Online News Magazine
written by
Robert Niepert
mayorbob@sprynet.com
This News Magazine, its articles, photos and all the
information contained herein are copyrighted
and may not be reproduced in any form without
written permission of the editor and its authors.
We would like to wish all our
reenacting family a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
General Information
Our
Sympathy Is With You........Our thoughts and prayers go out to
our Hardy's Brigade Chief of Staff Maj. Terry McGowan and his
family. Terry's father passed away December 13th. His
mother and father were married for 56 years.
Our
Sympathy Is With You..........Major B. Danforth (Florida
Battalion) wrote to inform us of the passing of a fellow
reenactor. He wrote........ It is with the
deepest personal regrets that I announce the passing of a dear and
close friend, our brother in arms, Sam Scheetz. Sam passed a
little after 9pm on December 28, 2004 at his home. Sam
was the leader of the 8th Florida for years and helped me and many
others into the hobby.
Sam was
one of the finest men I have ever had the honor of knowing. He
had an engaging personality, a quick wit and a keen sense of
humor. He was someone you could always depend on when you needed
someone to help or to talk to.
I saw Sam
about a week ago along with my wife, Mitch and Paula, Sue Bonifay and
Walter Stapleton. We surprised him by just showing up and we had
a wonderful visit.
Sam
Scheetz was a very courageous man. He knew what lay before him
and had made his peace with his Maker. His only concern was for
his beloved wife Jean. We all told Sam that we would be there for
Jean after he was gone. That is a promise that I and the rest
will keep.
Please
keep Jean and the Family in your prayers and remember Sam for the GOOD
MAN that he was.
Sam, we
love you and will miss you deeply.
Healing
Up Well............A fellow reenactor, Bill McGarry has
recently come out of his coma. You have proven again that the
power of prayer can turn the most dismal medical problem
into an incredible turn of events. If you remember, Bill is
a policeman and while on the job chasing criminals he was accidentally
shot by his partner. He still has a long way to go but it is a
miracle he has come this far. Keep praying for Bill.
Broken Up.............Cpl. Doyle
Rigdon (5th Florida mounted cavalry, Hardy's Brigade) broke both bones
in his leg a couple of weeks ago (second week of December).
As you know, he is a cowboy for the Lykes Co. in south
Florida. They were gathering up the cows (which is quite a job
during calving season) and a calf would not cooperate. While
roping the calf, his horse fell and he could not get out from under it
quick enough. I talked to Doyle on the phone the evening of Dec.
23rd. Unfortunately his broken leg ended up a lot worse than was
first expected. He had to go in for two hours of surgery and now
has several screws and some wire holding his leg together. He
still expects to be at Brooksville but his horse and saddle will stay
at home. Typical cowboy - held together with rusty screws and
bailing wire. At this moment he is in a cast and on some pain
pills but he is doing better. Doyle will be out for about eight
weeks. He said that he may hobble in for the
Brooksville Raid playing the part of a wounded Confederate
cavalryman. We all wish Doyle a speedy recovery.
Blue
Gray Cruise (July 14th)............Ed Smith (79th N.Y. Co.
B.) is getting the details set for a special cruise for Civil
War Reenactors. This outing would be a four night Cruise on
the Carnival Ship "Inspiration". Ed will be at
Brooksville to hand out fliers and answering your
questions. He can be found at his 79th N.Y. Museum which will be
set up on sutlers row. The sooner you book the better.
He has already had several bookings from reenactors that are out of
state. If you do not make your reservations soon, the rates may
go up. If enough people make their bookings early, there is a
possibility that activities exclusively for reenactors such as a Ball,
and a Bon Voyage Party, as well as a round table, and maybe a seminar
or two may be arranged. All the normal activities that are usual
to a Cruise Ship and the wonderful food that is available (24
hours a day) will be available for you. The Ship leaves from
Tampa, and visits both Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. Both Ports
(Grand Cayman, and Cozumel) are very popular vacation spots and offer
much to see, do, and of course, shop. This would be a great
chance to get together with other reenactors for fun, comradeship, and
exchange of ideas. All this without being shot at. You can
enjoy a modern vacation as well as indulging in your interest in
American History. If you would like more information, email Ed
your regular address at edscout@aol.com and
a packet will be sent to you.
