Sailor's Creek AAR.

[lambrew]

"I had fun, how about you?"

[Coatsy]

Re: Sailor's Creek AAR.

Soooo cooooooolllllddd.

[Silas]

Re: Sailor's Creek AAR.

Tractor barn good!

[YankeeTiger]

Re: Sailor's Creek AAR.

Death Head hat pin and frilly lace jacket trim!!!!

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: Sailor's Creek AAR.

Thank you everyone for coming despite the weather both CS and US. Staff had to make some choices on the fly with weather and such which you all rolled with. Your trust is appreciated and never taken for granted. Because of you I had a great time in my last "battle" 150th event. A big thank you to Sam, Tom, Sean, Greg and Andy who were the company officers and staff for the 121st NY. Their work made my job easy as I almost only had to think of an order and it was carried out. I know Andy and Greg had outstanding NCO's to support them. While we spent a good amount of time under that pavilion on Friday we still managed to cover some ground this past weekend. According to maps about 6 miles Friday and 4.5+ miles Saturday marching with most on asphalt. Thank you for making the charge across Sailors Creek. I know it was cold, we had the option and I didn't want to make anyone get wet in that weather. However, that’s what they did on that ground and for me it is now a highlight I will cherish looking back. I hope it will be for you as well. The POW scenario was supposed to run all night ending with marching them away with weapons and flags left behind under some guards. Because of the 20 degree weather predicted for Saturday night, some other items like fires and the weather before we made the call to end it about 15 hours early. I believe it was the right call and we still ended on a high note.

Every time I am at an event with this collective I swell with pride at what I see. Everyone is so willing to do whatever is needed, push through adversity, work as a military unit and trust that the leaders/organizers will take care of you. I am humbled every time I have had the opportunity to lead this collective in some way that I have the honor of that distinction. These are not just words but the truth.

In my “first person colonel” speech on Saturday morning I said I was proud of each of them and that was the truth.

Last but an important thank you goes to Skip, Paul and Joe for taking care of many logistics for us as well.

I hope we are all together again at another event soon supporting each other in a shared experience.

[jtrotta]

Re: Sailor's Creek AAR.

In my “first person colonel” speech on Saturday morning I said I was proud of each of them and that was the truth.

Jeremy,

Your "first person colonel speech" on Saturday morning was a nice touch and a highlight for me. I thank you for your efforts, and the efforts of the other officers and NCOs that made the event worthwhile. We could have used a few more men in the ranks, but I am not interested in the business of trading quality for quantity.

Best,

[ColdSteele]

Re: Sailor's Creek AAR.

Over a year ago, Jim Taub, Sam Lowe, and I decided to plan for the 150th Sailor’s Creek event with the impression in mind of the 121st NYSV. Cursory unit research showed that the 121st had a great deal of possibilities to recreate; we were hooked on the 121st from the beginning. Researching the “Onesers,” Sam and I decided to start the event at the fall of Petersburg beginning the pursuit of Lee across Virginia. Whether the scenario, vignette, or situation was designed by us or forced by Mother Nature, your experience of the 121st in pursuit of Lee was as best a re-creation of the frustration and fatigue the Onesers faced as we could provide. Some of these scenarios and circumstances were:

Schedule:
The weather, of course, played its trump card on our Friday activities. Though the delay in our march was frustrating to all, Sgt. John F. Hartwell writes in his diary that during the days before the fall of Petersburg and during the pursuit the 121st was awakened several times each evening with orders to pack up, the countermanded, with delay upon delay in between lengthy marches. Lastly, before the 121st reached Sailor’s Creek on April 6th, they were up at 3am, on the road at 6am and had marched nearly 15 miles. By our estimations, we marched roughly 10-12 miles before reaching the battlefield over the course of Friday and Saturday.

Corps Badges:
This was surprisingly more difficult to accomplish than originally anticipated. Finding an adhesive that would hold the paper backing to the wool flannel took some trial and error, as well as researching through several examples for sizing. Use of dimensions from images of the LOC and originals on eBay provided enough reference for us to create a good 6th Corps badge. Research and deliberation regarding the orientation of the Greek vs. St. Andrew’s Cross based on orders from Gen Wright led to the final St. Andrew’s “X.”

A HUGE thank you to Dan Wambaugh for coming through in the nick of time with some remnant wool flannel for our use in making the Corps badges. As always, working with you in any capacity is always a pleasure.

News from Home:
121st Chaplain, Rev. John R. Adams, in his diary entries paints an interesting picture of the regiment. Aside from attending to the spiritual wellbeing of the men, he frequently visited brigade headquarters to retrieve items from the Sanitary Commission or Christian Commission; items brought back to the regiment were jam, comforts, etc. The Otsego Republican and the Harper’s Weekly were intended to be some of those comforts to raise the men’s spirits. My indebtedness is to Jeremy Bevard for researching an appropriate newspaper and creating the layout from scratch. He also provided the March 18th edition of the Harper’s Weekly. Although they are unaware, I am further indebted to my employer for use of our printer to print both the Republican and Harper’s in period size. Many hours were spent pasting the Harper’s together to appear as if bound, not bonded by paste. Hopefully everyone received one of the Republican papers and whoever the lucky few were to grab up the few Harpers.

