Thoughts on Perryville 2009

[Pvt. Rufus Guy]

Anybody go to Perryville? What were your thoughts on the event this year?

[Spinster]

Yep.

I had fun. How about you?

Enough that I'm just now home tonight.

["Doc" Nelson]

I agree Mrs. Lawson. In my own opinion, I had a lot of fun. It was great seeing old friends (too many to list here :wink: ) . . meeting new ones (Joergen and Stigg from Denmark . . Phillip from England) . . and meeting, finally, some of you fine folks from this forum (spinster, Mint Julep, flattop32355, tenfed1861 and a few others).

From the "medical" aspect, it was great . . no real casualties . . PHEW!!! :wink: . I, unfortunately, did not find any willing "patients" to allow me to demonstrate an amputation on them :( . . oh well, maybe next time, LOL.

All in all, I had a really great time.

What are your thoughts Rufus? Were you Federal or Confederate? Infantry or Artillery? Did you have fun?

[Spinster]

:wink: . I, unfortunately, did not find any willing "patients" to allow me to demonstrate an amputation on them :( .


Sigh. Doc, you just did not ask in the right places. Two large roosters were available.

Despite multiple opportunities and encouragement, no one absconded with them. The chaplins are obviously being a bit too effective in their preaching. The citizens suffered from lack of sleep the first night, and were about tired of those roosters by the second night.

Yes, they are now running about Miss P's barnyard. Bless Mr. B for hauling them.

Everybody is willing to haul the chicken cage. Once.

[Pvt. Rufus Guy]

Yes, I would agree that I had a good time as well. Although the evenings were rather chilly it did not rain which is always a plus.

I was in Company A of the Federal Division of Infantry. We marched through the village on Saturday afternoon and a couple of the men in my company came back into our line with those same two roosters. Unfortunately for you all in the civilian camp, nobody had the heart to want fresh rooster dinner so they remained in the civilian's camp. Hahaha. We could hear them from the top of the hill and were glad that we didn't take them after all.

The minstrel show on Saturday evening was hilarious and it was very interesting to see an ox drawn artillery kit as well as a couple of covered wagons.

By Sunday afternoon marching up and down the hills became rather trying and by the time I returned home my legs and feet ached considerably. Further evidence on appreciating the service of the old boys that tromped those same grounds 147 years earlier.

[Emily Burns]

We could hear them from the top of the hill and were glad that we didn't take them after all..

I guess it's a good thing a couple of ladies were too tired to sneak the roosters up the hill and picket them near the Union camp Saturday night . . .

["Doc" Nelson]

Rufus, I do have to agree . . it was rather chilly Saturday night. I didn't think Friday was too terribly bad. Or at least I was able to stay relatively warm :D .

The Allendale Melodians were outstanding. This was my first time seeing them. I will not miss them in the future :wink: .

I am glad, in spite of the temps and aching feet & legs, you had a good time.

[10TN]

Doc-now I know who you are- I was the old bearded guy in Co. C who couldn't handle hills:-). That Sibly sure ended up with an interesting mix-2 Danes, an Englishman, two Tennessee loyalist, I believe a couple of Kentuckians and some real north of the Ohio yankees.

Had a good time, camp life was pleasant and fun. had a nice fireworks display over Perryville proper Friday night that ws easily visiable from the Federal camp. Battles were fairly well done with no one busting scenario, although we were all surprised when the battle on Sunday ended so quickly. Would have liked to have seen a little more disorder in the CS withdrawls but can't really knock them since they did call some good hits. Kudos to the guys in the center of the Cornfed lines who bit the sharpnel and took the first hits during Saturday's battle. The quick ending on Sunday worked well for me, since at taps I was only about 200 yds from my car:-). Spent a little time to public outreach with the spectators then hit the truck and drove back to camp(thus avoiding another climbing of the hill of death) to load and see if anyone needed a ride to their car.

Rations were reasonable and definatly varied-fresh pork, bacon, corn on the cob, potatos, onions ,canned tomatos, canned corned beef hash, canned peaches, oatmeal, rice ,and soft hardtack, although it would have been nice to include some salt and pepper in the ration. No one went hungry except by choice. MY thanks to the company for at least trying the vegatable stewop we cooked for dinner Saturday, man I wish I had had a little garlic and some hot sauce to throw in it for you'll.


