Tweet
I read a lot of posts on this board about “who makes the best” or “where can I find” or even “what was the most common” and it strikes me to how much I take for granted. I would say that a majority of folks on this board don’t know and probably don’t care but I thought it would be interesting to some of you why I do take certain things for granted in this affliction we all call a hobby. Overall I hope that anyone who reads this doesn’t see it as self serving, only delivering the message I hope you see… and that is attitude in this hobby is everything.
My first exposures to Civil War living history and reenacting started at birth. 1966 to be exact. At that time my family lived in Memphis Tennessee, my father Al Gatlin was heavily involved with post centennial reenactments with Riley Gunner. Yes he was doing Artillery with Riley Gunner. I remember going to Riley’s house as a kid and it was the ultimate in cool. How many 4-5 year olds get to visit with their fathers’ friend who has 4 original cannons in his back yard? I believe to this day Riley probably still has 4 original pieces in his back yard. The last I heard he was still partners in “Shiloh Relics”. My father then moved on to doing Confederate Infantry. The 4th Tennessee I believe. I recall that one of the members of the 4th I had the privilege to meet with Scott Player. Scott was a real life “son of a Confederate Veteran” I remember him telling my father and others at the time stories Scotts father had shared with him. How cool is that? Unfortunately, when you are 5 years old that stuff goes in one ear and out the other. I do vividly recall our family outings. They consistently where made up of picnics at the Shiloh National Park, or Battery Robinette in Corinth to name a few. Whenever we went to Shiloh I do recall my father taking me to all the monuments and explaining what happened where… fun but when you are that young, it seems like to the coolest thing in the world.
It wasn’t too long after the 4th Tennessee days that my father and a few of his friends of a like mind decided to start being “authentic”. This was in 1972. He and his friends started the 1st Arkansas Company G. This was only natural; my father was from Newport Arkansas which was the “new” town after the railroad bypassed the “original” town of Jacksonport Arkansas. Jacksonport was the home town of the 1st Arkansas Company G.
It was about this time that I began to meet folks like Robert Serio, (Missouri Boot and Shoe) Cal Kinzer, Anthony Hodges, Cheely Carter, David Bowers, Todd Brought, Russ Pennington and many others that are so called “founders” of this hobby. Cheely Carter I recall because I think he was about 17 at the time… and his mother had a book published about Wilma Rudolph. I know Cheely published a book later in his life covering WW 1 veterans from Tennessee.
I remember the rules for joining the 1st Arkansas where pretty tough for the time. If you wanted to join, you had to have the right attitude and supply a “Polaroid” of yourself with all your gear on to be considered. I remember sitting with my father as he received these pictures in the mail with short dissertations on why these folks in the picture wanted to be in the 1st Arkansas. The process was simple, send in the photo, the members of the 1st would review the photo and vote on whether you where accepted or not.
The 1st Arkansas was a productive bunch of fellows. Here is something I really take for granted… Have you ever wondered where a Living History guy got decent gear in the 1970s? There wasn’t 15 different folks making this that or the other. Yes it is true some of these guys used original stuff… but most folks in the 1st did their own research and published it in the company newsletter. I have a few of these old newsletters to this day… one has an excellent article on confederate manufactured cap boxes. I believe Cheely Carter was the author. It has sketches and notes and primary recourses all over it. Once the research was done… somebody in the 1st would take to making or coping the item researched. I even have an article written by Dave Stieghan circa 1976 covering cartridge making.
One guy that took up to making some of these items that where researched was Dale Jarnighan. I know that name sends shivers down some folk’s spines, but at that time he was really the only guy mass producing anything. I remember over hearing a conversation once that went something like this… Did you see those shoes that Jarnigan was selling? Yeah, looks like he read the article I wrote on shoe manufacture. Now I can tell you that the shoes that Jarnigan puts out now look nothing like they used to. I even remember visiting the Jarnigan “factory” in Corinth, taking original items to him and asking if he could make them. Funny thing is the “factory” was on Dale’s farm, it really wasn’t any much more than a pole barn. That was a LONG time ago. Jarnigan is simply a business now, and Businesses are there to make money.
