Shiloh
Posts:560
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| 08 Dec 2012 10:03 PM |
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LOL. I am going to do it soon. I'd hoped to have it to you by Christmas but I am primarily responsible as you can tell for the 9th KY and most of the Federal Infty. at Stones River right now and it is literally beating the snot out of me. |
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
http://www.nps.gov/stri/
http://www.blockaderunner.com/
http://www.9thky.org/
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Shiloh
Posts:560
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| 08 Dec 2012 10:10 PM |
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Been re-preparing the infamous Civil War project of 8 yrs ago to re-post starting in a few days. I did it originally the time my boy was born and can't believe it was that long ago now. I remember rushing home from the hospital 2-3 times a day for 2 days to fire up the old 56k modem to upload the pieces. |
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
http://www.nps.gov/stri/
http://www.blockaderunner.com/
http://www.9thky.org/
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45Hawken
Posts:104
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| 21 Jan 2013 06:28 AM |
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I have a tent question. I was looking at the tents from Blockade Runner. Is the sod cloth needed, or is it too farb? Any chance of finding a used tent? I check ebay and craigslist, but what I find is almost as much as a new one from Blockade. I think I might as well bite the bullet and get a 9ft. The better half might not want to sleep really close to a stinky fellow in a 6ft.  |
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Shiloh
Posts:560
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| 22 Jan 2013 11:30 AM |
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Get the 9' A frame and its set-up kit. Set it up and mark the upright poles where the canvas hits and cut-off the excess just below the line you mark. You also always want the doors securely ties when you set it up so you see its true shape before staking it out or cutting the poles. Do not treat the canvas either. BRi uses good quality dense sail-cloth canvas and it does not need treatment. Just always store it dry and it will outlast you. What I did on mine was to drill small holes through the ridgepole and inserted pieces of wire through them and made little hooks that can be rotated up for transport and down to hang lanterns or clothes. You do not need a sod cloth, but I have one on my wall tent which does help in winter when I hunt with it to keep down the draft. On the A frame, you spread straw out for bedding and push it against the bottom during cold nights for a draft stop.
Your gun is finished btw, I just need your address again to ship it back. Looks real good and has been proved for live-fire safety. |
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
http://www.nps.gov/stri/
http://www.blockaderunner.com/
http://www.9thky.org/
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Shiloh
Posts:560
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| 18 Apr 2013 01:59 PM |
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http://www.bluegraygettysburg.com/
27-30 June
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http://www.gettysburgreenactment.com/
4-7 July
http://www.gettysburgfoundation.org/101/gettysburg-foundation-commemorates-150th-anniversary-of-the-civil-war
Events
The “big show” in the Civil War re-enacting hobby is fast approaching! The 150thGettysburg has been anticipated for 25 years, or essentially since the hobby really exploded in popularity back when the 125th anniversary ended.
This is so big that 2 separate re-enacting hobby coalitions are planning to have separate re-enactments and the entire town and NationalMilitaryPark are planning various events for the expected tens of thousands of visitors to Gettysburg, PA the final week of June and first 2 weeks of July.
**I and my unit, including 45Hawken, his lovely wife Robin, my 2 chiluns (Laurel & Mo-Mo) as well as a very special lady to me and her chiluns will be in attendance at the 4-7 July re-enactment which is the usual annual event that should be the larger of the 2 re-enactments. That one has reached 9,000+ registered re-enactors with 133 full-size artillery pieces, several being horse-drawn pieces, and 375 horses registered. This puts it right about what it looked like 5 years ago and they are still getting registrations. Some re-enactors are attending both events.
I have attended many big events but nothing prepared me for the 145th G’burg when we western Federals numbering perhaps 500 and were a huge “3rd Brigade” as far as we were used to, only to have perhaps 1500 Federals march past us composing “2nd Brigade” and then when we were all staring at our tremendous thick blue lines remarking how we had never seen so many Federal infantry in line together, the roar of big powerful military bands drew everyone’s attention back toward the main camp and perhaps 2500 men of “1st Brigade” Army of the Potomac with the Black-Hats, the Irish Brigade, the PA Buck Tails, Zuoves, NY Highlanders, Berdan’s Sharp-Shooters and many other great units marched in.
For the Confederates’ part they as always outnumbered us at least 2:1 and seeing 5,000 +/- charging Rebs coming at us during Pickett’s Charge was something one won’t soon forget! Having 200 artillery pieces duel with each other for a half hour, shaking your chests and ringing your ears also has to be seen to understand. And, having 300 cavalry battling it out charging and counter-charging, shaking the ground as they ride down on you is at least memorable if not cool-as-heck!
