Sykes’ Regulars Schedule

March & April, 2001

Date: : 27-29 April, 2001
Place: Fort McHenry,Baltimore,MD
Event:Living History at the Fort
Info:This is the annual Fort McHenry weekend, and this year it is a NR event. In the past, Colonel Doom has been the post commander, and we must be prepared to protect our own Infantry Commander, Colonel Hutchison. Let us not sleep the sleep of the unprepared. Let us come to the fort and be ever vigilant. We will set up camp on Friday. The fort will provide breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, and the evening meal on Saturday. Registration is free this year
Uniform:Sack coat, fatigue hat, polished brass, clean weapon, darkened leathers, canteen, dog tent, blankets, and foul weather gear (just in case).
Directions:I-95 to Baltimore, take the exit just South of the Harbor Tunnel (Fort Avenue). Follow the signs to Fort McHenry which is at the end of Fort Avenue.

For this years schedule check the calendar page.

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Bugle Call


Sykes' Sweatshirts
Sykes Sweatshirts will be available at the events. These fine shirts of good quality will serve to show off your pride as a Regular. Anyone who didn’t receive their shirt in the last order will have it with this one. My apologies to anyone who didn’t get theirs in a timely manner. It’s tough being a quartermaster. They were rerouted on a train to Kentucky.
The shirts will sell for $20.00. We’ll have large and extra large sizes available. These will be sold on a first come first serve basis. I will also order summer t-shirts, so if you are interested let me know so I have an idea of how many to order.

Garment Quarter
J.Wassel

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Fort McHenry
Click the picture for more photos of the Regulars Shakedown
Report from the Field

You could hear the joints creak and the rust breaking free as the lads once more put themselves to the task of drill, drill, drill. It was good to be a Regular this day.

