Mail the Editor with Submissions for the Regular or if you have a good picture you'd like to see on this site.
Field Commander’s Report
With the National Regiment’s annual school out of the way, we can now put to practice those drills
discussed and demonstrated at the weekend gathering. Bill Wilson, 1st Maryland, has devised a unique
way to simulate a large company with few actual men in the ranks, and we will attempt to use this
approach at the garrison weekend at Ft. McHenry on 28 - 29 March. We will live and drill inside the star
fort. This is a unique experience, and one not to be missed. This event has been added to our schedule as
a result of requests from the ranks, and the kind invitation of the NPS. We will use the garrison weekend
to eliminate the winter’s rust, and to train recruits, officers and NCOs. Make every effort to attend, even
if for only one day.
Please check the March and April schedule. The registration amounts, and the dates that the money is
due to the Treasurer, Jim Nickle, is listed to the right of the individual event. Moreover, it is important
that each NCO make every effort to communicate with his section, and that the membership participates
in the maximum effort events.
Don Rivera,
Brigade Field Commander
(FourthUS@aol.com)
Report From School
This year’s National Regiment NCO School was one of the most well attended schools in recent memory.
Most probably due to its relocation to Gettysburg. An excellent package rate was provided for the attendees
of $35.00 for 2 nights lodging and meals for the entire weekend. The only small deprivation was that there
were four men to a room. Arrival on Friday night was the fond reunion of comrades and the brisk
discussion of the coming campaign season. The Regulars started at Buckley’s and were soon to find their
comrades in the 96th PA at another local watering ‘hole’ that was literally a hole, The Mine on the
Taneytown Rd. As the Capt. of the 96th was fond of saying, it had a certain subterranean charm. We sang
and socialized and found ourselves wondering how we’d ever get up for school. The Mine eventually blew
its whistle and all repaired to their respective bunks with many practicing the ancient art of trying to avoid
spooning while in the same bed with another man. It seems some men have wives and husbands tend to
automatically cozy up with them. Makes for good practice in sharing a dog tent though. “Get on your own
side or you’re DEAD!!!” And then of course the inevitable snoring conflicts arise. “Wake up and go to
sleep” is always good for stopping the snoring and a rude reply. Unfortunately it rarely lasts long enough
for the sufferer to gain happy slumber before the nasally impaired mutant starts up all over again. Time
honored conflicts.
The sun rose early and the zombie like men in search of coffee made their way to the Nat. Guard Amory.
Of course upon arrival coffee was no where near being ready and many a disposition was not improved. We
began our foray into the martial arts with battalion drill. After reviewing several maneuvers we were set
upon to go and practice them in a certified Pennsylvania wetland. We returned to the classroom and over
the course of the day we were inculcated with such topics as: Guard Mount, Reg. camp design, Color
Guards, Sunday we went over Skirmish Drill, Bayonet Drill and Dress Parade. A useful teaching tool was
dusted off by Bill Wilson of the 1st MD. Often times the audience is asked to do demonstrations for
maneuvers and in so doing takes practically everyone from the audience to fill the ranks that are occupied
by privates. This puts them within the lesson which makes it harder to observe the lesson. Wilson used 8ft.
furring strips held by corporals to occupy the space where the company would be hence leaving more
audience to learn. This technique was used during the war to train new officers and NCO’s and not have to
keep the men in absolute state of drill. An excellent addition to the NCO teachings.
These subjects reviewed this weekend were useful and proper for all members of the NR officer and NCO
corp. Learning the sublties and going over the fundamentals of military training keeps the NR in the lead
of the CW community. Speaking as a newly appointed NCO this opportunity afforded to us by the NR is
one that should be taken advantage of to learn our jobs and to keep our impressions correct and ever sharp.
As pointed out at the beginning of the school, we will never be as proficient as the actual Civil War soldier
due to the lack of drill and practice, but that is no reason not to try to do our very best. We owe it to the
memory of the fallen heroes.
Written by the Editor
Brigade Schedule
March-April
Registration Deadlines for Upcoming Events.