Debris/Wreckage:
Upon leaving Petersburg, 121st historian Isaac Best mentions that some soldiers had passed by a post office and had packed their pockets with useless Confederate currency and stamps. Likewise, it was noted that “smooth apple jack” and ham had been located. When we broke ranks from our Friday march, this was what the men found in the debris created to appear as if discarded from a wagon, etc. Within the debris was approximately $7,500 in re-created confederate currency of various denominations, two bottles of ginger brandy, one partial bottle of whiskey, and several sheets of Confederate stamps stashed within an upended trunk. Also, referring to another entry of Sgt. Hartwell, on March 24th, he had procured 7 pounds of onions and 15 of potatoes. We amended the debris with a few of each for the men to have as remaining from this supply. Rope, a broken wooden crate, and the lapdesk were all part of wreckage from a paymaster wagon. MANY hours had been spent printing and cutting, and laundering the money to give it a weathered and used appearance. Enough were printed and it was the hope that each man, rather than the few in Best’s historiography, received a portion of the currency.
The pork ration served as the ham located by the Commissary along with the potatoes and onions. My unending thanks for Sean Collicott for staying back and arranging the debris, concern for the debris “props”, and issuing of rations while Jeremy and I were at the commander’s brief. His behind the scenes efforts were invaluable to the smooth running of the battalion. None of the rations could have been pulled off AT ALL if it were not for the coordination on Joe Caridi of Crutchfield’s Brigade. The 121st owes you for arranging the sourcing, pricing, and delivery of our rations.

Battle of Sailor’s Creek:
Our original goal from our research was always to cross the Sailor’s Creek in the footsteps of the 121st. Mother Nature again nearly hampered our ability to cross because Friday the creek was over waist deep. In the sub-freezing evening temperatures and fast current from the rain, this was eliminated as an option. However, the creek having receded and current slowed, you men made the decision to cross. As I stepped into the water after Andrew Dangle, I knew that this is what we had come for; we came to do honor to the Onesers, and we did.
As I saw it happen from the rear, I hope each one of you witnessed the capture of the 18th GA, Savannah Guards flag by Company H. This was a hand selected group of men who pulled off a fantastic visual of the struggle for the 18th’s colors. A special thanks to Andy Roscoe for the attention to detail and planning with Herb Coates making this a respectful, seamless, memorable, and realistic struggle.
Lastly, the POW scenario with Crutchfield’s Brigade, though not directly linked to the 121st, served as an experience for our CS brothers in the closing hours of the 150s. Their conduct was challenging at times, their frustration was evident, and they maintained a level of solemn respect to the men who sat as prisoners awaiting their uncertain future at Johnson’s Island and other prisoner camps. The 121st did a fine job sharing rations, guarding, getting urinated on, and providing the CS a lasting experience to end their four year long experience.


From the small battalion, many could not make it for personal reasons. We hope that our comrades made the right decision and that they are well. But, it is YOU who attended; YOU who persevered; YOU who marched that deserve all of the credit for the success of this adjunct. It is our hope that all of the efforts of the following individuals made this event a memorable conclusion to the 150s. If I left out anyone, it is intentionally, please forgive me.
- Thank you to Jeremy Bevard for filling in as battalion commander when Will Eichler was promoted to Federal Command and Andrew Dangle for taking Federal Command at the last minute.
- Thank you Will Eichler for helping to plan this event though you were unable see the fruits of all our labors.
- Thank you to my fellow staff members, Sam Lowe as Sgt. Maj and Sean Collicott as Quartermaster.
- Thank you to the company commanders, Andy Roscoe, Greg Swank, and Tim Learman
- Thank you to Will Eichler, Sam Lowe, Dick Watters, Skip Owens, Paul Boulden, Herb Coates, and Joe Caridi for their conferences to make sure the event planning was the best experience for the 121st and Crutchfield’s Brigade.
- A final thank you to Sam Lowe. His tireless planning efforts from the beginning set the pace for me and my personal expectations for what we wished to do for the 121st. His vision challenged me to push my creativity for the experience of this event.

EVENT PLANNING BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Adams, John Ripley. Memorial and Letters of Rev. John R. Adams, D.D.: Chaplain of the Fifth Maine and the One Hundred and Twenty-first New York Regiments during the War of the Rebellion, Serving from the Beginning to Its Close. Cambridge: Priv. Print. [University Press, J. Wilson and Son], 1890.
2. Best, Isaac Oliver. History of the 121st New York State Infantry,. Chicago, Ill.: J.H. Smith, 1921.
3. Cilella, Salvatore G. Upton's Regulars: The 121st New York Infantry in the Civil War. Lawrence, Kan.: University Press of Kansas, 2009.
4. Greiner, James M. Subdued by the Sword a Line Officer in the 121st New York Volunteers. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2003.
5. Hartwell, John F. L., and Ann H. Britton. To My Beloved Wife & Boy at Home: The Diaries and Letters of John F.L. Hartwell, 121st New York Volunteer Infantry, 1862-65. United States: A.H. Britton & T.J. Reed, 1993.
6. 121st New York State Infantry Regimental papers – courtesy of the New York State Historical Association.

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: Sailor's Creek AAR.

Tom, thanks for posting everything! Its always nice to run down some of the history with everyone before they depart but the way it ended we didn't have a chance this time.

[BrandonEnglish]

Re: Sailor's Creek AAR.

Thank you to all the officers and those that put in a ton of work behind the scenes. Especially those in the 121st NY. I had an outstanding time. I haven't had a high after an event in a long time. This one hasn't faded. There were a lot of those "moments". I know I can speak for many when I say that having that cup of coffee at the church put a pep in our step and gave us the willingness to march to our bivouac site. I know we all have read accounts on how a cup of coffee could change a man, but I felt human again after that, even if it was in a modern church. The snow, the cold, the rations, it was all part of the experience. And even though I voted to cross the bridge, I'm glad we didn't and I'm glad we crossed the creek. My toes are still thawing out from the weekend but it was all worth it. I second that the speech on Saturday morning was another one of those moments to get us moving and motivated in the cold wind. Thanks to everyone for an amazing event!

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: Sailor's Creek AAR.

Brandon,
Your post just made all the stress and work worth it.