Where else would they find data for correct items? Relic hunting was the next source. I remember at about the age of 6 tramping through the woods with my father and a couple of his friends-Relic Hunting. This I undoubtedly take for granted. My father and his friends would relic hunt Corinth, the Shiloh area, Holly Springs and many “secret” locations throughout Northern Mississippi. One spot that still sticks with me even though I was 6 was outside of La Grange Tennessee. We were hunting a Federal Calvary camp. My father took the time to show me on a topographical map (probably the only 6 year old that learned to read one) where we where… but the supper cool part was looking out over the wooded area and you could still see the undulation of the ground where winter quarters had been a little over a 100 years before. Later in those trips to the same spot, my father and his friends found a camp trash pit, AKA the mother lode of stuff. I helped dig out, China, glass wear, broken bayonets, a couple of boots (sandy soil in North Mississippi) sardine cans with the labels intact, a vest with all the buttons- eagle “R” to be exact, tin cans- (this subject will appear again) Hardee Hat pins…basically you name it… it came out of that pit. How is that for a first lesson in “material culture”? I also do recall that much to my mother’s dismay, I had about 6 box turtles in my room that I collected up on this relic hunting trips.
Of course secondary to reading a topographical map… it takes tons of reading and research to find these camps and locations. Books where pretty much the norm in my house. This certainly helped me as I got older. Of course not with school books… just with books I wanted to read.
I believe it was about this time that the 1st Arkansas started to attend the same events with the Mudsills. 1974 ish if I recall correctly. That was also about the same time that the Camp Chase Gazette got started. I have been told the CCG started as a circular to announce “events” that the Mudsills and 1st where attending… not sure the truth of that matter. If you didn’t know, Bill Kietz started the camp Chase. I have a few of the old issues, event announcements and research articles typically by someone in the 1st or a Mudsill. Mudsills at that time where the federal counterpart to what the 1st was doing. Good attitude and a willingness to do things right.
I remember meeting many of the old “sills” at places like Shiloh, Stones River and the like. George Derenburger, The Rock Brothers, Bruce Ziegler come to mind. When the Mudsills and 1st Ark did Living History they did Living History. First person and everything else that goes with it. I actually have a letter from the Superintendent of Shiloh National Park complimenting the Mudsills and 1st Ark on how “authentic” their program was and that they had set record visitation for the weekend. I remember that weekend because my father explained to me what first person was… this of course had to be explained to me because I just saw two fellows have a wrestling match after one fellow felt he was cheated in chuck a luck. I also have letters from superintendants of other parks with the same complimentary attitude.
1974 was a busy time for the 1st Arkansas. It was about this time that the 27th Miss. Wanted to join with the 1st because they had a like mind. The 27th had a lot of pride and didn’t want to lose their “identity” so compromise was struck…. The affiliation of the two would be called Cleburne’s Brigade. This name didn’t quite stick cause you know the more people involved the more politics show themselves. So eventually the name was shortened to Cleburne’s. Why Cleburne’s you ask? That is easy, the 1st Ark and the 27th where both members of Cleburne’s Division during the war. The 27th just for a short period however, But it worked. The next organization was the 2nd Tenn. to join Cleburne’s. All of these folks made up my family. Cleburne’s, during the late 70s could put 50 rifles in the field. Now understand, that was 50 men excluding officers and NCOs that had the same frame of mind and same commitment to authenticity. This was unheard of at the time. Other than the Mudsills, east or west, nobody was doing this.
Throughout the remainder of the 70s, Cleburne’s did numerous living histories and reenactments. I recall visiting Jefferson Barracks, (traveled in a Hertz rent-a-van) Owensboro Kentucky, Munfordville Kentucky, Vicksburg Miss. I didn’t get to go to every event, but quite a few. I always got to see practically every member of Cleburne’s before an event, somehow it became a tradition that the guys from Mississippi would meet up with the guys from Arkansas at our house in Memphis, spend the night and take off on the red eye drive for an event somewhere. Little known fact that my mother enjoyed the boy’s visits because she would play poker with them and take their trip money. I have even woke up on a Friday morning to a living room full of 20 something’s going to an event and a rooster crowing. I forgot to mention, the 1st had a mascot- Eugene.
Probably the two biggest events I remember attending during the 70s had to be Gettysburg in 1976 and The Bushrod Johnson monument dedication at Chickamauga National Park in 1977.
more on those later...
