Aar

[MD_Independent]

Disappointed. Enough said.

[Chuck A Luck]

Re: Aar

The march was great, scenery fantastic, battles ok... but being told we had to pack up early -- just when we were all comfortable, cozy & relatively dry -- and bug off the mountain early really sucked.
I so wish I was up there still, enjoying the breeze & scenery. At least the weather & view was very, very beautiful as we were waiting to be picked up.

Also a bit disappointed.

[BrandonEnglish]

Re: Aar

The march was great, scenery fantastic, battles ok... but being told we had to pack up early -- just when we were all comfortable, cozy & relatively dry -- and bug off the mountain early really sucked.
I so wish I was up there still, enjoying the breeze & scenery. At least the weather & view was very, very beautiful as we were waiting to be picked up.

Also a bit disappointed.

Agreed the scenery was just outstanding some of the most beautiful views I've ever seen. Being near the rear of the column while marching to our camp site the roads were so windy that I never saw the front of the column, it really made it look like the entire 31st VA was marching through this beautiful area.

Another major downside, all the cars parked in the middle of our little mock battle (not the water truck), but they were kind of in the way. Not terribly disappointed, still feeling wet though, absolutely.

[Marylander in Grey]

Re: Aar

Fun, but not what the the event was billed as. To many later uniforms and weapons for 1861. To much canvas on the Confederate side. Not enough embracing the Suck in my opinion. Awesome site, great marching, and lovely rain and rain and rain.
As stated to many modern vehicles in view ( not the water truck). Would have march the 7 miles or so down the mountain in the rain if allowed when event cancelled. Would have liked to have spent saturday night on the hill and marched out sunday even better.
Over all impression Disappointed.

[Chuck A Luck]

Re: Aar

Would have liked to have spent saturday night on the hill and marched out sunday even better.

Might I add an emphatic "Amen!" to that?

[33rdvasoldier]

Re: Aar

Pards,

I can only assume the event was cancelled due to the fact that these fine folks had our health in-mind, as a reenactor we all need to be prepared for all types of weather conditions. I saw far to many guys with nothing but a ground cloth our a soaking wet blanket; those guys would have been in a bad way come nightfall.

The forecast called for even more rain and lowering temps, this could have resulted in some guys getting hypothermia; I think it was a wise call on the organizers to get us out before nightfall. I hope we can all learn a lesson on how to prepare ourselves better for rough weather.

Thanks to Bob-Dave-PSL and everyone else involved in putting this event together; outstanding job! Your hard work showed, great site, route and land usage. I’ve been in the hobby for a while (15 years), never have we as a community had a better unblemished site to play on; it’s truly hard work, Kim

[Marylander in Grey]

Re: Aar

I fully understand the situation. However as a grown man and a veteran of many years in this hobby, I think cancelling the event was wise however with most of the participants having some disatance to drive allowing us the option of staying on the mountain and taking care of our own would have been nice.
I only had a blanket and a ground cloth and I was willing to stay. To many events are becoming Nanny in my opinion. When you cancel the event IMHO your liability ends and the individual is then responcible for thier decisions.
I agree an excellent job in the use of land and choice of site. My gripes are logisical in nature mostly of pre event information. I didnt say I didnt have fun and I didnt say I would not go to another McDowell or AoA, I am trying to add food for thought to make the next event even better.

[nic 61st new york]

Re: Aar

Drove 9 hours, with a few stops, to wander through the woods around midnight with 1 candle in front like something in scooby doo. Found the fed camp. Woke up, great march. Battles were good. Made 2nd camp. RAINED! Packed up. Left the campsite to get changed when I think I lost my phone there (if anyone found one please contact me through email...).

I had fun though, id do it again, and bring and extra ground cloth.

[MD_Independent]

Re: Aar

I was disappointed, as I stated above. Why? There was a severe lack of experienced campaigners in the ranks. I noted no first person outside of my little "IPW Veterans" mess. Not drawing rammers seemed very stupid to me. It seems to be a standard practice at ALL other EBUFU's that I've done in the past few years, and I will not here begin a 'yes or no' discussion on the issue of drawing ramrods. On the 'history heavy' side of the hobby, it is a fact of life. Enough on that.

In regards to being wet, I was dry as a bone. Why? Because my comrades and I know what we're about in regards to using whatever materials we have on hand to make shelter. We would have survived. If you were wet enough to justify running down the mountain, you have a lot to learn about living in the field like a Civil War soldier or 'man'ing up and embracing the suck. We had less than 20 hours to go. Being miserable for that long isn't going to kill you. Personally, I feel that it would have been infinately safer to face the storm on that mountain top and catch a few hours of sleep, leaving in the morning, than to drive late into the night, exhausted, to get home.

