Athens 1-3 August 08

[fahtz]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

A few excerpts from Col. David Moore's (Home Guard) account of the battle of Athens:

"They were armed with shot-guns and squirrel rifles, which were no match for our improved muskets. The fight had lasted nearly two hours, when those posted on the right and left were ordered by me to stand fast and the center to fix bayonets and move forward in common time. The men, however, soon broke into a charge, and the enemy fled in every direction from the field."

"As the fruits of the victory we captured many prisoners, four hundred and fifty horses, saddles and bridles complete, hundreds of arms and a wagon load of long knives with which they expected to fight the infantry."

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

The Home Guard also had lots of ham. They went to Farmington(Iowa) and got a large amount of ham from the butcher there. By the end of the weekend I am so very sick and tired of ham.

Once again if you want to halt the State Guardsmen, you want to protect Missouri and Iowa, the Kahoka Home Guard has a place for you.

If interested please contact me at: headlog@gmail.com
Or call 319-341-5885 Before 8:00 Central

[BaconBob]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Me and two other Union men will fall in with you and the Kahoka Home Guard. See you there.

Bob Taylor

[fahtz]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

I have recently finished a new book called "Skim Milk Yankees Fighting; The Battle of Athens Missouri, August 5 1861" The book takes a primarily Home Guard slant by allows us to see what the State Guard was up to in the months before the battle. There really isn't a whole lot of "new" research unveiled in the book, but it is now in a single collected source. It is a VERY short read at only 100 or so pages in actually text and half a hundred in appendix and notes. Link here: http://www.camppope.com/c-w.htm

Also I have discussed this event with some boys at the Pea Ridge event this weekend, and it is looking like we are going to have a nice showing at the Athens. I urge you fellas to check your calendars and your kitchen passes and come out to North Eastern Missouri and get the rare opportunity to have opposing forces on the original ground actually reenacting what happened there!

[Charles Heath]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Mitch,

A triad of fellows from Iowa corresponding about an entirely different subject reminded me just how much fun my two trips to this wonderful event in Athens, MO, have been. We had a chance to see a few things, and in no particular order:

- Electioneering by officer/politician types attempting to gain office -- from the back of a Roybuilt wagon, yet. Bribes would be appreciated this time around.

- Fellows with fixed bayonets chasing us across the field. Running off the field before fellows with fixed bayonets could catch us. Okay, brisk walking, but I digress.

- Trading a chicken for a broom. Seeing Rev. Pompey's masterful chicken as a puppet show. Sleeping with chickens so the dogs, foxes, and coyotes wouldn't gobble 'em up.

- Educating young boys in the art of confectionary larceny.

- Forgetting to write the pieless and cakeless gals after the event to thank them for the morsels of opportunity, and to implore them to bring more windowsill offerings in the future.

- Witnessing the exploding wooden artillery.

- Being ordered to have a young fellow carry around a heavy hank of rope, and then listen to his period profanity afterwards. Hey, that was good first person.

- Corn.

- Watermelons.

- The "Ham of the Damned."

- Wading in the River Des Moines, and exploring the ruins of the old mill afterwards.

-Scott's.

- Weather as cool as the inside of a cucumber...not.

- The Nash.

- The fiddler.

- Hoping the Widow Gray house would last a few more seasons until some grant money could be found to do some real work.

- Watching the park rangerettes emptying the garbage whilst overlooking the boys swimming the in the river below. They got an eyeful that morning.

- Poor Joey S. trying to cook bacon. He and Dane Utter are related. Of this, I am truly convinced.

- Marveling over a mechanical contraption that could make up to six tubs of ice cream at once.

- Farm implements.

- Sticks.

- Shotguns.

- Cartridges in our pockets.

- The Pumpkin Shirt.

- The Shirt Lifter.

- The considerable amount of documented period phrases and speechifying directly attributed to that specific time and place.

- Two commissaries in one camp, and thinking just how Missouri that was.

