The Commander's Corner

     Well, finally after much thought and work I'm learning how to work on our webpage!    Living proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks!  It was great seeing all of you at Fort Anderson. The attendance was superb and the food and campfire discussions will be the topic of discussions for many years to follow. The downside of this year's schedule is that Latta Plantation did not want horses, Plymouth is not horse friendly and finally the Shenandoah Campaign folks did not want horses either.  Sgt. Mike Rhyne and some of the boys from the West (and others) were at Latta, 25-26 March, with a "static" gun.

     We have added some local events.   Gary Price will go to an event in the west ( more to follow on email about this) and we have two local events added to our calendar in May and October (Eastover Parade and Averasboro).  We have finally concluded a deal with Pamplin Park where they will reimburse mileage for our gun and horse trailers and also pay for our primers and powder.   So that event is now a go.   Please get your money to me this week for the 145th Manassas Event, the price is currently $15.00 but will go up at the end of the month.   This event will be the mega-event of the season.   All schedule changes on the web are current.

     For several years we were recruiting at the rate of about 12 new members per year, over the last few years this has fallen off and we have only added a few "new" regulars to our ranks.   We need to work on that this year and attempt to built our "core" group of guys back up to around 30 cannoneers.   We can do it, we have in the past.   We do something so unique on the battlefield, I am convinced it still has a draw to get involved.

     I want to improve our Confederate impression this year in line with what the 26th NCT's has developed.    There has been a great deal of time and research devoted to the subject and you can see a change in the way they look.   Many of you are already there, particularly the guys who have been around a while.   Ben Tart is an excellent source for the basic pants and jacket you need.   Please feel free to use Bob Williams as a source also, he knows the subject and has offered to assist.   Bottom line, it doesn't cost anymore to be correct!  Bob's email is gardner48@prodigy.net.

     Our membership in the United States Army Field Artillery Association has also fallen off.    We are one of the two re-enactment units that have an active chapter within the Association, and I want to continue that tradition.    The membership is only $20.00 per year, which I normally collect in November, consolidated through December and January and renew in February.

     You guys who have had Dragoon coats for years, you can finally use them this year at Manassas!     Battery D, "West Point" Battery, 5th US Artillery Regiment was made up of the teaching cadre from West Point, both Artillerymen and Dragoons.   When we go to Manassas we will be wearing both uniforms, just like the original battery members.

     I have always used this hobby as a forum to "highlight" the military horse, that is why we have the links on our site to the 17th Light Dragoons, 2nd Dragoons Mexican War, the Buffalo Soldiers and now a Machinegun troop.    These are subgroup interest areas within the unit, if one of these areas interests you, you are always welcome to join in, if not there is no requirement to be active beyond our Civil War impression.  I was reading "Civil War Artillery at Gettysburg" by Philip M. Cole in which the author has an excellent discussion of the Civil War horse and the price they paid.    It is this common bond between soldier and animal that I have wanted to create within this unit, something that is hard to have between a soldier and the truck drawn gun.   Each of you get to experience the horse care necessary for our guns to be horse drawn onto the battlefield, just like they were 145 years ago.

GOALS FOR 2006

1. Improve our Confederate Impression.

2. Recruit at the rate of not less than 6 new active members per year.

3. Continue to develop our Dragoon impression for use at the 145th Manassas.

4. Continue to improve the impression for the 2nd Dragoons Mexican War.

5. Develop and field the impression for the Cavalry Machinegun Troop.

6. Expand the involvement of our ladies in our living history presentation.

7. Continue to promote unit pride and esprit de corps.

The bottom line is that the hobby needs to continue to be fun for each of you. We have developed a unit of super individuals and I want to keep us on that same track - so continue to support us and we will meet all of our goals - together!

Capt. David L. Stanley, Cmdg.