Thanks to the guys in Co. 'C", which defied reenactor math and took the field bigger than the last each time it went out.

[bsbaker]

I think it was Wednesday or Thursday of last week that I got on the site and it said there were no walk-ons and registration was closed. My wife, my brother, my daughter, and myself made the four hour trip up there as spectators anyways. We were bummed out when we got there to find we probably could've just fell in, since there weren't as many reenactors as expected. We still had a blast though. It was a bit windy on Saturday for the baby, but nothing a blanket couldn't handle.. It was actually the first reenactment my wife had ever been to. I pretty sure she was joking, but she caught me off guard when she said,"I wish I lived back then so I could eat funnel cakes and corn dogs all the time too."

[Spinster]

Really? Now that's a shame.

Reading is Fundamental. Here's the site link that included the standards, and preregistration requirements. You might wish to bookmark it so you'll be able to find it next time. By proper preparation, you may be able to participate as a citizen of the town with your family, camp in a soldier-only area, or in the mixed camp areas which are not interpreted.
http://www.perryvillebattlefield.org/index.html

That link was, of course, previously well-publicized here.

I'm glad your wife is more observant than I. I did not see the one modern food vendor (a local group doing fund raising in a park building for additional land acquistion) until they were packing it up on Sunday afternoon.

I did however, get the experience of making two pots of 'stone soup' since wagon drivers are always hungry, and I was packed light.

[10TN]

Mrs. Lawso-were those the same secesh loving wagon drivers we apprehended Sunday morning trying to sneak by our camp with a load of Reb scum cowering in the back?;-). Our officers let them leave, but the rank and file felt we should have hauled them off to prison and enjoyed a nice ox-tail soup and fresh 'beef' meal:-)

[Spinster]

Yassir Mistah Hares,

Glad you caught THAT SET of miscreants.

Took more than 24 hours for Doc B to convince somebody in authority that the kind lady giving things to the Federal soldiers was actually counting troops. Then a large ladling of moral indignation and my late son's Mexican War medal still got me out of trouble.

Yessir, I'm Loyal. But to who?

[Pvt. Rufus Guy]

Mrs. Lawson,

A fun experience we had on Saturday afternoon when we marched through the village towards the battle. Several of the townfolk's women came up to us with baskets of goodies. I made out with an ear of corn that when roasted on the fire Sunday morning made a fine tasting breakfast. I also obtained an apple that I placed in my haversack and enjoyed while waiting for the Rebs on top of the hill the next afternoon as well as a tin of tooth powder. Not to mention the bakery treats that didn't make as far as the next fenceline. Yumm!

Thanks also to Judy B. and Donna D. for several more tasty bakery treats that day and the next.

Our final trip through the town was a little bit more haphazard as we were sent straight in on a skirmish line to filter through the village's residents and search for Secesh. We didn't find any, but the villagers were up for the scenario and helped to make it fun. One gentleman with a black lab across from Ezra Barnhouse had an interesting remark when I asked him if his dog was Secesh or Unionist and he replied: "The dog is 100% Unionist. . . . . I on the other hand may not be entirely."


Pvt. Rufus Guy
6th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company A
& Ohio Valley Civil War Association

[10TN]

Just shows the advantage civilians have in 'civilized warfare':-).If we had been good Huns we would have just cut off everybodies heads, thrown them in a pile, and then burned the place down. Since we were moving on and had no use for it why not:-)

["Doc" Nelson]

If we had been good Huns we would have just cut off everybodies heads, thrown them in a pile, and then burned the place down.
Well, that would make for an interesting event :mrgreen: .

[chad greene]

Folks,
I just got this from the park.