The site was perfect for a high quality event. Unfortunately, the participants were mostly of the 'campaigner-lite' category. This one day event had more in common with "At High Tide" last summer than a true EBUFU. Bad thing was, even with the pretty heavy rain and lightning, the mainstream "AHT" didn't call things off.

I was very pleased with most of the people I was surrounded by. Eric Tipton and his people adding an addition to our shebang was a benefit to all seven or eight of us piled into our 'public housing' rubber blanket-and-groundcloth complex. Most of the CVG boys I was with, including Kibler, Bob Martin, Shelley, and a couple of others are a real credit to their organization. From what I've seen, the CVG is better able to actually 'campaign' and act like soldiers than most self-proclaimed 'authentic' organizations I've seen in the field. Pete Berezuk, of course, led our little 'mess' in constructing our shelter. Thank God for good comrades.

This past Saturday, in conjunction with the "After the Battle" fiasco, has totally turned me off of eastern EBUFU. Too bad I'm an easterner, meaning that I'll continue to rack up the miles on my car to get to events where men act like men and not like little girls. On to Bummers!

Bill Birney

[33rdvasoldier]

Re: Aar

My pards and I were also dry as we had the in-sight to bring a shelter half per man; we had also built a very large fire to keep dry through out the night. We were ready to stay the night as well but when several officers told us the event was over, we were disappointed to say the least.


We as a community have much to teach about the common soldier of the Civil War.We should/could take these lessons and use them as a tool to help others achieve a greater level of reenacting.

[Eric Tipton]

Re: Aar

Hello Everyone:

Having been involved in the planning of Rich Mountain, I was excited about the prospect of returning to the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike for a second go-around. In that respect, I was not disappointed. The scenery was absolutely fantastic. On the Federal side, we marched approximately six miles from Camp Bartow toward Camp Allegheny.

During the day yesterday, the weather couldn't have been better. It was in the mid-seventies with little humidity and the sun was shining. On many areas of the march, I literally felt like I was back on Rich Mountain. The condition of the turnpike (paved on the first part, turning into unpaved most of the way) was just as advertised. We had breathtaking vistas on either side of the road under blue skies.

The battles were decent. I wish we could have had more numbers, but that wasn't really the reason I went anyway. My only minor complaint was that we on the Federal side seemed to take our share of hits, while there were far fewer on the Confederate side. Now, I realize that we were outnumbered two or three to one, but I just felt that given the firing distances and terrain, there could have been more realistic ratios on that point.

We deployed a front and rear guard during the march and were harassed beginning roughly two-thirds of the way through. Our brief lunch toward the middle of the day was rudely interrupted by the Rebs who intensified their efforts as we continued to move along the road. We were ambushed at one point, with Rebs on the high bluffs to our left and a pet peeve of mine is this... If this happens, the common reaction of troops would have been to get down. At several points, we stood there under direct fire, looking straight into the guns and there seemed to be no real urgency on the part of our boys to take cover unless instructed to do so by commanders. Minor point, but anyway...

Around two o'clock, we began the assault up to the fort. We scrambled up a hill with the Rebs falling back in front of us to higher ground. With their superior numbers, it was apparent that we were being coerced forward at heavy loss. We finally breeched the fort only to find a scattered number of spectators directly in front of us. This was another minor disappointment mainly in that it didn't seem like a good area for spectators - directly between us and the Rebs, but hey, I guess it would have been hard for them to see what was going on from the bottom of the hill.

I went down during the fight and didn't rise until we had pushed the Rebs out of the structure and down into the valley on the other side of our assault. At this point, the firing stopped and we were to establish our camp on the ridge in what I can only describe as one of the best vistas I have ever camped in my time in the hobby. In all directions, we were witness to tree-covered mountains with white wispy clouds under blue skies (for now).

Not long after establishing our camp, we began to see darker clouds moving right in our direction. As I mentioned earlier, at this point, the temperature was in the middle seventies (in my estimation) and quite pleasant, if not a little warm after humping it six miles to our destination. With what looked like oncoming showers, the men of the 9th Indiana endeavored to make shelter post-haste. Having heeded the guidelines, there were no shelter-halves to speak of, so the men, present company included, engaged in my favorite engineering activity of the common soldier - the shebang.

A clump of trees was found and we quickly went to our work. Seven of us - well-armed with gum blankets and twine, began the task of patching together our gums into an efficient, if not crude structure that only a soldier could be proud of. By my count, we ended up with ten gums, two bayonets, anchoring said gums, a few ram rods (also anchoring the corners) and yards and yards of twine. We worked as the rain began to fall - slow at first and then in a steady downpour. As is the case in most shebangs, you only realize the deficiencies of your design once tested by the weather. There were several holes that were discovered mostly by the howling of the individuals who happened to find the wrong areas in which to inhabit. As the rains came - off-and-on, we settled in for what we thought would be a warm and mostly dry night.

