Tweet
I thought I'd cross post this for those wondering about reenacting on the left coast. Oakley is a semi-immersive event on the West Coast every April that attempts to replicate a hypothetical skirmish from the East. This years focus was a Skirmish in Arkansas. It may not be reenacting the Far West in the West, but not a bad event and I had a good time. Good people and good preparation go a long way to make it so.
Brother Martin,
Here are a few of my adventures of late. Despite setting out at 3am, Sgt. Smith and I reported for duty Friday afternoon within minutes of being marked down as being late. As it was, we had mere minutes to gear up and draw rations before we were marched out. It was probably to our great advantage that we only drew some sow belly and a little bread lest it take too long to pack away such unheard of luxuries as full rations
We marched out a short distance before reaching an area next to a stream where we were to bed down behind our line. Half of us went to gathering firewood and preparing the campsite while the rest went forth and established a picket post in an area where the pass through the valley could be well defended. While establishing camp some of the fellows stirred up a rattle snake which it seemed prudent to slay. The Lieutenant confiscated the carcass right away, likely to supplement his own rations.
Within a short, while someone with more decoration on his coat than I, decided that it would be shrewd to push forward and see what the enemy were up to. Sgt. Smith received special orders and took Deagon and myself on a little excursion with him up into the hills next to the valley where we skirted the ridge line until coming to a prominent point neatly overlooking the Sesesh picket post. We rested up and kept them under observation for some little time before noticing a merchants cart moving forward intent on crossing into their lines. The Sgt determined that that might be an opportune time to stir them up do disrupt this mercantile traffic as well as examine how they were situated for defense. We spread out along the ridge and at his command began dropping minnie balls down upon them. The range was well under two-hundred yards and I'm sure we gave some a ticket to their home, either here or the hereafter, as they began scrambling for cover. We fired quite a few rounds in the first several minutes till our guns began fouling and our rate of fire slowed some giving them an opportunity to send a group of men forth to attempt to climb up into the hills after us. The hills were quite steep and it was slow going for them as they attempted to ascend just so that we could have an even clearer shot at them and help them to ascend to still further heights, or more likely, untold depths.
All the noise apparently helped motivate the rest of the company as they moved forward against the Sesesh picket line in the valley below us. Those coming up to visit us quickly found themselves behind our lines and their assault up the hill quickly became a route.or more accurately a coon hunt as we chased them down the hill towards our waiting lines. Sgt. Smith captured one right away and Deagon and I pursued a second who was tumbling down the hill at a most prodigious rate. I hesitated to reload my musket and lost sight of him for the briefest of moments. We beat the brush looking for him and only gave up when we reached a small camp of citizens who claimed not to have seen neither hide nor hair of him. The refreshing lemon beverages they offered us helped to assuage any desires we might have to look too hard for the poor fellow. Our not readily finding this fellow, who was clad in bright white grave clothes, may give you just some idea how dense the brush in this area is. We rejoined the command as they fall back to the camp and line we had established earlier in the day.
The night passed fairly quietly and early the next morning the Sgt. received permission for us to again play our little game with the Sesesh. The three of us moved out and up into the hills until we reached our vantage spot overlooking their little picket post once again. We were pleasantly surprised to find they had not occupied the position during the night. Most likely the energy required to climb to this lofty post dissuaded them for they have proven to be generally an indolent and sluggish people, not well disposed to any kind of personal industry.
Not content to merely do as we had done before, the Sgt. pushed us further along the hills until we were well past their picket post and neatly overlooking their camp. We again observed them for a while and then decided that the time was right to take another whack at them. Deagon and Sgt. Smith took the right flank near a little road and I took the left over looking steeper terrain. It was that road that proved our undoing, for apparently even a sluggard can travel uphill if provided a road with a gentle enough grade. While again raining lead down around their ears I suddenly had a rebel in the brush behind me to the right who fired a round that took my leg right out from under me. As I lay in the brush reloading I heard him tell another that he'd killed me and I determined that it would be prudent to leave if I were able. Removing my rifle sling and fashioning it around my leg to staunch the flow of blood, I slowly began sliding down the hill beneath the brush.
The hill was alive with Sesesh for they seemed intent on finding Deagon who had apparently shot their officer and run over him while making his escape. I made good time sliding own the hill and, since they prudently seemed none to anxious to chase a wounded Yankee into the brush, I likely would have eluded them had I not left so clear a trail behind me. One caught sight of me briefly and would have surely had done with me there but that his cap snapped without the round going off. Likely the dunderhead loaded the cartridge upside down or some such, as these Missourians don't strike me as being any more intelligent than they are industrious. I only slid all the faster with this motivation, ripping out the seat of my trousers and drawers in the process. Unfortunately it was all for naught and they eventually caught me do to the difficulty of traveling on only one leg.
Forthwith, I was reunited with Sgt Smith who had likewise been captured and was seated amongst an indolent group of cadavers, for these Missourians all seemed to be clad in grave clothes, lying about in the shade of a large tree. There was much strange talk and one of them attempted espousing a political diatribe about how they were justified in leaving the Union for causes more noble than merely wishing to be able to be able to spread aristocracy, slavery, and miscegenation across the entire continent. He seemed genuinely perplexed when I told him my reason for taking up arms was not the firing on of Sumter but rather the usurper's seizure of US mints. Only a man who has spent some years looking for gold among the rocks and sand can understand how angry it can make a man to have that of his nation stolen.
Some time later the Sesesh moved forward to engage our line and took us along with them. We were placed under guard near the same citizens we had encountered before. They again quenched our thirsts and Sgt Smith and I were greatly relieved to find one of their number had been to the gold fields and was indeed a brother as well. The hewgag brayed and I had my first real drink in quite some time and found myself longing to again be among my comrades in the mining camps. The respite was short lived and we were soon taken forward to be exchanged. It was a most bizarre exchange as we were marched forward and simply told to start walking towards our lines in the midst of an exchange of gunfire. At any moment I fully expected to be shot in the back.
Upon reaching our own lines Sgt. Smith took up the musket of a fallen Confederate and began seeking revenge for the humiliation we had suffered. My being wounded led me to be appointed to stand guard over the same Confederate who had snapped a cap at me as I tried to escape. I made certain he knew that I would mak no such mistake should he try and flee from me. Eventually a flag of truce was sent forth and a cease fire was put in place just when we should have been moving forward to capture the whole lot of them. I turned over my prisoner whom I assume was exchanged and reported to the surgeon to have my leg looked at. The wound was not as bad as I had feared and turned out to be from a sliver of stone rather than the ball I had supposed. It is patched and healing well but I have the biggest bruise you ever did see on my leg. Well that is enough for now. I will write more when I have the time again.
Here are a few of my adventures of late. Despite setting out at 3am, Sgt. Smith and I reported for duty Friday afternoon within minutes of being marked down as being late. As it was, we had mere minutes to gear up and draw rations before we were marched out. It was probably to our great advantage that we only drew some sow belly and a little bread lest it take too long to pack away such unheard of luxuries as full rations
We marched out a short distance before reaching an area next to a stream where we were to bed down behind our line. Half of us went to gathering firewood and preparing the campsite while the rest went forth and established a picket post in an area where the pass through the valley could be well defended. While establishing camp some of the fellows stirred up a rattle snake which it seemed prudent to slay. The Lieutenant confiscated the carcass right away, likely to supplement his own rations.
Within a short, while someone with more decoration on his coat than I, decided that it would be shrewd to push forward and see what the enemy were up to. Sgt. Smith received special orders and took Deagon and myself on a little excursion with him up into the hills next to the valley where we skirted the ridge line until coming to a prominent point neatly overlooking the Sesesh picket post. We rested up and kept them under observation for some little time before noticing a merchants cart moving forward intent on crossing into their lines. The Sgt determined that that might be an opportune time to stir them up do disrupt this mercantile traffic as well as examine how they were situated for defense. We spread out along the ridge and at his command began dropping minnie balls down upon them. The range was well under two-hundred yards and I'm sure we gave some a ticket to their home, either here or the hereafter, as they began scrambling for cover. We fired quite a few rounds in the first several minutes till our guns began fouling and our rate of fire slowed some giving them an opportunity to send a group of men forth to attempt to climb up into the hills after us. The hills were quite steep and it was slow going for them as they attempted to ascend just so that we could have an even clearer shot at them and help them to ascend to still further heights, or more likely, untold depths.
