Raising The First Volunteers: April 14-17, 2011

[Spinster]

Raising The First Volunteers

Date(s): April 14 – 17, 2011, From evening Thursday through mid-day Sunday
Event Name: Raising The First Volunteers
Location: Historic Fort Snelling, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Hosts: Rob Murray, Joe Beedle, Jim Moffet
Event Point of Contact: Joe Beedle thesheepfarm@gmail.com
Website: Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thesheepfarm/
Contact, Federal: Joe Beedle thesheepfarm@gmail.com
Contact, Confederate: N/A. This is “Federal, infantry-only” event.
Contact, Civilian: TBA
Registration: Projected to open April 1st 2010 - Registration fee: TBA

Impression(s):
Military: First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, as mustered in: Civilian Clothing
Civilian: Citizens of Minnesota seeing their Regiment off to war.

Event Type:
This semi-immersion “muster” event will provide a unique living history experience: the raising of the first volunteer regiment tendered into US service – the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. Approximately 80 military participants will be quartered in the Stone Barracks of Historic Ft. Snelling, and use auxiliary buildings such as the Guard House, Officers Quarters, and other structures. Military participants will be organized into two infantry companies. Civilian participants will be portraying laundresses, local shop keepers, politicians, local aid societies and other documented impressions

(dictated via telephone by Rob Murray, not read)

[Jim Moffet]

Re: Raising The First Volunteers: April 14-17, 2011

Company D, First Minnesota Volunteers, May 1861

photo courtesy Wayne Jorgenson Collection

Jim Moffet

[Rmhisteach]

Re: Raising The First Volunteers: April 14-17, 2011

Jim,

I am giving some thought to this one . The 8 hours away part is what is making it difficult. We shall see.

RM

[Spinster]

Re: Raising The First Volunteers: April 14-17, 2011

Dear Friend,

It's a 15 minute cab ride from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. You can even pitch it as a family vacation and drop your wife and kids at the Mall of America on the way.

Leave your wallet with them. They'll never notice you've gone missing.

Kitchen Passes can be bought

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: Raising The First Volunteers: April 14-17, 2011

It must be a good 12 hours from me but I want to make this one. My impression at AHT was the 1st MN under Cooper. My first person persona I took was a Sgt Nickerson that was there at the start and died during the charge at Gettysburg. It would be a unique experience to be able to do both ends of a military career (even if the persona is not the same man).

Selfish to say but can Company B be represented here? :p Never hurts to ask or drop hints ;).

[JEBminnesota]

Re: Raising The First Volunteers: April 14-17, 2011

It must be a good 12 hours from me but I want to make this one. My impression at AHT was the 1st MN under Cooper. My first person persona I took was a Sgt Nickerson that was there at the start and died during the charge at Gettysburg. It would be a unique experience to be able to do both ends of a military career (even if the persona is not the same man).

Selfish to say but can Company B be represented here? :p Never hurts to ask or drop hints ;).

Your right it never hurts to ask.

All ten companies are being looked and the two companies that we will be representing will be announce soon.

[JEBminnesota]

Re: Raising The First Volunteers: April 14-17, 2011

One of the joys of living in Minnesota is that every event is at least 10 hours plus away. We understand that driving long distance will make people's decision on attending. The plus is if you fly the airport is a few minutes away from Fort Snelling.

We have plans to make this event worth the trip. I can't say anything right now until things are set in stone.

Photo's of Fort Snelling have been posted on the Yahoo group.

Thank you

[GWilson]

Re: Raising The First Volunteers: April 14-17, 2011

Ft. Snelling is too close to pass up. Count me in! If there's anything I can do to help please let me know.

[DannyJoe]

Re: Raising The First Volunteers: April 14-17, 2011

Three of my ancestors passed through Fort Snelling during the Civil War. I hope to make the event. I have always enjoyed visiting the fort. It is a national treasure.

[PogueMahone]

Re: Raising The First Volunteers: April 14-17, 2011

14 hours one way for me, but considering it nonetheless.

[Pvt_Sullivan]

Re: Raising The First Volunteers: April 14-17, 2011

It's as far as ROB drove to come down to Charleston for our fun last May.

I'll be flying, but I'm going. I like 'Real' Forts.

[Spinster]

Re: Raising The First Volunteers: April 14-17, 2011

ROB covered close to 4000 miles in the course of that Charleston gig, only half of it by air.

I clocked 2200 land miles in the same engagement .

Miss Bruce came in next at 1700.

The three of us managed to share a conveyance for 600 miles.

Two weeks later, ROB and Other Nathan clocked another 2000 land miles on another trip south.

Yep, its time to travel north for something.........


And Pogue, your lovely wife really would be pleased if you park her at a hotel adjacent to the Mall of America. I suggest some of you Tennessee fellers with non-reenacting wives get up a charter trip and include them. Really. Oh, and bring a trailer for the loot.

[Will Eichler]

Re: Raising The First Volunteers: April 14-17, 2011

I'm with Jeremy! I got to portray David Lord, Orderly of Company B at AHT. I've wanted to see Fort Snelling for years! Put my vote in for Company B to be one of the portrayed companies!

Yours,

Will Eichler

[Jim Moffet]

Re: Raising The First Volunteers: April 14-17, 2011

We'll see what we can do there, Will. But there is a fundimantal historical problem with portraying the Stillwater Guard - Company B- in the modern era. We know where all of the companies were barracked, and Company B billeted in the structure that had been the Stable in the pre-war era. While all the structures within the walls of the fort have been restored / reconstructed, the same can not, lamantably, be said for the stable.

The research that is backing this event will be first rate, boys. Trust us there - our 'committee' has and is combing the archives for the tiniest of details - there are literally thousands of them - in the official histories, archives, letters, diaries, newspaper accounts, etc, of the forming of this famous regiment. Minnesota was the newest state in the Union in 1861, and only raised 11 regiments of volunteers. It is also credited with the highest per capita participation of any Federal state in the war. The First Regiment left an unequalled historical corpus of archival material, and the event organizers promise to utilize all of it to make this event a very special experience for the participants, and make it a substantial contribution to the commeration of the 150th anniversory of the war.

Jim Moffet

[JEBminnesota]

Re: Raising The First Volunteers: April 14-17, 2011

If you have not visited Fort Snelling in the past I posted these photo for you so you can see what the site looks like.

Thanks

The Stone and Wood Barracks


Officer Quarters


The Hospital (Right)


The Round Tower (Outside the walls)


The Guard House


Over looking the Fort