Olustee............Mitzi
Nelson wrote to ask for volunteers for the Olustee School Day.
Their school day is one of the largest in the state. Students
come from all over for this event. The school day will take place
on Friday, February 18th before the reenactment. If you can help,
please contact her at margaret.a.nelson@dep.state.fl.us
You Out There?.........Is
anyone reenacting anymore? I am only getting a couple
of emails or photos of recent events. I need some help
here. I can not attend every event so I would like to hear
from you. Please email me comments, concerns, articles about
events you attended, Civil War related vacations you went on, what is
going on in your company, promotions, anything. It makes it much
easier and a lot more appealing to our readers if they hear from
you. How about you Federal soldiers? I sure would like to
get more input from you guys.
School
Programs And Living History Opportunities
Federal
General Needed..........I would like to post a short speech or
statement to the troops from a Union General in a upcoming issue of
this News Magazine. If you have a favorite one, send it along
with a photo of the General to me at mayorbob@sprynet.com
School
Program........Kevin Copes (DeLand school teacher) is looking
for a reenactor or two that would like to make a presentation to his
class during the 2nd or 3rd weeks of January. They are starting a
unit on the Civil War and would like a living historian or reenactor to
speak to the kids. The classes run from 10:46am to 3:47pm with a
thirty minute lunch break. Kevin will work with your
schedule. The Southwestern Middle School is located in DeLand
(north of Orlando). If you can help, Kevin email him at kccopes@mail.volusia.k12.fl.us
New Living
History Event
8th Annual
Homosassa Old Farm and Heritage Show
What:
Non-commercial, local Old Farm and Heritage show designed to be
educational, interesting, fun, free and exciting for members of the
community and community based non-profit organizations with deserving
participants.
When: April
1-3, 2005. Show opens at 12 noon on Friday and closes at 4pm
Sunday. Early arrivals are welcome to set up camp on private show
grounds Thursday and stay until Monday.
Where:
Homosassa, Florida, Citrus County. Directions from Orlando.
Take the Florida turnpike north to end exit. Go north on
I-75. Take first exit (quick) Highway 44 west to Inverness.
Stay on Highway 44 through Inverness. Go approximately 10 miles
west of Inverness on Highway 44. Just past County Road 491 turn
left on County Road 490 (Homosassa Trail). Go about 5 miles to US
Highway 19. Turn left (south) on US19. Go approximately 5
miles turn left at traffic light on Cardinal Street by Emily's
Restaurant. Go 2/10th of a mile to show grounds on left.
Watch for fenced parking lot and signs.
Accommodations:
Attractive campsites are situated along wooded trail in a natural
setting. In door toilet and outside shower available.
Firewood provided. Walking distance to restaurants, large flea
market and convenience store.
Meals:
Breakfast on your own. Lunches are provided on site by local
non-profit agency for donation. Friday night barbecue dinner
provided at no charge. Saturday night is a huge potluck
supper. Reenactors need not bring a dish because of their
contribution to the show in other ways.
Contact:
Robert DeSimone at iam4mentoring@aol.com
Local
Civil War Reenacting Websites
Federal
Navy.......The USS Ottawa has their website up now. You
can find it at http://home.tampabay.rr.com/centans/ottawa.html They are Union Navy Civil War Re-enactors
whose unit is based in Pinellas County, Florida. Began in 1990,
the men and women of the USS Ottawa recreate the authentic costumes,
battles tactics and weapons of the United States Civil War. The
United States Navy, known at the time as the Union Navy, participated
in many important naval battles along the coasts, and rivers of the
United States as well as on the oceans. You can also see their
photos of the last Heritage Village event at http://home.tampabay.rr.com/centans/heritage2004.html
St. Andrews............The St. Andrews
Civil War Reenactors Club, Inc. portrays both Federal and Confederate
soldiers as well as civilians and medical personnel. Their link is http://www.westflorida.info/standrews/index.htm The
St. Andrews unit also sponsors the Battle of Marianna reenactment
which will be held in September 2005. They can be contacted at PreserveHeritage@aol.com
Early Communication............Civil War
communication was quite different from what we take for granted
today. A good site to learn about early communication can be
found at www.civilwarsignals.org The
group known as Signal Corps Association Reenactors
Division (SCARD) - studies and emulates 1860's signallist,
telegraphers, aeronauts and clandestine operatives using
historical documentation for their methods and principles to assist
with re-enacting command, control and accountability. SCARD has
State Representatives across America and in Europe.