All the noise apparently helped motivate the rest of the company as they moved forward against the Sesesh picket line in the valley below us. Those coming up to visit us quickly found themselves behind our lines and their assault up the hill quickly became a route.or more accurately a coon hunt as we chased them down the hill towards our waiting lines. Sgt. Smith captured one right away and Deagon and I pursued a second who was tumbling down the hill at a most prodigious rate. I hesitated to reload my musket and lost sight of him for the briefest of moments. We beat the brush looking for him and only gave up when we reached a small camp of citizens who claimed not to have seen neither hide nor hair of him. The refreshing lemon beverages they offered us helped to assuage any desires we might have to look too hard for the poor fellow. Our not readily finding this fellow, who was clad in bright white grave clothes, may give you just some idea how dense the brush in this area is. We rejoined the command as they fall back to the camp and line we had established earlier in the day.
The night passed fairly quietly and early the next morning the Sgt. received permission for us to again play our little game with the Sesesh. The three of us moved out and up into the hills until we reached our vantage spot overlooking their little picket post once again. We were pleasantly surprised to find they had not occupied the position during the night. Most likely the energy required to climb to this lofty post dissuaded them for they have proven to be generally an indolent and sluggish people, not well disposed to any kind of personal industry.
Not content to merely do as we had done before, the Sgt. pushed us further along the hills until we were well past their picket post and neatly overlooking their camp. We again observed them for a while and then decided that the time was right to take another whack at them. Deagon and Sgt. Smith took the right flank near a little road and I took the left over looking steeper terrain. It was that road that proved our undoing, for apparently even a sluggard can travel uphill if provided a road with a gentle enough grade. While again raining lead down around their ears I suddenly had a rebel in the brush behind me to the right who fired a round that took my leg right out from under me. As I lay in the brush reloading I heard him tell another that he'd killed me and I determined that it would be prudent to leave if I were able. Removing my rifle sling and fashioning it around my leg to staunch the flow of blood, I slowly began sliding down the hill beneath the brush.
The hill was alive with Sesesh for they seemed intent on finding Deagon who had apparently shot their officer and run over him while making his escape. I made good time sliding own the hill and, since they prudently seemed none to anxious to chase a wounded Yankee into the brush, I likely would have eluded them had I not left so clear a trail behind me. One caught sight of me briefly and would have surely had done with me there but that his cap snapped without the round going off. Likely the dunderhead loaded the cartridge upside down or some such, as these Missourians don't strike me as being any more intelligent than they are industrious. I only slid all the faster with this motivation, ripping out the seat of my trousers and drawers in the process. Unfortunately it was all for naught and they eventually caught me do to the difficulty of traveling on only one leg.
Forthwith, I was reunited with Sgt Smith who had likewise been captured and was seated amongst an indolent group of cadavers, for these Missourians all seemed to be clad in grave clothes, lying about in the shade of a large tree. There was much strange talk and one of them attempted espousing a political diatribe about how they were justified in leaving the Union for causes more noble than merely wishing to be able to be able to spread aristocracy, slavery, and miscegenation across the entire continent. He seemed genuinely perplexed when I told him my reason for taking up arms was not the firing on of Sumter but rather the usurper's seizure of US mints. Only a man who has spent some years looking for gold among the rocks and sand can understand how angry it can make a man to have that of his nation stolen.
Some time later the Sesesh moved forward to engage our line and took us along with them. We were placed under guard near the same citizens we had encountered before. They again quenched our thirsts and Sgt Smith and I were greatly relieved to find one of their number had been to the gold fields and was indeed a brother as well. The hewgag brayed and I had my first real drink in quite some time and found myself longing to again be among my comrades in the mining camps. The respite was short lived and we were soon taken forward to be exchanged. It was a most bizarre exchange as we were marched forward and simply told to start walking towards our lines in the midst of an exchange of gunfire. At any moment I fully expected to be shot in the back.
Upon reaching our own lines Sgt. Smith took up the musket of a fallen Confederate and began seeking revenge for the humiliation we had suffered. My being wounded led me to be appointed to stand guard over the same Confederate who had snapped a cap at me as I tried to escape. I made certain he knew that I would mak no such mistake should he try and flee from me. Eventually a flag of truce was sent forth and a cease fire was put in place just when we should have been moving forward to capture the whole lot of them. I turned over my prisoner whom I assume was exchanged and reported to the surgeon to have my leg looked at. The wound was not as bad as I had feared and turned out to be from a sliver of stone rather than the ball I had supposed. It is patched and healing well but I have the biggest bruise you ever did see on my leg. Well that is enough for now. I will write more when I have the time again.
Comment