Ft. McHenry event date April, 24-25
Send $5.00 to Jim Nickle/Sykes’ Regs. Treas. by March,15. (FYI)
Gettysburg (ME)
Send $8.00 to Jim Nickle/Sykes’ Regs. Treas. by April 1.
Send to: Jim Nickle/Sykes’ Regulars
1405 A.Key Parkway#202/Frederick,MD 21702
(FYI) For Your Information events
(ME) Maximum Effort events
Date:March 21,22
Place:Shartlesville,PA (Shooting Range),
Event: Regulars Live Shoot
Info: The shoot will be held on Saturday and Sunday as a practice for the competition that will be held in October. For those of you who have not attended this lively competition of men with guns we issue a
challenge to your marksmanship and manliness. Let’s see some of the upper echelons out there. Hutch,
Don. We’d love to see which one of you is the better shot.
Uniform: Fatigue uniform for shoot, also bring a tent and camping gear, weather permitting. Obviously
bring your rifle if you are attending the shoots. Bring 60 grain loads, ammunition will be available for
$6.00 per 25 rounds. Bring cleaning gear.
Directions: From the South: Take rt.15 to 581 to 83 to 81N to 78E to exit 8 Shartlesville and follow the
signs to the shoot. (the signs are small so head for the mountain and when you hit a hard curve, (there will
be a sign posted here) just keep going straight and the range will be on the right.
Date: 28 - 29 March, 1998
Newly Scheduled
Place: Ft. McHenry,Baltimore, MD
No Registration Fee
Event: Early War Living History (ME)
Info: Garrison weekend, inside the star fort. We will sleep inside the barracks, so bring cots if you have
them as the fort’s beds are not abundant. I will attempt to obtain authorization for arrival Friday evening;
check with your NCO before coming on Friday.
Uniform: Dress uniform, nine-button frock coat, Hardee hats, polished scales and brass, dark blue
trousers, white gloves, clean weapon, darkened leathers, canteen, and bedding.
if you do not have a dress uniform, wear your fatigue uniform (sack coat, and kersey trousers).
Directions: I-70 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.
Date: 17 - 19 April, 1998
Place: Oak Ridge, Va. (NR)
RegDeadline. Now $7.00 until 1 April if you did not register with J. Nickle on time.
Event: Oak Ridge (ME)
Info: This is the first field event of the year, and because it is an NR event, it should be well attended. I
expect that we will be called upon to do skirmish duty, and those of you who love to expend powder, you
will have your dream come true. Dog tents are in order, and blankets and food are recommended.
Uniform: Sack coats, kersey trousers, forage hats, clean weapons, leathers, rain gear, and canteens.
Directions: Oak Ridge is south of Richmond and north of Lynchburg off of U.S.29. Follow U.S. 29 and
just south of Lovingston, VA look for VA Rt 653. Turn East onto Rt 653 and follow this road to the Oak
Ridge Estate, 2300 Oak Ridge Road, Arlington, VA.
Date: 24-26 April, 1998
Place: Ft McHenry, Baltimore, MD
Regis. Deadline: $7.00 to Jim Nickle by March 15.
Event: Military Demonstration, Frt. McHenry (ME)
Info: This will be a late-war event, and it is rumored that both the National
Colors and the Regimental Colors will be officially presented to the Brigade
during a ceremony that weekend. If you haven't already sent in your registration to Jim Nickle, please do
so now.
Uniform: Sack coat, kersey trousers, canteens, dog tents, leathers, clean
weapons, polished brass, and forage caps.
Directions: I-70 to Baltimore, and take the first exit south of the harbor
tunnel (Fort Avenue). Follow the signs to the fort, which is at the end of Fort Avenue.
This is the first of a series of articles written by Capt. Don Rivera on the Crimean War. Having been the precursor to our own Civil
War the comparisons in military tactics is worth noting. Especially since General McClellan was a military observer of this conflict.