Soldier Search.........The
National Park Service has announced the completion of The
Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System. Their site contains the
names of 6.3 million Civil War Servicemen both Confederate and
Union. You can check the site at http://www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/ Remember this is a very good resource but
nothing is 100% accurate; so if you don't find a listing for the
soldier you are looking for, keep searching - he may be listed
elsewhere.
Letters
To The Magazine
Sanitation
The Medical Director’s report
All of us have been told that the big killer during the Civil War was disease, not bullets. Much of the disease was caused by poor sanitation. This included such problems as overcrowding, poor handling of waste and lack of knowledge of infection. One of the foremost causes was lack of cleanliness and poor food handling. Men didn’t bathe. Hand washing was rare. There was no such thing as toilet paper. Cooks didn’t clean their equipment and most men didn’t wash their utensils. Sadly, the medical community back then understood these dangers but couldn’t get most of the men to handle food properly or keep clean.
Unfortunately this problem seems to still be occurring. We are entering the peak of our season and if we are not careful, we will make our friends ill. Cleanliness and food safety are more important than authenticity. Otherwise we will have authentic diarrhea and authentic dysentery or authentic influenza. I have seen many sanitation problems at our events. The Sanitary Commission would cringe at some of the things we do.
First and foremost, ladies and gentlemen please wash. Wash your hands before eating and handling food or drink. Wash after visiting the latrines. Set up pitchers and washbasins in your camps. Keep all utensils clean. Someone needs to clean all cook gear even if it means missing parade or drill. Food must be kept bellow 40 degrees or above 165 at all times, no exceptions. If you are sick, do not handle any food. Think sanitation.
Lastly, let’s mention something about feces and urine. Keep your camps away from latrines. Do not urinate behind your tents even if it is cold and night. Those of us with pets, clean up after them. Those of you with horses, picket them away from camp. The winds can carry their excrement into camp and your food.
We had a bad scare with meningitis last year. This year with the lack of flu vaccine, we could have some difficulties. Most problems can be prevented. Keep clean.
Respectfully submitted,
The
Future Of Our Hobby
by
Lorraine Niepert
Our young people are the future of our hobby and the atmosphere in camp
needs to be conducive to their presence. If their interest isn't
caught now, once we are too old to take the field, there will be no one
to take our place and do so correctly.
We are a part of Hardy's Brigade because we believe in what the Brigade stands for. It is up to each and every one of us to be the best we can be to bring admiration to the brigade. Not embarrassment.
The Brigade Generals have the ultimate responsibility to see that events are safe for the reenactors and the public. The rules must be adhered to in order to protect the group. Human nature is a strange thing, unless we safeguard ourselves against it, we tend to apply corrections or changes in policy as directed negatively against each person as an individual. Don't feel guilt unless you are in fact guilty of the infraction or the disobeying of an order.
Yes, we need to have fun in pursuit of our hobby but it is also up to each of us to make sure that the public, you can rest assured there are many in the crowd that are just waiting to be critical of a comment and blow it all out of proportion, sees the real picture-not what the Politically Correct are trying to shove down their throats.
Through your outward show of respect and military bearing to your superior officers, you are showing the respect of rank that has been achieved. A gentlemanly demeanor while in the presence of the ladies and children will encourage closer interaction and possibly new members to your companies.
Once again, go forward and enjoy the hobby and do so in such a way that makes the entire re-enacting community proud and just as importantly, give the general public a true accounting and not what the slanted media tries to force-feed them.
They know no differently unless someone is diligent enough to present the truth.
We are a part of Hardy's Brigade because we believe in what the Brigade stands for. It is up to each and every one of us to be the best we can be to bring admiration to the brigade. Not embarrassment.
