BACKWATERS AARs

[BrianHicks]

Find below, the Orders which were given to the Commanders throughout the event. Also attached are two PDFs which are of the maps the Officers were given.

[sthabig]

Re: BACKWATERS AARs

No complaints, excellent event...had a great time.

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: BACKWATERS AARs

As I tiptoed into work today, my heels aching from blisters, I thought of how much fun I had being so miserable. ;)

The pain is temporary, but the pride lasts forever...

Highlights for me:

1) The attack on the Federal fortifications. Great fun and exhilirating feeling of 'we're going in'... well, almost.
2) Meeting new friends and seeing old ones.
3) Lots of time to think on a long road march- reminded me of the total boredom of war between its 'mad minutes' of action that we read about in period accounts. It is still so true in today's warfare.

Lowlight:

1) Evicting Beelzebub or Azazel (or other lesser incubus, I think) which resided in my bowels on the road march back to start point on Sunday. I think it was some bad bacon that I ate or or full demonic posession (whichever comes first). This is what I get for touching the flesh of the unclean animal.

Thanks, Brian, for a superior event! I haven't done that in awhile.

Good times and all the best! -Johnny Lloyd :wink_smil

[cwpilgrim]

Re: BACKWATERS AARs

2 grueling days of being: Cold, Wet, Tired and hungry.

Absolutely loved it.

Proud Survivor of the LBL 2010 Mud March

[BrisbaneReb]

Lost Box

I'll post more on the actual event later but I need to get this out first:

Missing: A big white Australia Post cardboard box with PAUL NORRIS and two address written on it: an Australian and a US address. I left it for Nic Clark near his gear at the photography studio after the event (in the parking lot) but he didn't recognize it. If someone has picked it up, please talk to Nic Clark.

Thanks.

[DougCooper]

Re: BACKWATERS AARs

Well done boys. Its cool to see continual advances at events like this in command and control - simulating higher authority that effectively compensates for the lack of numbers at our better, smaller events. Way to push the ball forward again!

[BrianHicks]

Re: Lost Box

I'll post more on the actual event later but I need to get this out first:

Missing: A big white Australia Post cardboard box with PAUL NORRIS and two address written on it: an Australian and a US address. I left it for Nic Clark near his gear at the photography studio after the event (in the parking lot) but he didn't recognize it. If someone has picked it up, please talk to Nic Clark.

Thanks.

The box, remaining unclaimed as the parking lot was empty, was handed to me.

It is secure at my residence. Please advie via e-mail to: brian_hicks@usa.net as to how you wish me to dispose of it.

[thad gallagher]

Re: Lost Box

Well, cold, wet, tired, and sore, I enjoyed it.

Had a great time 'building up' the fortifications with my squad. Amazing what a little motivation and initiative can accomplish, even though at the completion of said works we were evicted and the the works turned over to another company (again living what we read in their accounts). There was satisfaction in knowing they may have saved the bacon of our forces though, as we watched the assault get repulsed.

Long live the 'Flying Eagle'!

As always, it is always great to see old friends and make new ones.

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: BACKWATERS AARs

Does it mean it was a good and tiring event when after noon on Monday there are only a few AAR's?

Thanks to the men in Company C. I enjoyed being your LT for the weekend and it being my first time being a company officer besides Bummers, which was different. I hope I served you well. 2nd platoon did a fine job in any of the commands I gave considering we never drill together before hand.

Thanks to Company B for the works on Saturday! I sent my platoon in there at a run to meet the enemy and was very happy they were there. When the rest of the company came on line I felt even better seeing what was coming. We could never have held our ground without those works! After the fight was over I told someone, don't remember who now, thank God and say a prayer for Company B for building this redoubt. Lots of little memories that I will not go in to detail on but will always remember.

To the men who built and slept in Fort Drizzle and survived the Owen's Mud March (sorry Skip  ), welcome home.

[Old Reb]

Re: BACKWATERS AARs

Good events are few and far between. Backwaters had a unique vision and the foundations to implementing that vision were excellent. My hat is off to Brian Hicks and Josh Fieldhouse and all those that worked behind the scenes to move water and logistics. It takes a lot of work to pull off an event. It takes vision to come up with the idea for a good event. Both criteria were obviously present in the planning and implementation of Backwaters. Congratulations to the Backwaters team and a pat on the back to all that actually showed up to experience the event. It takes both!

[Will Eichler]

Re: BACKWATERS AARs

Gentlemen of Company C,

Well done! Thank you very much for dedication to come out and portray the men of the 63rd IN. You did an excellent job in all your work. Jeremy and NCOs, you made sure that the leadership we received from above was passed down and orders were carried out efficiently and quickly. Well done.

To our Brothers in Company B,

Thanks for sharing the weekend with us! It was an excellent experience marching next to you. I hope our picket posts to the left of your excellent redoubt gave you comfort that your flank was secure, both when you built it and we all came a 'runnin during the thwarted CS attack.

Skip and Eric,

Thanks for your leadership. It takes a lot more that re-enactors realize to lead these things. It takes even more when you have no idea what will be thrown at us and have to respond on a moment's notice (even if all of us officers were sleeping quite nicely Friday).

