rumor is so ridiculous is barely warrants this response.

[skunkboy]

Re: Oakley Tactical 2004 - Glines Crossing

To my darling cousin Molly,

Dearest Molly, it is with deepest regret that I'm writing to inform you of the death of your cousin and my brother, Connor. He was killed in a skirmish at a place called Glines crossing close to Oakley station here in Virginia. His squad was trying to stop an advance of Federals who had broken through on our right flank. He received a grievous bayonet wound and suffered greatly before he passed on. The soldier that killed him was shot by our boys and was knocking on heavens door when he was given back to the yanks. My heart is so heavy that I find it hard to write, but I must tell you about what happened here so that you may have some knowledge of these events.

On Friday the 2nd, the company arrived at Oakley station, where we drew rations and marched out. Our destination was Glines crossing where we were to set up defenses against any Federal advances. Captain Busic, our company commander, is the finest example of a Southern gentleman. His knowledge and steadfastness inspired us all to soldier on even in the most difficult of situations. I must also add that Lieutenants Kelar and Handy were the rocks that our defense rested on. Their endevours and the love of their boys for their platoon commanders are what won this trial for us. We arrived at the crossing and began to set up our defenses. I was asked by the corporal to scout out our left and to see if the Federals could sneak around our defenses. I climbed the ridge line and came to a spot where I could see the entire valley. I was up there for what seemed like hours before I was relieved by some boys from the 2nd platoon. The 1st platoon went back behind our defensive lines and were resting when we heard the first shots from our skirmishers. We rushed up to join the 2nd platoon and found that the Federals were probing our lines and had pushed our skirmishers back to our breastworks. The Captains blood was up and he told us he was going to get "his fence back"! We formed up and marched across the ford and pushed up to the Federals front. They were waiting for us and when the Captain said "charge bayonets!" We stormed into them. I'm afraid to say that we lost a couple of good men before we threw those godless heathens out of our end of the valley. By this time it was almost nightfall and we began to get our evening meals ready. My pards, Dan Barta, Rick Garcia and Jay Kelley began to cook dinner. You remember the Bartas from the neighboring parrish don't you Molly? His wife is Jessica and they just had a little girl this last year. Anyway we quickly found out that our rations were less than what we desired. The meat, if I could call it that, was almost inedible. It was so salty as to leave the most unpleasent of tastes in one's mouth. It was also so tough that if one was to chew on his brogan, it would probably be impossible to tell the difference! After dinner, the 2nd platoon marched back to the breastworks while the 1st platoon went on skirmish duty. We were just starting to bed down and relax when one of the boys said, "Oh ****!" We all looked up and out of the shadows of the oak trees and into the moonlight came a whole line of Yanks. I must say that if the moon hadn't been so full, they would have been right on top of us before we knew it. I was almost unmanned by the sight of those dark shapes charging across the valley floor. Imps of Satan coming to claim our souls was my first thought. First one shot, then another, then all of our boys came to the line and began to pore hellfire back on them and stopped them in their tracks. They pulled back and then things finally began to settle down. I was on first watch with coporal Ashley's detail and no one bothered us during our watch. Corporal Ashley went to see if the Fed's would trade and was gone for awhile. I was beginning to worry about him when he came back and said that the Fed's weren't trading with anyone and ordered all of us to stay away from them. They evidently treated him poorly and he took great offense to it. When our watch was up, I threw myself to the ground and slept like a log. The night was cold and many of the men were in poor shape do to it. Thanks to the good blanket your folks sent me, I slept the night away.