The Brigade Generals have the ultimate responsibility to see that events are safe for the reenactors and the public. The rules must be adhered to in order to protect the group. Human nature is a strange thing, unless we safeguard ourselves against it, we tend to apply corrections or changes in policy as directed negatively against each person as an individual. Don't feel guilt unless you are in fact guilty of the infraction or the disobeying of an order.
Yes, we need to have fun in pursuit of our hobby but it is also up to each of us to make sure that the public, you can rest assured there are many in the crowd that are just waiting to be critical of a comment and blow it all out of proportion, sees the real picture-not what the Politically Correct are trying to shove down their throats.
Through your outward show of respect and military bearing to your superior officers, you are showing the respect of rank that has been achieved. A gentlemanly demeanor while in the presence of the ladies and children will encourage closer interaction and possibly new members to your companies.
Once again, go forward and enjoy the hobby and do so in such a way that makes the entire re-enacting community proud and just as importantly, give the general public a true accounting and not what the slanted media tries to force-feed them.
They know no differently unless someone is diligent enough to present the truth.
Sincerely,
Lorraine Niepert
5th Florida Cavalry Co. G.
Hardy's Brigade
Hardy's Brigade
Recent Events
Remember Louie?...........I am sure all the
veteran reenactors remember Louie Rodriguez and his Federal
cavalrymen. For those who don't, Louie got together a group of
less fortunate teenagers and taught them to ride and be
reenactors. His work with these kids is well known in Florida but
when he moved north he had to start over again from scratch.
Well, he is slowly getting his cavalry company back into action.
He sent me a update a few weeks ago and I thought I would share it with
you. Read on for the details...........
3rd
U.S. Cavalry and
9th Cavalry Buffalo
Soldiers
by Capt. Louie Rodriguez
The kids in the photo at left are Mat who
is my son on BJ, Hakeem on Forest and JJ on Doc. When I
first started working with JJ, he was so scared of the horse that he
would not even touch it. Now they can't wait to come do some
training.I am working with a local church in getting some adults
trained and they are very supportive of the concept. Recently the
Pastor offered a bus for us to use in order to transport kids and
equipment. We are working hard on trying to find funding for
horses and everything else that goes along with reenacting.
The group is operating under the Boy Scouts of America which
is great because they have the best and cheapest
insurance available. In the past, John Russell and I did the same
thing and were always allowed to participate in any event.
Unfortunately the first event we went to here in North Carolina we were
asked to leave because of the kids' age. The kids still had a
great time and Hakeem who has a lot of energy worked with the horse all
day. Hakeem still had energy at the end of the day
but Forest was wiped out.
The next event we participated in was a demonstration at a
horse shoeing clinic. The kids were a big hit and as usual we
received numerous invitations to other events.
Work has kept me very busy but I hope after the new year we
can start working on a grant and move forward with this concept.
In the meantime, we will keep taking baby steps.
Take care and thanks for your support.
Louie Rodriguez, Capt.
3rd US Cav & 9th Cav Buffalo Soldiers
Camp Mooney
December 2004
Camp Mooney: The Battles of Cedar and
McGirt's Creek Reenacted for the First Time in 140 Years.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. The Third Annual Camp Mooney event
was held on Dec. 10-12 on Jacksonville's Westside. The event had
been held twice prior to this year with moderate success. This
year, the Federals showed up and a new script was introduced for the
first time. Dr. James Gipson, pastor of the River City Family
Church and event organizer, allowed an historically accurate script to
be used for the Sunday Battle depicting the Battles for Cedar and
McGirt's creek, an action occurring on Jacksonville's Westside which
happened 10 days after Olustee. General Corky's Alabama Battalion
were the event hosts with the 107th Ohio serving as co-hosts for the
Federals.
The battle was brought
on by the reconnaissance of Guy V. Henry's Light Brigade consisting of
the 40th Mass. Mounted Infantry, the 4th Mass. Cavalry and the 1st US
Artillery. They started out from Jacksonville and overran picket
posts before running into stiff resistance from elements that marched
out from Camp Milton. The Confederate forces consisted of the 2nd
Fla. Cavalry, the 5th Fla. Cavalry, the 27th Ga. Inf., the 11th SC Inf.
as well as the Chatham Artillery. The battles resulted in the
largest battle in Duval Co. and the losses exceeded 30 men killed,
wounded or captured. The reenactment featured the death of
Capt. Winston Stephens of the 2nd Fla. Cavalry on Sunday. Total
reenactors involved ran around 80 to 90 folks with 60 men collectively
on the field for the two days of battle.
