What's the coldest you've ever been at an event?

[Mike Ventura]

For many of us, this has been a pretty mild winter - at least it has been here in the south. To celebrate winters past, share with us your coldest event experience.

[JimKindred]

Re: What's the coldest you've ever been at an event?

Franklin 89.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: What's the coldest you've ever been at an event?

1) 2004 Southern Guard Picket Post: Frost over everything on Saturday night and not enough of a fire to huddle around. Even wearing a great coat didn't help... never have I been so cold while wearing so much kersey!

2) 2001 Perryville, with the 105th OVI... Friday night on that windswept hill was collective misery for everyone there. No one wanted to be on the end of the spoon-line that night. Too cold to sleep, Joe Strauser sat by the fire, wrapped in a blanket... every time he started to doze, I swore he'd go straight into the flames!

...Thanks, Jim K! Yes, Franklin 89... Finally got warm and heard a yell from the next tent (shut up! It was the 80's... EVERYONE used tents!) that a tent was on fire. Thinking our tent was about to go up in flames, me and pard jump out of our warm blankets to see the distant glow of flames... Urgh! Back to bed and try to go back to sleep!

[Forrestcavalryman]

Re: What's the coldest you've ever been at an event?

2010 Twin Rivers: Rained all day, so my gear was soaked and then temperatures dropped to somewhere around 28 degrees.I just slept by the fire wrapped in my saddle blanket.
Once again, the fire and saddle blanket was used to stay warm

2011 Belle Meade Living History: Temperatures dropped to 20 degrees and I only had my saddle blanket and a quilt to keep warm and my civilian coat is a very thin wool, so there was no help from it.Once again, the fire and saddle blanket was used to stay warm!
.

[Bones]

Re: What's the coldest you've ever been at an event?

can't remember the year ,but one Secessionville it was raining buckets and sleeting during the event-damn cold!!!!
Luckly,they had lots of live oak firwood from a recent hurricane.
I remember Frankin and the tent fire too,but the yankee earthworks were killer.

Bones

[JimKindred]

Re: What's the coldest you've ever been at an event?

...Thanks, Jim K! Yes, Franklin 89... Finally got warm and heard a yell from the next tent (shut up! It was the 80's... EVERYONE used tents!) that a tent was on fire. Thinking our tent was about to go up in flames, me and pard jump out of our warm blankets to see the distant glow of flames... Urgh! Back to bed and try to go back to sleep!

They burned one in the CS camp and one in the Federal. I was in the Federal camp and was woke up by folks yelling about it. I was not too far from that one but I decided if I wasn't feeling the heat I was not getting up. :)

One guy died at the event, not from the cold but I have no doubt it probably was a contributing factor.

Oh, for those coming down to Shiloh, it may be warm it may be cold. In 1987 it snowed just a bit.

[Archie R. Lib]

Re: What's the coldest you've ever been at an event?

Socorro, NM (Battle of Valverde), in February 2009. 18-20 degrees during the night. The water in my canteen was frozen when I woke up, and I was right next to the fire when I drifted off.... It seems like it took 4 hours to stoke up our little fire for coffee and breakfast, but it really probably took about 15 minutes. That was the night I learned the value of a good great coat. I will carry one now no matter the weight!

Rich

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: What's the coldest you've ever been at an event?

1) River's Bridge 1999 near Walterboro, SC... temps dipped below freezing and a sudden frost with a cold rain set-in. Event got cancelled Mid-day Sat. Horrible weather...

2) Into the Piney Woods 2009- third day got dangerously wet and cold. Some guys couldn't get their core temps warm again. Hypothermia was a realistic possibility. Glad we didn't take that chance and left mid-afternoon Sat.

[john duffer]

Re: What's the coldest you've ever been at an event?

Coldest temperatures were a two degree Fort Donelson LH & a twelve degree Stones River but both times I slept next to a nice fire and stayed pretty comfortable. Coldest event was a Southern Guard event where Union infantry opposed Mosby (don't remember the year, might be the same one Mr. Wickett is talking about). It started in a cold rain Friday afternoon barely above freezing and the temps dropped from then on. I was never warm a single minute the entire weekend and when I tried to take a short nap about noon Saturday the guy next to me had his canteen freeze solid - I slept with mine under me. Standing pickett just before dawn Sunday morning with the ground so slick you could barely stand up I had a serious "why the h__l am I doing this?" moment.

[J. Donaldson]

Re: What's the coldest you've ever been at an event?

Stones River in 1993 (Mud-freeze-boro). My friend and I were supposed to be with the campaigner company, but registration put us with mainstreamers, so we were the only ones on the company street under half a shelter half. Two blankets, two ground cloths, and spooning while each wearing a great coat, and neither of us slept a wit.

[tomarch]

Re: What's the coldest you've ever been at an event?

Coldest I've been was at a two day campaign hike at Pine Springs in the Coast Range behind Ventura 1st night 17 deg., 2nd night 12 deg. out in the open, two blankets and a ground sheet with a hot stone in the foot of my blankets.

Another time at Ft. Tejon, we had a freak spring storm snow overnight on Easter. In the morning, the camp looked like a graveyard in white. I read an acount somewhere about this same thing happening to Confederate troops (Valley Campaign?) the first soldier to get up looked around as the rest arose from the snowy ground and exclaimed "Great Jehovah! It's the Resurection!

[Huck]

Re: What's the coldest you've ever been at an event?

I would have to agree with Bob, Stones River in 1993, learned the power of the spoon....

[crabby]

Re: What's the coldest you've ever been at an event?

Hummmm, well there was Red River I, mid-week when the rain fell in bucketfuls and yes Murfreesboro ranks right up there too.
As for Perrysville there have been too many colds ones to count. One that stands out is when 4 refugee ladies slept under a shebang in one big bed with hot rocks at our feet and 12 blankets covering us all. It was great until we had to get up in the morning! Then there was Ft. Duffield and the morning I watched John frying potatoes while snowflakes fell into the skillet.
Ah yes, looking back I can say "Good Times!"

[hvymac]

Re: What's the coldest you've ever been at an event?

125TH Franklin,,,Two yanks passed away that nite, all canteens froze solid,,,and this past years Secessionville,,forgot any blankets had no fire,,,and summerweight sack coat,,,BRRRRR

[cprljohnivey]

Re: What's the coldest you've ever been at an event?

Oh... back in my LHC days in the late 90's doing a "spring drill" on some private property. It was absolutely down right frigid and we were camped in a hollow by a creek where it just seem to be colder there than anywhere. One blanket and a greatcoat to sleep with just didn't do. I even riged up a reflector out of my gum blanket and slept right next to a fire. Still froze. Canteens had chunks of ice in them in the mornign. To top it all off... the one person who touted authenticity the most, really drilled into us the impotance of doing it right, the need to only use what the original soldiers used and nothing more, my mentor into the hobby who taught me campaigning, was the only member to bug out at night to sleep in his car where he ran the engin out of gas! Ahhhh memories!