Florida Reenactors
Online News Magazine
written by
Lieutenant Colonel Robert A. Niepert
Commander 3rd Battalion - Hardy's Brigade

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.

 

General Information

 
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Officers Meeting
Saturday, July 18th at 11am
 
Gen. Hardy requests all Confederate company commanders (or their representative) and Brigade staff officers to attend our annual off season officers meeting.  Dept. of Gulf and Federal officers are encouraged to attend.  Only one representative from each company please.  This is your chance to bring up any topics that may concern you, our Brigade or reenacting in general.  The meeting will be held on July 18th, 11am at Gen. Hardy's house.  Sandwiches, drinks and snacks will be provided.
  If you plan to attend, contact Lt. Col. R.A. Niepert at mayorbob@embarqmail.com

New Market.........Did anyone out there make it to the New Market event in Virginia?  If so please send me an after action report.  mayorbob@embarqmail.com
 
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2009 - 2010 Event Schedule..........The new season's reenactment schedule is almost completed.  If your event is not included, it is because you did not send me the information.  When I make the announcement and post it on this website, hundreds of reenactors print it out that same night.  Don't let your event miss the first printing.  If you want your reenactment to be posted on schedule, send me your information now. 
 
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Artillery Award..........On May 23, 2009, William (Bill) Speir (Florida 2nd) was awarded the highest honor an artillerist can receive from the US Army Field Artillery Association.  Bill was inducted into the Honorable Order of St. Barbara.  The award was bestowed on Bill at the annual artillery instructors conference and artillery live shoot competition at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.  This recognition is well deserved as Bill has done a tremendous amount of work on the artillery manuals which are used by all USFAA artillery schools and other such things.
 
Hardee's Corps Distinguished Duty Award The "General's And Soldier's Medal"........Don't forget to submit your nominations for the General's and Soldier's Award to your Battalion Commander.   Any soldier, NCO or officer can nominate any other officer, NCO or soldier.  Your recommendation must be in writing and should outline how the officer or soldier meets the criteria and should accurately reflect the recipient's background and past performance.  Your Battalion Commander will then present these recommendations to the brigade Commander for his review who in turn will submit the paperwork to the Corps Adjutant.
The following criteria should be considered..........
  1. Has been re-enacting for at least three years.
  2. Has shown obedience and respect for command and authority.
  3. Has displayed proficient military bearing and conduct.
  4. Has presented a cheerful and helpful behavior to his peers.
  5. Has developed knowledge and skills in authentic dress and demeanor.
  6. Has a reputation for honesty, integrity and responsibility.
A special medal is being designed for presentation to the selected officer and soldier.  This medal will be given with high honor and dignity to the recipient.  It has the same level of importance as the Distinguished Service Cross is to the present day US Military. 
 
Suwannee Raid Site Photos..........Thanks to Gary and Barb Miller (Hardy's Brigade, 3rd Battalion, 5th Florida) we now have a whole page of photographs showing the battlefield, campsites and horse barns at the Raid on the Suwannee River reenactment site.  Go to our special site and click on the Suwannee photo button.  http://www.floridareenactorsonline.com/SuwanneeIndex.htm
 
Missing Items.........A member of the 4th FL. Co. G. had his reenacting trailer stolen.  Most of his equipment was in it.  If you live in the Sumter, Pasco, Lake or Marion County area, please be on the look out for any gear marked Burback or 4th Fla.  The equipment may even show up on Ebay, Craigs List or other buy/sell sites.
 
Photos..........Jim Shields (photographer at Crystal River event) has his website up and running.  The site includes wildlife, landscapes, reenacting events and more.  Check it out at www.photosbyshields.com
 
Alaskan Reenactors.........Our friends Mike and Rene Taz from Alaska had their first school program (May 29th) near Fairbanks.  It went great with over 500 in attendance.  Check their website at www.timewrights.com
 
Alonzo's New Baby Girl
 
 
 
New Addition........Wayne and Erica Alonzo have added another member to their family.  Their new baby girl, Sarah Isabella Alonzo was born Friday, April 24th at 7:20 PM.  She is 7 lbs. 4 ounces and 19 inches long.  Mother and baby are doing fine.  Congratulations to the Alonzo family.
 
 
 


Daughetry's New Son
 
Amanda Daugherty (Jimmerson) gave birth to Noah Samuel Daughetry May 25.  He weighed in at 6 lbs, 12 ounces and is 19 inches long.  The new boy wanted out fast.....Amanda was only in labor for 15 minutes.
 
 
 
 
Special Artillery Items For Sale
And Wanted Section
 
For Sale.  Cannon trailer including all trailer and loading accessories.
See photos and explanation below.
Cannon not included.
 
Top left photo details the cannon tie downs and polished aluminum deck protecting plates where the cannon and limber wheels rest (left and right, front and back - four plates) and the limber pole securing system (center of deck).
The photos at right and lower right show the crew safety anti-slip treadway.  This 10" wide by 2" thick treadway extends all the way around the trailer (front to back - both sides) including the tongue and enables the crew to safely and easily load and unload the cannon and limber.  The treadway is welded and braced for maximum support.  The photo at left shows the very secure limber attachment system.  The limber pole is removed and put in its place on the deck.  Then the limber is locked in and supported completely by the security system.  It can not move left or right and is held tightly in place front to back.  The trailer is 19 feet
long with dovetail for easier loading.  Secure pental hook holds cannon trail for maximum safety.  This trailer has four new heavy duty tires (less than 750 miles on them and they are balanced for a smooth ride) and one spare tire mounted on side (see photo below).
Also included: Electric trailer brakes with extra safety emergency lock down device.  Two year old remote control winch works perfectly (no burrs on the cable).  A deep cycle heavy duty marine battery (two years old) supplies power to the winch.  Two full loading ramps and two cannon rail loading ramps included.  Two large built in wood lockable tool boxes (left and right front of trailer) hold the battery for the winch and necessary artillery items with plenty of room left over (two locks included).   All lights work.  Sides and front are steel reinforced 2" X 6" pressure treated wood approx 18" high.  Screws and heavy duty lags were used to secure all wood - no nails that would come loose.  The easily removed tailgate is made from 2" X 12" pressure treated wood with hand made steel handles.  Wood floor is in great shape and has been water sealed every year.  Fenders are heavy duty diamond plate.  As you can see in the photo at left, the cannon weight is centered perfectly between the two trailer axles.  This trailer - either empty or fully loaded - pulls flawlessly at any speed.  This cannon trailer is in excellent condition and ready to go - all you need to do is load your cannon on it.  In all my years of reenacting, I have never seen another artillery trailer built this well and looking this good.  There are no issues of any type and no repairs or adjustments need to be made.  It is ready to go.  The reason I am selling this trailer is that in addition to the cannon, I want to start hauling a tow vehicle.  I will deliver this trailer to you anywhere within 500 miles of Orlando, Florida, absolutely free - yes free, as in no cost to you.  You can pull your cannon to any reenactment proudly with this well built custom trailer for only $3,000.  Cash or direct electronic bank deposit only.  No credit or payments, no personal checks, no bank teller checks.  If you are interested in purchasing this one of a kind custom artillery trailer, contact Lt. Col. Niepert at mayorbob@embarqmail.com or call me at 407-448-4871.
 