Friday was a school day
with some 800+ children and parents visiting several historical
stations located on the property.
The event was marred by
rain on Friday morning but all weathered the storm which did not dampen
spirits too much. There were a few spectator's vehicles
stuck that were quickly pulled out of the mud by Church
volunteers. The Church was extremely accommodating with firewood,
hay and food for the reenactors and even offered to let folks sleep in
the auditorium on Sat. night when temperatures dipped low.
The event was well received
locally with news stations doing reporting on the event.
Filmmaker Brian Terrell was present to shoot footage for an
upcoming movie on the Civil War in Florida also.
The event organizers hope to
field more numbers next year and the event may move to a new location
the year after.
Editors note: I appreciate the person
who emailed this article about Camp Mooney; however at this time, the
author is unknown. The email was not signed so I
don't know who to give the credit to.
January First
Brooksville Firewood Detail
Photos by Fred Ashby, 5th Fla. Co. G.
The annual Brooksville
firewood detail started work early Saturday morning and did not stop 
until
late Sunday. Twenty-seven men and women grabbed their chain saws
and jumped into the center of a mountain of logs. The photo above
shows a portion of the logs that had to be sawed and split. It's
hard to believe it but those 14 to 24 inch logs were not far from
becoming wood for your campfire. The weather was in the upper
70's during the day and in the upper 50's at night. The sky was
clear most of the time both day and night. What a beautiful
weekend. The work detail went very well and we almost finished
the entire job in two days but due to the lack of wood splitting
machines (photo at left), the work was slowed. That problem
will be solved next year. I will make sure that there will be plenty of
splitters on site. We worked from 8am to 5pm on 
Saturday
and from 8am to 3pm Sunday with a half hour break for lunch both
days. That is a lot of hours of hard work. You can see how 
large the
logs were in the photos at the upper right and left.
Everyone was glad to take a break for lunch supplied by the women
(Jill, Mary and Barbara) of the new 5th Florida company G., Hardy's
Brigade Cavalry, Infantry and Artillery. They fed everyone lunch
and dinner on Saturday and lunch on Sunday. All three meals were
great and we sincerely thank them for their work. The place got
quiet quickly after the sun set. Everyone was full of good food
and very tired. It didn't take long before people started to turn
in for the night. Soon the small camp fire we made quietly burned
with no one to enjoy it. I was the "night owl" and the last to leave for bed. I put out the
fire and was asleep by about 9:30pm. You can't be a late
night party animal after working that hard all day. Sunday
morning we awoke to coffee and donuts and within 30 minutes were back
at work. I can not believe how hard everyone worked. I know
there were some hurting muscles and stiff backs Sunday night. I
really appreciate the effort put forth by the work crew. Their
dedication to the job will keep us all warm, give us a campfire to
cook on and to enjoy the weekend of the Brooksville Raid. Thank
you ladies and gentlemen for a job well done.
until
late Sunday. Twenty-seven men and women grabbed their chain saws
and jumped into the center of a mountain of logs. The photo above
shows a portion of the logs that had to be sawed and split. It's
hard to believe it but those 14 to 24 inch logs were not far from
becoming wood for your campfire. The weather was in the upper
70's during the day and in the upper 50's at night. The sky was
clear most of the time both day and night. What a beautiful
weekend. The work detail went very well and we almost finished
the entire job in two days but due to the lack of wood splitting
machines (photo at left), the work was slowed. That problem
will be solved next year. I will make sure that there will be plenty of
splitters on site. We worked from 8am to 5pm on Saturday
and from 8am to 3pm Sunday with a half hour break for lunch both
days. That is a lot of hours of hard work. You can see how large the
logs were in the photos at the upper right and left.
