AARs

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Post them here. Howuzzit? Looking to read some. I-600 2002 was one of the best events I've attended, and am hoping that I-600 '07 was similar.

[trippcor]

Re: AARs

To tired to post much but I felt the 2007 I600 surpassed both past events. Had a great time and based on what I read in the vistor book the spectators enjoyed the programs completely.

[Federal Bummer]

Re: AARs

One of the BEST and the most physically tiring events I've ever attended.

Thank You to the men of first section, your professionalism made my job as your cpl much easier.

[Spongebucket]

Re: AARs

This was my first time doing this particular program. My hats go off to the organizers, the paticipants...US, CS prisoners, civilians/cooks and the docents. This was one great event. I, personally, have never done an event of this type and caliber. There are many things to recall of personal experiences...but the most haunting was when we brought the prisoners into the cell casemates with only candlelight....and hearing the sound of the cell door creak as it opened and closed. The thought was, the men we put in here will be out in a few days...but thinking of those who went in in 1864.
Thank you men of 1st platoon and 1st Sgt Corbin for allowing me to serve as your sgt. you all did a mighty fine job.
Look foward to seeing you folks again...and to the CS officers....hopefully under better conditions
Joe Blunt
The Silent Sergeant

[Jen McGarrahan]

Re: AARs

My husband and I traveled from Myrtle Beach, to Savannah just to see this event, the 4 hour ride was well worth it. All the participants were wonderful. We are new to all of this, my husband and son have participated in 3 events, while I have only done one so far due to work. We truly enjoyed this one, It's always very hard to imagine what things must have been like for the soldiers during that time, but because of events like these we have a better idea. Thank you so much for giving us that window to the past. A quick question, how often is the Immortal 600 portrayed, and how does one get involved? Ok so it's 2 questions.

[btwils]

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I got home last night about 11:30 took a shower and hit the rack. I had a great time as a Pvt in 2nd Plt 2nd section. I traded a boiled egg for a pocket knife with a pow.I gave it back later. One of the high ligts for me was comming to the aid of a Brother MM. Even though no sooner did the food reach him then we tossed the cell's and it was taken. I would like to thank all the people who put on this event, and the ladies who cooked the food for the fed's it was outstanding and more then enough. Thanks once again

[MercyAngel62]

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I had a nice weekend and it was good to see everyone. We were lucky to have such beautiful weather! Thanks to everyone who worked hard to make this past weekend possible. It was well worth the long drive!! :D

[Eric Tipton]

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Liz, Photos! Excellent.

Quick note for now and AAR to follow later. Just walked in the door. The drive back was clear and pleasant compared to the sideways rain we encountered on the way down. The rest of the weekend, the weather was excellent. Thanks to everyone involved for one of the most unique vignettes of history I have had the privilege to portray.

Got to unpack the car. Looking forward to hearing everyone's perspective of the event.

[Eric Tipton]

Re: AARs

Oh, and I vote for image #3. ;)

[MercyAngel62]

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Actually, I ended up taking 118 photos on my digital camera this weekend! I tried to go through and pick out which ones looked best, so if I have posted some of the same ones, I apologize. Everything just looked so good, I had to take a picture of it. ;)

[BenjaminLDavis]

Re: AARs

I had a great time as a Pvt in 2nd Plt 2nd section. I traded a boiled egg for a pocket knife with a pow. Even though no sooner did the food reach him then we tossed the cell's and it was taken. I would like to thank all the people who put on this event, and the ladies who cooked the food for the fed's it was outstanding and more then enough. Thanks once again

I was the man you were generous enough to trade with, even though I could see from your
face when I first suggested it that you knew if you were caught there would be hell to pay!

The trade, from the viewpoint of 1st Lt. Eugene Jeffers, 61st Georgia Infantry: they lined us
up to go to the sinks, and though I did not have to go bad, lined up to see the sun with water
bucket in hand. Just as I am going out the door, a man I know and trust slips me a folding
knife - "Get whatever you can for it," he whispers hurriedly/
We are waiting at the sinks, I look at the Billy nearest, he looks like a Christian man - I
catch his eye, and, without Mr. Runyon's observation show him the folding knife up my
sleeve. He gets a frightened look, that devil Foster has these boys right fearful of any
kindly acts towards us! "Trade for some meat?" I asks. "Ain't seen no meat," he says.
"Vegetables?" He shook his head. "What you got fer trade?" I asked. "I got an egg."
says he. "Two eggs? It's worth two eggs." says I. "I got ONE egg." he says.
I wasn't going to do no better, and if I pushed any harder we might well have nothing.
"Done," says I.
Than an officer came over, and I thought we would have no opportunity to pass over
our trade goods. He turned and went back where he come from, just as Mr. Runyon
turned us back for the prison cell. "Now, now, now!!" I whispered urgently, and we
quickly and smoothly made the exchange.
We had some other eggs, and were saving them for a feast later, but lost them all in
the search. We never made that mistake again - any food we got we hid in our empy
stomachs fast as we got it. God bless them fellers of the 157th New York kind
enough to risk hard punishment to help starving men!

This was an extrordinary event, and I have a ton of memories from it. Walking in thru the
ominuous portculus into we knew not what Friday night sent chills down my spine. A
special thanks to Matt Woodburn - he knows why! And to Cap' Mack fer lookin' out fer
us all weekend. And to Jason, fer the John Bell Hood impersonation - humor kept us
alive when hope was gone. And all them fellers that sang with me, that was special.
Even that damn Fitz - I will remember it all.
If this event is held again in a couple years, I would like to step up now and say I will
be there. Until then, I remain

Yer good and hungry comrade in unjust injurious imprisonment,
1st Lt. Eugene Jeffers, 61st Georgia Infantry, captured at Spotsylvania

[blackhattertuck]

Re: AARs

Fellows,

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of my fellow POWs. You helped make this event the most significant event I've ever participated in. Thanks also to the federal garrison and staff for performing their work professionally and humainly (except for that $%*& Sat. night inspection!) Also a special thanks to "Fitz" for really drawing me into the experence with his first-rate impression, and to Capt. Carson, for keeping me fed.


