Bummers - A Civilian Perspective.

[Coatsy]

Bummers Civilians = Win

(From my email to the Bummers Citizens)

Citizens of Bummers,

I cannot thank you enough for you participation within the event. Without you this event would have been nothing. You patience with me throughout this year (and beyond) has been wonderful. I am not new to event hosting, but new(ish) to helping coordinate the civilian participants at an event.

All of the military participants, Cavalry, Federal, and Militia thought you were all amazing and you all added so much to the event. I am still getting messages and phone calls singing and harping praises about you.

I won't go into a long thesis on why I wanted to take on the coordinator position for the citizens. I will make it quick.

1) Because I am tired of seeing civilian participants stuck in one area with nothing to do except "look good" at events. You add too much to events. Bummers needed civilians! You guys = Win.

2) I liked how Vickie and Jimbo ran Westville, so with their permission and good grace I decided to pattern the Bummers civilians in that "Model."

I learned some lessons with this event that I will use in future endeavors. (nothing this big any time soon)

I would like to really REALLY thank you all for your patience with me on Friday. I was a one man shuttle service since my help decided yo not to actually show up. Tom "Cornbread" Key leant a hand when I asked him in the afternoon and that saved the time table in getting you folks up on the "Mountain of Doom." If you can believe it we had a plan and each of the event staff had a specific job. Our help just evaporated. It happens so no worries.

Thanks time, here we go:

Carrie Craddock and Joe Blunt for lending their insight to the rules and regs for the civilians

Kimberlee and Doc Bruce for their help and hard work during the Work Day extravaganza and their ideas.

Kimberlee and Terre Lawson for putting up with my "outstanding" driving skills during the site tour.

Linda Nyland for being a huge help with ideas, work days galore, and being a sane person in dealing with my insanity.

Vickie Rumble for her outstanding research and ideas

Anne Burgamy and Pete Peterson for site walks and bouncing ideas off of me.

Terre Lawson again (and her army of canny shoppers) again for her "willingness" to go "shopping" for the event. I would say 80% of the "loot" that I passed out to homesteaders and refugees came from her "Magical Shopping Trip" this past summer. Plus her aunt for holding said loot until I got over to pick it up.

Johnny Lloyd, Robby Mitchell, and Kiev Thomason donated items as well. And they were a big help.

My wife for putting up with this crap for 2 years. I am taking her to Ashville, NC and a lot of other places in return. I am also not allowed to do this again for at least 4 years.

Finally I want to thank all of you personally for attending. All of you put in a lot of hard work thinking about what you wanted to do and it paid off! I cannot think of a better group of living historians around today. I know the civilian side of reenacting gets the major shaft at events and that is a shame. There is a lot of room for quality civilian participants at a lot of events. I hope we proved that at Bummers.

Was the event perfect? No way. But all of you that I spoke with after the event had nothing but "good experiences" in the grand scheme of the event I am glad you all had an experience that you will remember for a long time. In the end I hope the time, money, and travel involved with the event was worth it.

Kiev, Jordan, your's truly, plus Marvin Greer are going to be boarding a ship to South America to escape our War Criminal charges in a few days. So wish us luck in escaping the angry mob.

Thank you all very much,
~Skunk Ape


Post Script'n: If you lost anything at the event let me know. I know about the chemise and mug/cup, but if there is anything else get it to me! I

Double Post Script'n: In the Van next summer. Too Tall Rob and Terre L are running this. See them for civilian participation! Also Westville next fall. See Jimbo Butler or Vickie Rumble about this one. I'll be there and you can all try to have me assassinated if you feel inclined to do so.

(for all you angry military types the joint event staff message will be out by the time we reach South America aka soon.)

[New Yawk Banker]

Re: Bummers - A Civilian Perspective.

I want to thank all the civilians for being so kind to a "nice" Yankee. -Mark Hubina

[Sarah Belle]

Re: Bummers - A Civilian Perspective.

1) Because I am tired of seeing civilian participants stuck in one area with nothing to do except "look good" at events. You add too much to events. Bummers needed civilians! You guys = Win.