I can also tell you about:
1. The first time I meet Charlie Childs
2. Those fruit can boilers everybody loves
3. East vs West... the old days
4. what happened at the Bicentennial event at G'burg
5. Whatching CW folks out drill the regular army
6. touching confederate flags before it was uncool
7. watching the evolution from kersey to jean to kersey
-------------------------------
Ike Gatlin
Please sign your full name to every post, sir... Johnny Lloyd
My first exposures to Civil War living history and reenacting started at birth. 1966 to be exact. At that time my family lived in Memphis Tennessee, my father Al Gatlin was heavily involved with post centennial reenactments with Riley Gunner. Yes he was doing Artillery with Riley Gunner. I remember going to Riley’s house as a kid and it was the ultimate in cool. How many 4-5 year olds get to visit with their fathers’ friend who has 4 original cannons in his back yard? I believe to this day Riley probably still has 4 original pieces in his back yard. The last I heard he was still partners in “Shiloh Relics”. My father then moved on to doing Confederate Infantry. The 4th Tennessee I believe. I recall that one of the members of the 4th I had the privilege to meet with Scott Player. Scott was a real life “son of a Confederate Veteran” I remember him telling my father and others at the time stories Scotts father had shared with him. How cool is that? Unfortunately, when you are 5 years old that stuff goes in one ear and out the other. I do vividly recall our family outings. They consistently where made up of picnics at the Shiloh National Park, or Battery Robinette in Corinth to name a few. Whenever we went to Shiloh I do recall my father taking me to all the monuments and explaining what happened where… fun but when you are that young, it seems like to the coolest thing in the world.
It wasn’t too long after the 4th Tennessee days that my father and a few of his friends of a like mind decided to start being “authentic”. This was in 1972. He and his friends started the 1st Arkansas Company G. This was only natural; my father was from Newport Arkansas which was the “new” town after the railroad bypassed the “original” town of Jacksonport Arkansas. Jacksonport was the home town of the 1st Arkansas Company G.
It was about this time that I began to meet folks like Robert Serio, (Missouri Boot and Shoe) Cal Kinzer, Anthony Hodges, Cheely Carter, David Bowers, Todd Brought, Russ Pennington and many others that are so called “founders” of this hobby. Cheely Carter I recall because I think he was about 17 at the time… and his mother had a book published about Wilma Rudolph. I know Cheely published a book later in his life covering WW 1 veterans from Tennessee.
I remember the rules for joining the 1st Arkansas where pretty tough for the time. If you wanted to join, you had to have the right attitude and supply a “Polaroid” of yourself with all your gear on to be considered. I remember sitting with my father as he received these pictures in the mail with short dissertations on why these folks in the picture wanted to be in the 1st Arkansas. The process was simple, send in the photo, the members of the 1st would review the photo and vote on whether you where accepted or not.
The 1st Arkansas was a productive bunch of fellows. Here is something I really take for granted… Have you ever wondered where a Living History guy got decent gear in the 1970s? There wasn’t 15 different folks making this that or the other. Yes it is true some of these guys used original stuff… but most folks in the 1st did their own research and published it in the company newsletter. I have a few of these old newsletters to this day… one has an excellent article on confederate manufactured cap boxes. I believe Cheely Carter was the author. It has sketches and notes and primary recourses all over it. Once the research was done… somebody in the 1st would take to making or coping the item researched. I even have an article written by Dave Stieghan circa 1976 covering cartridge making.
One guy that took up to making some of these items that where researched was Dale Jarnighan. I know that name sends shivers down some folk’s spines, but at that time he was really the only guy mass producing anything. I remember over hearing a conversation once that went something like this… Did you see those shoes that Jarnigan was selling? Yeah, looks like he read the article I wrote on shoe manufacture. Now I can tell you that the shoes that Jarnigan puts out now look nothing like they used to. I even remember visiting the Jarnigan “factory” in Corinth, taking original items to him and asking if he could make them. Funny thing is the “factory” was on Dale’s farm, it really wasn’t any much more than a pole barn. That was a LONG time ago. Jarnigan is simply a business now, and Businesses are there to make money.
