Pumpkin Slinger

[JerseySkilletLicker]

Chums,
If I am to seriously get mixed up with you knot-heads again, well the most expensive 1st item that can rarely be loaned is a rifle. When I left the hobby I sold my model 1842 smooth bore. If I had my druthers, that is what I would like to try and find again, along with the bayonet, of course.

Were they actually nicknamed "pumpkin slinger's" or is that an "enactorism". I don't believe I have ever read of that in first hand accounts.

And while we're at it, whatever happened to Waterside Woolens? They made a blanket that I carried when it originally came out...5 lbs, shoddy, good price...heaven! Blankets have to be a SOB to find these days I reckon. Is NJS still making them?

Finally, good issue shoes. Mick Nessum is long gone I imagine, I never really like MB&S but I could be tainted in that thought, they certainly are a well thought of vendor. My old supplier, Don Roundy, I think is still around. His "Fredricksburg" shoe that I carried was capitol and supremely comfortable.

The above 3 seem to me to be the toughest to find

Any ideas would be of great help.

Cheers,
Skillet Joe

[David Fox]

Re: Pumpkin Slinger

Alas, I believe I can take the discredit for the term. Years ago, to encourage use of .69s in a hobby then almost totally dominated by small(er) calibre muskets, I wrote a series of articles extolling the reenacting virtues of .69s in "The Camp Chase Gazette" entitled "Pumpkin Slingers". It is a bastardization of the term "pumpkin roller" used by Union soldiers for awkward, large calibre smoothbores. I liked slinger better. I may have reinvented it; soldiers may have used "slinger", too (McPherson's "Atlas of the Civil War" slinger). I think, but do not know, the term "pumpkin roller" appears in that superb memoir "Private Elisha Stockwell, Jr. Sees the Civil War". If not, if no one else can find a cite, I'll try later in the day, wherever it may be.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Pumpkin Slinger

Joe,

I have had good luck with both Missouri Boot and Shoe and Lederarsenal (both approved vendors here, btw). While my nephew was growing, I had to get him a couple pair of shoes and chose MBS. He had nice, thin upper leather and, of course, customer service was great.

My feet are freakishly wide at the ball and have a narrow heel, so I opted for Lederarsenal for my most recent pair. Love 'em! They are based in Germany, so you have to pay for international shipping and conversion from Euro to Dollars. Altogether, I paid about $250 for my shoes back in 2009.

Robert Land is still out there. Charles Cantrell is one who made a splash a couple years ago with high-end shoes. He was based in Canada and is presumably still in business.

Blankets... yeah. At 2011 at Manassas, folks were raving about a new Fed blanket that S&S was carrying. I didn't get to see it because I'd have had to leave my shady spot in the woods to do so... not happenin'! As far as I know, that is the only Federal blanket out there other than in Chris Christie's jurisdiction. You can always buy one used on-line, but folks are figuring out that blankets are scarce, so prices are going up.

[JerseySkilletLicker]

Re: Pumpkin Slinger

I met the gentleman from Germany when I was set up in G'burg years ago.(The Jenny Wade house which CJ Daley took over later). He was a very interesting guy and I am glad to see he is in business, he seemed to really know his stuff. Thank you for the answers, thus far!

Skillet

[Brandon Ledvina]

Re: Pumpkin Slinger

Joe,

To back up a couple comments already stated. I bought a pair of shoes form Cantrell earlier this year. Although I still have not worn them in the field they are very nice. My only complaint is that they were a little small but the blame may have been on my side from not measuring quite right. With thinner cotton socks they are fine. If I remember correctly he made a statement on Face book a couple months ago that he isn’t going to do pegged soles for a while. Something to do with being hard on the hands or wrists (I’m not a cobbler so not sure exactly). If you need his e-mail let me know.

As for the blanket, I have one form S & S. They are a great blanket and would highly recommend them. I heard not long ago that they are out of stock. Not sure when they will get more but you might want to give them a try. NJS is also selling a good blanket.

[MuleyGil]

Re: Pumpkin Slinger

"Alas, I believe I can take the discredit for the term. Years ago, to encourage use of .69s in a hobby then almost totally dominated by small(er) calibre muskets, I wrote a series of articles extolling the reenacting virtues of .69s in "The Camp Chase Gazette" entitled "Pumpkin Slingers"."

David, how long ago did you write those articles? When I started shooting with the N-SSA in 1970, folks were using .69 muskets and rifled-muskets for the infamous stake event-cutting a board in two, simulating the trees that were cut down during battles. The term "pumpkin slinger" was in use then.

[David Fox]

Re: Pumpkin Slinger

Wrote the articles in the early '90s. In using the term "slinger", I doubtless reinvented the wheel.

[kevin]

Re: Pumpkin Slinger

For what its worth, I bought a pair of brogans from Robert Land and have been very pleased with them. The quality is great, they're comfortable and I found Robert to be very helpful and accomodating. I have since recommended him to several of my chums in the 140th NY and they have all been please as well. Robert is located in Niagara Falls Canada but there is no international shipping costs. Hope good luck with your refitting.

[Gallinipper]

Re: Pumpkin Slinger

I remember reading David's fine "Care & Feeding" article in the CCG, it was '91 or '92 I think and it was easily the best feature in an otherwise forgettable issue. It's the only thing I remember anyway, dropped my subscription not too long after that. I believe there was also a photo and he was wearing.... was that.... jean wool? (God forbid!) But I also remember the term "Pumpkin Slinger" being used by some of the 27th NC Guilford Grays boys when I attended a N-SSA event with them in Atlanta, and that was like 1984. No doubt the term goes back a bit. (Now that I think of it, I never knew what a "donkey dong" on a cap was before I met them either).