For Sale.  Coehorn mortar, 2.5" bore with brass naval cannon lock, percussion cap ignition.  It sits on a plain base.  All handles and hardware are period correct and cast in iron.  Steel sleeve added for extra safety.  Cast in 2005.  The mortar can shoot 4 ounce charges and a 6 ounce charge of 1 fg.  Brass capper, worm, rammer, sponge, prick, gloves and small limber included.  Worth $550 but will sell for $350 or will consider trade for two band Enfield or Sharps Carbine.  If interested, contact Carlos at carlosd072657@gmail.com
 
Wanted:  Ammo boxes and artillery limber preferably with 47" wheels.  If you have one for sale, contact Bob McLendon at 334-372-2399 or captcav2nd@yahoo.com  
 
Sick Call
 
Following a brief and intense health battle, Pvt. William T. Kohl (retired, 4th Fl. Co. G. Hardy's Brigade) passed away on the 16th of May in Ocala.  Pvt. Kohl was Lt. Col. Keith Kohl's father.
 
12th Annual Battle At Crystal River
Article and photos by
Victor Nevins
Civil War Courier 
 
Members of the 37th Ala. (Hardy's Brigade) prepare for battle.
 
  12th Annual Crystal River Battle reenactment was held March 14 and 15 on the Holcim Mines property.  The three day event was hosted by Curtis Peters of the Holcim Company and Marty Hoffman.
  As many as 600 students attended the education day on Friday.  The students were entertained with Civil War period music by the 97th P.V.I. string band, history exhibits, twenty-two period sutlers, tours of the camps and demonstrations by the soldiers.
  The action at Crystal River was not a major battle during the Civil War, but was more of a series of raids by the Federal forces of Naval, Marine and Infantry units burning and knocking out factories and industries which provided supplies to the Confederates.  The Confederates did not have an Army in the area at the time of the raids and the southern fighting forces consisted of the home guard.
  The Sunday battle featured a unique scene with Matt Vaughn, a member of the 28th Georgia, Company K, portraying a soldier wounded by a cannon ball that almost took off his arm (photo at left).  He kept his left arm tucked inside his shirt, while the bloody artificial arm was attached to his shoulder on a string of flesh like material.  It had just the right amount of sway as he stumbled around, fell and struggled to get back on his feet.  The battles closed with taps and Naomi McLain, 1st New Jersey Artillery, (photo above right) played Amazing Grace on the bagpipes.  Nine hundred soldiers were registered for the event.
Lt. Jason Klug of the 5th FL. Co. G. cavalry
(photo at left) gets his Sharps carbine ready
while his horse "Terminator" waits.


Lt. Col. Niepert (c/o 3rd Battalion)
tries out a different horse at the
event.  In the photo at right he
is shown riding "Vader".


Villages School Day
Lt. Col. Keith Kohl
2nd Battalion
Hardy's Brigade CSA
 
On Wednesday, May 6, in response to requests for re-enactors to take part in a school program, a field near the polo grounds in the Villages near Lady Lake was turned back to the 1860s.. Organized by a local re-enactor who is also a teacher, this turned out to be one of the most unique and rewarding school events I have ever been privileged to be involved in.  Three Confederate re-enactors and a handful of the 3rd Maine Infantry camped on the grounds the night before.  The following morning saw some 150 high school students from the Villages High School gather on the site for a day of Living History demonstrations.  These were divided into two equal sized groups to be the Union and Confederate forces, with a few in civilian clothing  Each student was encouraged to come in either blue or gray clothing, and were provided with respective kepis and wooden muskets made by the local woodshop.  Besides each side having about 40 infantry, the Confederates had a simulated field piece (yes it did fire small cloth bag rounds) and five mounted student cavalry while the Union forcers had one mounted cavalry.    Further the organizers built a simulated plantation homestead complete with  outbuildings and  property  for the Federals to "raid".
 
The day began with the students being issued their kepis and weapons, then reporting to their respective camps.  The confederate re-enactor contingent included five soldiers and one civilian, namely Erin Cole, Tim Manke, Vic Smith, and Pvt. Baumgardner (I do not recall his first name) and Susan Bruns. As our Union counterparts were doing with their forces, the five Confederate re-enactors were to command and train the student “army” in drill and battle tactics and we brevetted ranks as needed.  Following a short talk on the two rank battle line tactics of the day and a musket firing demonstration, we began the drill sessions.  Brevet Captain Cole (5th Fla Infantry) commanded the two company battalion for drill, with Sgt. Menke (9th Fla. Infantry) and Brevet Sgt. Baumgardner (57th Va Infantry) observing the 1st and 2nd companies respectively.   Brevet Sgt. Major Smith commanded and drilled the artillery battery.   Each infantry company had a student “officer” appointed to the rank of 1st Lieutenant, and a student Sergeant was selected to command the cavalry.  I observed from a short distance while the civilians and I answered questions and conversed occasionally with the onlookers.  Following an hour of facing maneuvers, basic manual of arms and firing commands, the troops were dismissed for lunch during which local SCV and UDC members provided a talk and demonstration.  After lunch, the infantry battalion went into more involved marching drill.  Before long, the battalion was mastering company into line, forward into line, wheeling and so forth with an ability that was nothing short of impressive for having not done anything like this before.  In the meantime, the battery continued to drill at firing and advancing the piece.   In the meantime, the Union commanders and I planned the battle scenario.  The local television station and newspaper were both on hand, and I have both the newspaper article and the news broadcast for any who wish to partake.
 
By 10:30, both sides were making ready for the highlight of the day.  Drill was concluded and the students given a short break to get water and so forth.  Around 10:45, we formed ranks on the Color Line in camp (no, we did not inspect the wooden muskets) for the battle.  Capt. Cole and Sgt. Menke took the 1st Company and Sgt. Baumgardner the 2nd Company, Sgt. Major Smith remained with the artillery, and I appointed a student Sergeant to command the cavalry.  We marched as an army in parade to our starting positions in some nearby trees.  Around 11:00 AM, the Union raiding party attacked, plundering and destroying the plantation before continuing across the field toward us.  I first sent in my cavalry to slow them down, then attacked with the entire force.  A 20 minute pitched battle ensued with loud shouts of “BANG” as student volleys mixed with the occasional re-enactor musket.  Both sides fought with good conduct and incredible vigor; the students firing steadily and even simulating the ramming (they were incredibly fast at the reload).  Casualties began to mount as these new soldiers, guided by their re-enactor commanders, pulled off some skillful maneuvers.  The Confederates soon flanked the enemy and both infantry companies formed into skirmish line and advanced in the rolling firing line.  In the end, the Federals had succeeded in destroying the plantation but were driven off in retreat before they could advance any further.    After a brief conference with the Union officers we formed both armies in front of the small crowd and gave the customary salute volley which was marked by another loud shout of “BANG”.  Afterward I marched the Confederates back to camp (no, we did not have the students prime and clear their muskets), each re-enactor addressed the students and we broke ranks for home.  The enthusiasm, interest, and dedication these students displayed was truly heartwarming.  There is talk of doing this again, possibly on an annual basis.   I am grateful to all the Confederate soldiers and civilian re-enactors who assisted with this.  In my 26 years of re-enacting, this was one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences I have been privileged to be a part of.
 
Field Report From Resaca
by 1st Sgt. L. French
2nd Florida Volunteer Infantry
Co. E., Hammock Guards
Florida Battalion, CSA
 
Captain Kearney,
 
Sir, it is with reluctance that I submit to you this Field Report from our actions near Resaca, Georgia.
 
The war is having its toll upon our valiant men as witnessed by our numbers assembled to meet the Union advance. We had hoped to have at least eight of our gallant men to help bolster our Georgian brothers but that was not to be.
 
Privates Keaton and Kevin Smith were pressed into service on the home front and not able to join up with us. Private Shaw was detained though he had progressed close to our position and Sgt. Custer, though he is still convalescing provided encouragement to us by body comfort means but was unable to take the field. From our ranks, we were only able to muster six of our company, including yourself.
 