Everyone was glad to take a break for lunch supplied by the women
(Jill, Mary and Barbara) of the new 5th Florida company G., Hardy's
Brigade Cavalry, Infantry and Artillery. They fed everyone lunch
and dinner on Saturday and lunch on Sunday. All three meals were
great and we sincerely thank them for their work. The place got
quiet quickly after the sun set. Everyone was full of good food
and very tired. It didn't take long before people started to turn
in for the night. Soon the small camp fire we made quietly burned
with no one to enjoy it. I was the "night owl" and the last to leave for bed. I put out the
fire and was asleep by about 9:30pm. You can't be a late
night party animal after working that hard all day. Sunday
morning we awoke to coffee and donuts and within 30 minutes were back
at work. I can not believe how hard everyone worked. I know
there were some hurting muscles and stiff backs Sunday night. I
really appreciate the effort put forth by the work crew. Their
dedication to the job will keep us all warm, give us a campfire to
cook on and to enjoy the weekend of the Brooksville Raid. Thank
you ladies and gentlemen for a job well done.
Even though we worked
hard, there is still some wood left to split and distribute to the
camping areas. Supplying firewood for 2,000 reenactors is quite a
task. When the job is this large, there is almost no way you
can finish in one weekend. Please don't forget the follow-up
firewood detail on Saturday, January the 8th. Arrive at 8am
Saturday morning and we will get started right away. If we get
done early, we will spend the time taking care of other last
minute details. If you have a log splitter, chainsaw, work
gloves, safety glasses, front-end loader or dump trailer, please bring
them along with you. The job involves serious work but someone
has to do it. Show up ready to work. Bring your own lunch
and drinks. If you plan on attending, please drop me an
email.
The Dade City Event
Ross Lamoreaux sent the photo (below) of the
"Men of the Dade Advanced Guard upon arrival at the Dade Battlefield
receiving honors from Major Steve Abolt". Photo by Jerry Morris,
Dade Battlefield Society.
The March of Dade's
Advanced Guard
by Ross Lamoreaux,
Sgt Maj., 4th Brigade,
Dist of Fla (Sgt., 4th US Infantry)
On December
28th, 2004, a group of reenactors from Ft. Foster, a reconstructed 2d
Seminole War fort, portrayed the Advanced Guard of Major Dade's
command, who met their deaths exactly 169 years ago on that day.
We marched the 65 mile plus route along parts of the old Fort King
Military Road in the uniforms of the 2d and 3d US Artillery regiments
and the 4th US Infantry regiment, the units that made up the 109 man
column who were marching from Ft Brooke in Tampa to Ft King in
Ocala. The group was made up of Civil War and Seminole War
reenactors from all over the state of Florida. Seven men marched
and one drove the "command wagon" for safety. They were: James
"Archie" Marshall, Matt Milnes, and Eric Steffy, all formerly of Co K
7th Fla, Gary Graffweg and Ross Lamoreaux, of the 75th Ohio, Matt
Overton of Co K 4th Fla, and Eric Ardjewski of the 2d US Artillery. Tom
Lewis of the 2d Artillery drove all the way down from Michigan to drive
the support vehicle.
The first day's march
consisted of leaving from the old Ft Brooke site in downtown Tampa and
ended 18 miles at Sargent's Park on US 301. The second day went
down the Ft King Military Trail to Ft Foster at Hillsborough
River State Park 6 1/2 miles later. The third day was a little
tougher: 19 miles to the Dade City Pioneer Museum, and the final day
was the toughest yet: 20 miles to the Dade Battlefield in
Bushnell. Along the way, we met some wonderful people who brought
us coffee, hot chocolate, and sweet tea, all at times that we seemed to
need it the most. Many others saw the excellent newspaper
coverage and came out on the route to meet us. The Tampa Tribune,
Zephyrhills News, and some local radio stations in Tampa all carried
news of the march, and the Tampa Tribune gave us almost a full page
with 5 pictures.
The only real negative
thing of the march was almost being crushed by a flipped rock hauler on
301 on the second day. The truck was trying to pass a vehicle at
the same time another car was passing, and was flipped by the car into
the ditch, throwing the car about 50 feet into the woods.
