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Jefferson Davis's 200th birthday will be celebrated by the Davis Family Association.  They will have their reunion May 31 through June 1 at the Rosemont Plantation, Davis' childhood home in Woodville, Miss.  On June 3, Davis' actual birthdate, the family will gather in Biloxi for the rededication of Beauvoir House, the hip-roofed, Gulf-front mansion where Davis spent the last 12 years of his life and which was nearly swept away by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

In addition to being elected president of the Confederacy, Davis was a West Point graduate who fought in the Mexican War under Zachary Taylor and married the future president's daughter.  As a U.S. senator from Mississippi, he had a hand in building the Smithsonian Institution.  He also bolstered the nation's defenses as secretary of war under President Franklin Pierce.

Additional information about Jefferson Davis's life before and after the Civil War can be found at http://ourworld.cs.com/mikegriffith1/davis.htm

The photo above of Jefferson Davis is from The National Archives.

............  "In Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama, we think nothing of shelling out the $15 to $20 for the entry fee for every reenactment - no matter how large or small.  Sure it takes $2,000 or more to equip the average infantry soldier, and much more to haul horses especially with the gas prices today.  But most of the reenactors in Florida have lost sight of the larger picture that these events are for a greater purpose than just to provide the reenactors with an enjoyable weekend".

 

.............  "I just finished reading your article regarding behavior adjustment of the reenactors ........  I am extremely new to this game having only attended five events ever, three in the last couple of months and none in period dress, but I have other experience where the politics and people’s 5-year-old attitudes get so taxing that you sometimes wish you could just scream!  (Of course this would just add to the problem so you don’t)  But I wanted to congratulate you.  Your article was to the point and sometimes harsh, however needed since if someone doesn’t say it things will just get worse over time, and less time then one thinks".

 

........  "Thank you for your very frank analysis of the situation. Indeed, we can’t take any event for granted and we alone are responsible for the future of our hobby".

 

...........  "I just finished reading your piece on cost and etiquette on the field.  You are completely right about what you wrote.  I have been in this hobby a long time (since 1977) and what you said is the way it used to be.  The hobby seems to be at a cross roads so to speak especially with the cost of everything going up.  You are also right about the event sponsors.  We are there at their discretion and they can make or break the hobby.  A few bad apples will ruin it for all of us.  Events in the south east will start to dry up and where will that leave us - with a closet full of equipment that we couldn't get ten cents on the dollar for all we have invested in it".

 

............  "Col. I am glad someone is standing up and telling it like it is.  I love this hobby, but I see some of the things that you addressed on the field and in the camp.  Someone like yourself, with the stage of the most read periodical amongst Florida reenactors, needed to make a statement.  You have my vote, my thanks, as well as my support."

 

...........  "Great Job, you said just what needed to be said. You are dead-on with the work and cost to host an event. I have seen a change in the demeanor of the reenacting community, and not for the good. I hope your article and the loss of Horse Landing will wake some people up".

 

Terry McGowan checked in to say "Hi".

He is wearing a new type of Butternut uniform

Fort Taylor in Key West needs our help.........Please read the following information and contact Mark Moss at neymoss@al.com if you can.

 

Call to Action

Fort Taylor Preservation Funding

Lobby our Legislators

 

Those of us that know and visit Fort Taylor are aware that the Barracks building has serious structural issues. The priority is to stabilize the barracks and then rehabilitate the west curtain wall. Construction documents have been approved. The Department of Environmental Protection allocated $900,000 to begin the roof repair and this will cover two of six roof sections (and some of the wall).

 

The Bureau has applied for a $350,000 grant, ranked 15 out of 60 total grants by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. There is broad community support in Monroe County for this preservation project. DEP plans to match the grant, using the $700,000 to fix more roof sections. Fort Taylor Historic Site has over 300,000 visitors a year. The park admission fees generated help support other Florida state parks.

 

In the 2008-09 budget, DEP has only one preservation project proposed. They seek $3.8 million to stabilize the other roof decks, the WW II batteries and to rehabilitate the Barracks building for interpretation. To put the amounts in perspective, the Master Plan estimates $18 million will be needed for the repairs and stabilization. These numbers speak to how the many years of planning without any funding have left this historic site in a sorry state.

 

Your obedient servant,

 

Mark Moss

Secretary, Friends of Fort Taylor, Inc.

Private, Battery B First US Artillery, Inc.

