Occupation of New Madrid AAR

[Michael Comer]

I wanted to take a moment and thank all those who came and took part in this event. We received very good comments from the public that attended even though numbers were a bit low on Saturday due to the cool temperatures and threats of rain. But, it went well I think and I appreciate all those who took the time and made the effort to come down and take part.

I also wish to thank my messmates, Rick Gath and Warren Hook for helping me put this together, Charles Hoskins for taking the captain's slot even though he had not done that before; you did quite well Charles. And I would like to thank Rod Miller who pushed this event with the folks he knows. Plus my staff who learned how to roll and bundle about 400 rounds and wrote quite a few letters for mail call. And to the rest that came and took part - I can't thank you enough.

[Western Blue Belly]

Re: Occupation of New Madrid AAR

Mike, IMHO I think the event was pretty good. Weather wasn’t too much to cry about. You sure kept us going through the weekend though, and I can say that with all the drill and guard duty I took more knowledge home then I came down with. It was worth the drive and perhaps this can become a regular event.

[Rmhisteach]

Re: Occupation of New Madrid AAR

I will comment later

[Shotgun Messiah]

Re: Occupation of New Madrid AAR

Mike, IMHO I think the event was pretty good. Weather wasn’t too much to cry about. You sure kept us going through the weekend though, and I can say that with all the drill and guard duty I took more knowledge home then I came down with. It was worth the drive and perhaps this can become a regular event.

Oh Lordy your tag line made me laugh " that wasn't cheese". I heard that story from the source, and laughed till my sides ached...For it to added to you post only tells me the fool came back to the fire and told everybody else what had happened to him...His mother( my sister) would be so proud...

[Shotgun Messiah]

Re: Occupation of New Madrid AAR

I wanted to thank every one that attended. Though the weather was cool and some rain in the evening. It was a Very good event. The drill, The people, the first person reactions, The civilians, the wonderful NCO's(you guys as in reality ran the show). It will be a event I will remember forever.
Too many small vingettes to mention.
But I will personaly like to Thank Mike Comer and the Staff at Hunter-Dawson House to let us be able to attend this event, it was well worth it.
To the Soldiers who came from near and far ,thank you all for making this event all it was, you were great.
To the Officer staff you ran a splendid company, Charles Hoskins was stellar as Captain and Rod Miller was the ever present Lieutenant. I will never forget the look on Nic Clark's face when posed the question upon being arrested " Grainary or Storm Cellar?....
Nor the look on the nighttime picket posts faces when I disarmed them, even in the dark I could see the look of anguish upon the faces , the exact moment I slid the rifles from their hands,Priceless.

[Western Blue Belly]

Re: Occupation of New Madrid AAR

“…post only tells me the fool came back to the fire and told everybody else what had happened to him…”


Actually I came across the lad sitting in front of his tent with a knife in one hand, his “cheese” in the other and a bewildered look on his face. He looked up at me and said “I don’t think this is cheese.”

[Shotgun Messiah]

Re: Occupation of New Madrid AAR

That is so Funny , He smelled it, looked at it ,then he cut off a slice and chewed it up only to have a epiphany at the very last second...

[Rmhisteach]

Re: Occupation of New Madrid AAR

1. Being able to do a LH in the shadow of an 1859 mansion.
2. Guided tour of the area- Including trenches in a cemetary.
3. The sutler store was great . Many of our particpants brought itmes to be sold at the sutlers tent. We had a vast array which was nerry as that put out by Ezra at Shiloh. We had canned goods . Lice combs, a few shirts , a bible and the coveted "Elixir". The sutler too a few breaks, and lost some of his inventory in the process.
4. The troops were sharp. The NCo's did a great job with the men.
5. Field Music by frank and D was great.
6. The women worked hard at their impressions and did much behind the scenes.
7. The boys creating mischif in the camp added an interesting element. My sons ended up filthy and my youngest nearly hacked off his finger. The boys even got involed with a suspected code in which was suspected in a ledger book.
8. Don Morin served as a captive for the weekend. He portrayed a fella that actually was out on his post and the rest of the regiment left him.
Don did a fine job at it. Nick clark came to the event to visist wearing a confederate uniform and we promptly threw him in the Grainery too.
9. Mike had his staff. shot off a sporrow cannon. to simulate the shelling of Island # 10.
10. We did Guard Mount all day on sat. This was just grand . Major Comer was absent when the sign and counter sign were given so in the darkeness . the major had to be indentified. My pard Steve was pretty proud of that one.
11.We had what I thought was a nice church service on the porch of the House.
12. we ate at the worst resturant in the midwest on Friday evening .
13.we had quite a bit of rain on friday night Sat. morning But we had tents.
More later I had someone take a bunch of pics

[Michael Comer]

Re: Occupation of New Madrid AAR

About that countersign business - in my defense I have to say that we had a couple fellas that couldn't be there until late Saturday. One of them needed trousers and leathers. I took them over to the office to get them outfitted before the guards were mounted and countersigns given. Therefore, I was not privy to the proper countersign to be given.

Now I know I will never live it down and that's fine - I'm willing to bear the brunt of it for time eternity because it does look bad that the adjutant of a Federal army gets 'locked' out of his own headquarters camp but I wanted you to know the reasoning and that I wasn't just wondering aimlessly like the village idiot.:)

The guard and corporal of the guard did exactly what they should have done and are to be commended for the way they managed the post.

[Michael Comer]

Re: Occupation of New Madrid AAR

Warren,

I think your nephew will see a nickname develop from this episode.