The Crimean War was the first 'European' war fought by the British since Waterloo. Throughout the
period following Napoleon I's defeat, the British had fought many small battles, where control and supply
of large armies was not a concern, nor an art form. Yet, even after an interval of almost 40 years, the
Crimean War was fought in the same manner and with almost the same equipment, uniforms, and weapons
as at Waterloo. It was the last of the old fashioned wars; the last before science came to the aid of the
military; the last before full dress was finally deemed unsuitable for active service; and it was the last, with
the exception of the French, where the majority of artillery was smooth-bore, and where cannon thundered
and cannon balls bounced through the ranks of disciplined men, leaving bloody paths.
It was the war that started the change in the British military system which ultimately saw the end to the
system whereby a wealthy man could purchase a commission for himself, or his son. The war bolstered the
young Second Empire of Napoleon III and it helped indirectly with the unification of Italy and delayed for
a while the slow decay of the Ottoman Empire. The Crimean War postponed Russia's imperial advances
until the beginning of the 1870s; it gave birth to the acceptance of female nurses as witnessed by the work
of "The Lady with the Lamp", Florence Nightingale, and her pioneers in battlefield medicine; it gave
impetus to uniform and equipment chances in the British army- it utilized photography for the first time on
the battlefield and it was the first war fought with rifled muskets. It was a war lead by old generals, and in
many cases, fought by poorly equipped men. Moreover, it was the first large-scale conflict which used
trench warfare.
Written by Field Marshall Rivera
Look for the causes of the Crimean War in next month’s issue of the Regular.
Bugle Call!
Last Regular..........
For the folks who have not renewed their membership in Sykes' Regulars, this will be the last Regular you
receive in the mail. So don’t forget to send your application in today. How will you know who the Jonah of the Month
is? Unless you look at this website, so I'll have to put it in code which will have the cipher in the Regular mailing. HA! So make sure you reup!
Send dues to: Sykes Regulars/c/o Jim Nickle/1405 A.Parkway #202/Frederick, MD 21702
Single:$20.00,Family $30.00, Associate $12.00 (newsletter)
Make checks payable to: Sykes' Regulars
March Dance Cancelled...
The Blue and Grey Ball that was in conjunction with the Regulars Live Shoot has been cancelled. The
Shoot will go on as scheduled. (Check brigade schedule.)
Another dance will be scheduled for some time later in the year. If you sent in your admission fee contact
Tammy Wenrich at 610-926-0721 for reimbursement.
Sykes’ Civilians.
Address Change:
Tim & Nikki Fox have moved from under their wharf in Rhode Island to: 2261 Willow
Oak Drive/ Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Believe it or not:
Patrick Mooney hasn’t moved this month.
Movie Review
On February 1st, CBS broadcast the movie ‘The Love Letter’ starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Campbell
Scott as two starred crossed soulmates separated by time. Several Regulars and a small host of the
reenacting community contributed their time as background artists. Unfortunately, these contributions had
little impact as far as the story was concerned. The first hour of the movie, not a reenactor was seen. The
parts that were participated in were fleeting and only served as a canvas for the two principal characters to
chase after their unrequited love affair. Being that it was a T.V. movie, one can’t really expect the scope
that a major motion picture would have. So, the Regulars found themselves struggling to pick themselves
out past the close ups of the two main characters and it required a liberal use of the freeze frame button on
the VCR control. Days of work took seconds on screen and much of our work was sure to be found on the
cutting room floor. The reality of making movies.
The story was somewhat intriguing if not extremely predictable. A modern man (Campbell Scott) buys an
antique desk and in it finds hidden letters that a woman had been writing to her unfound love. The woman
(Jennifer Jason Leigh) is being pressured into marrying someone she doesn’t love and she is stalling and
hopes for the man she’s writes of to come and save her. Scott’s character answers the letter and with his
mother’s urging, mails it from a post office that was built in 19th century. She of course receives the letter
in 1863 and writes back. He keeps finding her letters in the desk as she writes them. They fall in love over
the post and she happens upon his counterpart in her time in the personage of a Col. in the 19th Mass.
They promise to marry when he returns from the war and of course he is killed at the ‘Angle’ of Picketts
Charge. Having been warned by Scott of his impending demise, she rushes to his side in G’burg in time to
watch him depart this world. He then meets her modern counterpart at the end of the movie and true love
is unrequited no longer. It’s predecessor, ‘Somewhere in Time” with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour,
was a much better telling of the love enduring across time concept and now has an almost cult audience.