Email: neymoss@al.com

Cell: 305 747 0281

Mail: PO Box 58

Key West, FL 33041

 

Fort Taylor Fast Facts

• Constructed in 1845 as part of the Third Tier System of Defense Fortifications.  Fortress featured three tiers.  More than three million bricks used in the construction of the fortress.
• Structure named for Zachary Taylor, 12th President of the United States.  General Order No. 38, dated November 4, 1850, named the works under construction at Key West, "Fort Taylor".
• Strategic purpose of the fort was to protect the Florida Straits and Key West from enemy invasion.
• One of three fortresses in Florida that remained under Federal control throughout the Civil War.  Fort Taylor was never attacked nor fired its cannon in anger.  Its role during the Civil War was to serve as headquarters for the U.S. Navy's East Gulf Blockading Squadron.
• Mostly abandoned after 1865.  In 1898, Army engineers removed the top two tiers of the fortress and constructed two Endicott-style batteries.  Smooth-bore and rifled cannon, still in the fortress, were used in the new construction as fill.
• Fortress served as a coastal defense structure with improved weaponry emplaced upon the fort from 1900-1947.
• Fortress abandoned by the Army in 1947.  Property reverted to General Services Administration and utilized by the U.S. Navy as a storage facility.
• Excavations begun in 1968 for Civil War-era weaponry.  Weaponry found during excavations is listed on national registries of historic weapons.
• Fort Taylor named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and then named a National Historic Landmark in 1973.  Fort Tayolr holds the largest number of Civil War-era seacoast cannon in the United States.
• Property donated to the State of Florida by the Department of Interior in 1976 and opened to the public as a Florida State Park in 1985.  Fortress designated as a ruin.
• Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park averages more than 300,000 Visitors a year and contributes over $10 million dollars a year to the local economy.
• $18 million is needed for stabilization and preservation of Fort Taylor.
• A master Plan to address the stabilization and preservation needs of Fort Taylor was written in 2006.
• Over $1 million dollars was appropriated by the State in 2007 to begin stabilization and preservation work.  As noted in the Master Plan, the first priority is to stabilize the fort's barracks building.
• The $350-thousand dollar DHR Special Category Grant will be matched by the Florida Park Service and used to assist in funding the work needed on the barracks section of Fort Taylor.

Fort De Soto Corrections

 

The Sons of Confederate Veterans (Jubal Early #556, Tampa) have raised a flag at the intersection of I-4 and I-75

Jimmy L. Shirley Jr. wrote the following information......

"This is the culmination of the dream of one Marion Lambert, past Commander of the Tampa SCV Camp 556 General Jubal A. Early. After jumping through so many hoops and over so many hurdles, a test flag was raised for approximately 20 to 30 minutes.  At an appropriate time, there will be an official Flag Raising Ceremony with much pomp and ceremony. 

  This is another completion of the Flags Across Florida, the brainchild of Past Florida Division Commander John Adams. The idea being to raise many, very large Confederate flags all across Florida. The one raised in Tampa was 30 feet by 50 feet, the pole 105 feet high. The reason for the hard time getting the flag up, at least five years in the making, is that the location is fairly near a major airport/major city and largely a congested area, unlike the one at White Springs in north Florida, which is a rural area".

Union and Confederate reenactors are welcome.  Come Prepared to dance the night away.

Punch and dessert will be served.

Cost is $12 per person.  To encourage family participation - children 5 to 11 are $6 and children 4 and under are FREE.

Period attire requested.  Formal attire required if not dressing for the period.

 

A Note From Gen. Parsons

Gettysburg 2008

 

Compatriots:

 

                       I am Honored to be chosen as the 2nd Brigade Commander of Cleburne's Division at the up-coming 145th Anniversary Battle of Gettysburg. For those who know and have served with me in the past ,know that I am humble down to the earth person who believes in projecting the best from my command without all the politics.

                      For those who I have never met, it will be my extreme pleasure, to meet and serve with you. Please know I am a high achiever and only want the best out of you Individually and your Commands, as I know you all expect and will receive the same from me .

                      Everyone of you can expect to be treated with the utmost respect by myself and my command staff during the event. I expect a efficient ,well drilled  Brigade and above all safety will be at the forefront within the Brigade. If you are expecting a Hard Fighting Commander who enjoys every aspect of reenacting, A commander who takes pride in his men ,his assignments and loves for he and his men to be in the thick of the action and burn a lot of powder ,Then you have chosen the correct Brigade!
                         To insure the professionalism and safety of the troops in my Command during the up-coming campaign at Gettysburg, I issue this General Order prohibiting the use of any Hard Liquor during the event.  I do hope that everyone understands my reasoning in this endeavor but remain adamant in my decision.  Infractions will be dealt with by the Command Provost and may result in ejection from the event.