By Friday, our camp was established but we were a meager company, yourself, Privates Dorr, Greene, Sonntag, and I your 1st Sgt. Our number was enhanced by the addition of dedicated pards from the 3rd Florida, Captain Short’s company. Two Cpls and at least six other members from their company along with three fellas from the 7th, Co. F, four more from the Leon Rifles, and Private Mitch made us just about one company in strength. The 2nd Florida, Company E was honored in leading the Florida Battalion of Infantry, 1st Battalion Department of The Gulf, wherever our columns went with exemplary fashion throughout this engagement. This humble servant was especially honored to lead and both serve in this endeavor.
 
Saturday we took to the field and skirmished under Captain Short’s command while you yourself reduced yourself to give us additional arms. We encountered light resistance at first but then met Union forces in regimental strength. Despite our being outnumbered, Captain Short urged us nearly right into the midst of them and close to taking one of their batteries. Their reinforcements pushed us back all the way across the field we’d traversed. We took up defensive position in our own trenches and the day's fighting ended with both sides spent. Our Private Sonntag had to retire from wounds he suffered in our retreat. A storm then descended upon us and we spent the night in the rain.
 
Sunday the rain continued. Our numbers from attrition had dwindled down to about twelve. It did not dampen our spirits. Captain Short joined the ranks and you took command. Not long after Colors, we were directed by Major Welch out again onto the field. The rain subsided. Major Welch drove us almost as fiercely as we drive them Union invaders. He pushed us hard and we skirmished like wildcats. We almost made it to the tree line this day but again the Union came back at us with superior numbers and a great many batteries. We retreated to the trenches we had held the day before but they swarmed over us and we had to fall back or be consumed. We left Captain Short, Cpl Mathis, and several others among the wounded there as we fell back.
 
Major Welch concentrated us in our second line of trench works along with other units. We dug in determined not to let them drive us further. Then the day was spent and word got to us that their vast numbers were flanking us. Once again, we would have to withdraw.  It does not look good for our Cause but we live to fight another day.
 
I was deeply touched by the spirit and faith of all who put their trust in me for this fight. I appreciate that greatly and humbly present you my report.
 
Your Comrade in Arms,
1st Sgt. L. French
2nd Florida Volunteer Infantry
Company E., The Hammock Guards
Fifth Company
Florida Battalion, CSA
 
Some Impressions from the
Real Trenches at Resaca
by 1st Sgt. L. French
2nd Florida Volunteer Infantry
Co. E., Hammock Guards
Florida Battalion, CSA
 
  As I ascended the hillock,  my heart began to pound heavier and my breathing labored. Determined to make the summit, I leaned into the slope as I forced my legs to conquer the steep angle.
  I imaged an absence of all of the trees around me and the bare earthen expanse I have seen in many an extensive battleground. After five minutes into my climb, off to my immediate right there appeared rising from the broken earth the distinctive raised ridge line of a trench line. Angling my ascent to the right oblique, I approached the trench and soon found myself standing in it.
  For a few moments I stood silent, spanning the expanse of the trench to both my right and left. The quiet of the late afternoon could have been much like the dead stillness following a long day of repulsed charge after charge against this position. I imagined pards, not unlike many of us, dressed in their characteristic homespun and loom-made dress of uniform and mixed civilian jackets, coats, and pants. Their shoes caked with the same red clay that now embraced my own. I could almost see them sitting, kneeling, and peeking up over the same ridge top of the trench I now stood in.
  Stepping up onto the top of the trench, I could look down across the expanse of remaining few yards of the summit. Where it rose and fell away, I could picture the wreckage of failed charges, accoutrements and weapons scattered among the broken and still bodies. And from our own experience in the present I could see the Stars and Stripes begin to come up over the descending rise and a line of bayonets. “Here they come!” someone shouts and I can then hear the clicking of hammers and the rustle of men around me.
  For a few moments I could almost think that I was there.
More About Resaca.........Long time reenactor Jeff Grzelak sent the following account of the activities at Resaca.
  The 145th anniversary of the Battle of Resaca was a grand success in spite of the weather.  The rain did not dampen the spirit of the troops or the turnout.  Sides were evenly matched and the event had some great sutlers.  This event has always been a favorite and ends the reenacting season in the South ....... as it just gets too hot!  But this year overcast skies made for cooler temperatures.  The sponsors once again outdid themselves and the entire weekend was enjoyed by all.
  Nearly two dozen members of the AZTEC CLUB met on sutlers row at Resaca under a flag of truce to remember their service together in Mexico 17 years earlier.  Hunter Poythress and Joe Blunt hosted the festivities and spirits were enjoyed by all.  Jeff H. Grzelak offered a toast to the veterans of the first Battle of Resaca (De Palma 1846).
  Ken Cobb, Frank Benson, Jim Butler, Patrick Peterson, and Justin Runyon joined the festivities and were given their rosettes which consist of an 1821 dragoon button surrounded by the colors of the flag of Mexico.
Over 600 years of service were present and fellowship was enjoyed by all well into the evening.
  The original AZTEC CLUB consisted of U.S. Army officers who had served together during the Mexican War.
  The reenactor version was started in 2001 by Jeff Grzelak as a way to bridge the common bond between Southern and Northern veteran officers.  Membership is open to anyone over the age of 35 who is an officer in good standing.  The group has informal annual meetings at Olustee and Resaca.
 
Civil War Days
Heritage Village, Largo, Florida
By Lew Zerfas, U.S.S. Fort Henry
May 16, 2009
 
        This Saturday only event wrapped up the 2008-09 reenacting season with a very warm, sunny day.  Preparation started on Friday as several members of the 97th PA arrived to help the hosting unit's (U.S.S. Fort Henry and U.S.S. Ottawa) representatives setup for the event.  Although exhausted from the day's activities and heat, many also volunteered to restore the park after the skirmish as well.  These volunteers helped make this a successful event.  Thanks!
 
         With a change in park personnel, a few things changed this year.  Most notably was the absence of sutlers, and less food vendors.  However, the crowds seemed to be as large as ever.  Reenactors provided infantry and artillery demonstrations at various times during the day.  Many posed for photos and answered numerous questions.  The marines and sailors of the U.S.S. Fort Henry demonstrated the various tools of the Union Navy as well as the role of the navy and marine corps during the war.
 
        For those who have never been to Heritage Village, the "reenacting area" is a long narrow clearing surrounded by trees and high palmettos.  A large rustic barn and a few homes are spaced around the area providing the look of an occupied town.  Modern vendors are completely out of sight.
 
        The 97th Regimental band provided music through the day and many children had a chance to "meet the drummer."  Making salt and the blacksmith were among the other demonstrations as well.  With a last minute's notice, Scott Anderson came up with a scenario and trial.  Marines took the three prisoners and brought them to the church where court was to be held.  The room was packed with spectators as the military trial unfolded.  At the end, the crowd was pleased and showed their appreciation with a big round of applause.  Well done, Scott!
 
