Encampment & Scouts - Ft. Selden - 9-11 OCT

Here are some pics of our encampment at Ft. Selden in October. It was a small event for some Cub Scouts & Girl Scouts from Las Cruces - the entrance fee being used to fund replanting of the dying trees around the fort. It was living history again, but we got to get out there do something...without driving 10 hours, so that is a good thing. Well, let the pics tell the story...we had a good time.

A nice pic of part of the ruins at Ft. Selden. This is also the picket line, which is on the site of the original stables.

Here is a common view around the park in the beauty of Southern New Mexico-Radium Springs.

Here is a pic of many of the Friends of Ft. Selden...at least all the 'fighting men' present for duty.

Larry forming up the Girl and Cub Scouts in the morning

Joe with scouts and chess

Larry and Brent getting ready to head out and drill a bit

Off we go...

Brent and Tom posing for the camera

Jake and Bethany with close up

Jake and Tom are getting honorarily welcomed into the Order of Saint Barbara - Saint of the Artillery by Billy, John, Ken and Russ, by getting a little swipe of the swab on their left cheek.

Jake is getting ready to pull the lanyard on his first time in training on the gun.



Here are the 2 newest members of the gun crew, Tom & Jake - and quite pleased to begin to learn the gun drills.

Not sure, but it looks like Russ is trying to say something to me. You'll notice the US flag. This flag was a gift from PBS in recognition of the cooperation of the group during a film they were composing on Gen. George S. Patton, who was stationed here as a boy with his father.

Here is Jake riding Ginger. He actually did some training again at this event. He was able to get Ginger to stop & start on his command.

Eme & Joe are getting ready for a ride.

Here is a nice pic of Joe...he has always looked so comfortable and natural up in the saddle.

Here is Jimmy and Larry's littlest daughter riding J.R.

Here are some more pics of us...

Jake having a good time in the shade

Tom here showing his shiny pearls

Eme riding Ginger...she has fun riding on the horses


Joe and his blue eyes having fun

Jimmy Cat chowing down some food

Bethany hanging out

Brent in front of the ruins

Ft. Selden Frontier Days - SEP 2009

Here are some pics from a recent event just north of Las Cruces, NM - Ft. Selden Frontier Days. It is held on the ruins of an old west fort (from 1865-1890). The adobe walls are still there, albeit quite crumbled.

Livingston, TX - 21-22 Mar 2009

Well, this is our first event of 2009 and first in several months. All summer and fall I was off 'playing real Army' at Basic and OCS, so it was great to be able to get out there again as a family. I was invited by the fellas from the 8th Texas Cavalry, Co. I 'Terry's Texas Rangers' to join group should I ever make it near to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. And even though I'm not terribly close (it was a 12 hour, one-way ride to this event!) we have already accepted the fact that nothing is close to El Paso! So even though it was 2 days of travel for us one way, we were real excited to go to this first event with the 'Rangers' and get back to reenacting.

I was a bit disappointed with the size of the event, but I guess the economy slowed a lot of folks from coming. There was a great amount of artillery there, and they did a fantastic job of manuevering on the field. And regardless of the turnout, I probably had the most fun riding at this event as I've had at any event so far. Thanks to my comrades Barry Smithson (who let me ride his horse JT) and David Wilson for hauling JT!!

Here are a few of us in the 8th Texas Cavalry, Co. I & B of Terry's Texas Rangers standing in formation - for a very long time I might add. We are in 'open ranks' in this picture. Dave, Johnny, Brent, John & one of the fellas from Co. B.

Here is a nice pic of the ranks and the 1st Confederate National flag - the 'Stars and Bars'.

Here is a good example of the artillery officers planning to move guns across the field. The artillery did a great job and hand the best movement of pieces as and event that I've ever seen.

Moving the company along the edge of the battle. I'm in the center of the pic if you're looking for me.

Here we are lined up holding a flank from the distant Union forces.

I like this pic a lot. It just happened - I didn't conceive the pose. But to me it kinda symbolizes the downcast feeling the Confederate soldier must have felt after all his efforts to free his home for self-government went for naught after the War was lost.

This was some very yummy Dutch Oven chocolate cake with cherries in it that Bethany made. There was enough for pretty much all of us to enjoy!

Here Tom is helping out around camp and stirring the chilli that was made for dinner. It was very good as well!