The same author wrote this story, and not having read the book its almost certain that the TV adaptation
does what it must invariably do. Drain the life out of a story and steal its richness for the sake of
commercial time for greeting cards. But if it weren’t for the greeting cards it never would have been made
in the first place. Catch 22.
The scenes that we did participate in were, I think, better for our contribution. The Regulars who could be
seen fleetingly were Pete Brooks, Jason McConnell, Mike Aldrich, Owen McGrane, the family McGrane,
Don & Peggy Rivera, Flexi McDevitt, Jim Wassel, Steve Hanson and his tents. We did our best, but they
slashed us away. Maybe we’ll have better luck next time.
A Regular in the background
What draws us to the Civil War?......
I was reading about the movie the Titanic the other day and how it’s been breaking box office records left
and right. Having seen the movie myself, I was especially impressed by the importance of historical
accuracy in the making of this film, at least in terms of the ship itself and the overall story. The focal story
was of course a generic love story that just happened to take place on the doomed ocean liner, but it was
surely part of the allure to many moviegoers. But what special quality does it posses that is making it the
highest grossing movie of all time?
I think that in the times we’re living in, there has developed a cynicism and a loss of innocence that breeds
a society that is willing to take the lowest common denominator as its standard. Hence, you have tabloid
television and a society thirsting for the next sexual scandal associated with the President. A society where
heroes are absent and our values are betrayed.
So what explains the popularity of a movie, that is a historically epic tragedy with a gallant story of love
and sacrifice at its heart? Aren’t we too sophisticated to have such old fashioned notions of honor and
sacrifice and chivalry appeal to our modern sensibility?
It appears not, because the box office receipts are proving it. So, there seems to be a backlash occurring,
which for anyone who studies history this should come as no surprise.
As lovers of history we have embraced the qualities that are drawing thousands of people to this movie.
We have been doing it for years. We go to reenactments of a time where gallantry and honor were the norm
and virtue and chivalry were the standard. We are not so naive as to think that there was no vice in the CW
era but what we draw upon from this monumental conflict is it’s capacity for human sacrifice beyond what
our modern sensibility will allow. We can’t believe the virtue and faith that these soldiers possessed to
gather the courage to walk up the slope of Mayre’s Heights in Fredericksburg knowing full well that death
was awaiting them. We as a society have somewhere along the line lost this ‘something’. It’s a
culmination of many things but it is indeed missing and we wish to have it back as part of who we are. This
is why I think many of us are drawn to who we once were and we thirst to get back to it even for the
weekend. This is why we reenact. In this time period we can aspire to have faith in God, we are allowed to
have innocence and we have belief that human nature is capable of great deeds and will come together
under a cause that is right. Our friendships are true and we treat one another the way we should. Even
though reenactments are a vicarious exercise, we still value what they allow us to be, better people. This is
why the study of history is so important. It gives us the insight and perspective to move forward into the
future and to deal with who and what we are now and to have alot of fun in the process.
Just a thought. Written by the Editor
This is an article that was found in the Berkley Edition of the Buyers Guide on Wednesday January 28,1998, in Vol
17, no. 4. The article is written by Susan Crites.
Ellicombe’s Sad Legacy
A strange tale emerged from the battlefield during the Union Army’s attempt to capture Richmond in the
summer of 1862. In what has become known as McClellan’s Peninsular Campaign, there was six weeks of
fighting around Harrison’s Landing on the James River.
On one moonless night during that time, the Union and Confederate armies were face-to-face and
separated by only a narrow strip of land. Just after midnight, Union Captain Robert Ellicombe heard the
pitiful moaning of a soldier who lay mortally wounded in the field between the armies. The agony in the
soldier’s cries touched Ellicombe’s heart. Not knowing whether the man was a Union or Confederate
soldier, Ellicombe decided to risk his life to bring the wounded man back within his lines. Crawling on his
stomach through a hail of a heavy crossfire, the Captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him
toward his encampment.