- Seeing Sinclair gas stations again.

- Almost forgot -- the actual ground.

Good times. I think I'd like to try Missouri Home Guard one time, and finally visit the museum across the river.

[John of the Skulkers Mess]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

We prepared a place for you Chas.

http://www.stateparks.com/charlie_heath__and_memorial.html

Back to your regularly scheduled discussion,
John Pillers
TSM

[fahtz]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Chawls,
Your post was a trip down memory lane of Athens past. Sadly a few of those things will not be seen again... The first is the pumpkin shirt, alas another fellow was trying to upgrade his impression via my closet and it was sold to him, however he may be at Athens and some other MSG stuff. Scott's will not be seen at Athens due to the fact these MSG boys were mounted with no sort of drill in the ranks. The fiddler, OH the fiddler... moment of silence......... Oh the fiddler. Another feature I believe only the forward pickets enjoyed a few years ago was the water fight the female staff had around the Townsend house. In my opinion this year will be the best one yet, due to the scenario, placement of the camp, and the ongoing research. It is just too bad there are SO many event packed into these next 6 months or so!

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Scotts will be seen at Athens on the Home Guard side.
The fidler had been coming around for years.
I am still not sure what museum is across the river. Croton has a monument for the battle and a WWI era Japanese artillery piece.
The Widow's house is not a priority for the park. Right now major plans are underway to fix the McKee house.

I hope to see people at Athens this year. Finally we Nation Boys get a short drive. hour and a half. For one weekend we do not have to drive ten or more hours to attend a event.


Join the Friends of ATHENS!!!

[Chihuahua]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Pards,

One of the many reasons this event is so great is the care, concern, and cooperation given by Athens Superintendent Roger Boyd, as well as his support staff. You'd be hard-pressed to find a nicer, more accommodating chap to work with.

Another big plus for me is the fact we camp and drill on the original site.

Did I mention the gooseberry pie?

Mark Warren
Hairy Nation & Kahoka Home Guard

[Silvana Siddali]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Agreed. Roger Boyd is a fantastic resource. He has collected a vast store of primary sources and census information, which forms the basis of the ongoing research Mitch has mentioned. We should also mention the hard work & dedication by the Friends of Athens, a preservation & study group that has put a great deal of effort into restoring the houses and grounds. I would like to encourage anyone who is coming to this event to consider joining up. Further info on this is forthcoming.

And yes, there are plans for pies ... that's all I'll say on that subject. Some of those pies might, or might not, appear on window sills.

I've mentioned this elsewhere, but I thought it was worth stating again that there will be a recreation of the "banquet" the pro-secesh citizenry prepared for the MSG. Of course, you dashing fellows will be out of luck on that one; the banquet was consumed by the victorious MHG instead. No doubt there will be much grumbling by the reb civilians.

[Michael Comer]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

'dashing fellows' - that's very punny.

The idea of not getting my supper almost convinces me to go Home Guard at this one, but I just don't know if I could turn my back on the MSG.

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Michael,

Remember how well you were fed LAST YEAR with the Kahoka Homeguard!

[fahtz]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Harrison,
Stop trying to recruit my guards men! You home guard fellows are just like the men you portray! SNAKES!

[missourimule]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Correct me if I am wrong on this, but I'm pretty sure that Kahoka was spelled Cahoka at the time of the Civil War. The town was originally named after the Cahokia Indians, but the spelling was changed because of the frequent mix up with Cahokia, Illinois. I know that several period news papers spell it with a C. I believe Roger Boyd told me that the spelling change occured sometime after the Civil War.

Drew Bruner

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Drew,

It is spelled both ways. We had this discussion three years ago. Leslie Anders in his book The Twenty-First Missouri From Home Guard to Union Regiment refers to the Kahoka Home Guard as Kahoka. I will take his word on this subject. He spent his life studying the war in Missouri and the Home Guard.
The book is out of print but a must read for anyone who is interested in Athens, and the 21st Missouri.