AAR Bummers

[Pvt_Sullivan]

Re: AAR Bummers

Two words
F***ING AWESOME

Good work folks and thanks for a memorable time.
Joe Blunt

I was sent by Lt Giddons to take you out into the woods and shoot you.

If it wasn't for your Mexican War Veteran, burying the dead and suffering from Malaria sob story, I probably would have shot you right there.

Oh and the fact I was wiped out by that point and knew I'd have trouble dragging my weight, let alone your weight to the tree line.

Joe, you Alicia and Marissa were one of the many civilian vignettes that made the event site come alive. Thanks and I'll see you at McAlister next month.

[lambrew]

Re: AAR Bummers

I got exactly what I signed on for, I was tired, hungry, thirsty, cut off from the main body and had to hide from the cav and militia. I got to experience just a taste of what I have been reading about since I was kid. No it was not all glory, but neither was the real thing. This event had to be alot like hearding cats, and then mother nature threw her two cents in and washed out a few roads. Some things just can't be helped.

Sunday morning was the highlight. Having a dirty floor covering thrown at me in disgust, then having to watch her sob as we set fire to her home while her neighbor sang a hymn was thought provoking, and a "Period Moment" I'll never forget. The way things went is what set me up for a fantastic experience. I regret nothing and would not change a thing. The civilians were first rate. True emotions of fear, frustration, anger, and outright menace.

Hard work has never been so much fun.

[Old Reb]

Re: AAR Bummers

Me and the boys being weary from moving from west of the Sabine arrived at the Bummers site about noon and drank beer then went into the woods and begun drinking from the canteen of woe and the jug of woe. Some how we missed the call, if it was given, that Company B was moving out. About an hour before dark we decided to find the company and began marching up a steep hill. We reached the top of the steep hill about dark and figured it was best to build a fire and drink more whiskey but we didn't have any food but there was a water buffalo near by and we figured it was for the yankee horde when they came up the hill. Apparently the yankee horde took a better route! We made plans to search out our company at first light and hoped the yankee horde didn't come up the road first. Some time later some of the boys heard noise below, which was apparently the yankee horde stumbling where they weren't suppose to be and went off to scout. One came back and one didn't but later Captain Herb and Jordan the partisan leader came up the hill with our lost man and said he was glad that we was found and would send us some corn and sweet taters and in the morning Jordan would return to guide us to the rest of the company. He assured us from scouting reports that the yankee horde wouldn't be coming atop our hill any time soon since they were lost somewhere. We slept. Got up at first light, roasted ears and baked taters and waited. When the scout came and led us out we commenced to march up and down. Some ladies at a cabin fed us and we then went into the works and dug rifle pits..
After we dug rifle pits we were told to move somewhere else and dig some more. I detached two of my fellows, young Caleb and Raul to help pluck chickens. Then things seemed to blend together of going up and down hills and fetching prisoners and sitting and waiting and then going up and down hills some more. Just before dark we went back up a hill and I decided it was time to run away if the yankees appeared again, but they didn't so I didn't. We returned to our position on a hill and the sun went down which mean we weren't sitting in the sun no more. That night as the previous night we slept or didn't sleep on rocks and then the next morning we went up the hill again and on the way back found yankees in our rifle pits and the others went ahead and we ran the yankees out of our rifle pits. A home guard fellow came by and said they could have used us up ahead where the real fighting was and I wanted to shoot him for we thought we was doing real fighting too. Then finding no more of our militia fellows we asked three hardy women who had been thrown out of the place by yankees how to get out. So, we began marching in what we figured was the way out and it was a good up and down march and we passed the hill we had been on the first night. Private Joe carried one of the women's baby the whole way and we finally made our way to the parking lot and most folks was gone. I reckon we had marched the whole way in and whole way out. I thought it was a good event. I could care less about people lost without food or water or leaders or the ones that bugged out and we should all pay more to the event fellows for showing the real fog of soldiering. Misery, fear, being lost, being hungry or thirsty and having idiots for leaders happened and does happen, so it was a good event.

[J. Donaldson]

Re: AAR Bummers

I've had some time to think about my experiences at the event, and I thought that I'd simply add a couple of thoughts to this.

For every step I took, Terry Sorchy took three and Eric Tipton took ten. From what I witnessed and what I did, every canteen that got some water in it got passed to the nearest man you saw, be he in your foraging party or another, to make sure that everyone shared their water. When food was found by SOME foragers, it was shared with everyone walking by in order to lighten the load when people were on the march. When it became clear that the Third Division was lost/detoured/behind schedule/whatever you wish to call it, the event staff bent over backwards to establish an impromptu food and water drop to make sure we were taken care of. Herb Coates stopped his participation in the event to truck in more than a hundred gallons of water and enough food so that everyone ate Saturday night.

