Sad News (Civilian thread)

[KLCoombs]

Re: Sad News

Charles was a treasured friend – although he relished “stirring the pot”, his insights into the hobby were always brilliant and he was a fabulous writer. I often told him he’d missed his calling and should have been a syndicated columnist (After all, Anne Coulter gets PAID for pissing people off!) I will miss his witty comments about reenacting & reenactors and also his lovely, beautifully written James J. Kilpatrick-esque pieces about going trail riding with the mules, etc and insights into rural life.

Love him or hate him, or a little bit of both, he was one of the true pundits of this hobby. He coined many an expression we take for granted and use as lingua franca of the hobby, such as EBUFU.

I wish somebody could make an archive of Charles' better posts, both here and on the OTB -- alas, the internet message board was his "medium" as a writer and it's such a temporal medium. The better pieces really deserve to live on in a more permanent way.

As for his less good and sometimes VERY snarky posts, they sometimes had their charm as well. Especially when he was letting loose on farbdom. I'd like to think that now that both he and "Duke" Culbertson are gone, they might be continuing the "flame war" in a jovial sort of way in A Better Place. (they've got the Internet in heaven, right?)

REST IN PEACE, Charles. My heartfelt condolences to Bev - I know it must be rough for you now and you are in my prayers. Please keep me posted on funeral plans

[nrandolph]

Re: Sad News

Ms. Coombs,

Your post about Charles' numerous articles reminded me of one that got me going toward being a campaigner long before I ever met him. That was "Sleeping Campaign By Yourself". It was so clearly written and well thought out and organized, it really was a great help to me early on. In fact, I was just remarking to my daughter's boyfriend about that article in particular, he's in the National Guard, last night.

Neil Randolph
1st WV

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: Sad News

All:

I was hoping this e-mail from Mr. Murray was in error somehow, but this is shockingly true for me. Charles and I saw each other last at Piney and we travelled together 24 hours drive to Marmaduke's Raid last September with Mr. Billy Birney. We are both Columbia Rifles members.

Bev, if you can read this, my sympathies are with you, ma'am. I counted Charles as a good friend of mine and I trust he will walk with angels and those that lived in the era we love so dearly.

I'm shocked and saddened.

-Johnny Lloyd

[M_Kupsch]

Re: Sad News

I have to echo what Bro. Lloyd said. It had been some time since I lost saw Charles and it was so nice seeing him at Marmy's Raid. When my Orderly Sergeant was captured, Charles made sure that "Huck" was properly fed and taken care of.

I also remember several Athens ago, when Charles was the cook for my company. It was my son's first event with the hardcorp side of things. Charles took him under his wing. He was 13 at the time and is now 17; still talks about Charles to this day and how much he learned along with the fun. I don't look forward to telling him that Charles has passed.

All I can say is good bye old friend.

[thad gallagher]

Re: Sad News

Very sad news and sorry hear that. His family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

[Paul Jerram]

Re: Sad News

It was with great sadness that I heard the news today of Charles's passing. I had a great deal of respect for him and even though we did not have the opportunity to serve together very often, I learned a lot from his articles and his insights. Through several mutual friends and also through my oldest son Andrew, I heard that he often took a sincere interest in what was going on down here in Georgia, and always asked to be remembered to me.

At this sad time, my very sincere condolences are with his wife and family, and I will keep them in my earnest prayers as they endure the trial of his loss together.

[kylethebrass]

Re: Sad News

Mr Heath,

You will be will missed by all. Outside of my band friends, you have been key to my continuing to bugle, thanks for being there. I will smile at Fort Moultrie for you. God Speed. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.

Your Humble Servant

[87thLady]

Re: Sad News

I would not be where I am in reenacting if it not for Charles Heath. He shoved me into the dark side and with the help of Beverly, I learned so much about the authentic side of reenacting which has stayed with me since. The reenacting community will never be the same without Charles although I'm sure he will not be forgotten so soon!! Charles was Charles you know! He sold me his one blanket which I still use and will cherish from now on. I will never forget the time I spent down at the farm helping Bev and Charles with the horses. Those were the days! Bev, I will be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. I am so sorry for your loss.

