Regulars At Gettysburg

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The Regular The Official Newsletter of Sykes Regulars July Regular

Field Commander’s Report

June 2000
Although I missed my first Gettysburg event since 1990 because of a slight medical problem, my thoughts were with the men as they attended this year’s event. From the reports that I received from various members of the National Regiment, the Regulars were splendid. Well done lads, and no surprise to me.
Next of our schedule is Meade’s HQ, with Manassas and Chancellorsville around the bend.
Yos,
D.M. Rivera


Brigade Schedule, July - August, 2000
Date: 22 - 23 July, 2000
Event: Meade’s Head Quarters, Gettysburg National Park, Gettysburg, PA.
Info: Enlisted will either guard the officers’ tent, or appear as wounded. Officers will act as a generic staff after the battle. The FLRS is offering food for $5.00 per day on Saturday and Sunday. This year, we will be on the knoll above the Leister House. This will hopefully provide more of an audience, as well as being cooler than down in the hollow.
Uniform: Enlisted; weapon, bayonet, leathers, canteen, sack coat, kersey trousers, campaign or forage cap, and dog tent (if you are sleeping there). Officers; the usual.
Directions: We will set up above the Leister House and near the Cyclorama.


Date: 25 - 27 August, 2000
Event: Living History, Manassas National Park, Manassas, VA.
Info: We have been invited to the park, and will give a rendition of the Forgotten Regular.
Uniform: Those who have the pre-war uniform with Hardee Hats, white gloves, and scales, may wear them this weekend as I wish to show the public the difference in the uniforms. Otherwise, sack coat, kersey trousers, CLEAN weapon and bayonet, POLISHED brass, leathers, canteen, forage cap, and dog tent.
Directions: The park is split by U.S. 29 and is located north of the city of Manassas and west of Fairfax. More information will be forthcoming in next month’s Regular.

22 - 24 September, Chancellorsville.



Winter Quarters Report

Construction has begun in earnest on South Mountain. A fatigue detail of around 10 men struggled against the nature to hack and saw and bulldoze a settlement that the Regulars can call home. Tribute is given this detail for their initiative and skill at taking the sweat of their brow and turning it into structures where soldiers will reside in the cold winter months. This place will be the Regulars home base where we can gather for winter events and do our spring shakedown. It will also be a place for great living history.
We also again give thanks to the Larry and Julie McGrane for letting us have this opportunity. It is truly a magnanimous gesture.
As of now, the overall site has been cleared and there are two roads leading to the area. The upper road is for transport of supplies by the mechanized wagon (tractor). We will need to do some more leveling on this road so that it will be safe for the large wheels of Larry’s machine.
Three lots have been leveled and a fourth is in process. This is no easy task in itself as the site is on a mountain side and a lot of earth was moved to make a proper foundation for the huts. One hut was located near a tree’s root system and the tree was tenacious in giving it up.
The first cabins to go up will be the First Sgt’s ,the officers, musicians and enlisted. Four log courses of the First Sgt’s already been constructed. (we of course couldn’t build our own first with out practice ) This again is no easy task. Trees are being felled judiciously as we do not want to denude the area too greatly. The huts will most likely be 5 to six courses high in timber and the remainder of the height will need to be made up through excavation of the floor. One to two feet down should suffice.
The weekend started with Mike Wassel and Don Rivera securing slab wood from the local saw mill. This wood will come in handy for roofing and other uses. Eric S, Tank, Jason spent the morning leveling the First Sgt’s lot and Jim W cut and cleared the upper road with the help of Wayne H and Larry continued excavating and clearing brush with his mighty tractor. By lunch time we were ready to start timbering.
Several trees had already been downed so we started the development of our notching skills. Jim W, Tank and Jason combined their skills into a first rate timbering team. The first course was lad on corner stones and the rest were notched to fit going up just like the Lincoln logs we played with as kids. We developed a good system of notching using the chain saws, axes and large chisels, one keeping an eye on the other. It was a good team effort that yielded good results. Some cuts were made too deep and some measurements were off but after a time we were like old pros. All that were there pitched in. The work was hard but with more hands it will be easier.
If you would like to see photos of our efforts, check out the picture gallery.
The important thing about this weekend was that we made a good start and proved to ourselves that this winter camp can be made a reality. We hope to show by our efforts that with relatively few hands and little time we accomplished much. So with a lot of hands and a weekend’s time we can accomplish much more. All we need is, is the membership to give up some time during one of our work weekends, even if it’s a half day to pitch in and build something that will last and something to be proud of. Even if you doubt your skills you can contribute much. Some of these timber aren’t light and the more hands we have carrying it the lighter the load. What we will do each work weekend is everyone work on the cabin in process and proceed to the next one. This way the camp will be built by all of us and it will be done much quicker. Any one that has construction skills will be put where they will be best utilized and the rest will pitch in to make it happen.
The next work weekend will be scheduled for September as the heat and summertime schedules tend to interfere. We are hoping for a good turn out of Regulars. Look for more information in the forthcoming Regulars and start sharpening your axes.

