Outpost III - AAR Thread

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: Outpost III - AAR Thread

I've read the after action reports so far -- it sounds like everyone had a good time and had ample opportunity for immersion experiences.

Being of a clerical bent, I have a few additional questions, which I wonder if someone on staff could address.

How many registered for the various units, and how many of those attended?

What did the morning reports show for Saturday and Sunday?

If either side issued ammunition or rations, how did that work out? Did you use period forms and procedures or something tailored for the event?

Did specific rules of engagement exist to cover the tactical encounters? Did the event use OCs or umpires? If so, how many? If not, how did the units engaged determine the outcome of different engagements?

Did the commands have specific objectives to accomplish and, if so, how well did each perform? Who decided whether or not the objectives of the exercise were accomplished?

How closely did the event reflect an actual encounter?

Apart from that, I would appreciate hearing about anything related to paperwork under field conditions.

Thanks!

[coastaltrash]

Re: Outpost III - AAR Thread

Michael,
Those questions could have been answered if you registered and personally attended. Rations were issued on both sides in the typical manors. Maybe Hicks or Runyon could comment further, but if you weren't there, any explanations like that are for personal research and serve no real purpose for the organizers or people who attended.

[Csayankee]

Re: Outpost III - AAR Thread

I would like to thank all of the men of Company D and the Officers for making my first WIG event one to remember. I am already looking forward to another event in the future. To me the best part was Friday Night / Saturday Morning Battle, communicating with pickets for coffee and Sunday's flanking move by the Federals. As someone already said it is good to put a face with a name.

[BenjaminLDavis]

Re: Outpost III - AAR Thread

Here's a few, more to follow ~

[bAcK88]

Re: Outpost III - AAR Thread

I've been sick all day in class, so this must have been a good event. I'm jaded now so please excuse the list.

The Good:
The road trip out and back.

Serving in a helluva company (Company D!!)

Saturday morning engagement in which we stumbled onto a Federal company in which I literally fell on my butt from the surprise.

Milling about behind the Federal lines Sunday morning trying to find our way back to the company.

Getting a hug from Jordan Ricketts.

The Bad:
Not having permanent platoons and sections.

Missing the last two games of the World Series. GO SOX!!!

John Lennon,
Member of the Lost Canteen detail

[Greg Barnett]

Re: Outpost III - AAR Thread

Journal notes from the weekend...

--October 26—

Arrived in the field just before sunset. Just enough light to find familiar faces of the 20th Tenn Company A and report to the Sgt Major my fitness for duty. Most everyone talked and caught up, since we were so close to home. My thoughts are of Riley and how not knowing his whereabouts disturbs me so. I already miss the wife and kids and wonder if they are all right.

We fell in and roll was called, many men had not made it back and I wondered where they were. Rations were issued. One sweet potato, cup of parched corn, onion, handful of coffee, goobers, three crackers, one sausage and new pork belly.

We had a little more time to mill about. We saw a great, green falling star. I have never seen one like it before.

We marched out. The ground was heavy with dew and soft from the rain earlier this week. The air was cool and the sky was clearing. Cold tonight. We marched about a ¼ of a mile and fell out as the guard company. Platoon 1 first post and platoon 2 as grand guard. I guess it is midnight. Two hours before my post. We were allowed to build cook fires. Our placement is a low spot near a creek almost bog like. Very little firewood and none dry. No time for sleep only cook and write. I fried my pork and fried an egg I had secured yesterday. My post is next two hours around two.