        As usual, the big event of the day was the skirmish.  About seventeen Confederate infantry plus one field piece and crew were up against twenty-five Union infantry, one field piece and two mortars and their crews.  The action took place on the Moore field.  On the south end of the field, there is a vegetable garden which provided the opening scenario.  As the spectators lined the east side of the field, there was a perfect backdrop behind the reenactors, plenty of palmettos and pine trees.  The following Union report describes the skirmish:
 
U.S. Gunboat Fort Henry
Cruising off Anclote Keys
May 18, do
 
        It is my pleasure to report the success of the Piney Peninsula Campaign.  The expeditionary force landed on the morning of May 16 just south of Clear Water Harbor.  Several men from the 97th Pennsylvania were foraging at the Moore family farm when they were surrounded by a small local rebel force.  Almost immediately a squad of Berdan Sharpshooters came to the rescue firing at the enemy, inflicted wounds and drove them back into the woods.
        As all of the men withdrew back to the north end of the open field, a larger force of rebels pursued them at which time the remainder of the Pennsylvania company took the field and held a defensive line.  Shortly thereafter, more of the enemy came out of the woods and their line advanced when our artillery arrived.  The battery included one field piece and two mortars, as well as a squad of marine sharpshooters from this ship formed to the right of the infantry.
        Heavy infantry and artillery fire drove the enemy back toward the farmhouse at which time they brought a howitzer on the field.  The firing continued and as we outnumbered them both in infantry and artillery, we had an opportunity to advance.  The Pennsylvania pushed toward the rebel infantry and the marines toward the howitzer crew.  The Berdans covered the flanks of both advancing units.  The howitzer was captured along with the surviving crew.  Heavy casualties were inflicted on the rebels but not without losses on our side as well.  A full report will be supplied by the surgeons at the Egmont Key station hospital.
 
        I remain Your Most Obedient Servant,
                        Actg. Vol. Lt. Edward Y. McCauley, Commanding, U.S. Navy
 
Capt. Chuck Munson, Adjutant, 4th Brigade U.S., Department of Florida
 
A HEARTFELT THANK YOU FROM JACK AND KATHY HEITMAN
Kathy Heitman / The Picture Lady
 
There aren't enough words to express the gratitude that my husband Jack and I would like to convey to all of you out there who telephoned, emailed, snail mailed to offer support and prayed for us after our motorhome accident
on I-75 as we were returning from Olustee on February 16th.  We always knew we had friends who cared about us, but didn't realize the number of people who even knew who we were until they contacted us and said they knew us from reenacting and offered us their good wishes and prayers.
 
We are truly blessed to be able to call you our friends.
 
It was a struggle at times but the dust is almost settled.  Our beloved GMC motorhome was declared a total loss.  We were able to purchase another motorhome, a 35-foot Newmar Dutch Star.  We do miss our GMC but we just weren't meant to keep it any longer.
 
Jack and I plan to attend the reenacting events that we always have:  The new Suwannee River event, Ft. Pierce,
Brooksville, Mt. Dora, Olustee, Crystal River and Narcoossee.  We are part of the 3rd Battalion under Bob Niepert and will be camped with them from now on.
 
Again, we cannot thank you all enough.  If there is ever any way we can repay your kindness, please do not hesitate to let us know.  You were there for us, we are here for you!
 
And remember:  Buckle up - seatbelts save lives.  Were living, breathing proof.  Until next time, be well and stay safe.
 
P.S.  The big pink flamingo survived the accident without a scratch.  He will be with us at every event we attend.
 
Looking forward to seeing all of you again!
Jack Heitman, 5th FL. Co. I., Infantry
Kathy Heitman, 5th FL. Co. K. Kilcrease Artillery
 
Book Review
 
"Diary of a Yankee Engineer"
edited by Anita Palladino
book reviewed by R.A. Niepert
 
If John Westervelt had not taken the time to write about his daily life in the army and as he said "such things as may come under my personal observations" and by a stroke of luck had his writings not been salvaged from the garbage in front of his son's former New York home 131 years later, we would not have been privy to this unique insight into an interesting part of his life.  I get the feeling that Westervelt didn't start out to write a diary about his part in the Civil War but rather a series of 68 "letters" written to his son Frazee and wife Anna.  The reprinted diary (written between September 1862 and June 1865) includes a selection of Mr. Westervelt's detailed pencil sketches of the 1st New York
Volunteer Engineer Regiment, Co. H. (aka - Serrell's Engineers) camp, projects they were involved with and a clever lamp John invented.  Eventually the drawings ended up in the West Point Special Collections Archives.
Anita Palladino's attention to detail is evident throughout the book.  I was surprised at the amount of additional research contained in the books footnotes.  Any soldier mentioned within the "Diary of a Yankee Engineer" is included in a footnote detailing his time of enlistment, his promotions, date of discharge and other personal details.  Many interesting history notes are included also.
You may think that the daily life of a Federal engineer would be pretty boring - you would be wrong.  Yes, there were days when the only entry in John H. Westervelt's diary went something like this ....... "The day has been fine.  Nothing of importance" but for the most part, those engineers kept pretty busy.  The engineer unit built pontoon bridges, signal and lookout towers, roads, fortifications of all types and many structures to support their army.  There were weeks when they had little spare time and days when they did nothing.  From Florida to Virginia and points in between, John tells all.  Of particular interest to us Florida reenactors is his mention of the battle of Olustee, problems in Palatka and skirmishes along the St. Johns River.
Within Westervelt's camp, some pretty unusual things took place every now and then.  For example, their pickets captured some Union deserters one of which turned out to be a spy from Morgans guerrillas.  They were executed.  John was also a witness to the huge explosion of a ammunition boat at City Point which resulted from a "horological torpedo (time bomb) placed by Confederate agents.  His unit helped build the pontoon bridge across the James River and as they maintained it, he watched for three days as men, equipment and artillery passed over it.  These are only a few of the interesting things he participated in during his service in the Federal Army.  And you thought the life of a engineer would be boring.
I can hear you die hard Confederates out there now. "I don't want to read about anything to do with the Federals."  well if you don't read this book, you will be missing one of the most interesting books about the Civil War ever written.  The Diary of a Yankee Engineer is a must read.
If You Would Like A Copy.........The Diary of a Yankee Engineer by Anita Palladino is available from Fordham University Press - http://www.fordhampress.com/hank at a list price of $40, or www.amazon.com for about $32.  You can also order the book through Barnes & Noble.  If you would like a signed copy, Anita will be happy to send you one at the same price as amazon ($32.00).  You may contact her by email at apala@prodigy.net or snail mail: Anita Palladino, 321 Myrtle Drive, Nokomis, FL. 34275.
 
Recent Events
 
Confederate Memorial Day Motorcade
April 2009
by Jimmy Shirley
 
200 miles round trip + 310 round trip
171 Confederate veterans in 7 counties
111 in Palm Beach, Broward, Dade
60 in Martin, Okeechobee, Saint Lucie, Indian River
59 in Dade
26 in Palm Beach county
 
   Between the 12th and 14th Brigades of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, more than 500 round trip miles was traveled to do our duty to honour and remember those Confederate veterans who moved to the southeast coast of Florida in the years after the War For Southern Independence. In all, 171 veterans were honoured in the 7 counties of Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, Saint Lucie and Indian River.
   This commemoration was a milestone for the SCV Motorcade. It marked the 15th year of the South Florida Motorcade, which was started by Post 1599 Cdr. Mike Crane in 1995.
   This undertaking reaches the realm of nobility for I know of no one else in the whole South who does what we do. Though there are some places where more Confederate veterans lie in eternal repose, only the 12th and 14th Brigades go out of their way to make sure all those veterans buried here are honoured and remembered for their willingness to march up to the firing line in the defense of their families, homes and country. And it is this very courage from character which we all hope we would display were we faced with the same choices those brave men faced so long ago in the 1860's.
   Participating in this sacred endeavour were four members of the 7th Fla. Vol. Inf. Co. B - Lt. Bob Enik, Corporal Bill Lankford, Private Jimmy Shirley and Private Ed Bandola, who showed up at the final stop Woodlawn Cemetery. As he cares for his ailing wife and is a bit infirmed himself (he showed up on home made period correct crutches) and lives in Delray Beach, he could only be there. Also, two members of the 10 Tenn. Dismounted Cav. - Captain Rene Marders and Private Fred Parks. This was especially difficult for Fred as he is in constant pain and must wear a back brace. Wesley Frank and Joe Overstreet, of the 12th Brigade SCV, were the only ones to cover the 4 county area from Melbourne to Stuart. 
   Shown in the photograph taken at the Miami Cemetery are, starting at upper left, L-R, Bob Enik, Larry Lester, Greg Kaloff, Bill Lankford, Bill Hardy, Larry Powell.
   In front, L-R, is Mike Mitchell, Fred Parks, Jimmy Shirley, Rene Marders.
   Lastly, certainly not leastly, this event would not be complete without the assistance of the Ladies in Black. Shown in their photograph from L-R, complementing the reenactors was the wife of Bill Lankford, MaryAnn - the wife of Ray Tilson, Kathy - the wife of Larry Powell, Becki - the wife of Rene Marders, Marilyn -  the wife of James Ball, Corin. The ladies in white were from the Eliza Barns McLendon Chapter #2209, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Fort Lauderdale.  
   Betty, wife of Camp 1599 Cdr. Jimmy Shirley, also showed up only at Woodlawn Cemetery in West Palm Beach. She cares for her ailing 91year old mother and can not be far away. She also wore her Black mourning clothes, "Widow's weeds". 
 