All,
Perryville is over and now that we have dug out our offices we can report this.
The event raised $4,000.00 from reenactor registration that was applied to our museum project - Woo Hoo!!!!
We registered 580 reenactors and probably had around 3,500 spectators over the weekend.
The weather was great after a little rain on Friday morning and most everyone who spoke to me expressed they had a great time and Perryville gets "better every year."
I appreciate the effort everyone made in keeping everything true to the Civil War soldier and civilian. As usual all the folks who worked on the event and there is just too many of them to mention by name - did a great job.
My favorite part was the oxen. The Four Kings were the coolest thing I have seen at a reenactment in a long time.
We had Union reenactors from Denmark and England as well as artillery that traveled from Minnesota.
I hope everyone got home safely and all is well.
Thanks,
Joni House

Thank you to all the men who participated with the Blues. We will be posting pictures soon. It was good to see you all again.
Chad Greene

[Pvt. Rufus Guy]

The Leprechaun! Hahahaha.

Yes, the oxen team was absolutely awesome. I talked with that guy for a while. All four of them beasts had names like pets (Two of them were named Charlie and George). He said they weighed 2,200 pounds each. Very cool!

And my first time with the Western Federal Blues was a fine experience. Knapsack inspections, pay call, mail call, early revielle, staff quarters, quartermastor depot, rations issued . . . . . . . It was obvious that you guys worked very hard and did your homework. Three cheers and a Tiger to the staff that made it all possible!!!


Pvt. Rufus Guy
6th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company A

[Spinster]

Yes, the oxen team was absolutely awesome. I talked with that guy for a while. All four of them beasts had names like pets (Two of them were named Charlie and George). He said they weighed 2,200 pounds each. Very cool!


Pvt. Rufus Guy
6th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company A

Gerry Barker's Red Durham oxen are, by his own admission, named for the Four Kings of England for which he has the greatest dislike: Charles, George, William, and James.

The boys are about six years old, and controlled by voice--at these weights they would have to be! They recognize their names, and people they've seen before, with an excellent memory of who has been nice to them--and who has NOT! They make their living reconstructing period structures, and working on land that would be damaged by heavy machinery.

In addition to their general working ability to pull anything from cannon to logs, they also pull a "Virginia Wagon"--a style that is older and smaller than a Conestoga. The blue wagon was made by Mr. Barker, from the wheel components right on up, and includes such features as period paint made from local clays and pigments.

I'm fortunate that oxen move slowly--though steadily, as my ambition for the last several years is focused on following that blue Virginia wagon, and acquiring the necessary skills to do so.

I am still giggling at the woman who was so utterly surprised when the seated ox I was lounging on Saturday afternoon (hey, oxen are warm and old bones like that) suddenly turned his head. She thought he was a prop, and not real. :p

[flattop32355]

Several of the townfolk's women came up to us with baskets of goodies...as well as a tin of tooth powder.

That weren't no lady with the tooth powder: That was Mrs. Lawson! :)

She passed out those tins, and as she passed, she made remarks about how glad she was we Union boys were there. But she said it in such a way, without emotion, that I grew suspicious, and decided to watch her. She then went over to the side and stared intently at the first company....lips pursed and definitely concentrating on something. She was counting our numbers all the time, even while passing out the tooth powder tins. As a lowly private, I just couldn't get any officer to believe me when I told them what she was up to.

[tenfed1861]

I had a good time this past weekend.I ment a lot of good people this weekend.Doc,it was finally good to meet you too.Mrs. Lawson,thank you for helping keep me warm on Sat. night (that sounded bad).Mint,the pipe smokes great.I've had several of my classmates ask about during rehearsal last night when I came into the theatre smoking it.The Malodieans were,as usual,a blast to watch.Sitting up late Sat. night listening to Mr. Baker talk about the conditions of indentured servents was pretty powerful.Leading a group of ROTC cadets with a drill sargent later coming up and saying that I could have used him to keep the cadets in line.Seeing the newly renovated museum was very interesting.Though it may be small,it sounds like Joni and the folks have lots of plans for the park still to come.All will be great memories.So I met a lot of good,kind-hearted,people and I must say,I had a blast (except getting 2 rotten apples in a row).

["Doc" Nelson]

As a lowly private, I just couldn't get any officer to believe me when I told them what she was up to.
Bernie,
The boys went in there Sunday, looking to detain her for her "suspicious activity". Not sure if that played out?? Would have been interesting to watch Mrs. L. put a hurt on those boys, LOL.

[flattop32355]

Bernie,
The boys went in there Sunday, looking to detain her for her "suspicious activity". Not sure if that played out?? Would have been interesting to watch Mrs. L. put a hurt on those boys, LOL.