When he finally reached the safety of his own lines, he discovered that he had rescued one of his enemy
and that the man had died during the treacherous struggle toward safety. A lantern was carefully brought
near the body and when its halo brightened the dead man’s face, Captain Ellicombe was horrified and
began to cry. The dead man was his own son! The boy had been studying music in the South when the war
erupted and joined the Confederate army without telling his family who lived north of the Mason-Dixon
Line.
The next morning, Captain Ellicomb asked his commander if his son could be buried with full military
honors. In a decision worthy of Solomon, the commander granted the mourning father’s wish for a
dignified burial for his son the Confederate soldier. He did not allow the full regimental band to play for
the sad ceremony, reserving that honor for the Union dead. Instead, he gave permission for one member of
the band to play. Ellicombe chose the bugler and asked him to play a series of notes he had found on a
piece of paper in his son’s pocket, the last music young Ellicombe ever composed. As the somber,
haunting notes of the melody drifted over the young Confederate’s grave, soldiers heard, for the first time,
the heartwrenching melody known as “Taps.” The memory of young Ellicombe and his father’s noble act
are preserved for all time by this strange tale of a melody composed by a gentle Confederate warrior.”
Submitted by Lori Amodeo.
President, Sykes’ Civilians
'Scott may have made the war rougher for the Regulars'
Few people are familiar with the role of the U.S. Regulars in the Civil War.
The story of these well-trained and disciplined troops remains largely untold for several reasons. Being
professional soldiers, they hailed form all over, and no one state gloried in their regimental histories or
accomplishments. Unable to recruit because of the shorter enlistment's, looser discipline, faster promotions
and enticing bounties that volunteer service offered, regular infantry regiments fought to near extinction.
By the end of the Petersburg campaign in 1864, all regular infantry regiments in the East were pulled from
combat. Some regiments, reduced to company size, performed provost or guard duty at headquarters; still
others were used at prison camps.
The fate of the regulars can be traced to 1861, when the general-in-chief of the Army, Lt. Gen. Winfield
Scott, determined how the Regular Army would be used.
Few imagined the impact of Scott's decision to keep the Regular Army intact.
Scott's policy called for the regulars to be used as a nucleus for the Union Army. Scott had no way of
knowing that more than 2.6 million men would serve in the Union armies before the war's end, with about
1 million under arms at any given time. Some tried to persuade Scott to scatter regular officers and men
throughout formations to be used as teachers or "a training cadre." Scott, however, persuaded President
Abraham Lincoln to keep the Regular Army intact. The wisdom of this decision has been debated for the
past 137 years. For the regular infantry, the die was cast.
In contrast to the regular infantry, regular Army artillery batteries were distributed throughout Union
armies in both the East and the West. This effective use allowed volunteer batteries to serve in close
association with the regulars and quickly learn from them. For example, in the Army of the Potomac,
typically one battery in four was regular. Early in the War, when the Confederates regarded Union infantry
and cavalry with contempt, Union artillery earned their respect.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, the standing Army of the United States numbered about 16,000 men. Of
the 1,108 officers in the Army on Dec. 31, 1860, 313 resigned their commissions to fight for the South. Of
the 16,000 or so enlisted men, only 26 are known to have gone South.
With the outbreak of hostilities imminent, just assembling these forces was no easy task. One hundred and
eighty-three of the 198 Regular Army companies were scattered at outposts west of the Mississippi River.
Thirty-seven companies of infantry, artillery and cavalry were in the Department of Texas alone, and many
of these were captured when Gen. David E. TWiggs surrendered the entire department to Texas State
Forces.
In May 1861, Lincoln authorized the Regular Army to be increased by 22,714 officers and men. This
resulted in the formation of infantry regiments numbered 11 to 19 and one regiment each of artillery and
cavalry. Infantry regiments 1 through 10 were organized under the "Old Army" structure, each consisting
of 10 companies of infantry lettered consecutively A through K, with the letter J not being used.
Infantry regiments 11 through 19 were organized under the "New Army" structure, each consisting of 24
companies that were divided into three battalions each, so each battalion consisted of eight companies.