Tampa Flag Dedication
by John Butler
        After years of planning and a year of construction, the realization of a dream came forth.  The Confederate Memorial Park at the intersection of I-75 and I-4 in Tampa was dedicated and the world's largest Confederate battle flag now flies over the park.  The idea of this beautiful monument honoring the fallen southern soldiers was brought to life by the hard efforts of Marion Lambert (past commander, SCV) and the Sons of the Confederate Veterans Jubal Early camp #556.  Despite the many tries of the NAACP and others to remove the flag and stop construction, the flag went up with many cheers.
        The day was hot and breezy as reenactors mingled together in camp and interacted with the crowd.  Members of Florida companies, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, as well as the 2nd South Carolina and others were present.  Four artillery companies brought in their pieces to show the crowd.  BBQ chicken and pork was prepared and served to all who were hungry.  Keynote speakers, Pastor John Weaver, Pastor Herman White, and Don Kennedy all gave small talks about Southern Heritage.  Generals Robert E. Lee, J.E.B. Stuart, R.S. Ewell, Jubal Early, and James Longstreet (portrayed by re-enactors) also were on hand.  Music ranged from period music performed by the Early Boys, Wayne Sweat and Troy Wilcox, to Nashville star Trey Jewell.  Every hour the battalion of reenactors marched out and fired a salute volley along with a cannon volley.  At 3:30 PM the Jubal Early Color Guard and many volunteers from the reenactors stretched out and took hold of the large battle flag.  Flanked by riflemen from the Honor Guard, the procession crossed the road lined by southern belles laying flowers marking the path.  Reaching the flag pole, the flag was attached by Capt. Mike Herring and Cpl. Bud Downing.  Chaplain Calvin Martin led the crowd in Dixie as the flag ascended.  Slowly the wind gently caught it and spread it out to its full size as it reached the top followed by a salute volley from the battalion and artillery.  Nearly two thousand people attended the dedication and all cheered as the flag rose up the pole.
        Many thanks go to those whose efforts made this occasion possible.  Let us remember and honor our ancestors always.
        For more information about the event check the website below.............
 
Buchanan Virginia Re-enactment
Article and photos by Fritz Kirsch
 
I started out Friday morning deciding what Nineteenth century clothing to take with me.  I selected black wool trousers, a pale blue plaid wool vest, a white muslin shirt and black leather soled period shoes.  Undecided as to what hat to wear, I brought two.  One, my favorite straw, the other a broad brimmed Quaker black hat.  Weather at night might be cold in the mountains regardless of how hot it became during the day so I took along a black "preacher's" frock coat.  I'm really too old for military duty so that's why I stuck to a civilian impression.  I also took two guitars with me, my new classical guitar and the flamenco one with the ebony cello style tuning pegs which looks ancient.
 
The trip to Buchanan took me through ritzy Bedford and up to the Peaks of Otter along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The town of Buchanan is only about five miles off the Parkway.  The town literally froze some time during the 1950s.  There is a 50's style drugstore.  When we were eating lunch there, "I Love Lucy" was on the television, no doubt on a DVD.  Across the street is a mid-20th century style movie theater.
 
The event was held in a linear park along the James River.  My buddy, Bob Szabo, the wet plate photographer, soon showed up.  We set up the tent and dragged out the period backdrop and set up his portable darkroom and camera.  We waited and waited for customers to come.  Business was slow.  Throughout the weekend I don't believe he did more than a half dozen images.
 
The best part of the event to me was when David Palmer showed up.  He does a theatrical performance of Robert E. Lee.  He not only looks like him, he's in first person interpretation during much of the time.  He regaled us with tales of Lee, his aspirations and disappointments.  He told stories about his family members and interaction with officers he admired and those he thought were buffoons.  His accent was mainly tidewater but there was a surprising flatness to some of his speech considering the time Lee spent in the West and North at West Point.
 
There were battles throughout the day but they were pretty much like a football game.  The Yankees were on one end of the field and the Confederates on the other.  There was no cover or shelter for troops to hide and scope out the enemy.  The battles were mostly an opportunity for the troops to burn powder and holler, "Yahoo!"  But the Confederate cavalry camp along the James River was beautiful.  The troops kept modern intrusions to a minimum.  The twenty horses or so animated the scene and gave a realistic impression to what otherwise was a pretty bland encampment.
 
In the evening, Bob Szabo and I played guitar together.  His timing is tight and made me aware of the beat well enough to keep me on beat.  I appreciated that.  When we were hungry, we searched out the local restaurants.  We were treated like visiting dignitaries.  Our period clothing obviously setting us apart from the locals.
 
There was a dance for the troops with a bluegrass band playing lively, if inauthentic style music.  Few troops showed up to the dance preferring to stay in camp and share camp gossip.
 
Sunday morning Rev. Allan Farley held church in an open air pavilion.  Attendance was full to overflowing.  He doesn't admit to trying to reenact God, but does have all the fire of the old time preachers.  It was a moving experience.
 
Following the church service, I brought out my digital camera and captured the picture I did of Lee, Traveler and some troopers who came over to praise him for his presentation.
 
Lee invited Bob and I to lunch.  Bob decided to stay behind and chase down one or two more tintypes or ferrotype jobs as they should preferably be called.  While the Sunday battle was raging, Bob and I packed up to go home.  See one small time event battle and you've seen them all.  Although the event did not  distinguish itself from other small town events, it was appreciated because the community had gone to some great effort to make U.S. history come alive for its people, particularly the school kids who were pretty much in evidence throughout the weekend.  It was a good weekend.
 
Skirmish on the Train from Parrish
by Lew Zerfas
 
On April 18 & 19, 2009, Civil War reenactors converged on the small town of Parrish to participate in the Civil War days on the Florida Railroad Museum.  Union and Confederate camps were at the depot.  After a long hiatus, I was able to make the first train on Saturday.  It has been several years since going to this event and this time it was a little different.  With my six-year-old grandson (his first train ride) in his slouch hat and civilian attire with me, I decided to stay on the train when it was stopped and attacked by the Confederates.
However, I did have time to talk to spectators about the use of trains during the Civil War as well as the involvement of the U.S. Navy (I was in uniform).  The ride out of Parrish was punctuated by the chase and arrest of some "spies."  After the skirmish alongside the train on the way back, some prisoners were brought on board.  Things heated up some especially when one of the Confederates tried to talk his way out of his situation and eventually was able to grab his guard's pistol.  As this took place in the seat right next to us, little David's eyes were wide open, especially with the well done struggle between the men.  Other guards came to the rescue and we arrived at the depot safely.
It was great to see this event again.  The men had put together a good plan on what to do on the train, which brings the spectators in close contact with the reenactors.  This takes the spectators visiting the camps up a few notches.  Well done fellow reenactors!
For more information on the railroad at Parrish, visit their site at Florida Railroad Museum.  To read about Florida's early history on railroads, including the line between Fernandina and Cedar Key that opened just before the Civil War, visit Rails through the Palmettos.  On March 2, 1862, the U.S. Navy arrived in Fernandina.  To read about the first known (most likely the first in history) shelling of a moving train from a moving naval vessel, see The Last Train from Fernandina.
 
