150th Anniversary Battle of Lone Jack, Missouri - August 17-19 2012

[Dan Hadley]

Rather late notice, but we're seeking interested folks to fill the ranks of a Confederate battalion for commemoration of the Battle of Lone Jack 150th, August 17-19, 2012.

The impression will represent the mounted infantry forces led by Confederate Col. Jeremiah Vardaman Cockrell the summer of 1862. Under orders from Maj. Gen. Thomas Hindman, Cockrell, along with a number of other independently led Confederate commands, ventured north into Missouri from Arkansas on a recruiting campaign. Evading Federal forces along the way, they attracted hundreds of fresh, untrained recruits who flocked to the recruiting camps, many just days prior to the battle, to avoid compulsory enrollment in the newly formed Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union). Although portraying Confederate troops, a well-researched Missouri State Guard impression will serve as an excellent basis for this event.

Guidelines are posted at http://www.lonejackbattle150.org.

We currently have two companies being organized, and plan to form a third. We would like to round these out into 20-25 men each; Mike Kupsch will lead the Tater Mess company, and Clay Goser will lead The Lamar Rifle company.

Don't feel bad if you're not familiar with this battle, or this event. Few outside Missouri know much about this small, yet brutal fight, and this is the first time a progressive-type event here has been planned. Although this will be a spectator-friendly event with some mainstream characteristics, we are working to incorporate meaningful, memorable content and features for a more demanding participant:

• A march from the site of the original 1862 Confederate camps to the authentic camps at the reenactment site, along the actual Confederate route of approach
• Recruiting camp induction for new recruits, based on researched accounts
• Foraging parties
• Multiple opportunities for unrehearsed interaction with civilians of various loyalties, based on researched accounts
• Sentry duty
• A civilian interpretive area, anchored by a 19th c home with intact outbuildings and recreated interpretive features (heirloom garden, etc.)
• 2.3 mile preservation march from the reenactment site to the museum, to raise awareness of Battlefield Preservation

Concurrent with living history activities at the reenactment site will be weekend-long commemoration activities at the actual battlefield site two miles away- the Lone Jack Battlefield, Museum and Soldiers Cemetery, where the slain are buried in two trench graves. Military and civilian interpreters are invited to take part in an honorary wreath-laying ceremony at the Union and Confederate monuments in the Soldiers Cemetery.

This event is sponsored by, and is a benefit for the Lone Jack Historical Society, a 501 (c) 3 historical org, which manages and operates the Lone Jack Battlefield Museum and Soldiers Cemetery. We are also working to raise money and awareness for the plight of the remaining portions of the Lone Jack battlefield that are threatened by commercial and residential development. Preserving what's left of that land is the 'new' battle of Lone Jack. The Lone Jack battlefield was listed as one of 15 "at risk" sites in the Civil War Trust's 2009 report "History Under Siege". Learn more about our mission at www.historiclonejack.org.

Please contact me with any questions, comments, etc.

Dan Hadley
VP, Lone Jack Historical Society
Tater Mess
www.lonejackbattle150.org

[huntdaw]

I guess one could also commemorate the 150th anniversary of Rooster Cogburn losing his eye too.

[wavey1us]

Dan,
Are you looking for "true" mounted infantry? Have horse will travel.

[Dan Hadley]

Mike, we have been known to hijack ol Rooster occasionally as a marketing tool, in a tongue in cheek kind of way, but the only roosters at the 150th reenactment will have feathers.

[Bill Thurman]

We are local and would be interested as have a inf. unit as well as artillery, Understand you are not looking for artillery, Feel free to P.M. me as we could proably muster several Bill T

[Dan Hadley]

Yes Bill, mounted guys who can support our posted impression guidelines are invited to contact our mounted coordinator Robbie Maupin (mop1617@yahoo.com). For the limited number of mounted participants the reenactment site will accommodate, Robbie is overseeing both Federal and Confederate mounted impressions, so drop him a line.

As awesome as it would be to have all mounted fellows, per the original battle, we cannot logistically pull that off, and must rely on ground pounders for the bulk of our troops. Having available even a limited number of mounted impressions, however, will go a long way towards creating a more realistic environment, for the spectators as well as the participants, especially in the authentic camps.

The Confederate impressions won't be difficult, especially for the battle scenarios, since they fought on foot. The same MSG impressions that fellows were sporting last year at Wilson's Creek will work for Lone Jack also.

More challenging are the Federal impressions, portraying the mounted forces of the Missouri State Militia. The Lone Jack impression guidelines feature a MSM image gallery, and outline easy ways existing infantry impressions can be tweaked to achieve a believable MSM appearance, WITHOUT going down the path of farby dismounted cav impressions.

Check out the guidelines that explain in more detail what we're trying to accomplish, and please advise if you have any questions, etc. Thanks Bill!

[Dan Hadley]

Thanks Bill, I'll send you a message.

[S.D.Swart]

Noticed that the Federal Guidelines were not working at this time. All other guidelines are fine.

S.D.Swart

[Dan Hadley]

Yes I noticed that too! Thanks for the heads up- we let our web person know this morning- I'll holler when it's up again.

Thanks,

Dan Hadley

[Dan Hadley]

Federal Guidelines are back up and running for viewing/downloading.

Dan Hadley