Had fun, how about you?

[kaelin]

Had fun, how about you?

[Forrestcavalryman]

Re: Had fun, how about you?

I loved every minute of it! I could fill multiple post with every detail that I loved, but I'll just give a few highlight.

1. "Liberating" the food supply and having to divide that cured ham 14 ways before the Shakers decided they wanted it back.

2. Posting an armed guard around the food supply.

3. Going out as Federal Partisan Rangers Saturday night to say hello to the infantry!

4. Portraying one of the Boone Rangers who decided to go back home( never had a cussing out like that in my life!) Ps. Kaelin Vernon and Cliff Kelley asking me to convert as I rode out of camp was histarical! (sorry guys for calling you S.O.B.'s, I had to or I would have busted up laughing!)

I'd like to thank Matt, Mark, Kaelin, and everyone else for such a memorable weekend! Hope to do another like it in the future!

[dixieflyer]

Re: Had fun, how about you?

Yes Kaelin, I did! Hats off and three cheers to you and your staff. I'd also like to thank Matt Woodburn and the other officers and NCO's for working so hard to provide a memorable early war experience here in the West. There have been a great many 1861 events here of late, but all (to my knowledge) have dealt with units that would be heading to Virginia. It was such a great experience to portray the men that would make up the Army of Mississippi/Army of Tennessee. Additionally, I don't think I have ever eaten so much at any reenactment event ever. My greatest regret was that more folks in our area decided not to partake.

[Trish Hasenmueller]

Re: Had fun, how about you?

I had lots of fun. Thanks for making the event great and meaningful. It was a joy to portray the first 8 pages of Eldress Nancy's journal. We couldn't have had a better group of Shakers giving a human side to people we tend to pigeonhole into cardboard cut out two dimensional characters. The military side of the event was pretty good too...or rather, fantastic! We older ladies were afraid for a while that we weren't going to be allowed back to the Ministry Shop last night at bed time. A few photos have made their way to facebook.

Trish Hasenmueller

[Nick Sparks]

Re: Had fun, how about you?

I really wish I could have made it.

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: Had fun, how about you?

I'd like to thank Kaelin Vernon and Mark Choate for their hours of work prior to the event. All of the planning made the actual execution much easier. To the cavalry and civilians - Shakers and Mr. McCutcheon - thanks for all of the first person interaction as it was great. I want to thank the Allendale Melodians for coming and spending all day Saturday transforming the old wood barn into perfect period stage. And your show that night was the best of all the times I've seen you. For the infantry, I hold you guys in the highest esteem. For Lt. Steve Ewing running registration and his drill lesson, for Kiev "Gravy" Thomason getting all of the details organized and doing such fine cooking with Justin Runyon, for the way the entire company handled themselves when we had to find food that the Shakers were holding out - gentle, yet firm and deliberate, for the drill, the late night guard mount, and for attending church services I give my thanks.

Highlights for me:

The soft thick grass under our ground cloths for our Friday camp out in the field and for the warm spooning pards in our puppy pile.

Seeing the cavalry on Saturday morning marching to town and not being sure what side they were on since the ones we saw had on blue.

The incredible breakfast the Shakers made for us on Saturday morning. Kiev said the gravy was the best he'd ever had and I must agree. And there was some kind of peach tart that was delicious.

The searching of the barns and houses for food - the bread piled high in the steam house, the dairy and finding milk, butter and apple butter, the smoke house - even though the rascal Shakers had that thing filled with thick blinding smoke when we raided it and Brian Chastain's eyes were as red as the sun when we made it out - with the sausage and bacon. Good food everywhere.

The interaction with the Shakers when we became suspicious of them having food and telling them I'd shoot their dog if they didn't let us look. And when they all agreed that they didn't seem to care about the dog, us finding a puppy that they loved. Threatening to shoot that one did the trick so we didn't have to push anyone around.

There's more, but I'll leave it with my heartfelt thanks to everyone who came and made this a great memory.

[Forrestcavalryman]

Re: Had fun, how about you?

Seeing the cavalry on Saturday morning marching to town and not being sure what side they were on since the ones we saw had on blue

Note to self; tell friend wearing blue overshirt to tie a white cloth around his left arm!

[dixieflyer]

Re: Had fun, how about you?

Well Andrew, here is another note y'all may wish to take down:|

- When approaching nervous infantry videttes (sp?) who are "new to the business", and they tell you to advance one, they mean ONE, and not the whole mounted company. After just having suffered an attack by the Home Guard, everyone was on edge, and y'all nearly got taken out. ;)

Seriously though, the near mistake made for one of those great moments we've all read about in the diaries/journals, and it made for a richer experience.

[Mark Choate]

Re: Had fun, how about you?

I will echo the comments of Matt and the others on here that the weekend was fabulous and everyone, to the man or woman, pulled their weight and then some and made the event a great success.

Some of my high points were:

*The initial interaction with the Shakers and getting their side of the story as it relates to what provisions they could sell to us

*Then the meeting with Mr. McCutcheon and his contradictory statement as to the status of the Shakers which threw me into a quandry as to who is truthful and who is lying?

* The foraging for more food than I have ever seen in my life and the excitement of the cavalrymen as they found it and brought out their "treasures".

* Seeing the quality way that the infantry deployed their details Sat. night after receiving fire from various directions -Very well done, indeed!

* The services Sunday morning and the efforts to portray a Shaker service.

I want to thank Matt and Kaelin for an unbelievable amount of work, effort and sacrifice to make this happen and it was evident by the quality of what was seen. I also want to thank the civilian reenactors who portrayed the Shakers and did so with such zeal and realism. I want to thank the men of the infantry for their work and fine display and for the food they had leftover and that Kiev not once but twice invited us to share in (although on Sunday morning, it sure would have been nice to have had some gravy.....oh well). I must thank all of the cavalrymen who came from quite a distance and had their early war tack and impressions in good order. (Gentlemen, I know how expensive it is to buy all of these saddles and tack and I appreciate it greatly!) I want to thank Sgt. Tony Townsend for serving as my very able right arm with handling all things military. Also, kudos must go out to Andrew Verdon and David Caldwell for volunteering to be the sacrificial lambs in the "Berating" which was documented when they stepped forward to request to leave the unit. I know taking a "cussing" like that was not easy! And while there are so many more to thank, I have to thank Ken Knopp for coming all the way from Hattiesburg to portray Mr. McCutcheon, the "neighbor" to the Shakers who turned them in to Capt Woodburn and myself and who played his shrewd and crafty part so smoothly it makes me wonder if he can be trusted in the real world (HA!) :wink_smil

My final comment is that while I was "channeling" Col. Forrest and attempting to pull of the beratement of the two cowards, I hope that no one was offended by the strong language and intensity of the moment. The records state that "it was a wonder that men could bear up under such a cursing" and so it had to be more than a simple "shame on you." If any were offended, then you have my apologies.

Thank you all!!

regards,
Mark

[Simon Sobolewski]

Re: Had fun, how about you?

All,

Are there any photos of the event that anyone would like to share?

Simon Sobolewski