A lot of the complainers need to actually read their history. Food was never guaranteed at the event (it was made clear that you had a better than average chance of finding something); real foragers sometimes hit dry holes. When Third Division searched a field we thought was supposed to have food and came up empty, we tried to boil some creek water into coffee to keep us going but ran out of time. Life happens; adapt.

Three hours on Sunday morning made up for Saturday. I wondered how people would react after being tested; I saw the Third Division turn into a mob of demons with nothing safe in their path. The Third Division was the Eleventh Plague of Egypt to anyone we met.

Personally, I was pushed to what I thought were the limits of my physical and perhaps mental endurance, and I continued going forward. At the top of the mountain on Saturday, I wanted a pick up truck or helicopter to take me off of that mountain and get me out. I honestly thought that I had no more in me. When they pointed us to a much easier path to get down on, everyone in the 10th shut up and marched. About half of us were ready to quit. Comrades kept each other going. It sucked. It sucked really, really hard. But we carried on. We overcame and perservered.

Favorite moments:

• Falling in with the Taters for the first time and being made to feel at home.
• Making the full acquaintance of Jim Schuman and Poague, two of the finest gentlemen that the bounty system can produce.
• Destroying the first cabin we came to on Sunday morning. I can't describe everything I saw that morning, although Poague laying down on a mattress sticks out, as well as howling women and finding food in the chimney. The china out front was pillaged and destroyed, although one tea cup has made a new home in Illinois.
• Huck's stew on Saturday night complete with chili sauce.
• Finding a sugar dish on a table with watered lemon drops. When proferred to Captain Sorchy, English high tea manners were orders of the day. Wonderful weather we're having, what?
• Winthrop. I have no words to describe how awed I was by his presence and his impression. I tried talking to him after the event, but I was so completely done in that I couldn't string two words together to express my thoughts.
• Funniest moment. Waking up on Sunday morning and asking Winthrop how he slept. He looked at me and stated "How dare you ask me that question after the noises you made last night." Two snorers laying head to head is guaranteed to keep the Skunk Ape, and sleep for some, at bay.

My heartfelt thanks and appreciation go out to every single member of the event staff. To Captain Sorchy and Sergeant Kupsch, thank you for leading the party and taking care of the men. It was truly my honor to be with you. To the men of the 10th, and I will forget names here, but Huck the Arch-Angel, Fire Chicken, Poague, Jim, Wes, T.J., Jay, Andy, and every other mother's son that billygoated Georgia, you are truly great men. And I'd pay to see Fire Chicken and Huck do a line of that snuff again; war whoops like those haven't been heard in those hills since the Removal.

Favorite event ever? Right now it's tied with Raymond I.

[J. Donaldson]

Re: AAR Bummers

And raw sweet potatoes ain't that bad.

[thad gallagher]

Re: AAR Bummers

Pat Craddock,thank you for scarring me with "bacon poisoning".

I thought you were messing with me when you asked about that. I am sitting here at the firehouse now wondering how I can use that one today.

Great to meet you guys. Look forward to the next round.

[Jim of The SRR]

Re: AAR Bummers

We had a soldiers experience! Were we disappointed...yes certainly. But, not disappointed because we had to march or go without food, or because we felt in danger. There is risk in what we do. There is a risk just getting in your car each day. For me, I feel like I have met a personal challenge and made it thru. So, our disappointment was that we did not get to raid and loot as we hoped on Saturday. The hardships we endured is just part of reenacting soldiering. Somehow when these hardships are shared with our friends, it becomes tolerable and yes, enjoyable. I do not feel the organizers let me down. I don't remember reading any 'promises'. Actually, I feel like I would have done some things differently to effect our outcome.
Herb, Kiev, Jordan, Eric, et. al, you guys are top shelf with me! We know it was not intentional and we understand the wild variables at an event like this makes sh*t happen, especially when you are trying to plan an event on this scale with multiple arms of military AND civilians with buildings, etc, etc. So, again all I can say now is THANKS for all the efforts you put into this event.
SCAR will be there again with whatever craziness you plan!
Folks, we can go to any c/p/h event and find things to pick apart. But, the idea is that we set goals and try to reach them. If we fail, at least we have set a bar and tried to reach it. Better to set the bar a bit higher and try than to not keep reaching for better (within reason).

Thanks,
Jim Butler
SRR
SCAR

[springkeeper]

Re: AAR Bummers

Cullen, Silvana was the lady screaming outside the cabin when the Yankees overran the homestead. I was inside helping Liz deliver the baby.