After forty-five minutes of banter mostly involving the positives and negatives of spooning and the associated logistics and smells thereof, I fell asleep. Now, I should qualify this here by saying that I have a reputation amongst my comrades for being able to sleep in practically any environment. On this particular day, it was because I was tired from the march, our time in the sun and because I had strategically placed myself in one of the dryer parts of the monstrous shebang - which I shall name, for the purposes of this report "Embrace the Suck".

Some time into my reverie, not sure how long, we were stirred by our officers and told that we were ending things for the weekend. The rain continued to fall, they said and weather reports indicated that it was going to be like this, if not worse for the remainder of the evening. Honestly, given the overall ingenuity of the Federals by this point, I can say that I was surprised. Some fly tents had been brought in for the staff and others and When I awoke and looked around, it appeared as if we had, as a whole adapted to our situation. While the rain and winds were steady, it didn't seem as if they were so violent or continuous to warrant the decision to end the event.

We were told that a first group was going to be shuttled to the parking lot to get vehicles with four wheel drive to extract the men the six-odd miles back to where we had started yesterday morning at Camp Bartow. We were told that that were no good ways to march out other than the way that we came.

We began to gather our things and took down "Embrace the Suck" with due haste. As lightning strikes began to appear on the horizon, we were now told to move off the top of the ridge we were occupying to seek lower ground and wait for the "shuttles" to extract us back to civilization. As seems to happen in some of these situations, the rain began to subside and I could already hear some grumbling in the ranks as to why we were leaving this early. After all, when confronted with the elements, we adapted, as the originals would have done. We were having a good time and why were our good times being cut short? In other words, many of us weren't ready to leave yet.

As my new comrade-in-arms, Tim Koenig and I left Bartow, West Virginia, we wondered aloud if the right decision was made to end things early. I could already tell what the tone of some AAR's was going to be based on the grumbling I heard in the ranks. As we drove west - directly into the weather that would have been coming all night, I quickly understood and saw firsthand what we would have seen all night.

Driving through the mountains can be a blast. Driving at night is not as much fun, but can be tolerable if the roads are dry. Well, we had neither dry roads, nor daylight the entire 7 1/2 hours home, even upon reaching Cincinnati, Ohio. It rained buckets during parts of the trip and the temperature dropped roughly twenty degrees. At times, it rained so hard, that we could not see the lines on the pavement or other vehicles, for that matter. Since we were driving almost due west, this is what we would have had for the night. In fact, if you look at the current weather forecast, you can see why the decision was made to pull the plug - click here.

I cannot sway those who believe that we should have stayed the night, but I also will not apologize for those who were ill-prepared. If anyone looked at the forecast prior to the event, they knew that there was a strong possibility for rain during the weekend. That is why I had two gums and a spare change of a shirt and socks stashed in my pack.

That aside, if the decision was made to end the event based on the weather forecast for the night and the safety of the participants, then I firmly believe the right decision was made by the organizers. It was certainly a tough call, but also, in my opinion and based on the weather since we left, proper because they were thinking of our safety first. All I can say is, having been involved in the organization of other ventures, I am glad that it was not a decision I had to make myself. This was a no-win situation and erring on the side of safety was the way to go.

Finally, in my usual long-winded way, I must say that if anyone was ill-prepared for the event, this must be separated from the decision to end the event. Part of the reason we do "this side" of the hobby is because we must think about what we bring and why we bring it. This is a lesson that each individual should take stock of both before and after each event so as to make the proper decision the next time around.

So, my thanks to Bob and Dave for a stellar effort. The views, scenarios, and agenda were as advertised, in my opinion. I hope that the AAR's don't reach the fever pitch I fear they might, but then again, everyone has their own opinion and they are entitled to it, since they spent their hard-earned dollars and time to attend.

Humbly Submitted,

[sam H]

Re: Aar

Personally, I had a great time. The march was on some of the most pristine land I had ever seen and was a very easy walk. The fife and drums were an awesome touch that made the march that much easier. 3rd company had a rifle platoon which I thought was awesome. Something you definitley don't see too often. Sure their were some more main stream guys there and it was their first campainger event. But hopefully they walked away with the enthusiasm to improve their impression. Of course I was bummed that the event got called but thats just what happens some times when the weather sets in like that. I could have sat on that mountain and slept as well but I gotta say I was not terribly heart broken when I got in a warm bed early this morning.