The Regulars once again gathered after a long winter’s hibernation to don the wool at grand old Frt. McHenry. We came to shake the dust from our brains and check our rifles for the least little bit of gradeau. (our new buzz word meaning grime or rust courtesy of Sgt. Kelly)
A handful of the lads arrived Friday evening and were found down at the local watering hole, Hill Street Blues. After a few well chosen songs the lads incurred the approbation of an altruistic lady of the town. She paid for the lads dinners and drinks. To my mind, she must have had a few drinks too many herself. But never let it be said that the men of Sykes Regulars are not without charm.
The next day came and Regulars were coming in from near and far. The lads present hoisted Old Glory to her perch high above the star spangled fort and saluted her as was her due. It was a bit lean in the early morning but by 10:00 our company swelled to over 25 men. Sgt. Kelly (aka. Hutch ) presided over his brood like a mother hen making sure the lads were putting their gear into order for the coming inspection. You never saw such activity. Gradeau was flying in all directions. Little patches of rust were being found and eradicated. Layers of brass were being shined away and the Sergeant was proud.
The First Sergeant’s slot was being filled this morning by Mr. Frank Hall. The officers in charge were 1st Lieutenant Hanson and Lieutenant Mastapeter. Major Rivera was post commander. The lads were in their dress blue uniforms and were a sight to behold. We fell in and were separated for corporals drill where the new men could be brought up to speed in the rudiments of drill. The school of the soldier was the class and newbies were put through their paces so they would be able to function within the company. They learned the manual of arms and they learned their right from their left. And they learned it well.
We were then inspected by the sergeants and any overlooked gradeau on our rifles or on our person was summarily pointed out and we were dismissed to handle the offending matter. We were then assembled once more and this time an inspection by the officers ensued. The loss of and cartridge box tins was the drama of the morning. It seems several privates were selling the tin for profit. Sergeant Kelly was on to the scheme like a fox hound on rabbit. The culprits were dealt with in a most abusive fashion. The company was then reunited and we drilled under the eyes of the post commander.
It must be said that after a long winter the complexities of drill are usually elusive to the company. But it seems that this morning there must have been something in the coffee because the company drilled well. Our maneuvering was solid. The wheels held together well and their was a sharpness in our step that exhibited a desire for the field and a positive pride in ourselves. The only fallibility that morning was forming the company and counting off. The new men performed well for their first time and should be commended for not wreaking havoc in the ranks.
Later in the morning we were introduced to the maneuver of forming square. This was due to the fact that during the upcoming 1st Bull Run event we will be brigaded with other Regulars to form square just as the real Regulars did in 1861. Someone had to cover the retreat of the skedaddling volunteers. In a class room setting of the barracks, Sgt. Kelly went over the how tos and what fors of forming square with a set of dominos. They were very effective teaching tools. After which we adjourned to the drill field to learn how to bring the colors into the square once formed.
Then we had lunch. During the day we had the public through our barracks and we expounded on the history of the regular infantry. The weather was fine for much of the time but it did get a little over cast and windy and a few drops hit our faces.
Throughout the day the two officers switched duties so they could practice command as much as we practiced drill.
After lunch we were back out on the field and this time we practiced breaking into platoons. It was great to have a company front sizable enough to support two platoons. The lads performed exemplarily. We did a bit more drill and then the company stood down for the evening. There was some end of the day corporals drill for the new and rusty men. Lance Corporal Grogan felt the power of his invisible lance corporal stripes for the first time and drilled the lads mercilessly. I think I heard them call him Corporal ‘Bligh.’ They all went into the barracks afterwards in tears. Well done Corporal.
The officers came about and asked us about the activities of the day and made sure we were satisfied with our performance. Good officers are hard to find.
Soon it was time for the adjournment to the publick house where we find the most excellent of cuisines and the finest ales. The good old Hill Street Blues. They love us there. We reserved the back room for ourselves and indulged in a gluttony fest of mass proportion. There was a sad tiding though. We learned of the passing of our beloved dessert lady. We had fond memories of our darling lady who would come out to listen to us sing and then regale us with her sinfully delicious desserts she made with an angel’s care. We will miss her.
The carbohydrate side of the table taunted the protein side of the table but all ate well. We then indulged in good conversation, fine drink and camaraderie of the highest order. We also celebrated the birth of our good comrade Tank and sang a birthday dirge in his honor. Colonel Daly dropped by later in the evening to visit with Sgt. Kelly and we whiled the evening away as was our wont.
We retired back to the barracks fairly early and continued our revelry by the light of candles. One by one the lads repaired to their bunks and judging by the snoring, were knocked senseless by the club of the sandman.
The morning came soon enough. It dawned bright and we rummaged about till we couldn’t live without breakfast any longer. We pooled down to our usual breakfast haunt down the street and found to our horror that the door was locked. We spied someone inside and when they saw a pack of Yankee soldiers milling about they came to let us in. Our Yankee greenbacks persuaded her no doubt.
We devoured our breakfasts and soon made our way back to camp singing the song we had just learned from Fred G. and Jason M. The song was a silly little ditty that you can’t shake from you brain. It was about a Swedish fellow from Wisconsin named Yon Yohnson. If you ask the boys to sing it for you, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.
We got back to the fort and the day began with new command. Sunday’s officers were Lt. Peter Brooks and Lt. James Wassel. The officers began by coming up with the day’s schedule which was a little difficult as not a pencil could be found. First on the itinerary was the raising of the colors. First Sgt. Mastapeter and Sgt. Kelly soon had the lads in their dress blues and a competent squad hoisted our glorious banner to it’s proper place flying proudly above the fort.
Soon after came time again for the ever popular company drill. The officers began with an inspection of the troops which they passed with flying colors.
The two officers now had the opportunity to drill the men and owing to the fact that they were new to command a few flaws surfaced. But for the most part they did a fine job. Wheels, flanks, company into line were the order of the morning. The officers switched back and forth in command and the lads did a fine job as always. The great thing about commanding good troops is that they always make up for any deficits in command. If they wanted to take every command literally they would end up in a heap. Later in the morning we covered the firing positions including the obliques and the stacking of arms. Mostly veterans were present and it was a fine drill. We soon broke for lunch and enjoyed the sunshine.
After lunch the officers did a pack inspection for the benefit of the public that had gathered to see what a regular might carry. We had many nice comments on our program. The afternoon passed and soon it was time to police the barracks and gather our gear for the transports that were soon to arrive for our next assignment. We had time enough to partake of a parting glass and we bid farewell till the next time we might meet.
Overall it was a fine weekend and we accomplished an excellent shake down. We shook the cob webs and prepped ourselves for the coming campaign season which holds great promise. For those of who couldn’t make it, try to make the next one. You’ll be glad you did.

Book Report
Ten Years in the Ranks US Army
Augustus Meyers

For those of you who have not read this book, it is a chronicle of a regular soldier serving in the 2nd US Infantry. It can be summed up by the author’s preface which is as follows:

“This narrative of ten years’ service in the United States Army on the frontier and during the Civil War at an early period of my life is written mainly from memory after an interval of more than half a century. I have endeavored to describe a simple manner the daily life of a soldier in the ranks while serving in garrison, camp and field. “

Augustus Meyers.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it gave me an idea of what the frontier service was like and it also gave great description of camp life and the campaign trail of the Civil War. It was more interesting having the story told by someone who was seeing through the eyes of a regular soldier. His impression gave an affirmation of a mindset that was different from that of a volunteer. Having spent 7 years in the army prior to the Civil War, Meyers could definitely be considered a ‘professional.’
His first term of enlistment began in March of 1854 at the age of twelve. He enlisted for a 5 year hitch as a musician. He was sworn in New York City and began service at Governor’s Island in New York Harbor. He was quartered with other young musicians and reported to a Sgt. Hanke. Soon as he walked into his quarters the time honored cry, “Fresh Fish” was yelled and he found himself in the army.
He was introduced the regimen of a soldier’s life and soon became familiar with things like roll call, dress parade and guard mount. The quarters were sparse and devoid of much comfort; a circumstance he would soon grow used to. Rations consisted of rice soup with desiccated vegetables some boiled beef and sometimes bean soup with a potato or two. He was soon learning ‘school of the soldier’ from Scott’s Tactics in a daily routine of drill, drill, drill.
On Sunday he attended church service and then assembled in the evening for dress parade with the “Field Music Battalion,” as he called it. Inspections were held periodically in full marching order.