Bummers was one of the best events I have attended. The weather was perfect and the site rough and beautiful. A gracious thank you to all of the event staff for all of the hard work, hours on the phone, hours on the computer, hours on the road, hours at the event site, and time away from your families.

My favorites...

spending time with friends

feeling safe surrounded by our dear Rebels

feeling scared when they had to leave

seeing the fear and uncertainty on the faces of the prisoners, as well as "the wheels turning" as they sat near the cabin. We took them some cabbage and pickles but several refused

feeling my heart in my nose when the cannon was fired 3 feet away from the cabin door

feeling outraged when the Yankees torn into the cabin and stared down at Liz while she screamed in pain

feeling helpless when stepping out of the cabin to see our things broken and scattered

feeing hope when several Yankees asked to see the baby and when a Mason gave Liz money and drew a Masonic symbol on the cabin for protection.

Miss Carrie

Oh, I hope you boys in blue where able to get all of the grit out of your teeth after trying to eat our "Yankee Bread" :p

[PetePaolillo]

Re: AAR Bummers

Oh, I hope you boys in blue where able to get all of the grit out of your teeth after trying to eat our "Yankee Bread"

Carrie! That was classic!!! I saw the bread but did not get any...I had a jar of jelly and fresh butter and would have ate it sand and all!!:D

[thad gallagher]

Re: AAR Bummers

By the time the medic actually went looking for him, he'd walked out (with the aid of another member of our party).

Not sure if you were referring to the yelling for medic that prompted the cease fire on Saturday afternoon or not.

I had signed up on the registration form that I would be willing to assist as a medic if needed. Never heard much more about it so I decided to 'forage' some supplies at work before I left Friday morning. I threw some basic bandaging supplies and splints in my knapsack, just in case.

I all can say is that I heard the repeated yell for medic and headed that way. Like I said, I never heard anything designated for medical emergencies, so with the permission of Lt. Craddock, I went. I went from the militia base by the cabin back up to the double cabin/hotel area, which is quite an interesting jog. Then we heard they had walked out. That made for a lenghty walk back to the 'prison camp'.

All said, I am glad I packed some gear for that. Treated 1 finger lac, 1 foreign object in the eye (unburnt powder), and evaluated 3 other powder burns.?????

[David Dalton]

Re: AAR Bummers

I would have to say that if you didnt have a good time... do not post your thoughts...

It is hard enough to put on event, it must be even harder to do it with over 200 authentic reenactors...

We left about 5:30pm thursday, and ended up at the site around 2:30pm the next day.

Ill just give the highlights up the event. not a full AAR.

Pre event... Watching Jasper lick Pouge's face, from the bottem of his chin to the tip of his eyebrow!

Event
1.)The tourches being lit, and only lasting about 10 mins.

2.)Climbing a cliff,finding no water at the top of it.

3.)Marching back down that same cliff.

4.)Getting lost... ( I was apart of the 3rd Div.)

5.) Leaving with Elijah, Korey, and Boot to go find real food.

6.) Almost getting nabbed up by cav. Then finding another lost foraging party.(The 93rd)

7.)Trying to burn down a cabin.(100% of the building was standing when we left!)

8.) Finally finding the militia and only firing at them once or twice.

9.)Watching the cav. dissmount and build small earthworks.

10.)Trying to over run those earthworks, ending up with one of our men being shot.

11.)Joining up with 2nd Div. and marching out of the event.

12.)Listening to Boot give Elijah crap about having a Welch name.(Wheres the sheep?)

13.)Watching our officer finally find his lost section!

14.)Still listening to Boot give Elijah a hard time about having a Welch name!

15.) Packing up and leaving the event.

16.) The Ride home... (SHILOH!!!!)

17.)Going to class monday morning and sleeping through all of my lectures!


All in all, it was a great event. I had finally had a 99.8% feeling of realism. In the last five years of going to authentic events, this one tops all of them.

Thanks Guys for putting the event on! It was worth the time to go!