--October 27—


It’s around noon now and I am on post again. Post duty last night was cold and tiresome. It was all I could do to stay on my feet. No activity during my post and I could not wait to sleep. I did have time to think of my warm bed and my wife. We returned to camp I guess around 4 and I prepared for bed. My feet were soaked and I put on dry socks and lay down. Sleeping was no problem. We were awakened by gunfire no sooner than I had fell asleep. We got up and tried to secure our area. I did not know where our other two companies had been last night.
We fell in and headed off in pursuit of an unseen enemy. My feet are wet again, this time much worse. I am sleep walking it seems and I jammed my back getting up. We engaged the enemy after moving what seemed a ½ mile. We fired across a field into shadows throwing fire at us. We moved up and fell back a few times, before leaving the field and reforming. It is now light.
I am not sure how we got to out present position. It seems it is noon, but I think it is about seven in the morn. The Lt Col put me and Hoke to guard a Billy Co D had captured. He is from Lincoln’s land, Illinois and had on cuffs. A nice fellow and educated. He and Hoke carried on about politics and debated slavery and state’s rights. I told him my family had no slaves. An engagement erupted and I could only hear the fight. It sounded like a good one. I could hear our boys yell. I wanted to be there, but I was not getting shot at. A yank corporal was brought in next and then two more boys cuffed together. That was an odd and delightful sight.

All is quiet on my post now. They say there is a cease-fire until a prisoner exchange can be made. We neither gained position nor lost position today. I wonder what tonight will bring. It got hot today.


--October 28—

Yesterday afternoon and evening was quiet. I finally slept a few times between rotations. We posted guard again and rotations began. I drew firewood detail and pulled down some dead trees. First platoon built abatis and blocked a few cuts to our position. We were off and on 2 hour post. The first night duty was warm. We had cloud cover. Little movement on the ridge. I slept between posts. Boiled an egg for dinner around midnight. Second post was cold and I had trouble staying on my feet. Very tired. I thought of home and a soft bed and wife again. I kept waiting for some advance. The third duty was toughest. Just after post, I guess around five or six, shots were fired.
Federals made two advances toward our works and took them down. We drove them back and rebuilt them each time. One yank yelled "nice works reb" The cavalry helped us out. The third push by the Federals drove us out of our position and we found a small group on our rear and we pushed them. Lt Coats took a shot, I guess in the face, at close range. We got those boys out of the trees and pushed them across a field. That company put it on us hot, but surrendered; I am told, to Sgt Mitchell.

[Kiev Thomason]

Re: Outpost III - AAR Thread

Heck Paul I've been in Savannah, GA for two years. An while I loved every minute of it, there is no place like one's own home area.

On this note, and a complete tangent from Outpost, I would like to thank the Armory Guards for the home they have given me while in their neck of the woods.

Ya know we love our Scuba Steve .....XoXo :wink_smil

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: Outpost III - AAR Thread

Michael,
Those questions could have been answered if you registered and personally attended. Rations were issued on both sides in the typical manors. Maybe Hicks or Runyon could comment further, but if you weren't there, any explanations like that are for personal research and serve no real purpose for the organizers or people who attended.

Patrick, depending on my role, I would not necessarily have those answers even if I'd attended. As a soldier in the ranks I would not have expected to know what got reported to the adjutant or how the ACS handled their paperwork.

The questions still have value to the extent that they can obtain a description of what actually happened from an organizational perspective. This in turn would ensure that, beyond the good feelings, we could all draw lessons of value for future events.

In my own after action reports I go to some lengths -- probably excessive to some -- to present details concerning such items as morning report totals and the way in which rations get issued.

For example, only in the last year or so did I learn that the Form 13 generally got filled out in duplicate, and why. That sort of thing can be helpful -- the morning reports have helped me discover that pre-event attrition for several events has run around 33%. Trying to follow period procedures on ration issues has taught me about some of the difficulties attending that process in the field.

Anything I learn eventually feeds into the research that I post for free on this site, and distribute to other folks with a geeky interest in civil war administration. So it's not entirely for me, but for anyone with an interest.

I don't know if this would enrich the experience of the organizers or the folks who attended Outpost. It might, if they believed that what they accomplished could be of value to others, even those who didn't attend.

I apologize for any offense given in asking these questions, and hope that someone in a position to know might still consider answering them. Thanks.

[Terry Sorchy]

Re: Outpost III - AAR Thread

Michael,
All morning reports were turned in by the Sgts in the morning. All Guards and pickett forms were distributed and turned in after there duties were complete. After action were had all ammunition expended reports were turned in. Our Adjutant was kept busy, he even composed a letter to the governor telling him of our displeasure of not being let to vote in the state elections as well as a list of petitioners. A Consolidated morning report was made also. Rations that were issued out were logged on the subsistence report. All of which were done by my adjutant on a brand new field desk and table supplied by the premier wood artist, Mr. Chris Henderson. Everything was done very much like the book with few exceptions, save what I felt needed to be modified for use in the presence of the enemy.
Communication was done by bugle calls.
Cavalry was doing the jobs that the cavalry actually did and our topographical engineer mapped the entire area and made updates.
Patrols were run all day and night.
Objectives were not given to both sides, in the war they were'nt either. Objectives were given by the battalion and company comanders and ALL were met.
In all my years this is was one of the most proffesional battalions I have ever had the privillage to be a part of.
It was a Very realistic event.
As realistic as we in the 21st century could make it.
Wish you could have made it.
Cheers
Terry Sorchy
General Battalion AAR to follow when I regain my sanity.

[Charles Heath]

Re: Outpost III - AAR Thread

Apart from that, I would appreciate hearing about anything related to paperwork under field conditions.

I filled out some paperwork, and was delighted to have the opportunity to do so.

It was dark at the time, so I didn't see if the form was a CS or US production, but upon removing said paperwork from my cartridge box implement pouch I proceeded to crumple it slowly several times to break the fibers and make it more pliable during actual use, and gently tore it in half in case two applications were necessary. After filling out both halves of the form in the usual manner, and being quite satisfied with the volume, conistency, bouquet, and generally smooth flow of the results, I filed it in the pile of leaves covering said movement, and rejoined the spoon line for a good nap. I regret not being able to see any undigested corn in the mix, but that can be attributed to the general lack of sunlight during the hours of darkness.

The next day, I replaced the form with a cartridge bundle wrapper, so as to be fully prepared for the next exciting opportunity to fill out some paperwork.

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: Outpost III - AAR Thread

Ok Michael, I'll bite and maybe we can then move on.

Speaking for Co. D, 20th Tenn only:

54 registered, 44 showed.

Rations were issued by the number of men registered, so food for 54.

We drew our rations from the Rgmt. QM Sgt. via a detail I assigned to one of the section sgts. This I noted in my book.

While the detail was dividing the rations for issuing, I was told we only had 30 crackers. I stepped in to supervise and counted 92 crackers. The man who had counted them then told me he was not a very good counter. He was assigned to another duty.

We had unissued rations that were returned to the QM Sgt. No ration return paperwork was filled out.

Morning reports were filled out and turned into the adjutant by 8 am except on Sunday when we were being run down by Critters. I did inform the adjutant that my report would be late.

I did not turn in any rounds expended forms.

The sun set at about 6pm and rose at about 6am. I used the "look at sky and time piece" method to determine this. No form or almanac was used.

I called roll of our company three times per day. All names were written in my roll book and noted present or on what duty. All details by section were recorded by me to insure that all sections were equally pulling their weight. Further no man in Co. D grumbled or hesitated to perform a detail.

After the event all my rations shot out my hindside with great velocity. I completed the necessary paperwork.

[Charles Heath]

Re: Outpost III - AAR Thread

I did inform the adjutant that my report would be late.

That brief conversation alone was worth the price of admission. :D

[Shotgun Messiah]

Re: Outpost III - AAR Thread

Mercy ,where to start?
First off I would like to thank the organizers of the event ,Western Independent Greys. A first rate job, handled with professionalism and pride. Never had so much fun.
I wish to thank all of Company F , Capt Aufmuth, Lt Kuptsch, and "Fist" Sgt Comer, no finer officers could you have.You gathered all of us Trans Mississippians to form a small but fiesty Band, we few we merry few...I will always remember St. Crispins Day ,forever!