[Abrams]

Re: Occupation of New Madrid AAR

This was my first living history event ever, as a participant. So please forgive my enthusiasm and long post.







(Letter sent home from Private Marion Romine to his mom and dad)



Friday the 14th

While the day started off nice, it quickly clouded up, and looked ominous. We set up camp. The secesh lady of the house was away, so Col. Butler showed us through the mansion. It’s a very nice mansion, and larger than any house I ever saw, even bigger than the courthouse in Peoria. Very fancy furniture, and the grounds were well kept.

Thunderstorms raced through overnight. The flashes of lightning illuminated the tent, and the sounds of the rain on the tent made sleeping good. Private Kenner drew the short straw and got me as a tent mate. I am told I snore like a cross between a bear and a locomotive, so I appreciate the fact that Kenner did not bayonet me in my sleep. It was cold, but I burrowed into my blanket, and managed to stay warm enough. We managed to procure a small amount of a fine sour-mash to take the edge off the cold..



Saturday the 15th

The secesh ladies from town cook for us here, which is nice. I hear they get fourty cents a day for cooking for us. Breakfast this morning was hot oatmeal, sweetened with molasses, good apples, fresh bread and good strong coffee, and in large quantities. Then it was drilling, marching, and standing guard over the rebel prisoner we captured. He seemed a decent sort, and was one of those left behind on picket duty when the rest of the rebels skee-daddled to Island #10. He had not eaten for a while, so I gave him a piece of deer sausage from my haversack. Later, after he had been paroled, he remembered my kindness and shared some corn liquor around the fire after the officers had bedded down. He was a real good sort of feller. Firing from the gun boats at Island #10 sure got our pickets excited, and some had to quickly form up and check out whose cannon they were. Lunch was a fine tasting soup made with cabbage, onions, taters, and some kind of meat. Some thought it pork, some thought it beef, we finally decided it was mule, but it was very good. Supper was beans, with some nice chunks of ham on the side, and I got one of the last pieces of cornbread. Very good chow. After standing my guard duty at night, I went to bed sore and tired.



Sunday the 16th

Our easy duty guarding General Pope has come to an end. We had a full inspection, and the captain complimented my housewife. I told him it was made for me by my Aunt Kathy*. I got in trouble for losing my greatcoat while at the sinks, I think a secesh from town got it while I was occupied. One guy had discarded several items, and each time when asked why he did not have them, his response was always “dirty as hell sir, I threw it out”. It was all I could do to not bust out laughing, which likely would have landed me additional fatigue duty, but the whole line was shaking with barely concealed mirth. Had a mail call, and I got a letter. I was surprised, as I have no wife or kids. It was from a company in Chicago, wanting to see if I wanted to by a bullet proof breastplate. No price, but bet its hot and expensive.

Finally, we completed the day with a little more drilling, skirmish practice and then started the long march back to the real war. But I will say we enjoyed the duty of guarding General Pope. Stiff and sore, we marched off.

I remain yours,

Marion Romine

(End of letter home)

*Aunt Kathy was in reality Kathy Bradford, who in truth made the housewife, and I bought from her through these boards here.



The "secesh" ladies took such good care of us, I wrote them a song to thank them for all they did for us. (I know they got paid fourty cents a day and all, but they took good care of us beyond what they had to, heh.) I will share it here with you, and wish I could have thought it up sooner than the ride home, and had sang it to them before leaving. So ladies, if you read this, please picture private Romine on bended knee singing this for all of you.

It goes with the tune from 'Aura Lee'.

Ladies who have cooked for us, we say this from the heart.
Feeding all these hungry men, you truly played your part.
Ladies True, Ladies True, you fed us good and well
So now we sing to you the praise, that words can never tell.


Ham and beans, fried pies of peach, and apples tart and crisp.
Cabbage soup with mystery meat, fresh bread that will be missed.
Ladies True, Ladies True, your presence made our day
And did so with such dignity, for fourty cents a day.


Prim with bonnets on your head, we knew you wished all Yankees dead
Still you filled our plates with food, for that you have our gratitude
Ladies True, Ladies True, you showed your grace and style,
I’m glad I got to meet you-all, If only for a while


Oatmeal hot and coffee black, I never touched my haversack.
Things I brought I did not use, because your food was love infused.
Ladies True, Ladies True, Your food was such a treat
How you managed to do that, was really quite a feat.


Memories from this event, like freezing in a cotton tent
Drilling, marching, standing guard, in rain and wind was sometimes hard.
But Ladies True, Ladies True, you fed us good and well
The memories of your loving care, helped us forget the hell.

The men of the 47th Illinois Infantry cannot express enough gratitude for the Ladies of New Madrid for their care and service.

[Rmhisteach]

Re: Occupation of New Madrid AAR

besides the cheese. The elixir was grand.

Rm

[MarkTK36thIL]

Re: Occupation of New Madrid AAR

The elixir was grand.

Rm

I'll agree with that.

[Rmhisteach]

Re: Occupation of New Madrid AAR

Yep you had two spoons full.

Rm

[BrownBlanketMess]

Re: Occupation of New Madrid AAR

Mike,

I want to say thanks for putting together a great event. I also enjoyed the Friday tour you provided of New Madrid and the Hunter-Dawson House for me it was my first visit to the area. As for the event I was that cpl. of the guard that would not let you through the lines. All the boys need to be commended they did an excellent job all weekend! I enjoyed meeting many new friends and seeing my comrades over the weekend.

Steve LaBarre
CornFed Comrades