I'm the one that got that going. My Captain sent a squad to arrest her, then we got countermanded by higher authority. I did think the sergeant in charge was going to cry when she resisted (quite strenuously), having no clue how to proceed.

[Jubilo]

Dear Folks,
How were the battles? I have seen and particpated in both superb and less than satisfactory battles at Perryville . One of the most realistic appearing was one year when the Confederate infantry, commanded by Todd Huston, took small arms casualties at 200 yards plus! A most impressive sight.

all for the old flag,
David Corbett

[Micah Trent]

Thanks to Joni, Kurt, and the staff at the park for another great event. Thanks to Chad Greene and fellow WFB staff for making our camp life and rations programs top notch, but it was the men in camp that made it possible. I am glad they enjoyed their experience. Thanks to Mike Davis, Thad Gallagher, Gary Weedman, Capt. Borland and Ken Cornett for their service. Also, thanks to Bev Simpson for her work in coordinating the LH Village.
Seeing the oxen team work this weekend was a sight to behold. Seeing those six federal guns lined up on the ridge on Sunday was awesome looking.
Was good to meet new faces, especially those from this forum. And Mint, the little pipe smokes great!!!
And for the record, I kept my word once again and did not Brevet Bernard Beiderman.;) (and there was much rejoicing...yea!)

[Spinster]

.Mrs. Lawson,thank you for helping keep me warm on Sat. night (that sounded bad).....................Sitting up late Sat. night listening to Mr. Baker talk about the conditions of indentured servents was pretty powerful.

Once again Cullen, Fieldcraft Is For Everyone:

You had a fair start on spending a comfortable night Saturday night. You had chosen a place on the lower side of the hill, low enough to be out of the wind, high enough out of the 'Bottoms' that you were not in the area where the coldest air would sink to. 20 feet higher on that hill would have made a significant difference in warmth, as cold air was settling in the Bottoms through the night.

You had a barrier behind you, in the form of a mound of hay--providing both wind break and a reflector for the heat of the fire. Once again, good, though that hay could have proved problematic near the fire had the wind kicked up.

You were packed lightly--one gum and a summer weight coverlet, with a cotton warp and a wool weft. Easy to carry, but not enough warmth for one man.

I improved your situation with an item you would have carried, had you been a Federal soldier--a shelter half on top of you. Then I added an additional painted cloth.

Your situation would have also improved had you been with messmates in the soldiers camp rather than by a fire in the civilian town. On a night with temperatures like Saturday night, two men spooned together near the fire, with two summer coverlets and two painted cloths, would have slept comfortably--three spooned up together might have complained of the heat.

I think you had a on sleeping cap, but I did not see you change your socks--rubbing your feet briskly and changing your socks right before bedtime will make a big difference.

While I handed you a chemical handwarmer that I use for my diabetic feet, the same purpose could have been served by placing a rock in the fire and pulling it out right before bedtime.

Finally, you would have also fared better had you made a small stack of wood within your reach, so you could feed that fire--it was virtually out by morning when it was time to cook again. Under normal circumstances, I would have banked that fire up about eleven, and gotten up for a few minutes to feed it sometime in the predawn.

Integral to your experience Saturday night was the storytelling going on as those with old aching bones sat up late. The stories Mr. Barker told about the conditions of late 18th-early 19th century indentured servants are of the sort you would have heard from your grandmother, if you were common 'Kentucky poor', with a family that settled during the Boone era.

This sort of back story is integral to knowing who you are as a soldier--why you hold certain values, and why you are fighting. So many seem to spring up into uniform with no knowledge of who they were before the war, and no ambition as to who they will be after the war. You've gained a piece that makes you a more whole character.

[Spinster]

I'm the one that got that going. My Captain sent a squad to arrest her, then we got countermanded by higher authority. I did think the sergeant in charge was going to cry when she resisted (quite strenuously), having no clue how to proceed.

Why Doc B, all I did was sternly refuse to go with an armed man who was a stranger to me, and one who offered me no escort nor chaperone nor assurance of personal safety. I would have expected such conduct of a ruffian in the Home Guard, but not of a Federal Regular. They must just take anyone in the army these days. I've heard they are taking Irish right off the boat.

