Perryville 2006 AAR

[NC5thCav]

Re: Perryville AAR

Saturday night I simply ditched my gray shell jacket and walked into the Federal camp, carrying my enfield, accoutraments, and even wearing a gray kepi still. I had on dark blue trowsers, but still. I walked right by one sentry and even stood around a campfire with a bunch of Feds who were discussing the fact that it was a dry county and where to procure booze, and nobody ever questioned me. So the guards must have really sucked. There were also five more rebs in the tree line around the Federal camp at the same time.

[csa blacksmith]

Re: Perryville AAR

I'm curious as to which Federal camp you sneaked into? We were all supposed to have guards up and functioning, down to the battalion level, each night.

Well, I guess it wasn't that effective. We were going to make a raid on the federal camp for good fire wood, ours was wet and green. It wouldn't burn.:(

[Spinster]

Re: Perryville AAR

Alas Mr. Bierderman, the answer is-----every major command area was infiltrated-----by civilian men on foot or on horse on either Friday or Saturday evening. Enough to take troop counts and to know where commanders were sleeping, right down to which pallet on which side of which fly or tent.

Last year my girls left little love notes for some select gentlemen, based on a challenge issued to get through all those pickets and passwords. This year we gals had other fish to fry, but still had some civilian men making the rounds.

One feller went back and forth so many times, I've got his socks in my mending basket...... :D

[flattop32355]

Re: Perryville AAR

Alas Mr. Bierderman, the answer is-----every major command area was infiltrated-----by civilian men on foot or on horse on either Friday or Saturday evening. Enough to take troop counts and to know where commanders were sleeping, right down to which pallet on which side of which fly or tent.

Hmmmmm...not a good thing. We shall need to work on that.
And to think I got into trouble for challenging a Federal staff member who was still in modern clothing as to what he was doing in the division HQ area on Friday evening when we were tasked to guard it...

And it is "Biederman". The extra "r" is a common mistake, so don't feel badly about it. My Father was Mr. Biederman; I'm Bernie, or Doc, or "Hey, you...!"

[DougCooper]

Re: Perryville AAR

I second that

The next NSA National event is Mill Springs, KY, currently scheduled for the last week of September, 2007. The NSA will be attempting to push the bar a bit higher again on scenario and impression fidelity. Grab your Tennessee frock or commutation jacket and march with Crittenden and Zollicoffer or fall in with Thomas' boys in blue. This will be one event where we will attempt to get close to the actual numbers engaged in the original units at the point of attack, and by rotating units as per the original battle, attempt to match the duration as well.

Planning has been ongoing even as the NSA prepared for Perryville, and this will ramp up very soon.

Like Perryville, the State Park at Mill Springs is a gem, and the goal once again is preservation and education via a great event on the original ground.

Here are some links (the Battle goes by many other names, among them Fishing Creek and Logan's Crossroads):

http://www.millsprings.net/ (details on the event, etc)

http://americancivilwar.com/statepic/ky/ky006.html

http://www.geocities.com/pentagon/quarters/1864/Default.htm

http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/ky006.htm

Stay tuned!

[Alamo Guard]

Re: Perryville AAR

Alot has been said about wandering around visiting camps. This this was pretty much a mainstream event. Folks came and went pretty much where they wanted.
About the only thing the provost was really guarding was the firewood. They demanded passes for wood. Consequently a pencil, a piece of scrap paper, a moon lit night, a young wide eyed sentry....the result six passes, six armfuls of firewood and warming fires for the men at night.

[Hoosier Yank]

Re: Perryville AAR

Sorry, boys, but I'm more convinced than ever that this forum is overrun with mainstream wannabe's and hardkewls.

A Dead Whale or A Stove Boat,

everytime,

Joe Smotherman

After reading these AARs I'm thinking the same thing thar Joe.

Many folks that have posted something here and we wearing blue for the weekend didn't want to participate with the AoP for some reason or another. Kinda feel sorry for them.