Written by
The Pioneer Company

Gettysburg
137 Years Later
Yet we gathered once more to those fields where brave brothers choked on the dust of summer and conducted a struggle to the death to prove themselves in the right. It’s difficult to deny the call of these fields. However many times we’ve been there and no matter the weather, the Regulars respond to this call. As do many others of the same passion. We all arrive like pilgrims to land of Mecca. The monumental clash of arms that occurred here is a pivotal point in history. One of those moments in the course of human events that transcends time and is palatable to those sensitive to such things. We are such men.
This three day weekend was particularly satisfying in that an abomination that had cast a pall on this hallowed ground for many years was ceremoniously destroyed in several blinks of an eye. We are of course talking of the infamous Tower that spewed music at us to our torment at every living history at the Leister House. But more on that later.

The lads arrived on Friday evening to fine weather and pitched their canvas domiciles bivouac style and proceeded to gather provision in the darkness. Wood was plentiful but of the matchstick variety ( no logs, just a lot of bark), water was close by and the sutlers were a rocks throw from camp. The only complaint was that we were on a bald hill except for the lone tree nearby that the officers deigned their ‘number 1’ tree.
The evening grew cool and as we walked down the lane we found the McGrane’s US Christian Commission camped nearby. It was great to see the Swiss Family McGrane out once again in full force. Finnian McGrane was toddling all over the field and is growing into a fine strapping young soldier.
The McGranes had for their neighbor Brennan’s Tavern with Mrs. Brennan in attendance as proprietor. It was good to once more see Miss Stephanie bring her charming brand of hospitality to the field and to meet her daughter Emily who was most helpful to the workings of the tavern. Of course Mr. Theodore Brennan garners credit for constructing this fine establishment at the behest (or was it command) of his lovely wife. It was interesting to have the Christian Commission and the tavern in such proximity because it goes to prove that on any block where a church resides there is sure to be a tavern or two. The lads were at a loss when they approached and so in true diplomatic fashion visited both establishments.
The commissary was established and some victuals were prepared for a late supper. The lads caught up on the latest news and soon found their bunks to sleep in fine sleeping temperatures of upper 50’s low 60’s.
Saturday dawned to a 6:00 reveille and coffee was soon boiling. With the help of his able staff, Jim Wassel prepared the traditional eggs, onions and peppers with bacon and bread. After morning chores, shining brass and polishing rifles, the Regulars assembled for dress parade and found that we were part of the second of three companies that the constituted the NR .
Owing to the fact that Captain Rivera was on sick leave, Captain Marc Adler of the 119th NY took the helm. Mr. Adler has always been one of the Regulars favorites and we were pleased to be led by this able officer once again. In addition to the lads of the 119th NY, our brothers in the 96th PA also joined us to create and excellent company. Steve Hanson was our First Sergeant and Will Hutchison was the adjutant. Mr. Frank Hall was the Sgt Major.
We also found that we were in the midst of population explosion of musicians. Including our own bugler Adam Leonard and drummer Logan McGrane, our company had three additional drummers and two fifers. This grand little band of lads constituted the NR music and in the absence of Dave Runner (head musician for the NR), Logan McGrane took the reins of command as he was the senior with the rank of Lance Corporal. Sgt. Major Hall kept this little man and his musicians hopping and Logan took the orders like a seasoned professional befitting the reputation of Regular. Kudos are bestowed upon Mr. McGrane for taking this brevet command and doing a first rate job. This lad will some day be a Gene