Luckily, no one was seriously injured, but the truck driver was trapped
in the cab on its side. Even though we were pretty tired,
everyone sprung into action trying to help on the scene. Gary
Graffweg jumped up into the truck and stayed with the driver until help
arrived, Ross Lamoreaux and Matt Overton directed traffic around the
accident with help from Eric Steffy, and Archie Marshall and Eric were
the ones almost hit by the truck (it missed them by about 20 yards, a
small distance at 60 miles per hour!). A Tribune photographer was
with us that day on the march and caught all of the action, getting two
stories for one that day. The Thursday December 30 issue of the
Tribune carried a very surreal picture of Ross Lamoreaux directing
traffic in front of the rock hauler complete in 1835 uniform.
The highlight of
the march was marching down the Ft King Road into the battlefield on
Friday afternoon, being met by Major Steve Abolt of the 7th US
Infantry, the troop commander at Dade. He gave us all medallions
from the 7th US Infantry Living History Association, the premiere
reenacting organization in the country for pre-Civil War, and we were
treated like kings the remainder of the event. We would like to
thank law enforcement officials from the cities of Tampa, Zephyrhills,
and Dade City, and the sheriff's offices of Hillsborough, Pasco, and
Sumter counties, as they were all very supportive of our march, as well
as the Hillsborough County Parks for allowing us the camp at a couple
of their parks along the march. The Dade City Pioneer Museum was
also very supportive by allowing us the camp the last night there, as
well as having us do some living history for those interested on Friday
morning before we made the last stretch of the march.
This march was
definitely the hardest living history that we had ever attempted, but
it was also the most rewarding. It isn't very often you get to
truly live as these soldiers did, carrying what they carried and
suffering as they did. It was the greatest honor. - Ross
Lamoreaux, Sgt Maj, 4th Brigade, Dist of Fla (Sgt, 4th US Infantry)
History
Confederate Monument
In Palatka, Florida
"Dedicated 1924 by the Patton Anderson Chapter of
the United Daughters of the Confederacy with the assistance of William
Ivers CSA and Other Friends As A Memorial to the Heroism, Fortitude and
Glory of the Men Who Wore the Gray in the Sixties With the Hope That
Their Love of Country, Devotion to Principle and Fidelity to the Cause
They Believed Was Right May be an Inspiration to People of Every Age".
Our thanks go to Jimmy Shirley for sharing this with us.
Book Review
J. Patton Anderson,
Confederate General:
A Biography, by James
W. Rabb,
McFarland and Company,
2004, ISBN 0-7864-17766-8)
Reviewed by Michael C. Hardy
James Patton Anderson was born in 1822 in Tennessee but moved to Mississippi in 1838. After being trained as a physician and lawyer, he returned to Mississippi and began his practice. He served as a lieutenant colonel of the 1st Battalion Mississippi Rifles during the Mexican War, and was later a Mississippi legislator. In 1853, he headed west to the Washington Territory where he served as a census taker and a United State Marshall. Anderson was elected to represent the Washington Territory in Washington, serving from 1855 to 1857, when he relocated to the panhandle of Florida to manage a plantation that belonged to his wife's aunt.
Anderson was serving as a captain in the Florida Militia in early 1861. He was elected to represent the state in the Provisional Confederate Congress, but resigned in May 1861 to become Colonel of the 1st Florida Infantry. Anderson was stationed in Pensacola for nine months. On February 10, 1862, Anderson was promoted to brigadier general, and assigned a brigade in Ruggle's Division, II Corps, Army of Mississippi. General Anderson continued to command brigades and divisions in the Army of Mississippi and the Army of Tennessee until February 17, 1864, when he was promoted to major general, and a few days later, on February 23, 1864, was assigned command of the Confederate forces in eastern and central Florida. In July 1864, Anderson was back with the Army of Tennessee, and on August 31, 1864, at the battle of Jonesboro, was wounded, the bullet passing "through his mouth, breaking his jaw, [and] nearly severing his tongue." Anderson was sent back to Florida to recover. He did not rejoin the Army of Tennessee until April 9, 1865. Anderson was paroled in Greensboro, NC, May 1, 1865, and returned to the sunshine state. Following the war, Anderson refused to take the "ironclad" oath, and moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where his family lived in "genteel poverty." Maj. Gen. J. Patton Anderson died on September 20, 1872, and is interred in the Elmwood cemetery in Memphis.
