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As you begin your sojourn to the event, I wish all of you safe travels. Some are coming extremely long distances by car, braving weather, etc., and others are flying in from all points on the globe. This event is happening because of each of you and I thank you again for your support and participation. I trust things go smoothly and well for everyone.
Weather--Overall, the weekend forecast looks great. However, it is projected to rain a little on Friday, not accumulating more than 1/2 an inch, so be prepared. This should taper off by the evening for great sleeping weather. Saturday and Sunday look glorious! Spring in the South has arrived and a little endurance on Friday will set you up for a fantastic experience.
Need some perspective? I offer the following passage from Last Stand In The Carolinas: The Battle Of Bentonville, by Mark A. Bradley, 1996. It accounts for the movements of a few Federal units on March 16, 1865 as they made their way towards Aversboro and later Bentonville.
"The men...encamped and ate their suppers in a drenching rain. By 7:30 p.m. many of them were already dozing...when a courier galloped up with a message for [the commander]. Moments later came the order to fall in. By 8:00 p.m. [the] brigade was packed up and on the march to reinforce Kilpatrick's cavalry at the front. [The brigade] floundered on for five miles, reaching the front at 12:30 a.m. on March 16, when they relieved [another] brigade at their barricades. 'Those who were exhausted sank down in the mud to sleep' [a Captain] recalled, 'while others speculated on the future'"--pp 119-120.
For your GPS entry, here is the address for Bentonville Battlefield as given on Google Maps:
5466 Harper House Road, Four Oaks, North Carolina 27524
Arrival--We are trying to make this as smooth and painless as possible. I say “trying” because there are a few factors that will affect our ability to conduct this.
First, there are only a few routes into the event site, and all of these arteries will likely be clogged throughout the day. Please plan accordingly. Second, you will have to check in/register with the main event registration to ensure you are on their list and receive your commemorative coin if you ordered one. Third, you will then proceed to participant parking, which again is another two-lane artery which will likely be crowded, never mind those dropping off equipment, tents, coolers, and assorted ephemera that people love and need at their camping site.
Those caveats in place, people can arrive at any time on Friday (if you are coming on Thursday please let us know so we can make arrangements and expect you--we have a lot of items we will be taking care of in the interim). Registration will open at 0900. Register at the main registration point, park your car, get changed over, and look for the 10th Iowa table in vicintiy of the front right of the participant parking lot as you enter it. There you will be accounted for the march, turn in your spare 40 rounds of ammunition (arrive with 40 in your cartridge box) and entrenching tools, and receive instructions on where our Saturday camp is located should you wish to place items there for your subsequent arrival. You can also leave them in your car to be retrieved later, but it will make things smoother if they are already in place. We will have camp minders in place to stake our claim and watch over items, too, so be confident in leaving your items in our Saturday camping area for future use.
Remember, this is not a “flat haversack” event; come with items to augment your food for Friday/Sat morning, though we will issue food for preparation, you can bring sundries and personal additions to the menu. You will be fed over the weekend, however.
For those attending the event and not participating in the march, our camp area has been staked out with rope and signs indicating our area. On the attached imagery, there are several trails that lead to Sunday’s field that are roughly indicated by the darker blue lines. Follow down those trails to our area. Do not block the trails so people can come through as required.
Shuttle--You will also receive instructions at our check-in table as to where to board the shuttle to be taken to the Friday site. Right now, we are planning to have you board at/near participant parking for movement to the site. Shuttles are projected to run regularly on the ½ hour.
We would like to maximize loads to ensure we make the best use of space, etc. for each trip, so if you want to visit sutler row or take care of various needs, please do so before heading out to the site. Once there, you are there until we march back on Saturday morning, so plan accordingly. You can travel heavy or light, but you will carry everything with you. The last shuttle will depart after registration closes at Midnight.
Closing Thought--Though in no way will we mimic the follwing passage which highlights the experience of Robert Hale Strong, 105th Illinois, bear this in mind as you march into the event:
"Some soldiers fell out and jogged alongside the main column in the adjoining fields. Sergeant Dickinson noted that whenever the din of battle increased, the men would quicken their pace in response, 'as though afraid the turning point in the battle would be reached before we came on the field.' Ward's troops feared that they might arrive too late to prevent the Confederates from breaking through the Federal line. 'In that case,' Private Strong wrote, 'it meant for us either a fight at a disadvantage or a retreat. We never had been driven from the field, but we knew that if the Union line in front of us was broken and the Rebs charged us while we were in marching column instead of line of battle, we would be at a great disadvantage.'
After advancing several miles at the double quick, men began to drop out of the column from exhaustion. Ward's troop had managed to steal no more than a few hours' sleep since dawn the day before, and had been carrying their rifles, canteens, cartridge boxes, knapsacks and haversacks at the double quick for some time. Their shoes, if they had any, were hardly suitable for long-distance running. Yet more of the soldiers remained with their regiments throughout this grueling four-to-eight mile jog.--Bradley, pp 276-277.
