Commander's Corner

Where has the year 2000 gone, as I looked at our web page and reviewed what we had done I was amazed!

See separate articles and photos of both the Manassas and Chancellorsville events.

The last two events, Fort Branch (see article below) and VMI (see article below) both were great events to end the year. VMI was particularly meaningful because we were able to pull the cannons that General Jackson had trained the VMI Cadets on. Jeff Sharra said we were making history not recreating it. He also said we had pasted our screen test for the movie "Gods and Generals."

Joyce and Mimi will be getting with you to give you items to bring to Colfax next weekend. Please wear jeans or something you can get dirty in - we plan to clean and inventory equipment. Please let Martha know soonest who will be making a basket!

I need to get a headcount soonest for the Saint Barbara's Day event in D.C., both for the cooks and for accommodations. Once again we will be setting up the cannons for display to add ambiance to the event! Remember it is a FRIDAY night!

Take a look at next year's events - there are some great offerings. The C.S.S. Hunley event is all contingent on crew removal and identification. I am told the fall back date is 11 November, time will tell.

The two horse shows are unique opportunities - they both have ask for us and the Morgan Horse folks will decide this weekend to formally invite us to the Raleigh event. It will give us a venue to show what our horses do and how important they were to our nations development!

The filming for "Gods and Generals" will occur sometime next summer, we will keep you as updated as we are.

Our many successes this year were due to your individual participation and impress upon each of you that we wouldn't be viable without you! I would like to thank each and every member of this unit for making it as strong as it is today. By my count we recruited twelve new members this year, matching our 1999 totals. We will need to keep this up to field the third gun in the early summer of 2001!

Finally, on behalf of my wife Joyce and the kids, Leah and Lindsey, we would like to wish you and your families all a Happy and Safe Holiday Season!

Capt. David L. Stanley, Cmdg.

1st Sgt. Sounds Off

Our re-enacting year has run its course; our last "event" has been held and is over. We can look back and reflect on all that we've accomplished…for ourselves and the continued growth of our unit, for others within our hobby and our enhanced reputation for authenticity among them, and also for the public who has, hopefully, been both educated and entertained by our presence. It has been a good year. Thanks to all of you, we continue to raise the bar by which our part of this great hobby is measured. I hope you are as proud of yourselves as I am proud to be a part of this unit!

Speaking of pride (now y'all know that a 1st Sgt. can't let an opportunity to "instruct" go by!), I'd like to take this chance to say a few words about housekeeping about the campsite. We all know that a major part of the enjoyment of this hobby is being with your pards around the campfire or under the Captain's tent fly. For those members who have not yet joined us for a full event and camped with us, you've missed a large part of what this hobby is all about. I'm pretty sure that we no longer have "boom boxes" and "Game Boys" being brought into camp. What does detract from our experience is that not everyone is consciously trying to keep the all the visible evidence of the non-nineteenth century out of the camp. We all need to be mindful that we can diminish the experience for someone else by allowing the "modern world" to intrude. I'm not talking about someone having a cold one after the harness and horses have been seen to. I'm talking about the cold one being drunk from the can…not poured into your tin cup…and then the can not being disposed of out of sight. I'm also talking about the cooler being brought out of the tent and not having a ground cloth or other cover thrown over it for concealment.

Several years ago, I accompanied my "crazy" cousin from Pennsylvania to Bentonville where he was going to participate in a re-enactment. I had none but the faintest idea what that was supposed to be. While he was registering, I looked out across an adjacent open field to observe a troop of no less than 30 Confederate cavalry practice their drill…I thought that was really pretty cool! Later, as darkness set in, I was in my cousin's camp, having helped him set up his tent. I had met many of his pards and was getting ready to leave for home when I looked around the camp…the whole Federal camp…and saw that the only thing recognizable as being from the 20th Century was me! I'll never forget the feeling that came over me. I just knew that this was something I had to do! I can't help but think that there are others who would be equally affected by such a moment, as I, myself, am again when the business of the day is complete, and the camp is settling down for the evening, and the Horse Watch has been posted, and the 20th Century is held at bay…and we can wrap ourselves in the 19th century for a few very special moments. See you around the campfire!

1st Sgt. Slifer 

Fort Branch

We all began to arrive at Fort Branch on Friday afternoon (3 November). The gods had blessed us with good weather, but we were unsure as to how many artillerymen would be present, thus the question - one gun or two? By supper our numbers had grown and we were confident that two horsedrawn guns would take the field on Saturday.

We awoke on Saturday to another gorgeous day and began to prepare to move out around 1100. Lt. Stewart approached me to let me know the good news that we were missing a limber pole - oops! Quickly we found a solution and a "nonhorsedrawn" artilleryman loaned his pole, and we "splinted" it to make it horse worth (you had to be there to appreciate this). The two guns were ready to roll at 1100. We also fielded two Dragoons to provide scouting and security to the guns.