[ewtaylor]

Re: Perryville AAR

For your entertainment pleasure:

We of the Army of the Ohio were in line to the left front of your advance, when some other Federal force came in on your flank. Our Colonel was wounded, and command passed to our Major. At some later point, you rebs flanked the other Federals by marching across our front and turning your backs to us and pouring fire into the other line. Our Major saw what was happening, and began to move us against your extremely exposed position. Even a lowly corporal like me saw what was happening and smiled at the opportunity to wreak some havoc on your line.

At that point, some higher ranking muckety-muck trotted up on his horse and informed our beloved Major that he should not be taking such action without higher orders, and demanded that we cease and desist moving upon you all.
He reluctantly complied.

What he should have done was shoot the idiot and continued on...but I digress.

That may be an example of why we Feds were not more agressive in the field.

Its good to see some "law and order" prevailed so there were no scenerio busting going on. I took a hit as our line was coming down the last ridge and saw some battle lines getting really close. I think the worst I saw was the CS cav attacking Fed right. The Cav was so close the Feds couldnt even fire their weapons (thank goodness). I was only there Friday and Saturday, but still had a good time. We drilled all of Sat. morning and after the battle I went into "town". The civilians did a fine job, had to leave and get home for personal reasons by 7pm (yes my chain of command knew I was leaving). Sorry I missed out not being with Conley's boys, but I didnt think it fair to those guys just being there 1 day.
I can't wait until Mill Springs, yes national events are mostly mainstreamers, with a sprinkling of the more progressive persuation, but they can be very enjoyable if ran correctly.
It was nice meeting you Bernie.

Everett Taylor

[Jim of The SRR]

Re: Perryville AAR

Reading this thread makes me wonder if I was at the same event as some of you. I had a great time, but I was with the AoP and only saw Babylon when we ventured out to battle and when I visited the "village" Saturday night.

Hints at drunkenness and did someone say they did Monty Python around the campfire? First time bacon eaters even!! I'm glad you boys were camping mainstream and not screwing up our good time.

Sorry, boys, but I'm more convinced than ever that this forum is overrun with mainstream wannabe's and hardkewls.

A Dead Whale or A Stove Boat,

everytime,

Joe Smotherman

Joe,

Don't forget Cyberreenactors.

Jim

[Wild Rover]

Re: Perryville AAR

Bernie,

No one snuck into our camp either night. I was responsible for the Camp friday night, and conducted patrols and there was a line out till ordered otherwsie by Division.


At the Advanced Camp Saturday night, we had posted pickets and ran patrols into the night ( I fell asleep around 8pm), and I doubt anyone realized that the entire 2nd Brigade had moved camp and Mike had us tucked into the hollow.

Pards,

[Norsk]

Re: Perryville AAR

Reading this thread makes me wonder if I was at the same event as some of you. I had a great time, but I was with the AoP and only saw Babylon when we ventured out to battle and when I visited the "village" Saturday night.

Hints at drunkenness and did someone say they did Monty Python around the campfire? First time bacon eaters even!! I'm glad you boys were camping mainstream and not screwing up our good time.

Sorry, boys, but I'm more convinced than ever that this forum is overrun with mainstream wannabe's and hardkewls.

A Dead Whale or A Stove Boat,

everytime,

Joe Smotherman

Joe,

Just to clarify, when Jim Moffet said that this was the first time we have had salt pork he wasn't speaking of slab bacon. That has been our main staple of meat for years. This was the first time we have been able to find actual salt pork, much different from slab bacon. We had to boil it a couple of times before we fried it just to get it to be tolerable. I truely enjoyed this since that is what I have read of the old boys doing.

As for camping mainstream, there was alot of canvas in about half of our battallion but our entire company which was the largest in the WB 2nd battallion slept on our gum blankets. Saturday we marched to a field and that night there was no cnavas.

Personally for me, having a good impression, accurate uniform and kit is very important. I love to experience life as a soldier as close to the way they would as possible and would just as soon not see farby impressions and canvas all around me. But I also enjoy helping others see the how much more gratifying it is to be more progressive in their impressions and attitude. I don't see how this can be done if you are always secluded and feeling so superior to all of the "Mainstreamers". Friday night someone from the tent city just up from us looke at our company street and said to one of my pards "wow that looks awsome. That's really the way to do it isn't it."