[Sgt Scotti]

Re: AAR Bummers

Hello to all; Im one of those lucky few members of the 3rd Division, 59th IN foraging party (SCAR). First Id like to thank the boys I fell in with; under the most able supervision/ leadership of Ken Giddens; as well as Pete Berezuk and his fellow NCOs. With this crew we marched up and down just as many hills as anyone, you all have heard of the horrors. But Id like to thank everyone for such a memorable event.
I was hungry and thirsty but no more so than I am right now while my belly is reminding me that it will soon be chow time. many were out of water toward the late day; I was one of the last with a few gulps left that I made sure everyone drank from. Some refused it, a testament to the strength of my companions. The event (Saturday) was not what I expected it to be but things rarely are. I never felt in danger in any way.
The only time I can say that I was truly frustrated was in the late afternoon of Saturday; knowing that we were lost and marching up and down every mountain (only one of which took any real physical toll on anyone in my party) joking that we might have crossed into Tennessee already, following the lead elements in front of us knowing that they didnt know anything more was a trying experiance for me as a Sergeant of Marines. I wanted to step up and start slapping some map reading skills into people, but that is the lot of the enlisted anywhere at any time in any Army.

There were a few instances that truly made the event for me and Id like to share them and thank the people involved.
First; Friday night as we were marching in the dark hearing the reports of militia rifles up ahead of us in the dark; when we passed a dead reb on the left side with his killer telling us not to worry; his secesh throat had been cut. It set the mood for me.
Second; I was one of the feds that took part in the flanking manuever through the deadfall into the right of the militia's position on Sunday. After a mad dash across the open to cover behind that small cabin. I cheered my comrades on forward. Then after hearing women's screams from inside I believe I was the first man into the cabin and I got to say I was completely bewildered at the sight of 3 or 4 georgia gals screaming and berating me while a hapless women was in the struggles of delivery. I was trying to fight my way in while being beat on by you all and having dishes broken onto me I was yanked back by some officer trying to keep me and the men that followed me in line. You women and the rest of the civilians that I encountered; you all deserve the lions share of the credit for bringing this event alive in front of us. My hat is off to you.
Also, i never had the bad luck to run into you Cav boys at all during the event but I passed you all heading back to the parking lot on Sunday. I was in awe. You all looked the part and stood out. Impressive.

Lastly to the event coordinaters. Great job. It was a huge effort that you should be proud of. It was my first full immersion event and I wont soon forget it. Some people may cry but so what; "No plan ever survives fist contact with the enemy." If any of you boys told me that we will be doing the same exact thing next month step for step; Im sure I wouldnt be able to find anything better to do. Hope to see you all soon.

Thanks again

[IowaYank]

Re: AAR Bummers

It would be nice to see some sort of balance to the rule above, like if infantry is organized as a unit enough (shoulder-to-shoulder in cavalry defense line with x amount of people in the line, etc.), then cavalry must turn-back to simulate a breaking of the horse charge, or something to that effect. In the said case, I would have lost anyway because I was alone and my unit was scattered...

Johnny, that exact thing did happen on Sunday morning, although you probably weren't in the area when it happened. For most of Sunday morning we were harassing the Engineer company down that steep hill on foot with the horses following in the rear. Once we got to the bottom of the hill to the road everyone mounted back up and a push was made against the Engineers. As we rushed into them, those engineers with their repeaters unleashed a hellish amount of fire upon us. Myself and Jerry Ross both took hits out of the saddle and the rest of the guys hauled ass back, as we knew our game was up at that point. I personally take a hit out of the saddle every chance I get, as I hate the sterotype of cavalry never taking hits that most infantry seem to have. It can be tough however to safely take a hit off your horse when your moving at a pretty fast pace!

Dan

[Gallo de Cielo]

Re: AAR Bummers

I think asking folks who didn't have a good time not to post is a bad notion.

This is a free, public space and folks should always be able to put their opinions up.

No person or event is perfect. I have helped with two and they were not perfect. I have read the many pages of AAR's and the other stand-alone threads that haven't gotten many hits (A Walk in the River is one I think folks should look at). It does appear that folks have legitimate gripes based on small situations. Micro level stuff. At the macro level, the event pretty much went as it was laid out to. Note I said pretty much. Any event involves the planning and preparation but once the plans are put into motion, the event takes on its own individual life.

In case the GA and OH boys are insane enough to put on another event again, they will truly need to see what worked, what didn't, etc. Alternatively, future bands of idiots who might want to put on a large-scale effort will need to see what can potentially go right or wrong. I've not read anything that I would perceive as a personal attack by any of the folks who didn't enjoy the event. Rather, the gripes have split along two lines- serious issues that developed during the event which should be pondered, and folks grumping because they didn't eat buffet-style all weekeend, were too simple-minded to boil water, or who gave up because they were tired.

[Pvt_Sullivan]

Re: AAR Bummers

Rather, the gripes have split along two lines- serious issues that developed during the event which should be pondered, and folks grumping because they didn't eat buffet-style all weekeend, were too simple-minded to boil water, or who gave up because they were tired.

Well said Cousin Fred, you have a way of cutting right down to the bone on things.