Here is a nice set up. These folks bring some nice wagons to these events. Apparently, they receive a bounty for their efforts. But with those rooster roaming around, they looked straight out of history with their impression! Jimmy didn't like the roosters at all as they made quite a racket!

Here the kids pose by their mule team. It also looks like quite a host is camped in the background, but there weren't as many reenactors there as the pic may suggest. Most of those in the tents were artillery, as there was a great gathering of their forces.

Jacob and Bethany looking very pleased with themselves at the event.

This is a common spot for Jake - sitting around with my water bottle! Not sure how he figures he gets to use it so much...And here is Tom taking a break from his wanderings. Usually he finds some other boys to play pistols with, but there weren't a ton of reenacting kids at this event.

Here are Jim, Tom and Eme pretending to 'dress some wounds' that they received at some point on Sunday. I like this pic a a lot!

Jimmy loves to pick flowers for his Mom...and nibble on food, too, of course!

This is a common practice for myself...to be loading pistols whenever other duties are done.

Here is Jimmy riding JT, with Brent leading with Tom and Joe walking beside.

Joe up on JT ready to ride down some Yankees.

Eme looking awfully cute up on JT.

Tom, Brent & JT. Tom is ready to ride out right now if he could, but one must be 16 to be on the field.

Jake lost in thought - he didn't want to ride any horse for some reason. I'm always looking for a reason to mount up, myself.

Here is Joe being goofy, fixing to put his shoe back on. Earlier the shoe came off and stuck in the mud, thus making his sock wet. We dried it up in the sun and he is getting ready to put it back on. But it makes for a humorous shot.

Here I am getting the fire going again in the morning. "Remember, kids - small wood to start...and plenty of oxygen."

Naps are always a good thing. Jimmy was out running amock on Saturday afternoon, and I knew he was simply tired so I scooped him up, with a little protest from him, to take a nap. We were both quickly out and enjoyed a fine nap on a breezy afternoon. It is very relaxing to nap in such conditions!

The kids got out the checkerboard. Tom is planning his strategy, while Eme is preparing her defense and Joe looks on. We also have a nice chess set, but no one got it out this weekend.

Ah - a tale of two faces! Look how Joe has a very nice smile on. If you see this smile on his face, it means that he is silently torturing one of his siblings in some way. He is the 'Stealthy Adgitator"...and he is quite good at it. Now look at poor Jimmy's face. He is bemoaing his situation. It just doesn't seem fair, does it?! Often, eventually violence will break out, but Joe seems very adept at quickly and viciously defending himself. He is quite a bit smaller than everyone else in the family, but his size is often not a factor. Maybe that is why he smiles like this so often...But I'm glad to see we have a pic of this for future record!

This also is a typical face of honeriness. Here is Jimmy, running around from 3 year old boredom. He must have been squirming around his Mom while holding her hand or something. He is of course gotten loose and on the ground now amongst all her layers of skirts. Just look at those mishcievous eyes that Bethany caught on camera. This also is good scene to preserve for future reference of his ways!

Bethany - my Sweetie Pie, smiling even after spending all that time wresting the kids on the sidelines!

Here I am with JT, my Remington New Army .44 cal drawn and ready for action in pushing back some "vile despoilers"!

Jake relaxing around camp & guarding the fire. That is his favorite role. I think it is time to get him cooking meals for us all, too!

Tom looking like a drummer boy from the War.

Eme - isn't she so cute-just like her mommy!!

Joe - don't let him fool you with that face - he's fixin' to draw!

Jim - as you can see here he always on the move at these events

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Art Work of the 8th Missouri Cavalry

This is a piece of art that I did for my Dad for Christmas. It depicts our direct ancestors, from left to right, Captain Jacob Cossairt, Co. I, 8th Missouri State Militia Cavalry Regiment, US and of course, 2nd Lieutenant Joseph G. Lewis, 8th Missouri Cavalry Regiment, Cos B & A, CSA.


You'll note the Missouri Battle Flag, or Price's Flag, above Joseph. Not sure exactly what flag he went under, but he was a part of Price's Raid in late 1864. At any rate, it is known as the Missouri Battle Flag. So it works. Maybe, Mr. Jim McGhee, you can comment further on this...

2nd Lt. Joseph G. Lewis, Cos. B & A

In this picture, you can see the grain of the myrtlewood under neath. The piece is a mixed media, done with India Ink and acrylic paints. It is kinda in between a sketch and a painting. I can do these fairly quick (it took about 8 hours to do). A full painting or drawing takes a long time. I get bored with that. Most folks get the gist from a simpler piece anyhow. So the extra effort is wasted in my opinion.