Yours, &c

Adam Clark
aka
Lt. Paul Earle
aka
"Assistant chef and fire stoker" at Capt. Carson's Kitchen

[CornFedComrade]

Re: AARs

Just a few thoughts from my experience as a POW at Ft. Pulaski:

I know we felt nothing of the sufferings the Immortals went through, but I think we got a small understanding. Although our stomachs were not always growling and shrunken from starvation, we quickly learned the importance of even a morsel of food. The comraderie felt was incredible from the very start. Everyone worked together to make sure everyone got a bite to eat. It's amazing where food can be found when nothing seems available.

I would like to thank the men of casemate 18 for a very memorable experience. I believe the brotherhood felt was reminiscent of how those men bonded to work together in order to save one another's lives in the worst of predicaments. Also, thank you to the guards who provided a little sympathy and sometimes friendly conversation (unfortunately, no cookies or rye bread).

2nd Lt. Joseph H. Hastings, 17th Tenn. Inf.
former POW at Ft. Pulaski, Georgia

[BrownBlanketMess]

Re: AARs

I would like to thank everyone who participated in the event. This was one of the most memorable events I have been able to be a part of. Also to all of the men in casemate 18 and the rest of the POW's I thank you for making this event very special. The memories and experiances we shared are unlike any I have had, we all share a bond that no one but us will understand.

1st Lt. James Edward Cobb 5th Texas Inf.
former POW Ft. Pulaski, Ga.

Steve LaBarre
BrownBlanketMess
Hodge Podge Mess
Cornfed Comrades
WIG

[Paul Jerram]

Re: AARs

From the moment I started reading "Immortal Captives" in preparation for the event, and having been a Federal guard at the last I-600, I knew this time around was going to be a special event and a unique experience. I elected this time to portray one of the imprisoned officers, Lt. Charles Frederick Crisp, an officer of English descent, who in fact was born only 40+ miles away from my own birthplace in England.

It began with walking in through the portcullis, across the parade field, the casemates looming in the bright moonlight. As we were moved into the casemates, I tried to stay close to my pards, two of which had already elected with me to be bunk mates together. I instinctively reached out my hand to "A.J. Barton's" shoulder and he reached back up and patted my hand ... perhaps sensing my own apprehension or just acknowledging that we were both there for each other. Finding our way to an open bunk (bottom - thank God, to spare these older bones of mine) I remember us banging on it in the darkness to claim it for ourselves. Candles flickered to life and our "home" and our cell mates started to come to life in front of our eyes.

So many moments will remain with me for so long from this event. The camaraderie between one another ... the willingness to share even just a morsel of food so that none went without ... the challenge it became to keep contraband (in my case, my treasured coffee ... and was it not good?) away from the guards ... the resentment deeply felt when cornbread was smashed in an inspection, leaving a long savored "meal", along with the pickled onions, just a handful of cornmeal again ... laying awake in the cold of the night looking up at the ceilings and behind at the barred windows over the moat and knowing that those same scenes had been looked upon by those men we were portraying ... doing whatever needed to be done to keep the guards from being suspicious when we "were up to things". I'll never forget Leroy Carson - Matt Woodburn - the "chief scrounger", and the two or three of us looking at the four legged table and saying, "it will still stand with three legs right? Of course it will - simple geometry!" Those fellows who were involved will know of what I speak ...

Standing at the casemate doors, looking out across the parade field, holding on to the bars with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders, not having to "act" cold but being genuinely very, very cold. Experiencing a very odd sensation (and very real tears) when my daughter and her husband came to "visit" before taking the tour with her on one side of the bars and I on the other ... no hugs exchanged ... meeting and getting to know "Captain Mc", a genuinely caring and warm man, whose ancestor had been where he now was. "Hempstead! Murray! Hell no! We are bound for the Promised Land, we are bound for the Promised Land ...."

The list can go on and on for me. Many things are committed only to memory or to the pages of my journal for my family to perhaps read when I am gone. My thanks go out to our Federal guards, who worked without ceasing, for their part in the event ... and of course, to John Cleaveland, Rick Joslyn and the many others who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this event happen for us - thank you all.

And last but not least, here's to my bunk mates - to my spooning partners A.J., and Robert, to Gangler, "The Admiral" (Albert Hudgins), to Joel and to all the others in Casemate 19. You will be fond memories of mine for many years to come.

This evening I reread part of Mauriel Joslyn's book, "Immortal Captives" and relived again, some of the events from this weekend through the words of those men who were actually there. Although we tried, we could never really do justice to the unspeakable things they suffered through in that place but I hope in our rendition of part of the story that we were able to honor them, and perhaps learn things about ourselves in the telling. And she captures it all for me when she writes,

"Here men sang through long winter nights to keep up the spirits of comrades who were on the verge of starving to death. Letters to and from home, journals, tears, laughter and conversations were all part of the life here. Their words echo down the decades, and the scenes they vividly describe can be imagined. In the now deserted casemate prison, a chill passes over the visitor. It is possible to reach back across a century and for one brief moment feel their presence". (Immortal Captives, by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn, White Mane Publishing Co., Inc., 1996 - page 281).

2Lt. Charles Frederick "Crispy" Crisp
10th Va. Infantry Regt.
Formerly prisoner, Fort Pulaski