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We have rec'd preliminary approvals and were just waiting to ensure there would be no conflicts with any significant c/p/h events. We now give you....
140th Federal Re-Occupation of Ft Sumter LH -- Feb 18-19-20, 2005.
Note 1: Monday, the 21st of Feb is a federal holiday -- President's Day Monday
Note 2: this is not a re-enactment of the April 1865 event attended by Rob't Anderson and a cast of thousands when the US government formally took control of Ft Sumter.
brought to you by the Palmetto Living History Association to benefit Charleston County Civil War battlefield preservation.
Timeline -- all times approximate at this stage
- Event start time (time we shove off for Morris Island) - NLT 1600EST, 18 Feb 2005. Point of embarkation TBD. Parking will be available. Gets us aboard Morris Island while there's still enough light to see things. We'll arrange a tour of extant works for those interested. Sunset is around 1800EST that day.
- overnight Morris Island (shelter halves permitted) - 18 Feb 2005
(We will fall-in on cached rations, firewood and drinking water)
- Depart Morris Island for Ft Sumter - 0800EST, 19 Feb 2005
- Receive Ft Sumter visitors and conduct LH program - 19 Feb 2005 - details TBD
- Overnight Ft Sumter (sleep in the casemates) - 19 Feb 2005
- Receive Ft Sumter visitors and conduct LH - 20 Feb 2005
- Depart Ft Sumter for event starting point - NLT 1600EST, 20 Feb 05.
- back at the cars - NLT 1700EST, 20 Feb 05.
Organization and General Information:
David Chinnis will be in overall command as Major John Hennessy, Co. K, 52 PVI. For more info on the hard-fighting 52d:
Neill Rose will serve as First Lieutenant H.A. Motte. Maybe one more officer tops, but that's Major Chinnis' call. We'll sort out the NCO's later. Cory Pharr will serve as our bosun and organize the watercraft. We'll probably end up capping attendance at 80, perhaps a little more or less depending on what can be sorted out w/NPS and watercraft.
It would appear there may be national interest in such an opportuinity. Dare we hope -- a trans-continental, "east meets west" authentic EBUFU? That would be gravy, but the main thing is we'll do our best to provide a super experience, raise bucks to help preserve battlefields (some of which are on islands in Charleston BTW), give the snowbirds a chance to get out of wintry Yankeedom for a weekend, provide something "completely different" from the ordinary re-enacting experience and a chance to follow in the steps, (and strokes) of the men of Co. K, 52 PVI as they crossed from Morris Island to Sumter on 18 Feb 1865 and raised "Old Glory" on the battered ramparts -- then rowed like hell to beat the Navy and some USCT's to Charleston for the honor and glory of being first into the city -- too bad we can't model that last part as well.
Background
Charleston and all its fortified places were ordered evacuated by the Confederate military authority with orders to complete the operation by 17 Feb 1865. The rationale was that Sherman would shortly cut-off Charleston from what was left of Confederate territory and the troops in and around Charleston were ordered to link-up w/Joe Johnston's forces to the west. The CS Ft Sumter garrison, which by now were manning what had become essentially an advanced infantry post, ran up a brand-new Confederate national flag and left quietly. The flag was run-up as a bit of a ruse to buy time. On the morning of 18 Feb 1865, Company K of the 52d Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry under the command of Major John Hennessy shoved off in open boats from Cummmings Point at the northernmost tip of Morris Island and rowed over to the abnadoned Ft Sumter. There, they left the boats, and planted their regimental colors on Sumter's parapet, thus returning the US flag to the post where it had not flown since Maj Robert Anderson ran it down almost four years earlier.
Material Authenticity
Impression is late-war western Federal, coastal SC forces under Gilmore. Typical authenticity rules and standards will apply, details TBD, but think sack coats and the usual accouterments -- and yes, we'll organize a bulk buy or two if folks want. We'll be well equipped, well-supplied troops as the men of the 52d PVI were. Rifle-muskets, no smooothbores. Hopefully we can have the 52 PVI colors reproduced or perhaps even borrow a good stand of colors from this outfit which may already exist among Keystone State living historians. Our NPS folks tell us the original 52 PVI national colors will likely be on display at Ft Sumter that weekend. Unfortunately, I see no role for civilians at this event. We do know there were a boatload of CS musicians who had not effected their evacuation by the time Hennessy's men arrived at Sumter but we probably wouldn't want to bother with that, unless we chose to take them prisoner and hold them all weekend.