An old woman with her late son's Mexican War medal pinned on would not be anything but Loyal. ;)

[Mint Julep]

Fieldcraft, schmieldcraft!

I was prepared to go it alone in the village that weekend, but Mrs. Lawson had other ideas! Wait, that didn't sound right, did it? Never mind ...

When I arrived Friday night, I found Mrs. Lawson had claimed a spot under a fly for me and then placed a ground cloth and feather mattress upon the ground therein for my use. I slept so well that, right then and there, I swore to myself "I shall never go hungry again!" No, wait, that was Scarlett O'Hara ... "I shall never sleep on the ground again!"

I couldn't have been warmer if I'd been at home in my own bed with the wife cuddled up on one side and the dog piled up on the other.

[Spinster]

See Mint, it's like Larry sez:

I am a civilian. I have better stuff, more of it, and I work as a teamster so I don't have to carry that stuff.

all that in mind who WOULD want to be a soldier?

[yankeecav]

I'm the one that got that going. My Captain sent a squad to arrest her, then we got countermanded by higher authority. I did think the sergeant in charge was going to cry when she resisted (quite strenuously), having no clue how to proceed.

War is he**. I hope to have you in my company again sometime.

[Spinster]

And, as someone has recently asked that we do more 'how to" so folks will know how to obtain something, here's more on the feather bed MJ found so enticing:

http://www.oldandinteresting.com/history-feather-beds.aspx

The particular feather bed I carted to Perrryville normally lays upon an 18th century rope bed in my upstairs room. Under it is a straw filled ticking for firmness, then the cushy feather bed ticking, and finally a set of linen sheets made from directions in The Workwoman's Guide, then some woolen blankets and a decorative linsey coverlet. Its as much trouble to make up as it sounds.

Period feather beds were usually no more than loose feathers in a sack, that needed fluffing daily. They were time consuming to assemble and a valuable household item. In the normal course of business, such a thing would stay in the house, and not get dragged about on the ground, subject to wet and dirt.

With that problem in mind, I used a slightly different method to assemble that feather bed. First, I made a ticking (specs below) and then I obtained a modern feather mattress. These items tend to weigh around 15 pounds, and, at the time I made them, cost about $100 retail. They are normally encased in a 'down proof' white cover, in order to keep the feathers from poking through. Occassionally, you might get really lucky and find one at a yard sale for next to nothing.

I folded the modern feather mattress into thirds, tacked that down with a few threads and worked it into the ticking sack. Some extra length was folded up at the head, to make a pillow of sorts. Certainly one could just empty all these feathers out into the tick and sew it up, but I chose to make the interior mattress removable. If the ticking gets wet, removing the feather mattress will speed the drying process. If it gets under water (yes, creeks do rise) a nice long afternoon in a commercial dryer will solve that problem, and the ticking can be washed separately.

How to make a ticking:

For a straw tick, follow the simple instruction in the USSC Bulletin, Vol. 1, Number 31:
"Bedsack of burlap or ticking, 2 yards and 12 inches long; 40 inches wide. Sew all around. Cut opening in middle 27 inches long; close with three [3] buttons; put a stay at each end of opening and one under each button. Required, 3 knots linen thread.

Pillow Sacks of ticking or crash: 16 inches wide, 30 inches long. Leave openings in middle of one end. Close with two buttons."

[Mint Julep]

I do need to add my "teaching the masses moment" ...

This fellow stopped me and asked why the Stars and Bars were no where to be seen at the event. I could see the First National flying in the Confederate camp in the distance and asked he meant that flag or the other flag. He meant the other flag. So, first, I explained that the Stars and Bars was actually the national flag and the other was a St. Andrews cross and of eastern design and origin. Then I explained the omission was historical, not hysterical. The flag had not yet been issued to the CS troops in the western theater. I then pointed out the Hardee Corps flag and explained to him that even when the St. Andrews cross flags were issued in Dalton, Ga, in 1864, THOSE flags were retained by special request and it was a matter of honor.

