Encampment at Pittsburg Landing April 13-15, 2007

[Jim of The SRR]

The Encampment at Pittsburg Landing site has also been updated at:

https://www.geocities.com/scar_civilwar/Shiloh2007LH

Here is an update thus far:
I have spoken with the SCAR leadership, Art Milbert-WIG and Steve Acker-ONV.
We have confirmed their support for the 2007 Shiloh Authentic Federal LH program, Encampment at Pittburg Landing on April 13-15, 2007 at the Shiloh National Military Park, TN.
The companies will be broken into the three groups, SCAR, WIG and ONV.
Each company will have 50 men (we will regsiter up to 65 before that company closes).
Staff has been selected and is posted on the webpage.
Scenario/Drill rotation plans have been created.
We are currently working on a Brigade movement scenario for Sun morning. This would involve recreating the brigades movements as they occured on the morning of the first day at Shiloh. This is still tentative.
The Bully Buys have also been posted on the site.
Registration info is posted and if you register early you will be recieve a chance to win a free wetplate from Tim Parsons.
We still need volunteers for the commisary, qualified interpretor roles, Pay Call and more.
We also need volunteers to bring additional cookware and tents (A-frames, wall tents and Sibleys).
Please notify me if you would like to help out or have any questions at unionguy1@comcast.net

Regards,
Jim Butler
SCAR www.geocities.com/scar_civilwar
SRR www.geocities.com/saltriverrifles

[Jim of The SRR]

Food: Encampment at Pittsburg Landing April 13-15, 2007

Some good primer info for the Encampment at Pittburg Landing. Shiloh Cooking research as posted on the OTB:

I am out of town right now, but have my "Shiloh: Bloody April" book with me (I am rereading it). Here is some excerpts from Wiley Sword's book:

This first account is an earlier Pittsburg Landing account (early March up to as late as March 23, 1862):

"The concentration of troops at Pittsburg landing had been so rapid that it had outstripped the capacity of the subsistence department to provide adequate food for the men. 'We had nothing in shape of [soft] bread since we left Paducah,' one private in Sherman's division complained as late as March 23. Until the 55th Illinois received potatoes and flour on the same date, they were compelled to eat only hardtack."

It continues...

"Many of the officers at the same time, however, enjoyed delicacies from home. Colonel Jacib G. Lauman wrote of eating such savorytreats as canned tomatoes and cherries, homemade cake, and wine, all shipped by friends and relatives at home. Combined with the regular fare of 'bacon & beans' the officers of Lauman's mess, at least, ate well."

continues...

"Although many enlisted men went without such luxuries, they were soon treated to an ample ration of meat. Toward the end of March several local citizens came to Savannah and reported to Grant that a large quantity of Confederate bacon was stored on the Tennessee near Nichols Landing, forty miles downriver. Grant quickly ordered one of McClernand's officers, Major Melancthon smith of the 45th Illinois, to go and get it. Smith put two companies each of infantry and cavalry aboard a steamboat and sailed for Nichols Landing on March 24th."....
"Enlisting the aid of a Union sympathizer, Major Smith uncovered 'from 100,000 to 120,000 pounds' of pork, loaded it aboard his steamer and returned to Savannah about the twenty-seventh, all without incident. Grant had the pork distributed among the division commissaries, and for the next few weeks the aroma of frying bacon wafted about the Federal camps, courtesy of the Confederates."

I can not say for sure of the 8th Illinois was suffering the same fate. They were in McClernand's division which was camped across the river at Savannah until just one week before the battle. I believe they intentionally stationed McClernand across the river as the other officers disliked his excessive, violent temper, impetuous and rude actions. Also, being a supporter of southern Democrats probably did not make him popular either.

By early April, the men appeared to be getting restless...

"About the only general basis for complaint from the ranks seems to have been the monotony of camp life. An Illinois infantryman found cause to grumble that he had 'nothing to do,' saying, 'It will be two weeks tommorow since I done anything but eat and lay around the encampment.' Other troops, notably Sherman's, began to chafe at the constant drill and inspections."

More on food...

"The woods surrounding the Union camps were filled with 'Johnny-jump-ups,' as the men termed the familair wildflowers, and hunting for wild onions and 'turkey peas' was a favorite pasttime."

"Prentiss's men found camp life 'kind of loose'. In contrast to Sherman's camps guard duty was light, drills were not yet regularroutine, and food was excellent-one soldier found plenty of 'fried sowbelly,' steaming 'flapjacks,' and good strong coffee to satisfy his appetite."

This quote is in regards to Colonel Madison Miller of the 18th Missouri, commanding the 2nd brigade. At the time of the initial Confederate attack...

"Miller at the time was breakfasting with his regiment's field and staff officers on cold sliced beef, baked chicken, hot biscuits, butter, and coffee."....
"One officer hastily stuffed breakfast meat inside his shirt as he dashed off, reasoning with a good amount of common sense that it might be a long while before he had another meal."

The morning of the battle, the 15th Michigan heard firing ahead...

"When they heard firing ahead, some of the men asked Hurlbut's troops, whose camps were along the road, what the shooting was about. Hurlbut's men told the greenhorns that some of the pickets must be 'shooting squirrels."

Thus, squirrel may have been n the menu for some!

Now this is a very interestng quote that...

"Yet the enemy [Confederates] had hesitated briefly on approaching Peabody's camp. A private of the 25th Missouri thought this was due to sight of their Dutch ovens, fashioned of mud and used by the cooks to bake bread, which the enemy seemed to fear were masked batteries."

It is also interesting to note that Pittsburg Landing is named after Pitts Tucker's liquor shop that stood there prior to the war.

I am certain that many of the locals in Hardin County were also inclined to trade with the Union soldiers as well. Hardin County was split between pro-Union and Pro-Southern sympathies. Here is an exerpt from Vickie Rumble's, "Life in Hardin County":

"Hardin County ranked 2l out of 47 Tennessee counties in the production of agricultural products – crops, livestock, and numerous other goods. Residents owned oxen, swine, milk cows, mules and asses. They raised corn, sweet potatoes, peas, beans, Irish potatoes, tobacco, fruit, etc.

In addition rye, oats, and wheat were grown in smaller amounts, and farmers produced honey, beeswax, sorghum, eggs, milk, butter, wool or cotton, and various other staples, often with enough of one or two items to barter or to sell for money to buy items they didn’t or couldn’t produce themselves."

I'll check more of my resources once I get back home.

Regards,
Jim Butler

[Jim of The SRR]

Re: Encampment at Pittsburg Landing April 13-15, 2007 - Update 11-3-06

The website for the Encampment at Pittsburg Landing -Shiloh 2007 Living History has been updated at:

https://www.geocities.com/scar_civilwar/Shiloh2007LH

Updates include:

Event Information:
Location of camp: Field between Hornet's Nest and Ruggles
Battery sites.
Staff update: Admiral Duffer as acting Lt. Col (Capt)
PayMaster - surprise guest
Auction: Will be conducted by Ezra Barnhouse Good - Crabb
Wetplate update.

8th Illinois Research Page: 8th Illinois page updated.

Bully Buys: Page updated to include Daley State Jacket special.

We still need the following:
- Additional Sibleys (we have 10-12 now).
- Additional A-frames (we need a total of 20)
- Additional Wall Tents (we need
- Additional cooking gear.
- Volunteers to serve a commisary cooks (Jerry Gouge is
Commissary Sgt).

Regards,
Jim Butler