Event administration
I'll serve as event administrator, set up the website a bit later and handle registration when the time comes. We will leave Morris Island EXACTLY as we found it -- if not better, packing out all our garbage and we will remove any traces we had ever been there before we depart for Sumter. We will police Sumter prior to our departure Sunday afternoon. We will abide no conduct which could jeopardize the rapport with the Charleston NPS the PLHA is now priviliged to enjoy.
DISCLAIMERS
Bottomline, if the Morris Island part becomes a "bridge too far" or otherwise impossible, we go ahead and just spend Friday AND Saturday night on Sumter -- which is still a pretty kewl gig if you've never had the chance. We also need to be able to call an audible from the line of scrimmage if the weather conspires against us. We're okay getting wet on Morris Friday night, but in the unlikely event it is really nasty we'd probably need to punt the MI part. We can weather just about anything on Sumter -- Hurricane "Hugo" drove right over the top of it in 1990 or so I think it was, and she didn't lose a brick -- it flooded pretty good though -- of course who's afraid of a little rainwater?
Finally, folks need to understand, there can be no buggin' out on this one. Once we get to Morris, the way home is thru Sumter and the only way to conveniently get back to your car before Sunday afternoon after we push off from Folly Island (or James,or even the NPS dock at Moultrie) on Friday will be for bona fide health or other emergencies. Presumably, "late-arrivers" could be accommodated by riding the tourist boat out from Charleston in the first boatload of Sumter visitors Saturday morning, but they'd miss the Morris Island part. They would also be taking a slot from a guy who could have done the whole thing so I'd discourage that. Also, folks who needed to leave early, short of emergency cases, could probably be cleared to depart Sumter on Saturday or Sunday on one of the departing turista galleons, but that takes them back to the city marina and nowhere near where their car is probably parked. All that said, we need healthy folks for this who don't have any potentially emergent issues back home. I know anything can happen, but I'd hate for a guy to take a slot who suddenly needed to split Saturday morning 'cause his Aunt Tillie, who he's well aware had been hanging by a thread for sometime, finally up and died -- know what I mean? We'll have a plan to handle emergencies like we do when we overnight at Sumter, but we don't want to execute that unless it is "no-kidding" required.
Folks, depending on how the proposed development of Morris island goes, this may be a once in a re-enacting career opportunity.
For good info on Morris Island, check out: www.morrisisland.org
Enough for now,
140th Federal Re-Occupation of Ft Sumter LH -- Feb 18-19-20, 2005.
Note 1: Monday, the 21st of Feb is a federal holiday -- President's Day Monday
Note 2: this is not a re-enactment of the April 1865 event attended by Rob't Anderson and a cast of thousands when the US government formally took control of Ft Sumter.
brought to you by the Palmetto Living History Association to benefit Charleston County Civil War battlefield preservation.
Timeline -- all times approximate at this stage
- Event start time (time we shove off for Morris Island) - NLT 1600EST, 18 Feb 2005. Point of embarkation TBD. Parking will be available. Gets us aboard Morris Island while there's still enough light to see things. We'll arrange a tour of extant works for those interested. Sunset is around 1800EST that day.
- overnight Morris Island (shelter halves permitted) - 18 Feb 2005
(We will fall-in on cached rations, firewood and drinking water)
- Depart Morris Island for Ft Sumter - 0800EST, 19 Feb 2005
- Receive Ft Sumter visitors and conduct LH program - 19 Feb 2005 - details TBD
- Overnight Ft Sumter (sleep in the casemates) - 19 Feb 2005
- Receive Ft Sumter visitors and conduct LH - 20 Feb 2005
- Depart Ft Sumter for event starting point - NLT 1600EST, 20 Feb 05.
- back at the cars - NLT 1700EST, 20 Feb 05.
Organization and General Information:
David Chinnis will be in overall command as Major John Hennessy, Co. K, 52 PVI. For more info on the hard-fighting 52d:
Neill Rose will serve as First Lieutenant H.A. Motte. Maybe one more officer tops, but that's Major Chinnis' call. We'll sort out the NCO's later. Cory Pharr will serve as our bosun and organize the watercraft. We'll probably end up capping attendance at 80, perhaps a little more or less depending on what can be sorted out w/NPS and watercraft.
