JoeBordonaro
06-05-2006, 07:38 PM
Friends,
Here is a short account of the recent reenactment of a portion of the Battle of Cross Keys. The federal reenactors were portraying the 8th New York Volunteer Infantry:
June 3
We fought at a little town called Cross Keys this morning. We marched over a hill in Line of Battle and the rebs were right over the crest, waiting for us behind a stone wall. They were no more than 50 yards away. We did not even have time to raise our muskets to our shoulders before their first volley shattered our ranks. I was in the second rank and had time to fire, but after I fired I saw other men running and I am ashamed to say that I tried to do the same. A file closer grabbed me by the arm and spun me around and pushed me back in line. I tried to load my rifle but as I was reaching back for a cartridge I felt what seemed like a heavy blow to my chest and fell to the ground, stunned. As I lay there I heard that d**n rebel yell and heard the footsteps of the reb skirmishers as they strode by me. As I began to lose consciousness I thought that "if only we had skirmishers out in front of our line we wouldn't have been slaughtered"....And then I knew no more.
I think someone was filming this reenactment. If so, I'd love to see our line of battle come over the hill and see that stone wall. When they sounded the recall those of us who had taken hits got up, and there were a lot of us, so it probably looked pretty realistic. The next day's battle, a recreation of a portion of the Battle of Port Republic was much longer, so don't be too critical of the short length of this reenactment. As they say, more to come.
-Joe Bordonaro
Here is a short account of the recent reenactment of a portion of the Battle of Cross Keys. The federal reenactors were portraying the 8th New York Volunteer Infantry:
June 3
We fought at a little town called Cross Keys this morning. We marched over a hill in Line of Battle and the rebs were right over the crest, waiting for us behind a stone wall. They were no more than 50 yards away. We did not even have time to raise our muskets to our shoulders before their first volley shattered our ranks. I was in the second rank and had time to fire, but after I fired I saw other men running and I am ashamed to say that I tried to do the same. A file closer grabbed me by the arm and spun me around and pushed me back in line. I tried to load my rifle but as I was reaching back for a cartridge I felt what seemed like a heavy blow to my chest and fell to the ground, stunned. As I lay there I heard that d**n rebel yell and heard the footsteps of the reb skirmishers as they strode by me. As I began to lose consciousness I thought that "if only we had skirmishers out in front of our line we wouldn't have been slaughtered"....And then I knew no more.
I think someone was filming this reenactment. If so, I'd love to see our line of battle come over the hill and see that stone wall. When they sounded the recall those of us who had taken hits got up, and there were a lot of us, so it probably looked pretty realistic. The next day's battle, a recreation of a portion of the Battle of Port Republic was much longer, so don't be too critical of the short length of this reenactment. As they say, more to come.
-Joe Bordonaro