The Morning predawn fight was something, alot of powder burned away, never knew if I drop a single yank, but I knew the fire from there side played effect as comrades around me dropped away with wounds or muttering the last thoughts of home, soon we wandered down to the where we would spend the remainder of the day, Center of the line in the Valley .
Taking up sentry positions in the " briar patch". I spent the bulk of the morning observing the union positions. As the battle started to heat up Our Company was tapped to charge the bluffs and take the higher ground from the Yanks, We did with zeal and surprised them I think with our audacity(stupidity) which
was stalled and retreated for another go.{ on side note,I missed this first charge as I had spent the whole of the morn in the briar patch and my coots were in dissray so I rebundled up my goodies just to see the boys streamin back from the charge}
So feelin sad and lonely when they gathered for another charge I fell in though my box were near empty of cartidges. A stirring moment as the whistle was blown it seemed all hell broke loose as every yankee gun fired at us, blowing across the valley we pushed up the bluff, I noticed the yankee company on our left as we passed them and made for the high ground, I stepped out on the flat plateau to see another bewildered company ( again I think we caught them by surprise by audacity)on my left I fired a round off at them and reloaded, only to hear my Lieutenant scream to refuse the flank and form a line here..on racing back to my second platoon position I saw the horde of blue( the first company we passed ) rolling up our flank. Sending out a round at them, I reached to reload, They began to call out to surrender, I reached for my rounds to find no Caps, I was mortified!!!My second sgt went down with a leg wound and the others broke, I didn't see them as I did my best remember the Alamo impression By standing over my fallen Sgt with gunbutt swinging only to be surrounded by several yanks with barrels as big as cannons pointing at me.
Four of us surrendered there, to be forced off to the yank rear. While carrying our sergant off the field Our company and company D made a charge on the yankee line with support from the Ranger cavaly, it started rolling them up when a second yankee line emerged to back them up, for a brief moment I thought we were saved , but it was for naught.
The Yanks forced us to the small farm cabin they had occupied and were abusing the owners and a young rebel soldier they had hog-tied to a tree, I thought this was our fate as well,but stripping us of gear they gathered us in a pile near asmall stream and a lonely grave.
There we were probed for details and any knowledge we would give up, The Yank Colonel was kindly when we started talkin about where we were from but when I told the other to shut up he turned all surly and mention us going to Illinois where he was from and when we gained better manners we would talk further.
I will never forget the moment when Sgt Maj Hicks and Maj Craddock came into the camp with long stern faces, at first I thought it was a exchange or they had been captured, But I noticed the bundle they carried. They turned towards the cabin where the womenfolk sat, one arose and began to swell up in tears, I knew some brave Officer had fallen and these fine men were giving up his belongings to his widow, I was struck with sadness to say the least, we were far enough away to not hear a thing but the vision I saw struck like thunder to me.
I would like to thank the wonderful civilains at the cabin, for sneakin us a bisquit( torn up quickly by five hungry men) like manna it was. The concern shown by these people the kindness and succor was greatly and deeply heartfelt to me. I can never repay the kindness shown to us.
After one of my fellow prisoners managed to get a note smuggled to the women folk they brought us some of the old hen and cabbage that we watched them stew up. Marvolus fare to say the least, even a piece of pork in case we were shipped away soon.
For the price of this delivery one cocky Corporal, figured he would line his pockets with my pards haversack, taking his pipe and a Bottle of " shine" from us. Upon swigging a big dose full he returned the white vinegar to its rightful owners only to the peals of laughter of his prisoners, the look on his face was priceless, But he still delivered the note.

Late in the day we were exchanged and upon returning to our lines I was Cheered from my comrades with "three cheers for Private Fagg". I was never prouder.
Did I have fun?
" Damned skippy"!!

[SGulley]

Re: Outpost III - AAR Thread

John Lennon,
Member of the Lost Canteen detail

That was the most awkward of events during the entire weekend. Just glad we finally got our boys some water, albeit after the fact.

Ringo,
also a member of the Lost Canteen detail.

[ryanbmm]

Re: Outpost III - AAR Thread

I am so jelous! wish i could hve made it down with you boys!