At High Tide Federal Campaigners

[DougCooper]

Comrades - Currently recruiting campaigners who wish to portray western federal soldiers for At High Tide June 27-29 in Gettysburg. Jim Moffett, Western Brigade commander in the First Federal Division, is organizing an 8-10 company regiment that will portray western soldiers within the Army of the Potomac. Current plans are for our battalion to portray a regiment of the Iron Brigade on July 1st, the 1st Minnesota on July 2nd and a regiment of Carroll's Brigade (Ohio, Indiana or West Virginia) July 2nd on Cemetery Hill.

There will be a battalion full ration issue and we are planning a march to the event site through the battlefield itself.

Company commanders for AHT will be selected at a later date and depend upon the interest generated. Other units across the country currently planning to attend in our regiment include the Potomac Legion, 1st and 2nd Minnesota, SCAR, etc. Current plans call for two 30-35 companies, one organized by Jim Butler of SCAR and the other by Terry Sorchy, Skip Owens and I from the usual suspects. If interested, please contact one of the following:

Doug Cooper at coop2911@msn.com,
Terry Sorchy at terry_sorchy@hotmail.com
Jim Butler at unionguy1@comcast.net.

Please see the event website at http://www.wmhf.org/athightide/ Terry Sorchy and I are attending the NSA meeting in Nashville next week to gather more information on the event. Stay tuned.

Like me, if you have long ago given up on finding a reenactment at Gettysburg that features real standards and accurate scenarios wrapped into a regimental level experience, this is your chance.

Thanks

[MLovejoy]

Re: At High Tide Federal Campaigners

Does anyone think my first cousin would buy this as a legitimate reason to miss her wedding? This sounds like an awesome thing...wish I could partake.

[RJSamp]

Re: At High Tide Federal Campaigners

This will be a ton of fun Doug. We've already got two brigade class buglers lined up for you.....and two bugle savvy skirmisher companies that can dance in any direction at 500 yards to the sound of a bugle.

[Thomas Alleman]

Re: At High Tide Federal Campaigners

If it is Iron Brigade make it 24Th MI. they took a hell of a beating but held. Also that is my GGGrandfathers unit. Co. G, John Henry Terry, wounded at Petersburg, he did though miss G-burg dues to sunstroke on the way there. It was said to affect him the rest of his life with blackout. Hell I will do any unit in the Iron Brigade, except maybe the 19Th IN, yeah OK them also.

[MarkTK36thIL]

Re: At High Tide Federal Campaigners

Doug, how will the cost of rations be covered? Our original fee or something extra?

[DougCooper]

Re: At High Tide Federal Campaigners

Mark - the fee for the rations is covered in the registration fee for the First Federal Division here: http://registration.firstfederaldivision.com/

We will be registering via this link for the event. Rations are being handled by Chef Charles, so you know that will be done right. I think it is safe to say that period, documented rations on this scale is something new in this hobby, and it will be an education for all of us on how the army worked.

To all - I am not privy at this level yet which units are being considered for the the Iron Brigade and Carroll's Brigade but will forward all ideas up the chain. I presume that will be discussed at next week's NSA meeting so get your druthers in this week via e-mail.

Gettysburg is such a sweeping epic of a battle that one of the best ways to learn what really happened is the extensive pre-event research on not just one but 3 different units, and then bringing those units alive in the field. A huge pat on the back for Chris Anders at avoiding Pickett's Charge and choosing Cemetery Hill. IMO, the first two days of the battle is where the issue really hung in the balance.

Thanks RJ - good tooters will rule with a regimental sized unit like that planned. Outpost x 3 as it were.

[Jack Dixon]

Re: At High Tide Federal Campaigners

Hey R.J,
Make sure your guys know Rally on the Reserve, because when the Gray Avenging Hand of God comes across the field, In Retreat March is going to be way too slow.

Hey are you coming to the Music School at Pamplin? It's going to be a lot of fun.

[DougCooper]

Re: At High Tide Federal Campaigners

Gents I just returned from the annual NSA meeting where Chris Anders forwarded a brief to the assembled on the event. This just may be the most highly scripted event of its kind I have yet seen, and that includes all levels of events back to 1987.