Anyone wishing to take part with my unit feel free to PM me ASAP or visit our website at
www.9thky.org
and contact me there so I can help you get outfitted even if for only one day. If you come as a spectator, try to find us. We know our camps are likely to be in the woods as opposed to the other 2 Federal camps in the fields. Ask for the 9th KY and someone may eventually point us out. As we joke: “You can’t miss me! I’ll be the dirty, smelly, bearded, guy in blue wool in the white tent.” We have had spectators come to camp well before the battle, ask to fall-in with us and been able to crudely outfit them and run them through the drill just enough to be dangerous and thrown them into our lines so that is an option if you find us. You can ask any such unit North or South and odds are good you will get the same treatment.
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
http://www.nps.gov/stri/
http://www.blockaderunner.com/
http://www.9thky.org/
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45Hawken
Posts:104
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Shiloh
Posts:560
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| 22 Apr 2013 10:23 AM |
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 It is an experience that you will get to laugh about for years to come for sure! Bring her an folding cot and air matterss that will fit in the tent you got. A canvas ground cloth like a 8'x9' tarp will make things more comfy as a floor as well. She can have shorts and t-shirt and stuff to change into after hrs if she likes. There are not many spectators that visit that particular campsite. Some but not many andshe'd just be viewed as another spectator by them anyway. She can go to the YWCA at some point with the other ladies to shower. The Brits are bringing 4-5 of their wives as well as a few kids and then we will have our own wives, kids and "sweethearts" in-tow so she will have plenty of ladies to talk to. |
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
http://www.nps.gov/stri/
http://www.blockaderunner.com/
http://www.9thky.org/
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TOM IN TENNESSEE
Posts:1389
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| 22 Apr 2013 02:45 PM |
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Will the Brit women be as friendly as they were in the Big War? |
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| Soddy Daisy Tennessee USA,
A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone
PROUD PRO STAFFER--www.heirloomgamecalls.com, hand made , hand tuned and hand tested, Hunt ARK ducks with www.smackinquack.com
I am an uncompensated, non-attorney spokesperson |
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Shiloh
Posts:560
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| 23 Apr 2013 02:55 PM |
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Just hope they have decent teeth. It was funny several yrs ago when we first had them come over to fall-in with us and we were all doing Holy Grail quips in line like we all do only to have them doing it right alongside of us with thick British accents. It truly is a movie that spans the pond! They also loved Blazing Saddles but hearing them trying it with the accents was funny iteslf. They taught us how to play Crickett and we clobbered them but we Yanks kept wanting to drop the bat which infuriated them to no end. Seems they carry it with them and when we dropped it it messed up the game. We threatened to teach them how to play real football. ;-) |
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
http://www.nps.gov/stri/
http://www.blockaderunner.com/
http://www.9thky.org/
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Shiloh
Posts:560
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| 14 May 2013 02:24 PM |
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Had to get new trousers. Seems wool being hair scorches to a singed brown crust when one stands too near a campfire too long. Got a ball this weekend in Sacremento, KY and needed decent trousers for sure! May have to break down sooner rather than later and get the officers' frock, saber, belt, sash, Ugh! The Capt. keeps trying to make me a Lt., since both of ours are essentially out of commission and the unit is so big it needs one. Down side is that Lts. dont get to shoot. So far I have evaded his shoulder boards. May have to step up to Sgt. full-time but at least they can shoot. Lot of our old experienced guys have life or age in the way more and more often and we have a lot of new guys in the unit so I'm already handling a lot of Sgt. roles for them as it is.
I've got 300 rnds for G-burg rolled and about 400 to go. Gary, you gonna need any rnds? |
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
http://www.nps.gov/stri/
http://www.blockaderunner.com/
http://www.9thky.org/
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45Hawken
Posts:104
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| 16 May 2013 06:25 AM |
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I've got some on hand. Going to disect one of your rounds to try to make mine look better. I have several pounds of FF. I plan to have enough, guess if it looks like I am going to run out I will just have to conserve a few rounds by having a horrible death.  |
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Shiloh
Posts:560
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| 16 May 2013 11:11 AM |
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Warning, no shade on that plain of carnage. I died 5 years ago there on Saturday and was literally the "high water mark" of the Federal counter attack at the "Wheat Field" but as I lay there for a half hour as the battle continued, the Federals being pushed back from whence we came, I and the scores of other dead and wounded BAKED. Don't worry about making them too pretty because nobody but you sees them anyway. Just make sure they don't leak powder is all.