I would love to see the hobby grow more authentic but juist classifying people as Hardcore or Mainstream and separating your selves sure doesnt make it very appealing to those who may be flexible enough to grow.

Just my .02 worth.

[MercyAngel62]

Re: Perryville AAR

"I would love to see the hobby grow more authentic but juist classifying people as Hardcore or Mainstream and separating your selves sure doesnt make it very appealing to those who may be flexible enough to grow."

Ben, I have to agree with you there. I have always wondered this. I just do the best I can with trying to improve myself and having fun while I do it. This is a hobby.......

[Old Reb]

Re: Perryville AAR

I missed Perryville. Some how I got drunk in Lexington and just couldn't find the right road. Dang! I am glad to know it is just a hobby. I was worrying about that. Are you sure it is just a hobby? I thought it was real. Oh, well, I like Lexington. Horses, whiskey, college girls, cheeseburgers.

[Jim Moffet]

Re: Perryville AAR

I agree with Ben & Liz. I've been improving my impression since getting started in 1972! Back then I lived in Pennsylvania & joined a very much "mainstream" unit. Looking back over the decades, there were specific moments that stand out when I met 'hardcores' who aided my development into a better reenactor. Almost all of these have been at large scale, national events, like Perryville 2006. This year, one fellow asked me "Why aren't you guys using dog tents?" I told him they hadn't been issued yet, so we don't use them here, and that the baggage trains with other tents were not near the field at Perryville, so we sleep under the stars. He went away questioning his own authenticity - maybe we will see him campaigning at Mill Springs.........

Was Perryville perfect - well, no. But the state of the hobby is doing pretty well, as I see it. We could sure use more participants, but it has NEVER been easier for a fresh fish to start on the right foot - to be highly authentic quickly. This website is a testimony to that fact.

An old Mudsill motto runs "Prior to each event, every reenactor should look at their impression and improve one part of it." (Or words to that effect.) I live by this motto - we all should. Having real salt pork to wrestle with, rather than slab bacon, was one for me this year at Perryville.

For me, what makes ACW military living history 'better' than other eras/periods is the ability to get together once or twice a year and put thousands of men into the field, properly organized into brigades of battalions, squadrons and batteries. It was an honor to help command a 125+ man battalion (the Western Brigade, 2nd Battalion), and using as much of the School of the Battalion as we could in a 48 hour timespan. This just cannot be done in other recreated periods. And it cannot be done if we limit ourselves to authenticity standards that are so rigorous that there are only 150 guys allowed in! (I'm 49 years old - proper standards wouldn't let me in unless as a field grade officer!) Seeing other battalions being properly maneuvred makes my heart skip! One area where I'd like to see improvement would be for more battalions to stop marching around by the flank - that's basic company drill.

I had a great time at Perryville. I experienced things I'd never experienced before, and had the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with others who wanted to 'do it right.' I'm really looking forward to Mill Springs - it will be fun to do a very early war western theatre event: all you Feds got your frock coat yet?

Jim Moffet
Minnesota First
Western Brigade

[ewtaylor]

Re: Perryville AAR

I missed Perryville. Some how I got drunk in Lexington and just couldn't find the right road. Dang! I am glad to know it is just a hobby. I was worrying about that. Are you sure it is just a hobby? I thought it was real. Oh, well, I like Lexington. Horses, whiskey, college girls, cheeseburgers.

You sure you werent at Perryville??

Joe, Ben, Liz, and a few others posting on here lately, this is the Authentic-Campaigner forum. We like events that hold participants to the proper standards of uniforms, equipment, camping, drill, etc. If only 300 people show up, then thats 300 people having a good time the way we here at this forum think it should be done.
As a matter of fact rule #1 of the A/C forum rules:
[No Farbism - All discussion here must strive toward authenticity - this is not the forum for status quo reenacting or status quo thinking. Don't come here to argue with hardcores about what they are doing "wrong."]

Everyone should read the rules of posting, before posting. I hope I said this without hurting any feelings.


everett taylor