Ms Lorraine

[spurvis]

Re: Sad News

I'm so sorry for Bev. Charles was one of a kind. At Brandy one year during the great flood, he cordroyed a path to our camp which was 2 feet underwater and built the first floating fire I've ever seen. We were miserable and he was happy. The worse the conditions the more he liked the event. Vicksburg campaign, he was in the background with a tv crew filming stripped down to a pair of holey drawers bent over a fire frying god knows what. Morgan's Raid his horse broke off the picket line and stomped a bunch of us going and coming after watering himself. I was yelling at Charles to get his horse. He just laid under his blanket laughing. He had the answer for so many of us about gear, rations, etc... He was a pard.

Stephen

[FTrooper]

Re: Sad News

well this ruins my day, I always really liked Charles. He could teach me something new and have me laughing for hours at the same time! This is a shock and I will be greatly saddened for a long time :-(

Chris Fischer
F-Troop

[DougCooper]

Re: Sad News

Can anyone provide a brief bio on Charles? I know nothing about him outside of his posts here and his role in foodways and battlefield preservation.

Hunter, this is not a bio, but some personal thoughts.

I first met Charles in 1999 as we drove together to a Bentonville Living History event. All the way down we listened to nothing on the casette player but bugle calls and talked everything from rations to laundry to first person. I realized he was no ordinary reenactor.

He did everything before it was fashionable and was, I think it safe to say, the most unique personality in the hobby. He wasn't so much a soldier, but more of a compendium of the real life of the soldier. He always asked why, and if no good answer was available, researched or figured it out himself. He bemoaned the lack of leadership that perpetuated reenactorisms and squashed many of them personally.

He studied the things nobody else wanted to, and the hobby is much the better for it. He wrote most of it down and/or taught it every chance he got, fortunately.

He rubbed many in the hobby the wrong way, some really wrong, and it was often a mystery as to why...but I hope that will be forgiven of him.

The thing I most appreciated was his leadership on battlefield preservation. He talked it and walked it, and that may be his most enduring legacy.

Sad to say that in the last year or so we have lost both of the hobby's most unique personalities - David "Duke" Culbertson and now Charles "Chawls" Heath.

I have this feeling "not as good as Chawls used to make" will be heard often around the fire at meal time.

RIP Company Cook and may God Bless your family

[lambrew]

Re: Sad News

My thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Heath's family. I only served with him once, but that "once" was a heck of a time.

[cprljohnivey]

Re: Sad News

What can I say about Charles? To me he had two personalities. One on-line and another in person. He always rubbed me the wrong way until I got to meet him in person at a living history a few years ago and that completely gave my opinion of him a 180. One of the best conversations I had with him was last December when I was stuck atop South Mountain in a traffic jam. Looking around I noticed a small bumper sticker on the white pickup in front of me that said "Still going to the wrong events?". By God that’s Charles. I hoped out into the cold and stood there chatting with him for a half hour or so in the middle of the Highway. I last saw him last month at Market Fair at Fort Frederick stocking up on supplies. I have the highest respect for what he has contributed to this hobby.

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: Sad News

Can anyone provide a brief bio on Charles?

Ummm...it won't be brief...

Paul B.

[paulcalloway]

Re: Sad News

This is a shock. I've known Charles since about 97 or thereabouts.

He really made me laugh one year at Perryville when it was raining sideways and we were, of course, campaign style and as wet as swamp frogs. All of a sudden Charles let out a yelp and jumped up and said there was a carp flopping around with him in his bedroll.

There wasn't a man in camp that didn't belly-laugh at that stunt.

That was the same night we picked up camp ... all 75 of us... and moved 150 yards away because someone was snoring too loud. That again was Charles' idea.

My sincere condolences to Beverly Heath. If someone could please pass along information on where I could send flowers, I'd appreciate it. (paul.calloway[at]gmail.com).