Clearly, this tater had not a clue. I recommended he obtain D. Cannon's book for other examples of CS flags and chronology of use. He seemed enlightened and thanked me for the information. He expressed his mistaken concerns about PC hostility toward the other flag and I agreed it was just awful, wondering if he realized his own ignorance was no better than those that oppose the flag.

But, no one was injured, no blood was drawn and a tater walked away with a better understanding of the situation.

And everyone thinks I'm a meanie ...

[6thkentucky]

The event itself was very nice. I really enjoyed it. Everyone there did a good job to see that we were taken care. Everyone was really nice. It was good seeing friends new and old. It was nice to finally meet Joni House. Thanks for all your work.

I hate that I missed seeing Micah and Doc Nelson. It was cool getting a message thru the lines from Micah, that's never happened before. I'm sorry I didn't meet Mrs. Lawson and Mint, I marched through your camp and tried to keep my company from carrying off everything you had.

That being said I have been reenacting for 6 years and I have never walked off the field after a battle and had spectators tell me the battle sucked. It happened this weekend.

The tactical and both battles just were not very good for us. Saturday morning we walked 2 miles and stood on a blacktop road and dodged cars for an hour. When we finally engaged we got to shoot about 10 rounds before it was stopped and we had to come back to camp. It wasn't worth getting up for.

On Saturdays battle we stood and shot at the side of hill at no one for over half the battle. I finally just took a hit, it was more fun being dead.

Sundays battle was even worse. Three charges up a hill and once there we didn't even shoot. Only saw the yanks once that day. I don't think it lasted 15 minutes total.

I have been told none of this was according to plan. I hope next year it works out better. It was too good of an event to have such bad battles.

[johnerys]

" Then a large ladling of moral indignation and my late son's Mexican War medal still got me out of trouble. "

Mrs Lawson, what MexicanWar medal are you refering to? I collect US medals and the only Mexican War Era medal I know of is the unofficial Aztexc Club medal, which is pretty rare today.

[Spinster]

Mistah Rys,

It was gold and shiney. It had a big nasty eagle on it. I kept my fingers over the front and spoke with great indignation anytime someone questioned me.

I lied. They bought it.:p

[flattop32355]

Mistah Rys,

It was gold and shiney. It had a big nasty eagle on it. I kept my fingers over the front and spoke with great indignation anytime someone questioned me.

I lied. They bought it.:p

Some bought it. Some didn't want to fool with it.

I wanted to haul your arse off to jail, but got over-ruled. ;)

You are a sly dog, Mrs. Lawson. In case you don't realize it, that's a compliment.

[Pvt. Rufus Guy]

Yes, I would agree that the battle scenarios turned out to be very poor at best and apparently did not go as planned. (Do they ever?)

On the Federal side, we got whupped during the Saturday morning tactical. Aside from standing in tall weeds in a halted skirmish line for over 30 minutes, I thought that it didn't turn out too bad compared to the afternoon affairs.

On Saturday afternoon we also fired for quite a while at a hillside and couldn't see anybody over the ridge. I was the first Yankee casualty and that was AFTER firing 15 rounds. I was in the second rank and fell directly behind the postion from where I was previously standing and firing. For some reason our line never advanced up the hill and I lay on the ground within kicking distance of the second rank the entire time until resurrection.

On Sunday afternoon I kept thinking that we'd charge up and over the hill. Several of my company planned to take a glorious fall at the top of the hill but for some reason we never charged. And then all of a sudden the battle was over. Most of us suspected that a real injury halted the proceedings but we never learned what the deal was. The only Rebs I saw were the Cavalry and once I caught sight of the tops of some hats on the other side of the hill but never saw more.

Oh well, the event as a whole was an awesome experience and it was an absolute pleasure to fall in under the Western Federal Blues. They took care of us 1st class.

[Jubilo]

Dear Sir,
I cannot comment on whether or not battle scenarios go as planned but I have seen and particpated in some battles at Perryville that simulated Civil War tactics and were actually exhilerating . This was Federal Commader Greene versus Confederate commander Huston and perhaps that accounts for the better experience. It is my opinion that more reenactors should make Perryville an annual event.
all for the old flag,
David Corbett

[Spinster]

Bernie,

Georgia. Be there. Clues have been issued liberally.

bringing a knife to a gun fight:rolleyes: