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The Official Newsletter of Sykes Regulars February Regular |
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Reports from the Field Fredericksburg Report Remembrance Day |
Field
Commander’s Report
January
2001
Well, lads, the new year has arrived, and we now
look to set our own personal schedule and authenticity goals.
I ask that we consider attending at least half of the scheduled
events, and attempt to improve our first person impressions. For
those of you who do not have an impression, think of the period
just before the war, What would you have been doing?
Depending on your age, you could have been a store clerk, or a
farmer at one time. You joined the Regulars because Mary's father's
shotgun was too handy, or because you were in debt without the
possibility of recovering. Whatever, while it may seem daunting
at first, once you create "yourself", it is rather easy.
Give it a shot.
As for the events this year, we need your bodies in the ranks.
Set your schedule now, and keep to it. We will have a shake-down
weekend at Fort McHenry in March and will stay inside the Star
Fort. Plan to attend, and sleep in the barracks with the rest
of the Regulars.
Hoping to see many of you this year, I remain your obedient
servant,
Don
February, 2001
Date: February
23-25, 2001
Place: Gettysburg, PA
Event: National Regiment NCO School
Info: This is the
annual National Regiment NCO school where we get to learn from
all the vast resources that the National Regiment can muster.
Everyone is welcome to come. If you are interested contact your
First Sergeants to make registrations and reservations if you
need them. This is an excellent school every year and everyone
learns a lot. Good opportunity to hang out with the pards. School
start early around 8:00Am I believe.
Uniform: Wear your fatigue uniform.
Directions: Go to Gettysburg. Go around the circle and towards the Visitor Center on Steinwehr Ave. Make right onto 116 W . Proceed about 1/2 mile and look for a small sign for US armory. It'll be on the right. Follow signs to the armory.
For this years schedule check the calendar page.
Issues and Interests
Regulars in the 21st
Century
Issues and Interests
Regulars in the 21st Century
Well, we’ve made it to a new century. I don’t think
any of the original Regulars would ever have thought that their
memory would be alive and well in the 21st Century. But here we
are and we will continue in doing what we love. Re-living history
and keeping it alive to expose it to new generations.
Sykes Regulars remains intact and strong. The hobby itself has
its up and down cycles and at times it doesn’t seem that
the interest is as great as it once was. But as students of history
we know that the circle turns. As long as we stay committed to
our goal and enjoy each other, Sykes Regulars will always be a
forerunner in this hobby.
The hobby itself is evolving. If something sits stagnant, it perishes.
The challenge to us as a unit is to maintain our espirit de corp
and to challenge ourselves to widen the scope of the hobby and
in so doing keep our own interest and passion for it alive. By
doing this we also become leaders in the hobby. We can sit around
the campfire and come up with brilliant ideas on how things could
be done, but if we take no action those ideas go up with the smoke
of the fire into the night sky. By taking the initiative to risk
an idea we fulfill what we are out there to do. Bring history
to life. Many ways are in place already and we have mastered them.
Our impression on the battle field is excellent and our living
history presentations are second nature to us now. Where we find
room for improvement on these is in the minutiae and sometimes
we must revisit the basics to keep ourselves sharp. But then what.
We can go further.
We find ourselves pulled away by the rigors of active lifestyles
and we easily dissuade ourselves from coming out to the field.
It is necessary to do this at times but our schedule has been
paired down to accommodate this with a 1 main event a month. Hopefully
this will continue to help with the demands of modern life. But
we need to feel that call of the battle field and as an organization,
Sykes Regulars wants to sound that call well. We want all the
members of the unit to feel welcome and to contribute to the betterment
of the company. We are committed to making the time you spend
on the field something that makes for a great memory.
At the Annual Meeting we discussed the issues and interests of
the brigade and any of you who could not attend, we still want
to hear from you. The board of directors is at your service. We
are there to serve you and make sure you are getting what you
need out of this hobby. But we need to know what that something
is. If you didn’t make the meeting you are always welcome
to contact any member of the board about ideas, issues or proposals
any time. We get lonely without you.
We will also work to come up with new ideas as well as maintain
the high standards that go along with the name ‘Regular.’
We already have some projects in the works but to find our what
they are you have to come out.
Hope to see you on the field.
El Presidente Jim Wassel
WELCOME TO THE REGULARS
SAFETY CORNER
I hope you enjoy this article, one of many articles to come on
safety, as we begin the 2001 re-enacting season. Perhaps you
have seen someone loading their musket when suddenly there was
a flash and cloud of smoke followed by flying powder grains that
struck the person in the face. This is known as a “Cookoff
“ where this name came from is unknown. Perhaps it got its
name because of the several seconds it usually takes for this
to happen or because of what happens to any skin that is in the
way! In any event, it is the name for what happens when a musket
discharges as the powder is being poured down the barrel. The
reason, which causes the soldier’s nightmare, is due to a
spark from a previous discharge that lingers in the barrel. This
is a hazard in all muzzleloaders but is increased under some circumstances.
Dirty muskets are excellent candidates for a “Cookoff”
because the soot in the barrel is perfect for harboring sparks.
Another condition that can increase the chances of a “Cookoff
“is water in the barrel. Powder that is wet or damp can
burn very slowly or only smolder even when you think you had a
good discharge, resulting in a “Cookoff “ when you reload.
There is no foolproof way to prevent a “Cookoff”.
However, there are a few ways to lessen the chances of it happening.
First, the re-enactor should pull his musket out of storage and
run some patches and a brush soaked with good gun solvent like
Hoppes, G.I. Borecleaner or Shooters Choice and see what you missed,
Dry the bore and oil it. Second, clean and dry your musket after
each day’s shooting. Third, do not use damp or wet cartridges
get rid of them. For your own safety, keep the muzzle at least
8 inches from your body when loading and use two fingers to put
the cartridge in the barrel
Written by: Mike May
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For more pics of the Fredericksburg Movie click photo.
A handful of Regulars took
part in the filming of a movie for Fredericksburg National Park.
It will be seen in the visitor’s center hopefully soon. It
was a great experience. One I wish all of the Regulars could have
participated in. The opportunity to traverse a real pontoon bridge
out into the Rappahannock River is one that doesn’t come
but once in a lifetime. To march with the Irish Brigade up the
slope of Marye’s Heights with a sprig of boxwood in your
forage cap is a thing of legend. Even if it is for the benefit
for the camera, the act of reenacting moments such as these are
worth every second.
Jason McConnell, Clark (Hollywood) Oliver and Andy Feickert and
the editor participated on Saturday. We arrived early at 6:00
in the morning to get registered and eat Captain Crunch and drink
copious amounts of coffee. Due to the early hour and the long
sleeves of the great coat and the cold and any other excuse I
can think of, the editor committed the Jonah of dropping his rifle
on the foot of an unsuspecting soldier who happened to be standing
nearby. I heard it hit and judging by the way he jumped a mile
around the tent, I imagined it hurt pretty good. But it was only
the first Jonah of the day.
We finished our coffee and formed column to march down to the
river. We were fortunate in that we did have some of our 
brothers from the
National Regiment attending. Mark McNierney and his boys in the
1st PA Reserves provided us a safe haven where we could fall in.
We stacked our rifles and milled about smartly at the river bank
and watched the engineers fool with their bridge. The day before
Andy and Jason were recruited to help bail out pontoon boats.
They did a fine job but it was an ongoing problem. There were
shifts of volunteers throughout the night to keep the boats afloat.
When we came down to the river in the morning there the bridge
sat. It protruded about a third of the way out into the river.
It didn’t cross entirely because the portrayal they wanted
was the Confederates firing on the engineers as they were building
it. The great thing about this bridge was that it was going up
where the original middle crossing bridge was built.
Our first order of business was to take our entire column which
numbered about 170 men and storm down the bridge. The bridge began
high on the bank and sloped down to the river. The planks were
painted and they were slick. So off we went. Considering we all
were wearing brogans that are well known for their great traction,
we were lucky we all didn’t skid off into the river. We did
this for several shots and the last shot was memorable for the
second Jonah of the day. This one was committed by our own Jason
McConnell. The front of the bridge was about a foot off the ground
so you sort of had to hop up onto it. Jason neglected to do this
and when you’re in the middle of the column and you fall
it’s not just you that falls. He took out at least a dozen
men. When those of us who didn’t get caught in the pile up
turned around we looked and laughed at a huge pile of navy blue
and kersey limbs pointing in all directions. Jason likes to disavow
his Jonah by justifying it. Just because the directors liked the
mass confusion of the crash for his shot doesn’t mean that
it’s still not a Jonah. Nice try though.
We finished charging off and on the bridge which with a little
camera magic will be made to look like hundreds of men crossing
the bridge to the other side. After a little break, the Federals
were ordered to line the bank and put fire on the Confederate
snipers across the
river. These shots looked great with all the battle smoke and
firepower. We really pored it into our imaginary enemy across
the river. Then we ate lunch. Which was excellent by the way.
These folks at Media Magic treated us very well.
After lunch we did more scenes about the bridge. When the director
asked for men with boating experience we figured things were about
to get interesting. After the boatmen were culled out the need
for other brave souls to fill the boats out was called. The boats
were pontoon boats which were a little different from the usual
aquadynamic design of your regular watercraft. In other words
they can tip over easily if you’re not careful. There was
no shortage of brave lads to man the boats and the rest of us
got to cover the sailors as they boarded their raiding craft.
We have some great photos of this on the web site so take a look.
We did a series of takes with men rushing on and off the bridge,
loading into the boats and laying down a covering fire. Mr. Oliver
had another Hollywood moment as he dawned a dry suit under a spare
uniform and took a hit off of one of the boats and splashed into
the cold and murky Rappahannock. Some people will do anything
for attention. Well done Hollywood stunt man.
Once these shots were done the director/cameraman loaded into
a speed raft and took shots of the lads ferrying themselves across
the river with great speed. He asked for looks of terror which
were in no short supply. The lads paddled for their lives, many
with the butts of their rifles. It was very cool.
The sun was fading and the last shots of the day were the boys
disembarking from the boats and scurrying up the river bank to
deal with the pesky Mississippians. We got to be part of this
and ran through the mud of the riverbank like Regulars. It was
intense.
All in all it was a great day we were glad to have been able to
play on a real pontoon bridge in the spot where once one really
stood.
The next day was also an experience of merit and legend. The ill
fated assault of the Irish Brigade on Marye’s Heights.
We arrived later that morning and found the column marching back
and forth towards the river. The shots would be knitted together
to look like hundreds and hundreds of men marching by. Then they
let us have breakfast. As we stood in line to march out the film
folks handed out sprigs from the boxwood bush. We knew that meant
Irish Brigade because as many companies in that brigade were without
their colors. They had been sent home to be repaired after much
battle wear. One company still had their colors. The rest stuck
a sprig of boxwood green in their caps to remember their dear
Erin.
We were brought to a nearby field where we were told to march
in a battle line. We did this so the high weeds would be matted
down for the filming.
We were aligned in four companies and we all were promised time
in front of the camera. One of the companies was commanded by
a real life Irishman who came all the way across the sea to participate
in this film. We wanted to do justice to the Irish and we asked
him if he would teach us how to pronounce “Faugh Ballaugh!”
which was the battle cry of the brigade as it charged the heights.
It means “Clear the way!.”
When it came time to make the advance with all the passion we
had we yelled at the top of our lungs “Faugh Ballaugh!!!”
and we dropped our bayonets to the charge and surged forward over
the dead and dying. It sent a chill down my spine each time and
it was such an exhilarating thing. It reminded me that those brave
lads made a charge and lost close to half their number. The courage
it took to step off into that hail storm of led is something I
can barely imagine. Something that hopefully will never have to
be repeated on any field, anywhere.
We did several angles and perspectives on this shot and as the
daylight waned our turn for close up came. We were gratified to
portray the 5th corp as it made the final assault of that day.
The portrayal was of men slipping and sliding up the slope at
the orders of General Burnside as the last his obsession for success
of any kind finally faded away. The slipping was purportedly due
to the blood that mixed with mud on that killing field and we
did our best to emulate it. With casualties strewn all around,
some moving some not, we picked our way over them till we took
our own hit and joined them on the ground.
We hope the film turns out to be something that will stick in
the minds of all that see it. And we were proud to be able to
help make it. Fredericksburg will always be held up as and example
of the waste and senselessness of war. If we don’t remember
this we are doomed to repeat it.
The editor would like to thank Marsha Starkey for taking great
photos of us making this film. These will be posted on our web
site. Take a look.
Written by the
Editor
This year’s Remembrance Day dawned bright
and cold but as the sun rose higher so did the temperature and
the it became a great day for a parade and to remember.
The Regulars showed in force this year and in our dress uniforms
and shiny brass we were a sight to behold. We gathered near the
Gettysburg high school and it was good to see faces we hadn’t
seen for a while. We caught up with each other and soon it was
time to fall into dress parade for the National Regiment. We were
honored to have our brothers in the 96th PA fall in with us and
as they to wore the dress blues we fit together very well.
The NR read the roll of the fallen (all members that had past
away in the last year). Then it was time for promotions. Gary
Wolfe was promoted from Sgt. Major to Quartermaster and our own
Frank Hall was promoted to the permanent rank of Sgt. Major. Congratulations
Frank from all the Regulars.
The National Regiment then awarded the Soldier of the Year award
to Mike Sebor of the 6th New Hampshire. 
Harry Dierken of the 3rd US was given tribute for his loyalty
and devotion to the Regiment. Well deserved.
After the formalities of dress parade the Regulars readied themselves
to march. We practiced facing so we all could remember our right
from our left. Those that were rusty we oiled. We checked our
uniforms and assumed our place in the column as the left flank
company thus we were the last in the column. We started in fours
and then as we turned a corner we moved into ‘company into
line’ and marched the rest of the parade in company front.
Once we found our alignment we kept the step and marched as Regulars
should with precision and pride. We did our best to pay tribute
to the original Regulars by our deportment and our professionalism
and we did our best to make our Captain proud.
As every year we always hear comments from the crowd usually in
the form of ‘here comes the Iron Brigade.’ Even though
the Iron Brigade was a fine regiment we choke on our ire as we
take much pride in our role as Regulars. We would love to break
our step and stop to correct these misinformed folks but of course
we couldn’t do that because Regulars would never do that.
Maybe the Iron Brigade would if someone called them Regulars.
But then again if someone called them Regulars you would have
to figure that that’s the highest compliment you could pay
so why correct it.
As we marched our faithful photographer, Marsha was snapping us
as we went and these fine photos can be perused on our web site.
When we came to the end of the parade we kept with our tradition
of marching to the Regulars monument on Cemetery Ridge. We posed
for our annual photograph and then it was time for ‘good
words’ from our good man Larry McGrane. Larry struggled with
what words to use to honor the Regulars and he recalled the death
of the seaman whose funeral some of the lads attended. He recalled
his sacrifice and the honor of such men who commit themselves
to their country and serve it well. And for those who make the
ultimate sacrifice they deserve our remembrance and our gratitude.
As usual Larry’s words rang true.
We then fell in and marched back.
At this
point many who had plans went their separate ways and we again
thank all the Regulars who came out to march new and old. It was
good to be together and we hope to see everyone in the new year.
Some of us gathered at Rosemary and Hutch’s place for a barbeque
where Pete Brooks again managed the grill in the cold. We always
had someone out there to keep him company and we thank him for
his fine vittles. We watched our traditional episode of Sharpe’s
Rifles and enjoyed the comradery that is ours. We thank Will and
Rosemary for having us in their home. We then bid them a fond
good night and went our separate ways.
It was an excellent Remembrance Day. Our Captain Don Rivera stated
it was the best parade he has been to yet and he was very proud
to lead the Regulars. It was an excellent end to an excellent
year and we hope that we can carry this spirit into the next.
Written by a Regular