Companies were lettered consecutively A through H. Although these regiments were authorized three
battalions each, none reached its full strength. Most were pressed quickly into service and never recruited
their third battalion.
All of these regular units had the designation U.S. Infantry after their respective numbers, rather than a
state name like volunteer units.
Meanwhile, per Scott's vision, the solid discipline of a formation of regulars did prove invaluable on many
battlefields early in the war. Only one battalion of US. Regulars participated in the Battle of First
Manassas. Led by Maj. George Sykes, these eight companies of infantry did not break when the rest of the
Union force disintegrated around them. Sykes formed his men into a square, and the regulars shot their
way off the battlefield.
Sykes’ Regulars, supported by the remnants of a battery of regular artillery, formed the rear guard that
allowed the remainder of the Union Army to escape toward Washington.
What you have just read was an article written by Mark Vlahos that was published in the ‘Washington
Times’ January 18,1997. It is the first part of two installments in the Regular. See next months Regular for
the conclusion of this informed and insightful article written by one of our own.
Book Review
by Frank ‘Books’ Hall
Frank, having dodged the assault charges from last month’s bout with an incensed librarian, has come
through with this month’s read of the month.
Irish Green and Union Blue
The Civil War Letters of Peter Welsh
Color Sergeant
28th Massachusetts Volunteers
A down in the ranks look at the war through the eyes of an Irish immigrant in the 28th Massachusetts
Infantry (Irish Brigade). Peter Welsh's letters to his family and friends reveal a man fiercely loyal to both
the United States and Ireland. And his hopes that the Union Army would be a training ground for
Irish-Americans planning to strike directly at Ireland's oppressor, England. A recommended read for those
of us who want to see how a man in the line viewed the war.
From the Desk of the First Sergeant
WHY ALL THOSE KNAPSACK STUFFERS?
Every time I show the contents of my knapsackto someone, one of the first responses is, "That's neat, but I'm sure they didn't carry all that stuff around with them."
'All that stuff' is required to maintain the soldier's body, his clothing, his leather, and his weapon in the manner prescribed by the Regulations.
Remember that, until Grant's campaigns of 1864, soldiers in the Army of the Potomac spent only about 1-2% of their
time under actual battlefield conditions (2-3 major battles a year, of 1 or 2, occasionally 3 day's duration. Truly active campaigning of constant movement and temporary camps only occurred during the weeks immediately before and after major battles. Counting about a month for each battle, this accounts for about 25% of their time. Most campaigning was conducted for only 7 months of the year, this left them about 40% of the time in winter camps. The remaining approximately 35% of the time was spent in camps of several week's or month's duration. This means
that a total of 75% of a soldier's time was spent in more or less permanent camps.
Only so much of that time could be taken up with drill, fatigue, and other duties. During guard mounts, inspections, and parades, soldiers were expected to look their best. They occupied their time with cleaning and polishing their equipment so it would not fail when it was needed. With only so much clothing issued per year, and with any issued overage taken from a soldier's pay, it was in his best interest to keep his clothing and equipment in good order. And, even though bacteriological infection was not clearly understood, a connection had been made between dirt and sickness. Soldiers needed to keep themselves clean to avoid sickness, and the camps had to be kept clean to cut down or prevent all the critters that thrive on human filth.
In reenacting it is rare to spend more than two nights in the field. We are too used to modern amenities, and some of
us try to bring it all with us and then have difficulty keeping it hidden during the events. This is especially difficult in
dog tents, which are supposed to accommodate two men, or three with a rear covering. Each man was issued only one shelter half, one gum blanket, and one blanket - no more. Men sharing a tent could also share these items for extra warmth. Except for social beverages after the tourist tribe have returned to their hovels, everything you need for two days of camping should fit in your knapsack. These things are not just decoration for inspection displays, they can be used to "camp" with for the weekend so you can leave your modern trappings at home. More importantly, because they are period and/or regulation pieces, they do not have to be kept hidden from view. Their use in the field is actually part of the living history experience, and an education to tourists.
Written by 1st Sgt. S. Hanson,
2nd US Inf.
Sykes' Regulars
Look for a listing of articles per the Regulations in the next issue of the Regular.
