Commander’s Notes

All of the spring training we did sure paid big dividends at Appomattox Court House.  Click here to read the article... the words do not do justice to the outstanding performance of the men and horses during that weekend.

We have 28 military registered  for the Wilderness (Grant vs Lee) event in a couple of weeks. Enough to take the third gun and attempt to fight it. Many of us will attempt to arrive sometime on Thursday so we can establish the camp where we want to as opposed to where someone else tells us! The plan is to camp with the 26th and Jeff Stepp's Brigade of General Heffner's Division. He is scheduled to have over 734 men under his command and we will operate as his brigade artillery.

I am going to begin registration for the Cedar Creek Event the following week, so if you are interested please bring $9.00 and I'll put you on our list. We hope to field 3 guns for that event also.

We plan to do some equipment maintenance at the Wilderness. Our harness really needs some serious cleaning and my guess is that we will have some spare time on our hands. Routine maintenance needs to become SOP to preserve our investment. I'll bring the leather cleaner and treatment if some of you will bring cleaning rags.

Sgt. Lankford will conduct some training with the horses and how to care for and saddle them. Sgt(s) Slifer and Rhyne will supervise gun drill with the assistance of the Corporal's appointed over the guns. I have an expectation that the gun crews - drivers and cannoneers - will become proficient in getting their detachment ready to roll.

Lastly, a little discussion on the dragoon idea, see the note below. This idea is one meant to enhance our current impression. We will initially do only a federal impression and after getting that established we will then determine "where do we go from here!"

Remember we continue to need your support to make this dream a growing reality.

SEE YOU AT THE WILDERNESS

Capt. David L. Stanley

During the living history at Appomattox Court House several of us discussed the possibility of forming our own cavalry escort. The idea is basically to carve out an initial escort of 5 dragoons using our current horses, while training and maintaining an operational section of guns. The 2nd Dragoons were formed in the 1830s and became the 2nd Cavalry on 10 August 1861. Dragoons wore the same Mounted Service Jacket the artillery and cavalry did, except their facings were orange. When they became cavalry in 1861 they held a fierce pride in their traditional facings and were able to stretch their dragoon orange two more years (they actually bought some of the tape themselves)!

Our impression will be K Company of the 2nd Dragoons. Dragoons will ride either the 1847 Grimsley or the 1859 McClellan Saddle. They will be armed with the 1851 Colt Navy revolver and the 1859 Sharps carbine. Either the 1840 Dragoon saber or the 1860 light cavalry saber will be acceptable.

Initial missions will include the traditional dragoon missions of escort, screen, reconnaissance and fighting dismounted. For more information contact Capt. Stanley or Sgt. Lankford.