The lay of the land (Gettysburg movie site adjacent to the GNMP) lends itself well to the scenarios Chris has selected. These were hard fought engagements that were not giant panoramas like Picket's Charge but phased battles with units of both sides being fed in over time. Timing will be critical and tightly controlled. The principles are conducting a weekend long walk through of the land using the OR's from the battle to ensure each movement/engagement is placed in its proper order in time and the ground that corresponds mostly with the Park itself. In fact, the weekend is an "offsight" type format with everyone staying together in a hotel to ensure no distractions can effect the effort. In a somewhat refreshing return to what used to work, both sides will also have another comprehensive walk through together in the days prior to the event. There is no better way to remove any doubt as to what and how it will happen, and ensure there will be no possible excuse for breaking scenario.

With the ultra detailed medical scenario (see separate thread), in depth impression and scenario info to come and just the whole way this thing is being planned, it appears to me that Chris and staff have thought of everything. He has a team of 20 folks who are the core planners, with a number of folks assisting. Its kind of refreshing when the planners appear to have more answers than we have questions. Then again, he has been doing the big event thing for a while now.

I spoke at length with Jim Moffett, our regimental commander (and a real drill head), and he is working hard to ensure everything from camping to rations is planned well for we campaigners. The First Federal Division Staff under new commander Steve Dunfee (Army of the Pacific) has a comprehensive plan for improvement in both events and impression that could only come from a campaigner like Steve and a Staff of campaigners, including Mark Hernbroth (AoP) as COS and Dom dal Bello (AoP) as AAIG, and Jim Moffett (assisted by Rob Murray) in charge of the Western Brigade (the largest piece). Dom's elevation to AAIG is surely one of the more brilliant staff appointments in the history of the hobby. The guy litterally wrote the book for his job.

The bottom line is this event is a precursor to the 150th series of events. Ideas tried before (like the 24 hour medical scenarios for casualties and others) are being improved here to be standard practice for the 150th events. For those events to work, the entire hobby needs to work together. I know there are some folks who still won't want to be part of something bigger than a company even then...but believe me, when it works, its grand. Mr Anders and staff are working like dogs to raise the bar.

Again we are planning two companies of campaigners from the west, to join the Potomac Legion/Columbia Rifles companies from the east and others in an 8-10 company battalion. Register through the At High Tide website and indicate whether you want to fall in with Doug Cooper or Jim Butler's company of the Western Brigade. Get the forms and checks postmarked by Feb 16 ($25) before the price goes up to $30. This is a change from my note below - it is simply easier to have all troops register via the event website.

We are doing rations for the entire brigade, run by Chef Charles. Details to follow.

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: At High Tide Federal Campaigners

Sounds Great! Does anyone know of a core CS campaigner group participating in the event?

[DougCooper]

Re: At High Tide Federal Campaigners

Boys on the rations - what I meant to say was that the rations are for our regiment. Regret any confusion. More to come from the boss.

[Wild Rover]

Re: At High Tide Federal Campaigners

Paul,

The Chesapeake Volunteer Guard is hosting folks on the CS side looking for a campaign home for the weekend...details forthcoming, but there will be ration issue and various other activities....check out our web site and drop me a line if you are interested.

Back to site planning....

Pards,

[burt60]

Re: At High Tide Federal Campaigners

A pard and myself fellin with the CVG during September Storm, Great group of guys, had a grand time and the food was well worth it.

Thanks again Chris looking forward to High Tide.

[thad gallagher]

Re: At High Tide Federal Campaigners

So with the new registration issues, as long as I register at the event site under the Western Brigade I will be included with the campaigners and the ration issue? Thanks for any input, I am just trying sort through the post and the notices on the FFD and WB sites.

Thad Gallagher

[Jim Moffet]

Re: At High Tide Federal Campaigners

That's right, Thad.

Register at the wmhf.org site. We are still working out the exact costs of the rations and corps badges, and will have an announcement up very shortly with the information as to final costs and where to post the check.

Jim Moffet
Colonel, Western Brigade

[thad gallagher]

Re: At High Tide Federal Campaigners

Thank you very much Colonel, I look forward to the upcomong information and campaign.

Thad Gallagher