To further complicate our weekend we "tested" Bill and Bud as wheelers with Pvt. Lambertson as their driver. We had several stops and starts with them, but all in all they did well in their first "engagement."

The Cavalry made first contact and the Federal Infantry (26th NCT) moved up to support. A general engagement ensued and we moved up to provide the "big-gun" support. The Parrott Rifle crew engaged two Confederate guns with counterbattery fire while Lt. Stewart moved the six-pounder up to provide direct support to the infantry. As we kept the Confederate guns occupied the six-pounder worked in concert with the infantry - the infantry opened a hole in their line and the cannon fired - the infantry closed the hole and the gun-crew reloaded. This was certainly the best we have worked together with the 26th since we have been formed.
We pushed the Confederates back and they withdrew to attempt to find a better position to engage us from. After a brief break, we moved the guns up to support the continuing infantry attack. We formed the section along side a Federal Infantry battalion while the 26th waited to be deployed. We quickly silenced the Confederate Batteries and the fight appeared to be over when a Confederate infantry company appeared on our right flank….bad timing! We were just about to fire by section so both guns were loaded. We wheeled the pieces around and delivered two blast of canister into their ranks. I had wanted to leave the first gun, but it's gunners refused to abandon their piece and were reloaded when the second gun fired. The Confederate commander signaled that they were all dead and except for a one-eyed ghost who appeared and was ignored this ended the action.

We formed up and moved off the field with the 26th NCT and ended a great day for men and horses - our presence made a difference.

Most of us packed up and headed our separate ways. 1st Sgt. Slifer and the remaining men served with valor in the 26th NCT's Color Company the next day. Thanks to everyone for a great weekend!

Capt. Stanley

"They are artillery horses." I first heard those words at Antietam in the early days of our unit when Charles Tarbox spoke about them when he was asked if his horses could move into a tight position. The full impact of that meaning really did not hit me until the event at Chancellorsville.

Gentlemen, we have artillery horses. We have horses that will give their full measure to do what we need them to do. Our drivers had to have had the time of their lives working with our horses at Chancellorsville. It was almost Biblical the way the horses worked the feats they did: "Ask and thou shall receive." For three days, I really felt that we had come of age.

As we loaded the horses after the event, I could tell that some were sore and it would take a few days of rest to get back into top condition. TLC goes a long way with these horses; there isn't a one that doesn't love the special attention they get when they are groomed.

Brushing and sponging is a treat they relish. After drinking cool water and eating hay, raking and cleaning their area at the picket line gives them a place to lie down, if they wish. After a day on the battlefield, they deserve the best treatment we can give them.

Cannons that sit on the field must wait for the action to come to them. They are completely alone on the battlefield. Because our horses allow us to move our cannons anywhere we want them to go, we have a real edge over the stationary guns.

The difference our horses make and the effort they put into helping our tactics succeed give us a reason to continue our careful care of them. We must be sure we take adequate time to keep them well-groomed, watered, and fed, which will ultimately keep our horses at their peak performance. So, find a horse you get along with; you and a friend make that horse feel special!

1st Lt. Stewart

Last weekend (10-11 November) a small contingent of the 1st North Carolina Artillery Regiment met at Virginia Military Institute. We were to form a battery of horsedrawn guns with the 2nd Virginia Cavalry to present the newly restored "Gospel Guns" back to the Cadet Corps of VMI. Mr. Jeff Sharra (Author of Gods and Generals; Last Full Measure; Gone For Soldiers - and son of Killer Angels author Michael Sharra) had donated the money for the carriages of these guns to be restored. The guns and carriages were 3/4 scale and were used by General Stonewall Jackson to teach the VMI cadets artillery tactics prior to the Civil War.

We all arrived at the Virginia Horse Center later afternoon and early evening on Friday, some of us even arrived twice. Horses and equipment was cleaned during the evening and we all turned in for what was to be a short night's sleep! We were up at 5:00 a.m. to begin preparations for an 8:00 a.m. rehearsal on the VMI Parade Ground.

We moved horses and equipment to the staging area and began to form our three normal teams and the composite team with Billy and Bud plus two 2nd Virginia horses. Although the composite team gave Pvt. Dirk Lambertson headaches during rehearsal all the horses performed flawlessly during the presentation. The 3/4 scale guns didn't hook up properly to our towing pintles, but Lt. Stewart took care of that problem with a simple "lead rope" solution.

Since it was Founder's Day and a football game with arch-rival Citadel there was a great crowd - we were complimented by spectators, cadets and instructors. Perhaps the ultimate compliment came from Mr. Sharra himself when he said we weren't living historians - that we had made history that day - when we past those guns from the past - back to the present. Thanks!

Capt. Stanley