It would appear there may be national interest in such an opportuinity. Dare we hope -- a trans-continental, "east meets west" authentic EBUFU? That would be gravy, but the main thing is we'll do our best to provide a super experience, raise bucks to help preserve battlefields (some of which are on islands in Charleston BTW), give the snowbirds a chance to get out of wintry Yankeedom for a weekend, provide something "completely different" from the ordinary re-enacting experience and a chance to follow in the steps, (and strokes) of the men of Co. K, 52 PVI as they crossed from Morris Island to Sumter on 18 Feb 1865 and raised "Old Glory" on the battered ramparts -- then rowed like hell to beat the Navy and some USCT's to Charleston for the honor and glory of being first into the city -- too bad we can't model that last part as well.
Background
Charleston and all its fortified places were ordered evacuated by the Confederate military authority with orders to complete the operation by 17 Feb 1865. The rationale was that Sherman would shortly cut-off Charleston from what was left of Confederate territory and the troops in and around Charleston were ordered to link-up w/Joe Johnston's forces to the west. The CS Ft Sumter garrison, which by now were manning what had become essentially an advanced infantry post, ran up a brand-new Confederate national flag and left quietly. The flag was run-up as a bit of a ruse to buy time. On the morning of 18 Feb 1865, Company K of the 52d Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry under the command of Major John Hennessy shoved off in open boats from Cummmings Point at the northernmost tip of Morris Island and rowed over to the abnadoned Ft Sumter. There, they left the boats, and planted their regimental colors on Sumter's parapet, thus returning the US flag to the post where it had not flown since Maj Robert Anderson ran it down almost four years earlier.
Material Authenticity
Impression is late-war western Federal, coastal SC forces under Gilmore. Typical authenticity rules and standards will apply, details TBD, but think sack coats and the usual accouterments -- and yes, we'll organize a bulk buy or two if folks want. We'll be well equipped, well-supplied troops as the men of the 52d PVI were. Rifle-muskets, no smooothbores. Hopefully we can have the 52 PVI colors reproduced or perhaps even borrow a good stand of colors from this outfit which may already exist among Keystone State living historians. Our NPS folks tell us the original 52 PVI national colors will likely be on display at Ft Sumter that weekend. Unfortunately, I see no role for civilians at this event. We do know there were a boatload of CS musicians who had not effected their evacuation by the time Hennessy's men arrived at Sumter but we probably wouldn't want to bother with that, unless we chose to take them prisoner and hold them all weekend.
Event administration
I'll serve as event administrator, set up the website a bit later and handle registration when the time comes. We will leave Morris Island EXACTLY as we found it -- if not better, packing out all our garbage and we will remove any traces we had ever been there before we depart for Sumter. We will police Sumter prior to our departure Sunday afternoon. We will abide no conduct which could jeopardize the rapport with the Charleston NPS the PLHA is now priviliged to enjoy.
DISCLAIMERS
Bottomline, if the Morris Island part becomes a "bridge too far" or otherwise impossible, we go ahead and just spend Friday AND Saturday night on Sumter -- which is still a pretty kewl gig if you've never had the chance. We also need to be able to call an audible from the line of scrimmage if the weather conspires against us. We're okay getting wet on Morris Friday night, but in the unlikely event it is really nasty we'd probably need to punt the MI part. We can weather just about anything on Sumter -- Hurricane "Hugo" drove right over the top of it in 1990 or so I think it was, and she didn't lose a brick -- it flooded pretty good though -- of course who's afraid of a little rainwater?
Finally, folks need to understand, there can be no buggin' out on this one. Once we get to Morris, the way home is thru Sumter and the only way to conveniently get back to your car before Sunday afternoon after we push off from Folly Island (or James,or even the NPS dock at Moultrie) on Friday will be for bona fide health or other emergencies. Presumably, "late-arrivers" could be accommodated by riding the tourist boat out from Charleston in the first boatload of Sumter visitors Saturday morning, but they'd miss the Morris Island part. They would also be taking a slot from a guy who could have done the whole thing so I'd discourage that. Also, folks who needed to leave early, short of emergency cases, could probably be cleared to depart Sumter on Saturday or Sunday on one of the departing turista galleons, but that takes them back to the city marina and nowhere near where their car is probably parked. All that said, we need healthy folks for this who don't have any potentially emergent issues back home. I know anything can happen, but I'd hate for a guy to take a slot who suddenly needed to split Saturday morning 'cause his Aunt Tillie, who he's well aware had been hanging by a thread for sometime, finally up and died -- know what I mean? We'll have a plan to handle emergencies like we do when we overnight at Sumter, but we don't want to execute that unless it is "no-kidding" required.
Folks, depending on how the proposed development of Morris island goes, this may be a once in a re-enacting career opportunity.
For good info on Morris Island, check out: www.morrisisland.org
Enough for now,
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