My paper template is 4" across the bottom, 3.25" up the left side, 2" up the right side and the top edge angles between the tops of the left and right sides. This fits a 1/2" diameter dowel well. Dowel needs to be at least 4-5" long with its ends flat and the edges rounded a little. Sand it smooth each time before using it. Apply 3 drops of glue on the angled edge of the paper near the edge evenly spaced from the left corner, middle and right corner. Place the dowel on the bottom edge with its left end 1/2" ro the right of the left edge of the paper. Take the paper's bottom edge with your thumbs and hold it as you roll the dowel up toward the angled edge. As it gets around the glue dots will wrap around the rolling paper. Then press the left end of the paper down in 3 steps onto the left end of the dowel and secure the finaly little fold over onto it with a drop of glue. Press it tight and hold a few seconds and slide the dowel out of the tube and set aside to dry. You have now created a "hull" you can then pour 60-65 grs of powder into.
The tail is what seems to give many fits. Once powder it in you just have to make a tail. I use the corner of the table to help make a good sharp fold one direction, then fold the flattened tail lengthwise2 times meeting in the middle, then I fold the tail back over the other direction and apply just a hint of glue to the side of the cartridge and fold the tail over onto that and weight it down with a big file I have that I can slide 30 rounds under. That tail glue just helps them stay neat in the bags I keep them in and easily pops loose with your teeth as you bite it or sometimes even on its own as you handle it. The fold back over on itself creates a lock design so even if the tail pops loose powder doesn't leak. Trick is getting them neatly tight but not so tight that the paper tears as you fold it or the end glue pops releasing all the powder. Another hint is use newspaper or similar thin paper. Regular copier type paper is a mistake you do once. You will tear your front teeth out in no time biting through that stuff.
I'll have spare ammo of course. make sure you get caps (4-wing only, no 5 or 6-wings). RWS makes good ones and are carried by Blockade Runner. CCI makes some reenactor caps that are 4-wing and they are good if you can find any. They make 5 wing caps as well that are great for the hunter but DANGEROUS for re-enactors and we disallow them in our line. Having nearly lost an eye to one and helped remove one from a bleeding earlobe from another guy I flat refuse to be near them in line. They are hot caps and the tinier wings tend to blast forward and to the sides striking the man to your front, right and sometimes left. Actually this was a problem even back then as I came across an injury report in our own 9th KY of a man who lost his eye to a spent cap. |
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
http://www.nps.gov/stri/
http://www.blockaderunner.com/
http://www.9thky.org/
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Shiloh
Posts:560
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| 21 May 2013 12:34 PM |
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Had a good time last weekend at the battle of Sacramento, KY. That is about the only thing that ever happened note-worth in that little town and so they have learned to milk it for all it is worth each year! The town however genuinely appreciates the reenactors and they go all-out to make us welcome. The battlefield is actually part of the original battlefield right in town and is still a big wide farm field as it was then. They park us about 1/2 mile way and have limos running from there to camp all day long and at night if you want to go out just stop at registration and tell them and one of them will hop in the limo and take you. They ask us constantly what we need and have free iced waters to hand out and free ice for coolers. Saturday afternoon after the battle they put on a huge feed where caterers and locals bring in all sorts of food. They had 6 lines going along 3 rows of long picknic and folding tables. My plate was over-flowing with pulled-pork bbq, green beans, corn muffins, baked beans and cole slaw and then all the lemonade I could stand to wash it down and chased with peach cobbler. After that we had a great ball with great live period-correct music and lots of dance time. My lady and I left after about an hour just worn out but they were still going for some time after, perhaps another hour even. The battles Saturday were really hot. I went through 40 rounds in about 20 minutes and took my hit and went down with a scorching-hot barrel. The lines kept pushing and shoving around me and for a while I was ahead of my line and suffered through the loud reports of my guys' guns just about 10' or so behind me. Then the ever-present danger as the lines passed over me with stimping jostling feet all around me. One of our younger boys got bonked on the forehead by a falling musket and left the field with a big purple goose-egg for his trouble. Sunday came and had turned really warm to even hot in the shadeless camp and field. The battle that day was some of the most intense shooting many of us had ever seen. I used my Brown Bess since it is portraying an early-war battle in which all sorts of old junkr guns were employed. I used 32 rounds without any real problems until the flint shattered on my 33rd shot. I snapped it and snapped it but could not get the spark so I upended the gun to dump the powder out and declared my game up and went down as yet another casualty. One of the younger boys came running up and grabbed my last 2 rounds to place into someone's cartridge box. I wonder what they thought when they loaded their "puny" Enfield which normally uses 60 grs of powder with my 100 gr Bess-loads?   |
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
http://www.nps.gov/stri/
http://www.blockaderunner.com/
http://www.9thky.org/
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Shiloh
Posts:560
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| 23 May 2013 11:03 AM |
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Stupid picture uploader won't work.
