A Private Looks at Shiloh

[Jubilo]

The 150th Blue-Gray Alliance Battle of Shiloh reenactment was exciting, physically demanding at times, most enjoyable and seemed to attract every reenactor west of the 1763 Treaty of Paris Demarcation Line.

The battles featured sensational rolling musketry, impressive, elongated battle lines, Ruggle's Battery massed cannon fire, and high-energy enthusiasm amongst the troops. The combat often seemed realistic and not staged as units charged or retreated, clouds of smoke choking the battlefield. Pushing Federal troops into the woods and having them surrender was superb.
Logistics and weather raised their ugly heads but the particpants carried on in spite of rain, mud and shortages. Manassas seems to have had the best infra-structure of Sesquicentennial events so far.

I would have enjoyed seeing a mounted General Johnston, Beauregard, Grant and Sherman and Negro man-servants with their officers in the camps.

Lack of drill, Federal commander insubordination , a unit on the field with fixed bayonets (?), were somewhat telling and one would have thought the spirit of the Sesquicentennial would have instilled a desire to excel. Apparently registration money and warm bodies trump behavior.

On a personal note, when the Cotton States Battalion over-ran the Federal camp Saturday morning, the only breakfast we found left by the fleeing Yankees was a half cup of cold coffee on an officer's field-desk and a broken piece of hardtack. Surely to be historically accurate the coffee should have been hot!
all for the old flag,
David Corbett

[Spinster]

Grin.

Private Corbett, whose camp did you overrun? If it was the big Sibley camp, it had not really been occupied yet, as it's men were on the march from Pittsburg Landing. We'd not quite finished 'salting' the camp with debris when the Federal line broke and we had to duck inside a tent and leave the camp guard to keep an eye. Hard tack spins like a frisbee if you throw it right.

As a general rule, I've found the Federal commanders pretty cooperative men(though I did encounter one outlier who seemed to have mistaken his tookus for a hat)---and I bet they'd pay to know the extent of your desertion last weekend.

Are you coming down to Marbury in a few weeks?

[Jubilo]

Dear Mrs. Lawson,
(Flourish of the hat to the lady), yes, HO! For Confederate Memorial Park!
I caught but a glimpse of you in Purdy and was unable for social visits due to being physically worn out by my martinet commanders!
Thank you for your unrewarded efforts and dilgence. If only you were a general!
all for the old flag,
David Corbett

[hiplainsyank]

The battalion with fixed bayonets practices doing that. Nothing to worry about with that, sir.

[Capt Terry]

The battalion with fixed bayonets practices doing that. Nothing to worry about with that, sir.

I beg to differ. It has long been a safety practice not to have fixed bayonets on the field. Practice or not, if this practice is continued someone will get hurt. Someone need to rethink doing this and stop before that happens.

[cardshark]

thanks for the event report. bayonets on the field are 100% accurate but you are correct. one accident and the whole hobby is in question. although someone got shot at 135 gettysburg and still it carried on. i wish i could go however work has gotten in the way of reenacting for me. for now.

federals could have left breakfast on the fire for you. how rude indeed.

[Ala-Sippi Rifle]

One of the civilian folks I am friends with said he was almost skewered by one of the soldiers with bayonets fixed when the soldier tripped over a tree root while heading to the battlefield. Fixed bayonets while on the march in the type of slick,muddy terrain with hidden tripping hazards that we were in is NEVER a good idea no matter how much somebody practices.

[lincolnsguard]

Looks like "cool" was more important than safety.

[RJSamp]

Actually there is Jo. People trip, regardless of practice. I came close to getting stabbed during the IMAX filming of the Charge of the 2nd Wisconsin as the guy to my left fell. I ended up stepping on his bayonet and bending it severely, narrowly missing skewering the guy in front of me with my own bayonet as I stumbled.

There is NO EXCUSE for this blatant safety violation. The opposing Federal force\commander were upset, to say the least.
I know of no event that allows fixed bayonets out on the battlefield other than to stack arms. I know Nick's boys regularly charge the crowd at the end of battles (a real crowd pleaser) and I guess this would be an allowable exception.