Athens AAR

[Anna Allen]

Re: Athens AAR

Brandi, I loved the flag presentation speech you gave. I thought you did it so well.

[WestTN_reb]

Re: Athens AAR

While on the topic of food at Athens, Sunday's breakfast was great. The flapjacks (or for those who insist, flipjacks) were excellent.

Y'all are all wrong. Where I come from we call those pancakes. I tried to explain that, but alas, y'all just insist on talkin' funny anyway. All that aside, I had a great time, and will never forget "The Thunderstorm Panic of '61".

[Anna Allen]

Re: Athens AAR

I just uploaded pictures from the event. They can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gracefullady/tags/athens

[23rdIllinoisIrish]

Re: Athens AAR

Thanks for the photographs Anna, and it was nice meeting you. This was my first time at this event and it was, as has already been stated, a great time. The Lord's Saturday evening lightshow was spectacular, if a little unnerving, the impressions were top notch, Capt. Smith's food and hospitality was outstanding, and it was nice meeting several of you that I only know online.

I'll agree with Silvana in her praise of the park staff. As a member of the State Parks myself I know that unheard of amounts of work go into an event, especially of this caliber. So, Roger and the staff are definitely appreciated.

But, I am upset about one thing...there was candy!?!:sarcastic Oh, well, so is the punishment of someone who spends the weekend languishing in the shade.

Top notch and looking forward to Marmaduke's Raid (p.s. Get off the fence boys!)

Matt Shomaker

[Jeb Hawthorn]

Re: Athens AAR

I had a great time, and will never forget "The Thunderstorm Panic of '61".

I too shall never forget the Great Panic. The horror of that night will be burned into my mind forever.

Athens was by far, the best event I've been to this year! Can't wait for Marmaduke's.

[Arch Campbell]

Re: Athens AAR

Actually, the Kahoka Home Guard company began enjoying those picnic treats before the battle had even been joined! I shall always remember the sight of the boys of the second platoon detouring from their initial deployment along the snake rail fence to dip behind the tree and sample the fruits of a victory not yet won. One young man in particular (he shall remain nameless in the interest of protecting his honor) was unable to load his musket for some time as one of his hands was coated with pie! (he did recover in time to do good service against the hordes of secessionists.)

Those flipjacks must have been the most delicious I have ever eaten. The elephant-ear sized treats tasted even better when consumed while listening to "Senator" Hoskins read out some intercepted mail intended for the State Guard. Seeing the enemies of our grand old flag humbled + pancakes= priceless.

[IowaYank]

Re: Athens AAR

Hahah, now Arch, you know I had to get my priorities in line. Pie, then fight!!

[tenthmo]

I’ve been coming to Athens, MO every three years since 1984. I was 31 back then (yes, I am an old fart). In those early days, and not knowing any better, early reenactors came to Athens dressed in the uniform of the blue and the gray. Only through hard work, research, and needle and thread have we arrived at the type of quality event we enjoy now.
The 2008 Athens was the best of them all.
It was glorious to see so many boys in civilian clothing. Athens, in August 5, 1861, is probably the only place where opponents fought the Civil War entirely in civilian clothing.
Despite what the calendar said, it didn’t seem too hot. I think Friday afternoon was the hottest day of the weekend. We had plenty of shade, plenty of water, and plenty of food.
Mention has already been made of guy who volunteered to do all the cooking in the Home Guard area.
One meal we enjoyed German cuisine, with sausage and kraut, while at another meal we were served Irish corn beef and cabbage. One complaint some of the guys had was that breakfast wasn’t ready till almost 9AM! No ticks or mosquitoes to bother us, but we saw Daddy Long Leg spiders by the hundreds. Someone told me that Daddy Long Legs eat mosquitoes, but not sure of that. They were crawling all over and on every body. They were more of a nuisance than danger. Don’t think anyone was bit by Daddy Long Legs.
During the battle the exploding Quaker gun was a big hit. This partially hollowed out log was rigged to backfire sending its crewmembers topsy-turvy. This incident was right out of the original account.
Other highlights worth mentioning:
Deborah Hyland and her sweet shop
The thunder and lightening fireworks show Saturday night going on in Iowa
The ladies who presented the Home Guard with Union colors
These same ladies who cheered on the State Guard during the battle
The pulled pork sandwiches at the church Friday evening.
In three years we return once again to Athens, Missouri. This will be 2011 and the 150th anniversary of this early Civil War battle. We can look forward to many 150th anniversary celebrations during this time period 2011-2015. No doubt there will be a big shindig at Bull Run, but hopefully we can get a big turnout for the little battle that was fought just across the river from Iowa at Athens, Missouri.