Any and all conditions, gents!
If you have further questions, direct them through your chain of command.
See everyone this weekend.
FORTY ROUNDS!!
Weather--Overall, the weekend forecast looks great. However, it is projected to rain a little on Friday, not accumulating more than 1/2 an inch, so be prepared. This should taper off by the evening for great sleeping weather. Saturday and Sunday look glorious! Spring in the South has arrived and a little endurance on Friday will set you up for a fantastic experience.
Need some perspective? I offer the following passage from Last Stand In The Carolinas: The Battle Of Bentonville, by Mark A. Bradley, 1996. It accounts for the movements of a few Federal units on March 16, 1865 as they made their way towards Aversboro and later Bentonville.
"The men...encamped and ate their suppers in a drenching rain. By 7:30 p.m. many of them were already dozing...when a courier galloped up with a message for [the commander]. Moments later came the order to fall in. By 8:00 p.m. [the] brigade was packed up and on the march to reinforce Kilpatrick's cavalry at the front. [The brigade] floundered on for five miles, reaching the front at 12:30 a.m. on March 16, when they relieved [another] brigade at their barricades. 'Those who were exhausted sank down in the mud to sleep' [a Captain] recalled, 'while others speculated on the future'"--pp 119-120.
For your GPS entry, here is the address for Bentonville Battlefield as given on Google Maps:
5466 Harper House Road, Four Oaks, North Carolina 27524
Arrival--We are trying to make this as smooth and painless as possible. I say “trying” because there are a few factors that will affect our ability to conduct this.
First, there are only a few routes into the event site, and all of these arteries will likely be clogged throughout the day. Please plan accordingly. Second, you will have to check in/register with the main event registration to ensure you are on their list and receive your commemorative coin if you ordered one. Third, you will then proceed to participant parking, which again is another two-lane artery which will likely be crowded, never mind those dropping off equipment, tents, coolers, and assorted ephemera that people love and need at their camping site.
Those caveats in place, people can arrive at any time on Friday (if you are coming on Thursday please let us know so we can make arrangements and expect you--we have a lot of items we will be taking care of in the interim). Registration will open at 0900. Register at the main registration point, park your car, get changed over, and look for the 10th Iowa table in vicintiy of the front right of the participant parking lot as you enter it. There you will be accounted for the march, turn in your spare 40 rounds of ammunition (arrive with 40 in your cartridge box) and entrenching tools, and receive instructions on where our Saturday camp is located should you wish to place items there for your subsequent arrival. You can also leave them in your car to be retrieved later, but it will make things smoother if they are already in place. We will have camp minders in place to stake our claim and watch over items, too, so be confident in leaving your items in our Saturday camping area for future use.
Remember, this is not a “flat haversack” event; come with items to augment your food for Friday/Sat morning, though we will issue food for preparation, you can bring sundries and personal additions to the menu. You will be fed over the weekend, however.
For those attending the event and not participating in the march, our camp area has been staked out with rope and signs indicating our area. On the attached imagery, there are several trails that lead to Sunday’s field that are roughly indicated by the darker blue lines. Follow down those trails to our area. Do not block the trails so people can come through as required.
Shuttle--You will also receive instructions at our check-in table as to where to board the shuttle to be taken to the Friday site. Right now, we are planning to have you board at/near participant parking for movement to the site. Shuttles are projected to run regularly on the ½ hour.
We would like to maximize loads to ensure we make the best use of space, etc. for each trip, so if you want to visit sutler row or take care of various needs, please do so before heading out to the site. Once there, you are there until we march back on Saturday morning, so plan accordingly. You can travel heavy or light, but you will carry everything with you. The last shuttle will depart after registration closes at Midnight.
Closing Thought--Though in no way will we mimic the follwing passage which highlights the experience of Robert Hale Strong, 105th Illinois, bear this in mind as you march into the event:
"Some soldiers fell out and jogged alongside the main column in the adjoining fields. Sergeant Dickinson noted that whenever the din of battle increased, the men would quicken their pace in response, 'as though afraid the turning point in the battle would be reached before we came on the field.' Ward's troops feared that they might arrive too late to prevent the Confederates from breaking through the Federal line. 'In that case,' Private Strong wrote, 'it meant for us either a fight at a disadvantage or a retreat. We never had been driven from the field, but we knew that if the Union line in front of us was broken and the Rebs charged us while we were in marching column instead of line of battle, we would be at a great disadvantage.'
After advancing several miles at the double quick, men began to drop out of the column from exhaustion. Ward's troop had managed to steal no more than a few hours' sleep since dawn the day before, and had been carrying their rifles, canteens, cartridge boxes, knapsacks and haversacks at the double quick for some time. Their shoes, if they had any, were hardly suitable for long-distance running. Yet more of the soldiers remained with their regiments throughout this grueling four-to-eight mile jog.--Bradley, pp 276-277.
Any and all conditions, gents!
If you have further questions, direct them through your chain of command.
See everyone this weekend.
FORTY ROUNDS!!
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