Rabb, also the author of W. W. Loring -- Florida's Forgotten General (1996) has done a good job of combining sources for this complete biography on one of Florida's generals. From Anderson's education, to his service as a census taker (using a boat) in the Washington Territory, to commanding troops in Pensacola, and at Shiloh and Chickamauga, Rabb presents Anderson's life in a clear, concise format. There are numerous illustrations and maps (hand drawn) that add to the text. One flaw is Rabb's commentary about the Klu Klux Klan, mixing the immediate post- war organization with the later 19th
century and 20th century organizations. Overall, the book is a must have for those interested in Florida and its personalities during the Civil War.
Michael C. Hardy lives and writes from the mountains of western North Carolina. Learn more about Michael at www.michaelchardy.com
Items For Sale
And Wanted
Wanted. Sharps carbine in good
shape. Contact Dave Iannone at thirdri@juno.com
For Sale. No items were
sent in for the "Items For Sale and Wanted" section. If you
have any items that you would like to sell or are looking for, drop me
an email with a description of the item and its cost. I will post
it in this section free of charge.
Upcoming
Events
Monthly
Meetings
Historic Sewing Society
Meetings.......Each month the group features a speaker or
sewing project for their members. If you would like to
participate or are having a sewing problem, contact Glenda Reed ashevilla@aol.com
The Golden Teacup
Society......The society has started monthly meetings at
Walter Jones Historical Park in Mandarin (South Jacksonville) every
second Tuesday of the month. We meet from 10-2, and do a period
activity (handcraft, sewing, impression improvements) and just
fellowship. For more information, directions or to get on our
e-mail list, contact Shorty Robbins at goldteacup@aol.com or Diane
Gleason at bzquiltn@aol.com.
The Greater Orlando Civil War Roundtable meets every 4th Thursday at 730pm. The meetings are held at the
Reenactments And Events
January
8, 9, 2005. De Leon Springs State Park Living History. General Birney's 1864 Raid on
Starke's Plantation and destruction of the gristmill. Visit with
Union Army pickets on patrol. Sponsored by Florida State Parks
and the 17th Connecticut Volunteers. Contact the park at (904)
985-4212. One mile West of Hwy. 17. Turn West on Ponce
DeLeon Blvd. Contact Jeff Grzelak at hq17thconninf@cfl.rr.com
January 14, 15, 16,
2005. The 25th Annual
Brooksville Raid, Brooksville , Florida North Pinellas Scout Sertoma
Club. This is a maximum effort Hardy's Brigade event.
The Brooksville Raid is known as the biggest
and the best Civil War Reenactment in Florida Heritage Museum
January 28, 29, 30, 2005 . Renningers/Townsend
Battle (Mt. Dora Orlando Mt. Dora
February
5, 6, 2005. Fort Clinch (Fernandina Beach, Florida).
Federal (Union Army) Garrison and Living History. Admission:
Living Historians free. Spectators: $3.25 per car to Park and $2
each to Fort. Ask at gate about candlelight tour on Saturday
night. Candlelight tour admission is $3 for spectators. Contact the park at (904) 277-7274.
February
11, 12, 13, 2005.
19th annual Heritage Festival at Ft. Taylor Key West , Florida Ft. Taylor Southard Street
February 18, 19, 20, 2005. The Battle of Olustee and
Living History. Olustee Battlefield State Historic Site, Olustee, Florida. Friday is School day
The reenactment takes place on the actual site where the Battle of
Olustee (Ocean Pond) was fought. Visit with thousands of
Civil War reenactors, tour the camps, see demonstrations of all
types. Best gathering of Civil War sutlers at any Civil War
event with 80+ sutlers in attendance. Friday is School Day.
Battles Saturday and Sunday. Full scale artillery
only. No pets, due to concerns for public safety, no fur bearing
animals such as cats and dogs will be allowed during the reenactment
activities. This does not apply to horses. Get here
early. The crowd gets big fast, sign-in and parking can be a
hassle. First time visitors and reenactors to the event should
read The Authentic Spectator
and listing of activities. The
battlefield is located just fifteen miles east of Lake City Jacksonville
Your Obedient Servant,
Major Robert A. Niepert
Hardy's Brigade Cavalry Commander
5th Florida Cavalry Company G
Editor/Publisher
mayorbob@sprynet.com
(407) 448-4871
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