Good Looking Couple.........Who is that woman next to Butch Farless?  Could it be his wife Roxanne?  I don't know about you guys but I have never seen Roxanne in a dress before.  At our reenactments, they are so busy doing their medical impression that they never have time to relax.  That all changed a few weeks ago when they decided to attend the flag dedication in Tampa.  Are they a good looking couple or what?
 
 
Civil War History
 
At War with Disease
By Ralph Epifanio
 
 
Disease as the Enemy
 
During the War Between the States--as in all wars before and since--in addition to the two main foes, there was also an “invisible” enemy that was responsible for more casualties than both opposing armies put together. That invisible enemy was disease, and it felled twice as many men as minie balls, which alone accounted for 94% of all battle casualties.
 
Today, in an era of healthy lifestyles, despite modern methods of food preparation and storage and a safety net of laws to protect our country’s citizens, 76,000,000 Americans fall victim to food poisoning each year.  Almost 325,000 of these illnesses are serious enough to require hospitalization, and approximately 5000 result in death.  What must have it been like in an era when food preservation was still starkly primitive?
 
The leading cause of food poisoning today--and most likely in the 19th century--is bacterial infection, ten kinds of which result in ninety percent of all documented cases.  These are (with the way they are transmitted in parentheses) bacillus cereus (dust, soil and spices), campylobacter jejuns (meat--beef, pork and lamb--and milk; fecal contamination of food), clostridium botulinum (improper canning), clostridium per fringes (soil, dust and gastrointestinal tracts of animals and man), enter pathogenic escherichia (e) coli (feces of infected humans and untreated water), listeria (cattle--including milk products--and sheep), salmonella (gastrointestinal tracts of animals and humans), staphylococcus aureus (skin and respiratory passages of humans), vibrio parahaemolyticus (seafoods), and yersinia enterocolitica (pork). Chemicals (such as pesticides), heavy metals (mercury, for example), parasites (amoebas and other protozoans), fungi and viruses account for the rest.
 
In Civil War America, little was known about bacteria. Such terms as “miasma” and “vapors” were seen to blame for common ills. This, despite the fact that Leeuwenhoek (the builder of some 500 microscopes, some with magnification powers of as much as 275 to 500 power) first shared his observations of single celled organisms as far back as 1676, that Jenner refined smallpox vaccination in 1796, and that Pasteur, who is said to be one of the three founders (with Cohn and Koch) of microbiology, demonstrated the effects of microbes on food (with Bernard) in 1862.  (In the not too distant future, Joseph Lister [Listerine] would discover the antiseptic qualities of carbolic acid, or phenol, and introduce its use in surgery [1867]). In America, however, it is said that Harvard medical School had neither a microscope, nor a stethoscope.
 
So little is mentioned about ptomaine in the written record of the time period, it becomes necessary to use a rather indirect approach to find what one might think was a fairly obvious, and common, illness. 
 
The fastidious record keeping of the Union Army offered many clues as to the prevalence of food borne pathogens. (Far less was recorded on the Confederate side, probably due to a serious paper shortage, and much of what was noted on paper did not survive the Confederacy's demise.)
 
Form 15 of the 1861 Army Medical Dept. lists 144 specific diseases under 14 classes.  Although ptomaine is not identified among the 19 included under “Diseases of the organs connected with the digestive system,” it can be concluded that diarrhea acuta, diarrhea chronica, dyspepsia, enteritis, gastrules haematomesis,  and perhaps dysenteria (acuta or chronica) and hepatitis (acuta and chronica) may have reflected--in their diagnosis--the symptoms associated with food/water borne pathogens. Further, it also listed an “all other diseases of this class” under digestive systems.
 
While it took, on average, over 100 pounds of lead to kill each Confederate soldier, and 110 a boy in blue---that much seems to have remained unchanged--disease was far more effective.  It has been noted that 164,000 Confederate and 250,152 Union men succumbed to disease in the 48 months of war, from 1861-1865.  That adds up to approximately 414,000, or roughly twice the number killed intentionally. It breaks down to the following (Union only):
 
DISEASE                                            # of Cases                                            # of Deaths
Diarrhea and dysentery                         1,739,135                                            44,558
Malaria                                                  1,315,955                                            10,063
Typhoid                                                    148,631                                            34,883
Typhus                                                         2,624                                                  958
Yellow Fever                                               1,371                                                  431
 
The numbers don’t quite add up to the previous total, which may have been even worse still. From January, 1862, to July, 1863, there were 41,539 cases of malaria in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina in the Confederate Army.  And 6,497 Union men died of tuberculosis.  But even those numbers don’t tell the whole story.  How many of those who were discharged due to medical conditions died later?
 
There were those who suffered from ‘mania’ and  ‘dementia,’ later renamed ‘shellshock’ (WWI),  ‘battle fatigue’ (WWII),  and, more recently, ‘post-traumatic stress syndrome.' Sent home to recover, might they have added suicide to the list?
 
The thing is, conditions have changed, as has our perspective. In that time period spoiled food often led to the ‘Summer Complaint,’ now known as food poisoning. The nature and consequences of disease have changed too, as has its treatment.  According to the CDC paper Bacterial and Myotic Diseases, “A century ago, typhoid fever, tuberculosis and cholera were common foodborne diseases.  Improvements in food safety, such as pasteurization of milk, safe canning, and disinfection of water supplies have conquered those diseases.  Today other foodborne infections have taken their place….”  Disease, too, continues to undergo mutation. “Hospital gangrene,” a black spot that appeared on the wound, is said to have “disappeared” at war’s end.
 
The question that overshadows all others is why. What made disease the enemy of both sides in this conflict?  I found the answer(s) as interesting, if not more so, than the question.
 
First of all, the average new recruit, upon entering this great drama of death, was woefully unprepared for survival.  Most significant, he was only superficially screened.  (This fact perhaps provides an explanation as to why, or how, hundreds of women snuck through the process.) At the beginning of the war, as the armies were flooded by enlistees, the ranks included “broken down old men--many 60 to 70 years old …affected with hernia, old ulcers, epilepsy and the like…." (Report of Surgeon General Charles S. Tripler, Medical Director of the Army of the Potomac, February 7, 1863)  Children, sufferers of a multitude of disease, those who exhibited pre-existing conditions (both physical and mental), or just were just plain incapable of taking care of themselves were among the numbers.
 
“During the months of October, November and December (of 1861), 3939 men were discharged from the Army of the Potomac upon certificates of disability.  Of these, 2,881 (two thirds) were for disabilities that existed at the time the men were enlisted.”  (C. S. Tripler)  As the war wore on, and enlisting was effectively replaced by conscription, the problem worsened, if anything.  By the end of 1862, the discharge numbers had grown to 200,000 (including disease).  All of this occurred despite the existence of clear-cut rules aimed at close inspection of new recruits. 
 
According to Article XLIV, Section 1261 (Medical Department) of the Revised Regulations for the Army of the United States (1861): “In passing a new recruit the medical officer is to examine him stripped; to see that he has free use of his limbs; that his chest is ample; that his hearing, vision and speech are perfect; that he has no tumors, or ulcerated or extensively cicatrized legs; no rupture or chronic cutaneous affection; that he has not received any contusion, or wound of the head, that may impair his facilities; that he is not a drunkard; is not subject to convulsions; and has no infectious disorder, nor any other that may (makes) him unfit for military service.”
 