Hank,

Thanks for brining your specific story to our experience. It was a new one for me and I'm still processing what I took away from it.

Brian, Art, Josh and the rest behind the scenes,

Thanks for doing this. It's given many of us a much better idea of what the men we portray went through - and plenty of sore feet, strained calves, stories and good laughs.

To Fort Drizzle - GOODBYE!

Best to all,

Will

[Phil McBride]

Re: BACKWATERS AARs

I'm sore in every joint and the pads of my feet are especially testy this morning. But what a fine weekend. The term boot-sucking mud has a whole new relevance and the concept of straggling is now more than theoritical. The weekend offered a lot of memorable moments stemming from the marches, the combat, and the camping. Like Tom Yearby, I was impressed with the obvious preparation and organization of the whole event.

The appearance of the especially ragged young Rebs in one of the companies was quite an image. Those fellows went to the edge with their impressions and I compliment them. Posing for a still photo is one thing, but marching 16 miles and camping in those rags for two days is quite another. I hope the one who appeared to wear no socks in his shoes, does not have bloody feet today.

I'm also working on an article for the Camp Chase Gazette about the event, and if there is a Federal participant who would be interested in sharing some behind the Yankee lines experiences, it would sure help me write a balanced article.

Phil McBride
Co A
54 Georgia

[robert-m]

Re: BACKWATERS AARs

I had a very good time. Met some people that I have only conversed with via e-mail, or on the phone. and look forward to seeing and fighting with them again.
Got back from the doctor a little while ago. I did high-per extend my left knee. He said it will be good to go in a few weeks and to take it kind of easy. This happening only added to my experience. the muddy march in to the backwoods and then not knowing what was happening until we deployed and went up a ridge at a run and getting to the top to just see a wooded breast works and getting fire coming down on you. It makes me admire those men even more. Then sleeping in the cold, wet woods and not having the comfort of my sweetheart to keep me warm, I only wanted to go home at this time. Re-living a lot of things that they went through. We only commuted through roughly 36 hours of their life, and those men did it for years. Then on Sunday forming up in the drizzling rain and blackened cold March morning, and getting hit and fighting most of the way back in the even muddier road/path ways that we came from the day before was kind of demoralizing. But again Re-living the true life of the men that came before us. I look forward to getting back in the field and doing more events like this one.
Thanks Brian and crew for a awesomely great event.
God's speed, Robert

[Michael Comer]

Re: BACKWATERS AARs

So a friend sends me a message and asks how Backwater was. I told him it was miserable but educational. The mud made every step twice as difficult. Each hill seemed like two because of the effort involved to raise your feet out of the muck and not lose your shoes. The rain made everything wet but there were good moments looking back. I didn't see them at the time because I was so miserable. But there were good stalwart men in the company and I appreciate them being there. I drew strength from all of you.

It was probably the toughest event I have done and I've done quite a few tough events: Rich Mt., both Piney Wood and Banks Grand Retreat, 2 previous LBL events etc. I woke up Sunday feeling dizzy sick and nauseous, thought I was going to pass out a couple of times and didn't know if I would make it out on my own but used a little mind over matter and told myself I was walking out of there with my men.

Well, I walked out with some of my men. Several of us straggled badly as we got tired out. I've never straggled at any of those other events but this time my heels were in shreds and bleeding, my legs were about worn out and my shoulders were absolutely killing me but I finished it on my own steam and that gives me a sense of accomplishment. Was I ready for the event? Yes, I was and I made it out before others that are younger than me. But sometimes things happen that defeats your planning and I do apologize to Co. A for not making it out with the rest of the column. I wanted to but it just got harder and harder to walk at the pace I needed to be going to keep up. I can't wear a pair of shoes today so I'm at home trying to get my feet back into shape.

[biggumbo]

Re: BACKWATERS AARs

Not having participated in previous events like Grand Retreat or Piney Woods, this was my first experience with a march-intensive event, and it was without a doubt the most arduous experience I have encountered in this hobby, and one that probably brought me closer to what that true experience and appreciation of what the real men endured on a daily basis. Cold, wet, mud, and marching, and exhaustion. Even the sense of demoralization, marching back over the route you came in, through terrible conditions, defeated, with the enemy right on your heals, thinking all the while "it's the end of the war, what the hell are we still doing this for?". The march through the mud pushed me up to and past what I thought my threshold of endurance could take, especially on that long trek out on Sunday, and I cannot thank my comrades in Company A of the 54th Georgia enough, because it was their encouragement (and chiding and abuse), that helped to get me through it. Throughout the entire weekend I was fortunate to be with men who willingly shared what they had, joked, complained, and always looked out for each other, and I thank all of you for your generosity and good-will.
Even though our 36-hour event seems trivial to 4 years of unabated hell 150 years ago, I hope I now have a far greater appreciation of the trials the men we portray went through. I know I take away a sense of pride of making it through, because Mr. Hicks put it at the end, that's what we can all take away.
My thanks to everyone who put in their time and effort to bring this event together and to all of those who participated. May your blisters heal fast.