Being the forward skirmishers for the cornfeds was awesome for me. When we started scouting around the federal column and the fighting broke out it definitely reminded me of the accounts from the battle when the federal column met the heavy fire from the confederate pickets. It almost was like indian warfare. After doing all the reading on the battle and actually seeing it unfold like that made the experience all the more rewarding.

Thanks to Bob, Dave, and the rest of the PSL for putting on this event and having us. I have always enjoyed your events and I can't say anything has changed.

[OldState]

Re: Aar

Personally, I had a great time. The march was on some of the most pristine land I had ever seen and was a very easy walk. The fife and drums were an awesome touch that made the march that much easier. 3rd company had a rifle platoon which I thought was awesome. Something you definitely don't see too often. Sure their were some more main stream guys there and it was their first campaigner event. But hopefully they walked away with the enthusiasm to improve their impression. Of course I was bummed that the event got called but that's just what happens some times when the weather sets in like that. I could have sat on that mountain and slept as well but I gotta say I was not terribly heart broken when I got in a warm bed early this morning.

Well said. That pretty much sums up my feelings as well. This was my first real event in 9 years (lest 2 LH's). Was I looking forward to this event for months? YES. Can I understand why the hosts called it off? YES.
This has very little to do with people wimping out and more to do with liability. Its easy to talk smack about the event when you don't have to make the decision and bear the responsibility for it. I would have loved to stay but I could have only expected the organizers to call it off given the forecast. Not only were there the issues of lightening, and hypothermia, but what about flooding and the condition of those roads?

Thanks to all the organizers.

My only suggestions for the future would be to update the website and put a little more info out there prior to the event.

[LHV1861]

Re: Aar

This was my first campaign event and as mentioned before the views were remarkable, very pristine. My kit is not yet complete so I was a mix of quality and sub-par(finances). Me and a couple of my pards are trying to jump ship from the mainstream to the "dark side" and this event was a great test for us. I also enjoyed the Liberty Hall fife and drum, some of the best I've heard. Weather? no need to add to whats already been said on that score. There were a few guys who fell in with us from the mainstream and yes they were very mainstream. Good guys and I know they came away with a great appreciation for this side of the hobby. A couple of them I think enjoyed this more than your random farb-fest and are willing to give it a go. We are trying to educate them about the material culture and point them in the right direction. All in all we had a good time and everything confirmed why we want out of the mainstream.



Jeff Felton

Liberty Hall Volunteers

[stx]

Re: Aar

Well I'll try not to repeat too much of what Eric said but our opinions are similar in many regards to the event so there may be some overlap. After our 7 hour drive to Bartow, made livelier by good music and conversation, Mr. Tipton and I arrived ready to get things underway. As has been said the scenery was amazing throughout the trip and our Friday night camp was no exception. Waking up on top of Camp Bartow and seeing the mist rising above the mountains was an awe inspiring sight. We headed out on the turnpike in the morning and I thought this was one of the coolest aspects of the event, knowing that all seven miles we marched on was marched on by Milroy's men before us. After the first couple miles I felt like I was finally in gear and although the march was mostly uphill it wasn't exhausting nor unbearable. Our first engagement with the enemy soon after lunch was brisk and in my opinion decent. I thought the second skirmish was much more intense and exciting, especially after we came to the fence rails and opened up on the retreating rebels. I was also much happier with my death the second time around. Our camp on the second night was beautiful to say the least. I agree with Mr. Tipton about our shebang being ably made and comfortable, although I was somewhat on the edge and would have in all likelihood had to move in and beg for body heat in order to keep from hypothermia (a request that I’m sure the men of second company wouldn’t deny…I’m sure Bill would have been more than eager to help). Yes, the night would have been slightly miserable due to cold and wet but I’m confident we would have all been in one piece in the morning. I do understand the concerns of the event planners though and as I told Mr. Tipton I wasn’t really ready to leave but I was glad to be warm and dry.

Like Mr. Birney I was disappointed in the first person. I noticed on Friday night that all that was talked about was modern politics, work, and a certain movie that just came out in theatres. I didn’t mind so much that night because people were still filling in and we hadn’t gone “live” yet, but low and behold the next day was more of the same. I remember at one point, right after we got off the paved part of the road, Mr. Birney saying something to the effect of “from now on I’m ignoring all modern talk and going first person”, and although I tried to do the same the lack of effort by some of those around us to even attempt period conversation made this somewhat of a lost cause.

It was good to reconnect with some fellow Iron Men of Kistache, especially Lt. Mason who I was quite surprised to see, and overall I had a good time. Many thanks to Eric Tipton for driving the whole way and getting us safely through torrential rains at 3 in the morning and for the companionship throughout the weekend. Even though both of my attempts at progressive events have been cut short by rain I’m glad that I’ve been able to experience this side of the hobby and am looking forward to future events.