Thank you Herb for recognizing that civilians actually add to events. I am sick of being ignored and looked past. This event is defiantly on the top for me because I actually felt like part of things. I hope because of this event some guys out there realize that this hobby isn't just about military. War isn't just about soldiers, it affected civilians also. We are not just there to add to the back ground. We have worth and work as hard as you on our impressions. If you interacted with us we probably added to your event. It would add to many soldiers impression if they would not just read military instruction book, but learned what it is like to be a civilian. Remember you were a civilian before a soldier, you should know about things besides being a soldier and it would help you interact with civilians.

[Benedict]

Re: Bummers - A Civilian Perspective.

Some crazy Dutch man pointed his finger at me and yelled at me in his native language.

Ich bin doch nicht verrückt! ;)

[Sarah Belle]

Re: Bummers - A Civilian Perspective.

Ich bin doch nicht verrückt! ;)

There you go again! Hey thanks for not cutting my throat. Really I didn't mean to lead you guys to get captured. That Cav wasn't there when I left!

[Benedict]

Re: Bummers - A Civilian Perspective.

No problem ;)

[BenjaminLDavis]

Re: Bummers - A Civilian Perspective.

Thank you Herb for recognizing that civilians actually add to events. I am sick of being ignored and looked past. This event is defiantly on the top for me because I actually felt like part of things. I hope because of this event some guys out there realize that this hobby isn't just about military. War isn't just about soldiers, it affected civilians also. We are not just there to add to the back ground. We have worth and work as hard as you on our impressions. If you interacted with us we probably added to your event. It would add to many soldiers impression if they would not just read military instruction book, but learned what it is like to be a civilian. Remember you were a civilian before a soldier, you should know about things besides being a soldier and it would help you interact with civilians.

Both Lost Tribes and now Bummers opened my eyes to what it must have been like to
be a civilian caught up in the hell on earth that is war. No matter how bad it was for the
common soldier, regular or irregular on either side, it was much, much worse for
civilians. You can read the accounts ~ it is different to see it in someone's eyes.

[LindaLou]

Southern Cabin

Sean,
The hymn I do not yet know, but when I find out, I shall post it here, perhaps with a more detailed account of that "dreadful Sabbath".

For now, I was the one putting up the fight inside to save the cabin. A "crossbeam" along the wall is where I had planted myself as at least Billy Birney and some other fellow tried to pry me out. In the meantime, frantic efforts on the part of the blue devils to get a fire going were all about me. When I heard that singing, floating on the air above the din of destruction, I knew I had lost my fight. I dropped my head as the tears started, and the yankees poured in, with hay and wood from the firepit outside, coals tossed onto the canvass roof, and walls ripped down that were too damp to catch fire. That hymn has been haunting my thoughts all this week, as well as the events of that morning.

You boys did great!

Kindest Regards,

Linda Nyland
Spalding County, Georg.

[Silvana Siddali]

Re: Bummers - A Civilian Perspective.

I agree -- for me one of the most interesting aspects of the event was how closely the incidents duplicated what I had read in first-person accounts. The lack of information, worrying about neighbors, never knowing whom to trust, hiding our food (which by the way was never found by the foragers!) and then having the bummers suddenly appear in our yard as though they had literally exploded out of the ground all came straight out of the historic accounts.

If I haven't said so already, I want to add that I really appreciated the interactions with everyone. The refugees who straggled by, the federals, the militia, Shannon's Scouts, the preachers (both real and forged) and our neighbors down the hill, everyone kept in first-person and made the event so interesting and enjoyable. I mean enjoyable in a bad way, of course! :wink_smil

Andrew, I'm not sure which song you heard, but I believe you are referring to O The Dreadful Wind and Rain. Carrie was singing that at one point & said it was one of her favorite songs. It was quite appropriate for the time and place.

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: Bummers - A Civilian Perspective.

The song was sung early Saturday morning at the cabin down the road from the wagon. In the middle of all the crazyness as my party was tearing the place apart a women started singing. Perhaps it was Mrs. Lawson?