[Arch Campbell]

Re: Athens AAR

I have been attending the Athens battle years since 1990, and have been there every year (except 2007- family emergency) since 1993 (the Hairy Nation puts on a Home Guard living history every year,) and this was one of the most enjoyable. The quality of the event has only gone up every single cycle.

I can second almost every highlight mentioned by the previous poster, but I would like to qualify two of them on the previously mentioned quality issue.

There were no margaritas in the camp of the Kahoka Home Guard at the Benning house. I do not mean this as a criticism of anyplace where they might actually have been found, but I did want to make it clear that it was not our camp.

Likewise, while there was first-person period politics in our camp and ranks, I would also like to clarify that the modern version would not have been welcome in Jackson's company.

I apologize if I have given offense, as this was not my intent. I meant only to clarify that there were two separate Home Guard camps and companies. I very much respect the dedication it took for all involved, both sides and citizens, to come up with a new kit and make it to this out of the way, nearly forgotten place and commemorate what happened there.

[1stMo Drummer]

Re: Athens AAR

Does anyone have pictures/video of the wooden gun exploding...Would be interesting to see.

[Chihuahua]

Re: Athens AAR

Pards,
The Hairy Nation Boys sponsor a living history EVERY YEAR on the first weekend in August. If you'd care to participate, give us a shout.
2011 seems so terribly far off.......
I only wish we could enjoy such an event as this past weekend EVERY YEAR.
Mark Warren
aka Peter Castleman
Hairy Nation Boys

[Tabbico]

Re: Athens AAR

Had a lovely time in good ole Athens once again. Three years ago this event really took me by surprise as I hadn't seen so many good looking impressions all together out this way. I figured all the good impressions had to be on the east coast somewhere, but I was wrong! It ain't too bad out west. ;)

Oh my, being an Easterner, I was VERY impressed by the impressions - in fact, most of the folks looked BETTER than the Easterners!!!!

Don and I (and Jess and Ethen) had a ball at Athens. It was great to FINALLY meet Silvana, and see old friends (Vivian) and make so many new ones. It was a wonderful event.

And I think we do win for coming the furthest - we drove 1069 miles from Dover, DE. Anyone come from farther away???

[Terry Sorchy]

Re: Athens AAR

Sorry for the delay of breakfast but saturday the wood was green, and sunday I was pretty tired. Anyway 9:00 fit the schedule with the civilians and the military.
Will report more later.
Cheers ans still unpacking
Terry Sorchy

[WestTN_reb]

Re: Athens AAR

And I think we do win for coming the furthest - we drove 1069 miles from Dover, DE. Anyone come from farther away???

Boy, and I was grumbling over the 7+ hour drive from Tennessee. Madam, you have my respect.

[MoFed]

Re: Athens AAR

This past weekend the tranquil fields surrounding the nearly lost town of Athens, Missouri rang aloud with tumult of war as roughly 110 participants from as far away as Delaware and South Carolina joined to bring to life the turbulent events of 1861.

A combination of pleasantly mild weather (by Missouri standards) and vigilance by the various commanders ensured that the EMTs on site had to deal with absolutely no injuries or heat related illnesses. As previously mentioned, mother nature also provided us with a stellar light show on Saturday evening. Personal highlights were the moving speech by the young lady at the Home Guard flag presentation, the exploding log gun, the bayonet charge and helping the great-grandson of Jabez Harrison recreate the death of his ancestor during the battle. In fact, I met four people throughout the weekend whose ancestors found with the Home Guard at Athens.

My thanks to Mitch Critel and Jay Stevens for organizing the Missouri State Guard; Tom Sprague and Nathan Hellwig for organizing the Home Guard; Silvana Siddali and Anna Allen for organizing the civilians; Vivian Murphy for organizing the merchants; the MCWRA for providing the event insurance and all of the participants who traveled so far, without whom the event wouldn’t be possible. Kudos to Terry Sorchy, AKA Captain Smith, for his splendid eatery - if any civilian or home guardsman went hungry the fault was entirely their own; Don “Unkle Beau” Cope for his church service; the Mess Pan Players for their acting in the Peace Conference; Dave Bennett and the Log Gun Gang; Steve Ingram’s Image Studio (which I never found time to make it to, dang it); and Robert Mull for composing the captured letters that so amused the Home Guard. If anyone has suggestions for improving or otherwise tweaking things, please PM me.

Finally, thank you to Roger Boyd, Jo Bryant, and the staff at the Battle of Athens SHS, the Department of State Parks personnel from Jefferson City and the Friends of Athens. Without their care for the park year round, hard work both before and during the event, and vision to allow us to more accurately depict the Battle of Athens, this event couldn't happen.