A heartfelt thank you to you all.

[mslaird]

Re: A heartfelt thank you to you all.

I have recieved a few pictures of the 3rd Louisiana at Leetown on Saturday and at Elkhorn Tavern on Sunday courtesy of Justin Hall.

[IowaYank]

Re: A heartfelt thank you to you all.

Steve, I agree, your definition of ONV is MUCH better.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: A heartfelt thank you to you all.

Fourteen degrees F is a darned frosty night outdoors. Glad to hear it did not snow much--I heard on the Weather Channel that there was 18 inches of snow in the Ozarks and I thought that the event site got hammered. I was half expecting guys like Brian Hicks to say, "Pea Ridge was more wintery than W64". :)

I agree with Tripp--the Pea Ridge park, at 4,000 acres, is not only large and well preserved, but it covers the whole battlefield (all the areas of major fighting) and is a really neat, somewhat overlooked place. I visited it in 2004 and was quite impressed. Earl Hess's campaign history is a yardstick against which modern works on other campaigns are often measured.

Did any company call itself the Donner Party? :)

[Coatsy]

Re: A heartfelt thank you to you all.

Kevin and all,

The snow melted at the park on Friday morning according to the ragner so all we got were damp fields and some nice bone chilling wind. But other than that I was VERY grateful that there was NO rain during the weekend. That would have made things very interesting. We did however driving through a very windy snow storm in between Memphis and Little Rock. It was probably conjuered up by the waiter Kiev pissed off at the Cracker Barrel on the way out to the Park.

The park is magnificent and even though the ride was long long looooon (ONV guys, and the few brave Easterners that come over the Apps. I know how it is now.... My hats are off to you.) I hope the park wants us back in 2011 when all of the work on getting the park back to the way it was in 1862 is ready.

And the Saturday night Bone O Mania concert was magnicient. Carl and the MSG miscreant pecussion section plus the three chaps playing bones made a great night even though it was damn cold outside of the Elkhorn Tavern. Frank, the song about the Camp Jackson massacre was a good one, Kiev and I were talking about it on the way home.

My thanks to the guys in the MSG for the "traveling rock band" and to my fellow homies in the 4th Arkansas company. The ONV and Armory Guards made up the bulk of the Co. B 4th Arkansas so it was good and insane to see the far distances traveled. The marching around the park was something very special to me. I've read numerous books and articles on Pea Ridge and it was very gratifing to see the place up close as we marched across the park. The programs themselves were interesting in the fact that besides the 4th Arkansas and MSG groups there was a gorup portraying the 3rd Louisiana, Federal artillery, and Federal infantry. Each group named had its own specific program and these all were occuring over the course of the weekend.

Thanks to all that planned this event (except Landrum), and all who attended. It was worth the 10 plus hour trip there and back home.

[Old Cremona]

Re: A heartfelt thank you to you all.

I sure had a great time except for the freezing my butt off part. My hat is off to all you WIGS for making the long drive. I gotta say, watching you all do your skirmish drill for about 50 yards on Sunday was quite impressive. My skirmish drill stinks.



The first tune is Briggs Breakdown, from the playing of Tom Briggs. The second tune is the famous Grape Vine Twist, by Joel Walker Sweeney. The syncopated first part is really neat.

The kid playing bones is Kyle Pretzl. He's only been playing for a few months, and he's already brilliant. Dave West is on canteen half. I need more canteen half!!

[1stMo Drummer]

Re: A heartfelt thank you to you all.

Very Good vid I do say Carl....Do you know if their are any other ones or any photos to go along with them ?

[mslaird]

Re: A heartfelt thank you to you all.

What ever happened to Dave's deer skull? I am sorry that I missed out on your playing on Saturday.

[Old Cremona]

Re: A heartfelt thank you to you all.

What ever happened to Dave's deer skull?

The deer skull was left behind as we marched out of Leetown. Dave was bitterly disappointed. He was developing a knack for it. I dug it when he started playing the canteen half, though. That's cool, playing "found" instruments.

[mslaird]

Re: A heartfelt thank you to you all.

I never did catch up with the other gentleman that was with you all over in Morgan's woods on Friday night. He was going to show me a pipe that he had made. Do you happen to know how I can get in touch with him.

[lawson]

Re: A heartfelt thank you to you all.

The good: Getting to wear killer clothes and look super hardkewl with my friends!

The bad: Not getting drunk enough to sleep in the cold.

The ugly: Mitch's new hippy hair!

That's some good footage of Nic asleep. Thanks for keeping my spirits up all weekend. I had a killer time, cept for my little vomit period saturday evening. ( note to self, don't put eggs in the soup from now on!) sunday was much better weather for the happenings. Good to meet several WIG cats that I had not met before. Travis, good to see you out of the blue. Glad you made it out. Thanks to all the WIG b'hoys who made the long snowy drive across the big river.

Hope all made it home safe and sound.! ;-)

Laterz,

[mslaird]

Re: A heartfelt thank you to you all.

Kiev made the Morning News here in Rogers, Arkansas. Here is the picture.

[M_Kupsch]

Re: A heartfelt thank you to you all.

All,

It was a top drawer event at Pea Ridge, and I am so glad our brothers east of the Mighty Miss were able to make it inspite of the bad weather they had to endure getting there.

We were lucky not to get the predicted snow; granted it was down right cold Friday night. The boys of '62 ran into snow and frigid weather marching to the battle, so I guess we faired much better than they. I kept thinking on that when I was freezing, and it put it all in perspective.

The music was the high point, as others have mentioned. The Taters are blessed with good muscians and singers; it being said we are a melodious bunch.

It was also good to see young Xavier Aufmuth out there. He never complained and help his own. He is to be commended. I've known Xavier for several years and I was right proud of him, as his dad was rightly so.

Onto Pickett's Mill!

[tater_cuffie]

Re: A heartfelt thank you to you all.

i know this is a late post lol but.... i just wanted to add that Xavier is a drummer in progress as well as I hopefully he'll keep with the hobby