Got called from the Capt who is acting as a Staff Adjutant at Gettysburg and his son who is acting as Captain of our Company last night. Seems with the Brits coming they will be forming their own Company beside ours and their officers are not coming so we are handning it over to one of our Corporals to be acting Lt. to command it and they needed a First Sgt. which they decided will be me. I have this thing about shooting they know and since Officers do not shoot they figured I can shoot still on the line this way. It'll be my first time with actual stripes although I have acted as Sgt. many times in a pinch. Got to gigure out how to sew on stripes now. :-/ |
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
http://www.nps.gov/stri/
http://www.blockaderunner.com/
http://www.9thky.org/
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TOM IN TENNESSEE
Posts:1389
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| 23 May 2013 02:09 PM |
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Resca GA milks it pretty good too! |
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| Soddy Daisy Tennessee USA,
A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone
PROUD PRO STAFFER--www.heirloomgamecalls.com, hand made , hand tuned and hand tested, Hunt ARK ducks with www.smackinquack.com
I am an uncompensated, non-attorney spokesperson |
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Shiloh
Posts:560
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| 24 May 2013 07:59 AM |
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Yeah it does, but it also was a more important battle and much bigger than Sacramento. The only thing that makes Sacramento note-worthy at all is it was Nathan B. Forrest's first time leading troops in a fight. It was a small cavalry-only fight. He swooped in fast like he learned to do starting right there, causinging confused terror in his enemy and scooped the lot of them up in no time. It was the first time even that his own men saw him in action and went a long way to causing them to fear and worship him. He was one of the true examples of a "Berzerker" in battle. Fairly mild mannered normally although with a hot temper once in a fight he literally became enraged and it was nearly as dangerous to be one of his own men near him as to be his enemy. This was also probably the first time the "Rebel Yell" was heard in KY - issued by him and taken up by his men. And, as was often the case in Civil War battle stories, there is even a charming female heroine, a young lady named Mollie who knew Federal cavalry were at a pond near town resting, and knew the Rebels were riding near by. She galloped off not raising much alarm among the Federals as she galloped out of sight. She found Forrest and told him of the small Federal command and Forrest, struck by her spirit and probably beauty swung his men right around and went after the Federals finding them right where she told him they would be. Today the town hosts this memorial event of that one lone fight which lasted about half an hour on 28 Dec., 1861 each May with nicer weather. But they invite all branches to come play so while the original fight was only a small cavalry skirmish today it hosts some cav but many more artillery and even more infantry. But we have a good time anyway.
Next May is the 150th anniversary of Resaca and it should be one heck of a fight! We always have good fights there but the 150th will be big and we will skip Sacramento for Resaca next year. My unit is closely associated with the 125th OVI based at Atlanta and they pretty much claim Resaca as their home-base like my unit claims Stones River. So we go to Resaca to help them and play with them.
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
http://www.nps.gov/stri/
http://www.blockaderunner.com/
http://www.9thky.org/
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ternera1
Posts:343
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| 24 May 2013 08:46 AM |
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"The Battle of Olustee or Battle of Ocean Pond was fought in Baker County, Florida on February 20, 1864".
If you ever make it, let me know. I live about 45min. from the site. |
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| "You" showed us you were not prejudist the first time around. Now you showed us you are stupid and voted for him. Hello Idiocracy! N. Florida red neck |
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Shiloh
Posts:560
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| 24 May 2013 03:13 PM |
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We've looked into it but it is way too far for most in our unit to do. This next year I will be coming as far south as Selma, AL for their 149th on a sort of recon for potentially doing the 150th there the next year. We typically try 1 "trip" event a year with G'burg being this year's. Didn't do one last year but year before was Wilson's Creek. Next year, if Selma is only me, we will probably not do a "trip" event although some of us may up and head to VA for The Wilderness. |
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
http://www.nps.gov/stri/
http://www.blockaderunner.com/
http://www.9thky.org/
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