On his second day he was taken to the quartermasters store house to draw the first installment of a yearly clothing allowance. Issued was one blanket, one great coat, two fatigue jackets, two pairs of Canton flannel drawers, two pairs of woolen stockings, two pairs of shoes, one forage cap and one leather stock, also a knapsack, a haversack and a canteen.
The blanket was coarse and heavy; it weighed five pounds and measured seven by five and a half feet. It was a grayish brown color and had “U.S.” in four inch black letters worked in the centre. The overcoat as well as the trousers and jacket, were of coarse sky blue cloth. The overcoat was single breasted and had a cape reaching down to the elbows; there was a row of brass buttons on the breast and on the cape and some more on the coat tails. The jacket came to the hips, had a standing collar, an inside breast pocket, a row of brass buttons down the front and a few on the sleeves. The shoes were coarse looking with broad toes and heels and leather thongs, but they were good serviceable marching shoes. The trousers were plain without stripes and had two pockets. There were no waistcoats issued. The forage or fatigue cap was heavy, clumsy looking affair, made of thick dark blue cloth. It had a large overhanging crown with a welt, a chinstrap with a brass button one each side and a leather visor.

Does any of this gear sound familiar?

Not much of his uniform fit as there were only six different sizes of shoes and three or four sizes of uniforms. He was sent to the post tailor whose services were deducted from his first month’s pay.
Meyers was required to go to school on post where he learned the 3 R’s and music. Once he learned to read he was indoctrinated in the Articles of War in the Army Regulations. The one all encompassing article was the 39th which stated that any offense that was “prejudice to good order and military discipline,” was a punishable offense. This was the most popular as it fit almost any case.
In three month’s time he was able to play with the musicians and take part in all regimental parades and duties.
Most of the lads his age were from New York and surrounding states and had enlisted with permission from their parents. Many were children of destitute parents and the army was one of their better options for provision. By far the greater part of the boys were native born, but largely of foreign parentage, the Irish predominating.
Most of the men on Governor’s Island were recruits. At times they were sent away in detachments of a hundred or more, generally accompanied by some of the drummers and fifers, to vacancies in regiments serving throughout the frontier. Officers were detailed to accompany these detachments to their destinations. The non-commissioned officers were generally selected from the most worthy and efficient of the recruits and promoted to lance sergeants and lance corporals, an rank with authority but without extra pay. Often a few re-enlisted old soldiers, rejoining regiments on the frontiers, went with these parties and helped take charge of them.
As these detachments were sent to their assignments on the frontier the band would play ‘The Girl I Left Behind Me, the unofficial anthem of the regular soldier.
Rations were often times complained about. The quantities were not enough to feed growing boys and they often felt hunger. Sutler’s supplement was at a dear price and was deducted from your pay. Sutler’s fare was usually in the form of crackers, pies or cake of mediocre quality. In the summer months some vegetable matter could be had from the post garden after the officers and their families had their fill.
The soldier’s daily ration consisted of sixteen ounces of salt or fresh beef or twelve ounces of pork or bacon, eighteen ounces of soft bread or flour, or one pound of hard bread and the “small rations,” as they were called, such as coffee, sugar, beans, peas, rice, salt, vinegar, desiccated vegetables, soap and candles, which were sufficient, when used collectively, for an entire company. The flour ration of eighteen ounces, when baked into bread, will produce about one-third more in weight of bread. Hence there was a saving of about one-third of flour which was sold to increase the post fund.
The post fund, according to Army Regulations, was created by a tax of ten cents per month to be paid by the sutler for every officer or soldier stationed there, also from the savings on the flour ration. The management of the fund was generally in the hands of three officers, one of whom acted as treasurer; they were called Post Council of Administration and had power to fix a tariff of prices for the sutler, laundresses, tailor, shoemaker, etc. and the expenditure of the fund for other purposes approved by the commanding officer.
The largest expense for the post fund was the band whose members were paid over and above their grade of soldier’s pay. Other expenses were the post bakery, the post garden and school for the boys. From all this the officers received the greater benefit and yet they were not required by army regulation to contribute to the fund.

Article contains excerpts taken directly from ‘Ten Years in the Ranks’