                        In closing, I salute each of you and look forward to the Gettysburg Campaign with excitement and anticipation. Onward to Honor, Men of the 2nd Brigade.

 

Brig. General Jerry R. Parsons

  "Southern Guards Battalion"

           Hardy's Brigade

        Cleburne's Division

Saturday I donned my gray uniform to work with my artillery reenacting company on the Abigail Leigh, an exact replica of a 3 inch ordinance rifle.  We were at the edge of the field behind the period camp directly behind a limb and brush breastwork in full view a few yards in front of the spectator line.  Before the battle began, we went through our paces in a drill so we would be sharp and not make any mistakes.  Right at two p.m. we heard the fifes and drums leading the Federal troops out of period camp onto the field.  We stood at attention as they passed proudly with their large flag completely unfurled in the afternoon breeze.  It was a beautiful sight.  They took their positions at the back side of the battlefield where they would begin when given the order to advance.  Suddenly a cannon blast from the other side of the battlefield signaled the beginning of what would be an exciting forty-five minutes.  Confederate cavalry provided protection for us and the Confederate infantry so we and the other Confederate artillery pieces could blast holes in the Federal lines.  Horses and riders galloped all around with pounding hooves and guns blazing.  We succeeded in taking a toll for the first two-thirds of the battle until the Federal artillery began to blow holes in the Confederate infantry lines and chasing the Confederate cavalry back to where they came from.  It was not a good sign.  With fifteen minutes to go in the battle, I noticed some of our fellow artillerymen up the line began to fall to infantry fire.  We were able to get off a few more rounds to exact several more Federal casualties.  The Federals were savvy and came at us from every direction except our backs.  They formed a line directly across from us and fired a debilitating volley taking out several of my fellow artillerymen.  Suddenly, their commander shouted an order to march forward toward the guns.  They stopped only once to fire and I fell badly wounded.  A chaplain came over to pray over me when he saw I would probably not survive to be captured and go to prison.  As I lay there the boys in blue came storming over the breastworks, took our guns.  I was fading quickly, the call went up to end the battle and a beautiful rendition of Echo Taps was mournfully played.  It was appropriate because as the last note died, so did I.  The great thing about “dying” at a reenactment is hearing the word “resurrect!”, stand up and still be among the living to the cheers of the crowd.

 

At 2:45 the battle began with a large artillery blast.  It was on.  Federal and Confederate Cavalry came storming out of the woods in front of the crowd.  Cavalry came storming out of the woods on the back of the battlefield.  The great thing about this event is that there is not a bad place to sit or stand to watch the battles.  A lot of powder was burned and a lot of ground was kicked up by horses hooves in the first few minutes. It was exciting.  The Federals began at the far end of the field duking it out with the boys in gray.  There were also Federal infantrymen in the same spot I was on Saturday.  They were squatted down behind the brush hoping to use the element of surprise by popping up with a mean volley of fire when the Confederates came within killing distance.  The pyrotechnics began with piles of hay bales being blown sky high.  When they fell back down they would smolder into flames.  Bwoof!  They were on fire and smoking like brimstone in Hades.  Suddenly, Confederate troops came running behind the reeds on the far side of the pond to my left, bent for leather to cause Federal casualties once they formed up to my left rear position.  Federals returned the maneuver by running out of the trees at the end of their camps to form up to try to get the Confederates that were across from them before the boys in gray could even get one shot off.  Insults and shouts rang out through the heavily smoke filled air from the artillery blasts that were being fired at battle speed.  There was so much smoke at times that it didn’t do me any good to try to take a photograph because all I would get would be a cloud of gray and white.  It was awesome.  I knelt up and faced behind me just enough to get above the logs and twigs at eye level but not enough for the crowd to see me hunkering there.  The opposing troops were coming closer to one another.  The audience, directly in front of them was now involved in taking sides.  I don’t know who was shouting more, the troops or the people watching.  It was great.  Rifles were loaded and both sides fired at once.  Blam!  Soldiers on either side fell to their deaths, riddled with enemy fire.  I heard a ruckus behind me, so I turned to face the far end of the field to see Federals and Confederates going at it the same way in the back.  I sunk back down on my backside, readied my camera and lens and shot the soldiers shooting each other.  Suddenly a huge explosion erupted several yards in front of me.  Dirt, cow patties and debris went flying everywhere.  As I looked in the lens, what looked like a man came hurling to earth from sky high, arms and legs askew at horribly painful angles.  It wasn’t a real man, of course, we’d all end up in jail with a huge lawsuit on our hands, it was the 75^th Ohio Volunteer Medical dummy.  He was definitely not having a good day.  Not only was he blown sky high, he l