That coupled with the other women crying and throwing things at my men made for quite a sight (and sound). I started to doubt what I had ordered my men to do. Of course, there was no stopping them once they started.

[MercyAngel62]

Re: Bummers - A Civilian Perspective.

Andrew, I'm not sure which song you heard, but I believe you are referring to O The Dreadful Wind and Rain. Carrie was singing that at one point & said it was one of her favorite songs. It was quite appropriate for the time and place.

Perfect song for Carrie & I to sing, don't you think?? The Pat's (My Pat and her Pat) said we should act it out next time.....except I don't like the thought of Carrie pushing me into a river to drown.....haha :tounge_sm

[springkeeper]

Re: Bummers - A Civilian Perspective.

The song is called "Two Sisters" and dates back into the early 1800's if not late 1700's from Ireland. I learned it from Paul and Kim Caudell.


Poor Liz....:p Well, you did not have to worry about me drowning you at Bummers...we would not have been able to find any water. :sarcastic

Carrie

[lambrew]

Re: Bummers - A Civilian Perspective.

Linda, sorry we turned Billy loose on ya. That wasn't nice;) You guys were fantastic! That whole scene has had my mind spinning since then. Thank you again.

[Spinster]

Re: Bummers - A Civilian Perspective.

Myself and a few of the boys of 93 & 63 Ill. were wondering; what was the hymn being sung on Sunday morning as we raised holly heck that dreadful Sabbath? Hearing that hymn while watching the true anguish we caused on full display was a moment I will never forget! I can't say thank you enough to you fine ladies. You truly made this event amazing.

The soup and other food given to us on Saturday night was mighty fine as well. My hats off!

I am a great fan of the scholarship of Kim Caudell and Mister in their work disseminating the common English ballad throughout this hobby (including my favorite above-mentioned "Dead Girl Song"). Alas, the harsh Scots Presbyterian character of Vicey Compson (half sister to the notorius Pa Brand) would not have pulled anything but a Hymn to the Lord out of the box on such a dreadful Sabbath day. She learned from her mother before her to Call Upon the Lord in a time of need.

Modern Southern rural Protestants of any stripe past the age of 40 would have recognized the hymn had it been set to the "right" tune. Instead, I utilized one of the many metered historic tunes for this number. Coupled with the fact that my line in the Shaped Note is Alto, and not the lead, and smoke, exposure, illness and age crack a voice, all make for unrecognizable renditions and mighty deadly singing. I noted at one point the (real) Rev. Chris Crabb suddenly register on the words and recognize the hymn.

While I knew this hymn from childhood in its 20th century form, I backdated my knowledge to include some 10 verses in-period a couple of years ago, in preparation for one of Doug Oakes and Terry Olszowy's Death March Events. Once again, Charles Heath had served up an obscure reference about men marching into carnage with this song on their lips. While the occassion did not arise for Mrs. Crittendon to use the knowledge, nothing learned is ever lost, and I remain continually surprised at what transpires when ever I allow the character of Vicey Compson to get out of the green trunk she is locked in most of the time.

William Cowper wrote There Is a Fountain Filled With Blood in the wake of what today we would call a psychotic break--and one fueled by laudenum. A popular poet of the late 18th, early 19th century, he was 'too delicate' to hold steady employment.

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.

Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared, unworthy though I be,
For me a blood bought free reward, a golden harp for me!
’Tis strung and tuned for endless years, and formed by power divine,
To sound in God the Father’s ears no other name but Thine.


Additional hymns heard along the ridgeline over the weekend included:

Holy Manna http://fasola.org/indexes/1991/?p=59
And Let This Feeble Body Fail http://fasola.org/indexes/1991/?p=146
Happy Land http://fasola.org/indexes/1991/?p=354b
Come Thou Fount http://fasola.org/indexes/1991/?p=135
David's Lamentation http://fasola.org/indexes/1991/?p=268


After the Critters nearly lynched Benji Compson in another set of woods in another year, I promised a few shell shocked men that Vicey Compson would not sing Idumea (http://fasola.org/indexes/1991/?p=47b) again anytime soon. Don't think she did not think about it on this particular Sabbath morning.