Typically, men of that era were almost universally attended by their wives or mothers. These women watched over and cared for their men.  Women washed their clothing, preserved their food, planned and prepared their meals, took the necessary steps to prevent illness and, if need be, cared for them when sick.
 
“The individual man at home finds his meals well cooked and punctually served, his bed made and his quarters policed and ventilated, his clothing washed and kept in order without any agency of his own, and without ever having bestowed a thought upon the matter.” (Tripler)
 
As previously mentioned, there would seem to be a general lack of knowledge in the area of microbes. However, one can’t help but think that, like today, there were medical and health professionals who suspected that cleanliness went hand in hand with good health, even if they had no means to prove it. This might also have been true of women who cared for their families.  It stands to reason that in this, a time when population was increasing, they probably knew the benefits of hygiene, sanitation, proper food preservation and preparation, and acted upon their home-grown expertise on a daily basis.
 
Indeed, when women were allowed to participate in hospital care, their involvement had a notable effect. There was, for example, feminist, abolitionist, newspaper publisher, and Civil War nurse Jane Swisshelm. In Half Century (1880) she mentioned a word that may have been as alien to her as it is to us: “I knew this was piemia (pyaemia or pyemia) and that for it medical science had no cure…”  But she nonetheless found a cure.  “I decided (after a man had died of a flesh wound to the thigh) to lay my trouble before the cooks, who gathered to hear me tell the story of that death and my sorrow that I could not drive away the cold on that last, sad night. They all wiped their eyes on their aprons; head cook went to a cupboard, brought a key and handed it to me, saying ‘There mother, is a key of this kitchen; come in here whenever you please.  We will always find room on the ranges for your bricks….’ This proved to be the key to the situation, and after I received that bit of metal from cook, there was not one death from piemia in any ward where I was free to work…I concluded that ‘piemia’ was French for neglect, and that the antidote was warmth, nourishing food, stimulants, friction, fresh air and cheerfulness, and did not hesitate to say that if death wanted to get a man out of my hands, he must send some other agent than piemia.”
 
One of the first major problems that the Federal Army had--and more so in the South--was the rather lean numbers of the Medical Corps.  When the war erupted, there were 115 surgeons: one surgeon general (a colonel), 30 surgeons (majors), and 84 assistant surgeons (first lieutenants).  24 of these turned Confederate. At most, these men might have had two years of “medical” training, generally under another doctor’s tutelage. There was no hospital or medical corps.
 
“Male nurses…are to be detailed from the privates of the army, regular and volunteer.  The allowance will be one nurse for ten patients….Hired (experienced?) nurses…will be forthwith discharged." (General order number 9, September 9, 1861)
 
Further orders detailed the number and operation of ambulances which, when sitting idle, were being “borrowed” for non-medical uses.
 
In his report of February 7, 1863, Surgeon General Tripler wrote that “…the inferior quality of the blankets issued to the men…perhaps to some degree a cause of disease, but I knew it to be irremediable.  It was impossible for the clothing department to furnish the heavy army blankets instantaneously to 600,000 men…”  This also applied “to tents…good and efficient clothing….(and in reference to 200 men of the Eighth Illinois Cavalry, who had received no coveralls) Many of them were reduced to their drawers.” Minor ills could, and did, in fact--as a result--escalate into pneumonia and, ultimately, death.
 
Despite the fact that 1861 Army Regulations covered sanitation quite thoroughly, conditions in camps larger than most American cities were deplorable.  Piles of refuse, offal, animal droppings and human waste accumulated and mixed with a sea of mud, allowing vermin to breed and multiply to uncontrollable levels. Fleas, flies, lice, and rats pestered the soldiers and their command structure to no end, and led to devastating epidemics of dysentery and typhoid fever.
 
The War Between the States gave birth to trench warfare, in more ways than one.  Army regulations required a trench to be dug as a latrine, in such a location as to remove a source of disease from the proximity of camp. Unfortunately, besides exposing its visitors in a rather compromising position to anyone within visual range, it also subjected its users to an insufferable stench, clouds of flies and the like.  The men avoided it like the plague that it was, instead taking refuge behind trees, tents and bushes, and in the process moving the problem “closer to home.”  The resultant buildup of the aforementioned byproducts of this natural daily event made disease (and with it death) inevitable. 
 
Half the troops came from rural areas of the country, where contagious diseases were limited in their scope.  As a result, such illnesses, when they arose, raged through the camps.  Measles especially took its toll in huge numbers, sometimes accounting for one-quarter to one third of the men answering sick call.
 
“Measles went through our regiment in such a manner that out of 560 men, only 250 are on duty.” --Peter Wilson, 14th Iowa, in writing to his wife in 1862. (Time Life, Tenting Tonight: The Soldier’s Life)
 
By war’s end, 5,177 Union men would die of this “childhood” disease.
 
The High Cost of Contaminated Food
 
In a Union Army report, it was noted that 995 out of every 1000 men (99.5%) contracted a condition of “chronic diarrhea,” or “bowel disorders,” and most more than once.   For example, in a widely circulated incident, future president Benjamin Harrison is said to have suffered ptomaine poisoning (November 24, 1862) after eating (supposedly) “fresh pork.” On the Confederate side, it was reported that Robert E. Lee, whom one would think should have received the best the South had to offer in the way of diet and medical attention, had 17 occurrences of intestinal problems.
 
According to an article entitled Medical Care, Battle Wounds and Disease (contained in The Civil War Society’s Encyclopedia of the Civil War) “perhaps one-quarter of non-combat deaths in the Confederacy resulted from (typhoid fever), caused by the consumption of food or water contaminated by salmonella bacteria."
 
Sources of fresh water, more often than not contaminated by nearby encampments and so-called “farm fresh” (in other words, non pasteurized) milk caused their share of digestive ailments. 
 
In this era, food preservation posed its share of risks. Canning, for example, was a relatively new concept. Canning in jars, which was first developed by Nicolas Appert in 1809 (the result of a 12,000 franc prize offered by Napoleon) offered great promise, and led to the cylindrical tin or wrought-iron canisters (“cans”) first patented by Peter Durand in England in 1810, then by Thomas Kersett in America in 1825. Unfortunately, because can openers wouldn’t be invented for another 30 years, soldiers had to resort to bayonets or rocks to open them. What became known as botulism, however, tempered any overdue enthusiasm.
 
Additional methods of food preservation--smoking, drying (desiccation; renamed desecration by the troops), the use of prodigious amounts of salt, and other food handling methods added to the resultant epidemic of diarrhea that became the constant companion of virtually every soldier.  According to one Confederate surgeon, “few soldiers ever had a natural or moulded evacuation.”
 
Whatever the cause, “during the first year of the war, nearly 4,000 cases of sickness were reported for every 1,000 men in the Federal Army,” and by wars end, between them, both sides would “treat almost 10,000,000 cases of illness and injury,” (Time Life, Tenting Tonight; A Soldier’s Life) only 500,000 of which were caused by being wounded in battle.
 
 
Period Correct Contamination
 
As I wander the camps of a present day re-enactment, I see many of the same conditions--albeit not quite to the degree or extent as 150 years ago--all around me.   For one, we still use common latrines, although they are vertical portable toilets instead of horizontal trenches.  Unfortunately, post “evacuation,” we still do not have adequate hand washing opportunities.
 