Where else would they find data for correct items? Relic hunting was the next source. I remember at about the age of 6 tramping through the woods with my father and a couple of his friends-Relic Hunting. This I undoubtedly take for granted. My father and his friends would relic hunt Corinth, the Shiloh area, Holly Springs and many “secret” locations throughout Northern Mississippi. One spot that still sticks with me even though I was 6 was outside of La Grange Tennessee. We were hunting a Federal Calvary camp. My father took the time to show me on a topographical map (probably the only 6 year old that learned to read one) where we where… but the supper cool part was looking out over the wooded area and you could still see the undulation of the ground where winter quarters had been a little over a 100 years before. Later in those trips to the same spot, my father and his friends found a camp trash pit, AKA the mother lode of stuff. I helped dig out, China, glass wear, broken bayonets, a couple of boots (sandy soil in North Mississippi) sardine cans with the labels intact, a vest with all the buttons- eagle “R” to be exact, tin cans- (this subject will appear again) Hardee Hat pins…basically you name it… it came out of that pit. How is that for a first lesson in “material culture”? I also do recall that much to my mother’s dismay, I had about 6 box turtles in my room that I collected up on this relic hunting trips.
Of course secondary to reading a topographical map… it takes tons of reading and research to find these camps and locations. Books where pretty much the norm in my house. This certainly helped me as I got older. Of course not with school books… just with books I wanted to read.
I believe it was about this time that the 1st Arkansas started to attend the same events with the Mudsills. 1974 ish if I recall correctly. That was also about the same time that the Camp Chase Gazette got started. I have been told the CCG started as a circular to announce “events” that the Mudsills and 1st where attending… not sure the truth of that matter. If you didn’t know, Bill Kietz started the camp Chase. I have a few of the old issues, event announcements and research articles typically by someone in the 1st or a Mudsill. Mudsills at that time where the federal counterpart to what the 1st was doing. Good attitude and a willingness to do things right.
I remember meeting many of the old “sills” at places like Shiloh, Stones River and the like. George Derenburger, The Rock Brothers, Bruce Ziegler come to mind. When the Mudsills and 1st Ark did Living History they did Living History. First person and everything else that goes with it. I actually have a letter from the Superintendent of Shiloh National Park complimenting the Mudsills and 1st Ark on how “authentic” their program was and that they had set record visitation for the weekend. I remember that weekend because my father explained to me what first person was… this of course had to be explained to me because I just saw two fellows have a wrestling match after one fellow felt he was cheated in chuck a luck. I also have letters from superintendants of other parks with the same complimentary attitude.
1974 was a busy time for the 1st Arkansas. It was about this time that the 27th Miss. Wanted to join with the 1st because they had a like mind. The 27th had a lot of pride and didn’t want to lose their “identity” so compromise was struck…. The affiliation of the two would be called Cleburne’s Brigade. This name didn’t quite stick cause you know the more people involved the more politics show themselves. So eventually the name was shortened to Cleburne’s. Why Cleburne’s you ask? That is easy, the 1st Ark and the 27th where both members of Cleburne’s Division during the war. The 27th just for a short period however, But it worked. The next organization was the 2nd Tenn. to join Cleburne’s. All of these folks made up my family. Cleburne’s, during the late 70s could put 50 rifles in the field. Now understand, that was 50 men excluding officers and NCOs that had the same frame of mind and same commitment to authenticity. This was unheard of at the time. Other than the Mudsills, east or west, nobody was doing this.
Throughout the remainder of the 70s, Cleburne’s did numerous living histories and reenactments. I recall visiting Jefferson Barracks, (traveled in a Hertz rent-a-van) Owensboro Kentucky, Munfordville Kentucky, Vicksburg Miss. I didn’t get to go to every event, but quite a few. I always got to see practically every member of Cleburne’s before an event, somehow it became a tradition that the guys from Mississippi would meet up with the guys from Arkansas at our house in Memphis, spend the night and take off on the red eye drive for an event somewhere. Little known fact that my mother enjoyed the boy’s visits because she would play poker with them and take their trip money. I have even woke up on a Friday morning to a living room full of 20 something’s going to an event and a rooster crowing. I forgot to mention, the 1st had a mascot- Eugene.
Probably the two biggest events I remember attending during the 70s had to be Gettysburg in 1976 and The Bushrod Johnson monument dedication at Chickamauga National Park in 1977.
more on those later...
I can also tell you about:
1. The first time I meet Charlie Childs
2. Those fruit can boilers everybody loves
3. East vs West... the old days
4. what happened at the Bicentennial event at G'burg
5. Whatching CW folks out drill the regular army
6. touching confederate flags before it was uncool
7. watching the evolution from kersey to jean to kersey
-------------------------------
Ike Gatlin
Please sign your full name to every post, sir... Johnny Lloyd
Comment