Walking off the field

[Poor Private]

How many here have actually walked off, or taken your troops off a field due unsafe practices by others, or unprofessional leadership?
How many wanted to walk off but was afraid to , because you would be looked down on, or have action taken agains you. So you just put up with it and continue.
I can remember one stupid tactical where our company commmander walked us off the field due to both union and confed commanders were argueing about who knows what for over 5 minutes while the whole battle came to a standstill.
I have walked off the field when a brigade commander stood in front of us cussing and swearing at us because we did what he said and not what he meant. (several others walked away also).

[mmartin4600]

I walked off the field after a charge on a artillery emplacement dissolved into a fistfight. I still don't know what happened. I went and stood with the crowd.

Michael Martin

[indguard]

I have walked my men off once over a ram rod issue.

I also kept my men off the filed years ago over the ignorance of some event organizers.

I was also part of a battalion/brigade that walked off a field and quit an umbrella organization twice, now.

WTH

[Bill_Cross]

We (the Rowdy Pards) once refused to participate at a gray NPS LH when one of the spokesman made unfortunate and perhaps even veiled racist remarks in front of the public. We were vilified by some in attendance for not being "part of the team," but I don't think any right-minded descendant of CSA soldiers wants to support ignorance and prejudice.

[Rachal]

I have threatened to before. Thankfully, the most severe example of unsafe conditions occured at an event near the end of the battle. I simply took the opportunity to retreat back and waited for the battle to end. That event is no longer held, so I will not have to face that scenario again. I will never understand why some people will not elevate when they are close to others, insist on engaging in unscripted hand to hand, or will order firing when they are next to caissons. I guess somebody has to die in front of them first.

[Rachal]

We (the Rowdy Pards) once refused to participate at a gray NPS LH when one of the spokesman made unfortunate and perhaps even veiled racist remarks in front of the public. We were vilified by some in attendance for not being "part of the team," but I don't think any right-minded descendant of CSA soldiers wants to support ignorance and prejudice.

Good job, Bill. I wish more people had the strength of conviction that your group showed.

[Poor Private]

The reason I started this thread was because I figured that it would tie in with the "having fun or not thread". Because if your not having fun you have walked off the field instead of sticking around to put up with nonsense that is going on. If your not having fun why be there?

[OVI]

At Antietam 140, myself and couple of Ohio comrades were in a company of the 2nd Wisconsin and went into the Cornfield early Sat AM. Anyone who was there knows that action devolved into an unsafe CF. When it started to get stupid, I said I aint staying and came out. My mess mate Tyler "Rufus" Underwood decided to do his routed impression and he ran out of the corn shucking his gear. Unfortunately that included his rifle which took us two hours to locate after the battle.
But the point is, it was unsafe in that Cornfield and we left the field.

Kent Dorr - Ohio
"Devils Own Mess"

[Edwin Carl Erwin]

Two years ago I walked away from what proved to be a "ram'n & jam'n" 6 pounder crew I'd fallen in with for a weekend. I left based on their utterly unsafe, clown-like behavior about the piece. I speculate that Ft. Sill would have taken away their red noses had they witnessed the event. Hopefully, Saint Barbara is keeping an eye on that lot.

[Rick Keating]

When I was a company commander I walked my company off the field at least twice because of unsafe conditions.

At an event in Naperville, IL about 17 years ago (farbfest deluxe and still is) a member of my company was shot in the face by a walk-on reb. They broke the scenario and rushed the Union line wanting to do hand-to-hand. At about six feet a musket went off and hit this fellow in the face. Fortunately he blinked at the exact right nano-second so did not get any powder in his eyes. Of course action stopped immediately and after he was tended to I removed the company from the property. We packed and left.

Our company also left the field in the middle of a tactical after a reb dismounted cav guy shot one of my men in the chest with a revolver from a few feet away leaving a powderburn in his coat.

I would never hesitate to remove my men from an unsafe situation. The primary concern for any commander should first and foremost be the safety of the men.

Unsafe situation... we're gone!

Rick Keating