I usually keep a bar of Grandma’s (still kickin’ after all these years) Lye Soap on hand to wash, and am sometimes surprised by a request to use it.  As a rule, however, I almost never see hand washing materials in accessible and visible locations in camp.
 
(Once, on a school day, a middle-to-high school-aged boy asked me if I had “anything to clean my hands with.”  I took out Grandma’s in its brass dish and handed it to him.  He hesitated, asking “What do I do with this?”  It would seem, in the age of pump-action soap dispensers and hand sanitizers, he had yet to use a bar of soap.  I had to show him how to wash his hands in the camp-tested soap and water jug method.)
 
Food purchasing, storage, and preparation is almost universally practiced by amateurs.  I, like many, have taken my turn as company cook for as many as 30 people. I did so with no training whatsoever.  Let the eater beware!
 
While Florida winters--warm days and cool to cold nights--are perfect for our hobby, they are not ideal for safe storage of perishable foods.  Rapid, and sometimes frequent, temperature fluctuations, plus the high cost and sometimes inaccessibility of ice, are a dangerous combination. 
 
Friday evening meals may sit for hours while re-enactors drift in until way after midnight, greet their friends, set up camp, and eventually eat. Leftovers especially present a problem. 
 
While this is rare, at one re-enactment this season, I observed a cook put out meal after meal without once providing serving utensils. (Less to wash, I guess.)  Out on the table were such foods as deli meat, bread, hot dogs and hamburgers, pickles, potato chips, a head of lettuce, sliced tomatoes, onions, etc., with nothing to transfer them to our plates except our hands.  And, scariest of all, between the portables and the potato chips, there was, as usual, no visible or conveniently located sink and soap.
 
Sometimes, to make camp life easier, we prepare and cook food at home, bag it, and bring it in ice chests. Is what is easy to serve, always safe to eat?
 
Fresh meats may arrive chilled--but not frozen--and “aged” in coolers until just before cooking and serving. How many of us have had to dig deep into these primitive ice boxes to retrieve the protein portion of our meals, only to find it marinating in a “soup” of cold, re-tinted water at the bottom?  Yummy.
 
Are you one of the few reenactors who washes, dries and sanitizes your cooler between events?
 
After eating, we of course “wash” our cups, plates, utensils and, in some cases, beards and moustaches.  Some guys wipe them with a paper towel.  Others rinse them with water, sometimes hot, and sometimes cold.  Those lucky enough to have a company cook may be provided with tubs of water: one of hot, soapy water to wash, and one of cool “clean” water to rinse. After a couple of dozen men and women partake of the facilities--over the space of an hour or so--the washing pot is neither hot, nor soapy, and you can’t tell the rinse water from the wash water.  But not to worry, your share of the bacteria just love their bath.
 
Next, the wet plates, etc., are either air dried (perfect for toxins), dried with a common dish towel (exposing your plate to an even greater variety of germs), and stored in a haversack (Club Med for spores).
 
We have not, so far, been “lucky.” One family’s tragic loss will always make our hearts ache. In case you’ve ever wondered, that is why we hide bottled water in Medical’s canvas buckets, are not allowed to drink from a ladle or touch the ice (when it is available).
 
Hopefully the reader will find the above informative, take the hints provided, and act accordingly at the next (and following) events. After all, we wouldn’t want to take re-enacting to the point where it also reflects the pathogenic side of this great American tragedy.
 
For The Fun Of It - I Think??
 
Check this group of fools out.  This travesty took place in California (as you might expect) at Old Fort MacArthur Days which included a time line living history presentation.  Between the pirates on the hill and the Confederates and Federals joining up together, the Romans didn't stand a chance.  These guys just set serious reenacting back ten years.  A lot of people out there think reenactors are a little off upstairs anyways so why are we giving them something to laugh at?  One photo like this in the Sunday news paper offsets hundreds of news clips about how we reenactors are seriously dedicated to research and authenticity.  Always remember that when you are in your uniform you are "on stage".  Let's keep this foolishness from happening.
 
Items For Sale
And Wanted
 
For Sale.  Devotions for Warriors presents 365 anecdotes about events in the Civil War that provide profound life lessons to be used for daily reading and application through the course of a year.  It provides a painless way to learn history while helping a person to establish a stronger relationship with God.  Now available at www.mikefisherandjoejared.com
 
For Sale.  Confederate POW MIA flag.  The flag is a 3'X5' polyester D100 with brass grommets.  A portion of the proceeds go to support SCV camp 2086 the Dixie Defenders in Cross City FL.  For more information and to order a flag go to their website at www.confederatepowflag.com or www.rebelflag.com
 
For Sale.  Window stickers, signs, vehicle lettering, graphics, magnetic signs, banners of all sizes and more.  Will ship anywhere.  Contact Robyn Banks (artillery) at southerncanoneer@aol.com
 
For Sale.  Authentic reproduction sabers and swords for Union and Confederate officers and NCO's.  Artillery, Infantry and Cavalry.  Contact Cpl. V. Smith at floridachef4@hotmail.com
 
<>For Sale  Consew industrial sewing machine, model #206RB and sewing table.  Extra needles, bobins, thread and assorted paper work.  Recently cleaned, adjusted, tightened and oiled and is ready to be used.  It will sew wool, canvas, leather and other fabrics.  $700 - price negotiable. Don Johnson at 1stpaltartbattb@peoplepc.com

For Sale - Period Correct Weapons Collection.
1.)  Gallagher Model 1860, Made by Navy Arms, saddle ring, cartridge box, 16 shells insert, 19 turned brass shells.  $750.
2.)  Mississippi Rifle, defarbed, with saber bayonet, $900
3.)  Sharps infantry rifle (3 band), Made by Pedersoli, single trigger, with sling.  In box.  $950
4.)  Sharps infantry rifle (3 band), Made by Armi Sport, double trigger, with sling.  In box.  $1,100
5.)  Colt 1971 Commemorative Collectors set (very rare set).  1851 U.S. Grant and R.E. Lee pistols.  Matching serial numbers 488.  Each come with powder flask, cap box, nipple wrench, and bullet mold.  Both in factory custom wood boxes.  Sold as a set only.  $2,200
6.)  Double barrel shotgun, REAL TWIST, Damascus barrel (aprox 1870).  31" barrel, not safe for live fire, ok for blanks $350.
If you are interested in any of the weapons listed above, contact Capt. Fortner, 3rd Battalion, 5th Florida Co. I. (Hardy's Brigade) at gfortner@juno.com
 
Civil War Re-enactors Wanted
 
Infantry, Artillery and Cavalry........3rd Battalion, 5th FL., Hardy's Brigade is looking for additional members.  This is a family friendly unit.  They offer the new or seasoned reenactor the opportunity to try every aspect of Civil War reenacting.  All three branches of the 3rd camp together in RVs or trailers (modern) which will allow you to use all the modern camping conveniences without the hassles of keeping in period correct form as is necessary in the period camps.  The Battalion portrays Confederate on Saturday and Federal on Sunday.  Check their website at http://www.floridareenactorsonline.com/5thFL.htm
 
Federal Artillerymen needed.......A new Federal Battery will be created in the Central Florida area.  For more information, contact Don Johnson at 352-569-0939 or email 1stpaltartbattb@people.com
 
Upcoming Events
 
For a complete listing of all Civil War reenactments, living history events, and monthly meetings in Florida, please see the 2008-2009 Event Schedule at http://www.floridareenactorsonline.com/EventRoster.htm or go to this magazine's home page and click on the Event Schedule button.

Your Obedient Servant,
Lieutenant Colonel Robert A. Niepert
Hardy's Brigade 3rd Battalion Commander
  Brigade Cavalry Commander
5th Florida Company  G Cavalry
mayorbob@embarqmail.com

(407) 448-4871

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