Saturday morning began when the sergeant shook me awake and told me to get my gear and form up. It was still dark but the Captain wanted to see if any Yanks were in our front. The whole company went out looking for them, but they had pulled back during the night. We stayed out front while the 2nd platoon had breakfast, then we got our turn. We were cooking up our breakfasts back at our rifle pits when we were greated by an unusual sight. A sutler and his wife came through with a pull cart full of their wares, and a finer welcome could not have been given. Since we had such horrible fare that passed as rations, the sutler soon sold out of his food stuffs. Especially welcomed were the little pies and sausages he was selling. Many men spent all their pay for the month just getting enough food for the next two or three days. As fate would have it, as soon as we began our second breakfast, shots from our skirmishers began. We all formed up and went to see what the ruckus was. The yanks got a look at us and fell back when we moved up. The sergeant then sent my pard Dave and I back up my ridgeline to were I was the previous day. We relieved some boys from the 2nd platoon and spent a fine morning enjoying the view from our hill top. Once or twice we could hear the Yanks down in the woods, but they never tried to push up the hill toward us. We were called back by Sergeant Tink, who I might add is a true gentleman and a scholar to boot. He placed us in our rifle pits by the crossing and told us to keep a sharp eye. We encountered some more of the Yank skirmishers, but once Lt. Handy brought up the 2nd platoon, they skeedadled. We were relieved from the line and found the shade of a large oak tree and spent some amount of time relaxing. I had just fallen asleep when once again shots began to ring out and the first platoon formed up and began to double quick back to the crossing. This time the Yanks ment business. Sergeant Tink put us out on the right flank and I'm afraid this is where Connor met his end. I was in a rifle pit and Connor and another fella were out in the woods on the far right. The Yanks sent a number of men accross to our right and they broke through. Connor and his pard were pushed back into the woods. Alll hell was breaking loose when Lt. Kelar sent up his reinforcements. I was told later that Conner was holding his ground helping to push back the advance. He was reloading when a Yank ran out of the woods and bayonetted him in the lung and stomach. Our friend Tom said he died in a few minutes after calling out for our Lord and saviour. His loss is like a bayonet in my own stomach. The soldier who killed him was shot by our boys immediately. They said his name was John and as it turned out, those Yanks were from the 2nd Maine. Both them and us have come a long way to kill each other I reckon. Anyway, me and some of the boys buried him beneath an oak tree there close to where he fell. The rest of the day was a blur for me. We continued to fight off their advances when they came close enough. Little 14 year old Ethan dropped three of them all by himself. When we were close enough, we'd yell at them to go home. They'd respond with the most obscene of vulgarities that I can't mention here and although them Yanks are like us in many ways, they are a vulgar and lowborn lot. The Captain took some of their wounded, including Connor's killer, and under the flag of truce, paroled them back to their own. About suppertime, the 1st platoon was pulled back so we could cook our meals. We saw some women refugees. The poor ladies had lost all that they owned 'cept what they could load into a little wagon. I felt so bad for them. I went back to the lines by myself to give some tea that I had to Rick in the 2nd platoon when all hell broke out once again. I was running for my life since I had left my rifle back at camp. I ran all the way back and grabbed it and caught up with the rest of the platoon. Rick, Ethans dad, and I were in the rifle pit when a gopher popped out and tried to beat a hasty retreat. He heard all the noise and ran back down his hole. Believe me, I would have followed him if I thought I could squeeze in there. Finally at sundown it quieted down and the 1st platoon made their way back to camp while the 2nd had pickett duty for the night. We cooked up dinner and settled in for the night. The quiet comradeship around the fire is what makes this whole endevour worth while, and will live with all of us for a long, long time. Sleep came easy after all of the day. Unfortunately the cold once again was tough on the men. Many suffered through the night.

Sunday dawned slowly along with the men. The events of the last two days had worn greatly on them. Once again shots rang out and men went running for their coutrements. We moved up to relieve the 2nd and moved across the crossing pushing the Yankee skirmishers before us. This is when tragredy struck again. Corporal Ashley was struck down and died immediately. The boys had their blood up then and took it out on the Yanks. They fell back then and we never saw them fellers from the 2nd Maine again. Coporal Ashley's pard Trevor, picked him up and carried him back to camp by himself. We laid him to rest there by a sycamore. Not a dry eye was to be seen on any man for the coporal was greatly loved by all his comrades. The Captain marched us up once more up to our lines and there we were relieved by the 15th Louisiana about mid morning. The whole company marched back to Oakley station, and from there we linked up with the rest of the regiment.

Now Molly I must say goodbye for I grow weary from fighting and marching and can barely lift this pencil. I will tell you this that I love you and will hold you in my thoughts until this great unpleasentness is over. Please write me when you can and give my love to your parents.

Sincerely and with great love
your cousin
Patrick O'Melia
Company I, Washington Rifles
9th Louisiana Infantry

[DougCooper]

Re: Oakley Tactical 2004 - Glines Crossing

Patrick - have you guys ever considered doing this later in the year (or even earlier)? As likely the only authentic event of the year in mid-northern CA, maybe we can help include it somehow into our event schedule for the CHAPs. We try to get to one CA event per year but as there is always a max effort event back east very close to this (Mansfield this year, Sayler's Creek and Port Gibson next year) we had only one of our members join you this time. What other dates are available?

[CaptainUCSB]

Re: Oakley Tactical 2004 - Glines Crossing

Any information about the event will have to go through Lance Willis. I am no longer affiliated with the Oakley Tactical, although I may attend with my unit next year. It is all depending on whether there is a better event anywhere in the country.