Captain Jacob Cossairt, Co. I, 8th Missouri State Militia Cavalry Regiment, US

The Bonnie Blue Flag - From Gods and Generals

Here is a neat YouTube excerpt of the song that I found recently. I liked it so much, I thought I'd post it here!

New Videos from Bethany

Here is a very nice video from my Sweetie Pie! She took the song Dixie, as sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and put pics of us at early 2007 reenactor events in Illinois (Naperville, IL and LaPorte, IN) in a slide show. Very nice...enjoy!



And this video is again, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but they are now singing the Bonnie Blue Flag. I don't know which song is my favorite. I do enjoy singing both. My wife thinks it is funny that our little kids (ages 2 to 10...five kids!) all know much of the words to both songs...at least the first verse and chorus. I simply deem it as my patriotic duty to teach them these songs. I guess I need to teach them the Star Spangled Banner now!



And here is a very nice video from Bethany of the highlight event for the NC 26th (well, except for the event the 26th hosts at Minooka!) at Boscabel, WI. It rained like crazy this event, except for during the battles, which was nice. A lot of very good pics. I'll always remember this event, as it was our last event with my good comrades who got me started in the hobby from the 26th NC Infantry, Co. G. To Company G - Huzzah! to you all! Ah, this song is Ashokan's Farewell, and while not a period song, it is a very fitting song for these pics. And it sounds very nice as well.

Guyandotte Civil War Days, WV - 2 to 4 Nov. 2007

Here are some old-fashioned looking pics of us...I hope you like 'em!

Here Merle and I are as we first rode onto the scene that day. It took the Yank cavalry quite some time to catch up and engage us. So much for plans!

"Where in the devil are those Yank cavalry, Merle?"

More prancing in front of the crowd...

Here I am, Colt Sheriff drawn, with Bob waiting for the Yank cavalry to come around and engage us. Bob is riding his outstanding stead, Fred...who happens to be a large mule. Fred was quite the showman...and Bob did just fine too!

'Maybe if we rode over here, we could catch those Yanks by surprise...and maybe even put on a show for the spectators?!'
Closeup!

I love this pic...are those hobbits heading into town?! Nope, just our gang heading to breakfast! They have wool overcoats to ward off the chill.

Here is Jake, posing for a pic. He is taking a chug off of 'my' bottle, that only I get to drink out of (except my Sweetie Pie of course!). He is making it look like he is chugging some moonshine I guess?! Goofy kid!

Here is a great pic of Jimmy hanging out with Travers.

Here is Joe on Chic. Joe sat on Chic for quite some time while Chic was eating clover. Joe enjoys the horses a lot and seems to be a natural...just like his namesake I guess!

Here is Tom, sitting around camp, playing on his new bugle. He purchased it with birthday monies. Too bad he screwed around with it too much and lost the mouthpiece about an hour after this picture was taken. And if he would have only kept it in his tent for the rest of the day like I told him to...

Here my cute Eme and I are posing with Travis, Merle's lovely Tennessee Walker.

This was pretty cool...after lunch, the band of minstrels that was playing took up 'Dixie'. Everyone in the room (I don't recall seeing any Yanks there, but anyway...) all stood up and starting clapping and singing along. It was great! Even little Jimmy is clapping along! Well, it looks like Jake and Joe were too lazy to stand, but so it goes!

Here is me in my new spiffy civilian frock coat that Bethany recently made for me. Isn't is sharp looking?! I got several compliments. Not too bad considering it is made out of upholstery fabric! I does look line a rough silk blend, or even a jean cloth at a glance. You'd have to be a real anal 'stitch counter' to spot the wrong cloth! Besides, it was made on the home front...anything goes! Heck in this getup, I could be convalesceing, or fixing to spy on some Yanks, or even out campaigning with the 8th MO Cavalry!

And here is my Sweetie Pie! Doesn't she look super?!

Guyandote Civil War Days was the last of the season for us. The days were nice, the nights were frigid, but we survived. No rain or wind, so that is always a plus! The site we were at left a lot to be desired...
we were underneath an overpass coming off a bridge that beautifully spanned the Ohio (that is it in the midground underneathe that bridge of course). We were seculued, but got very little interaction with the public because of the seclusion. And that to us, in an important part of the event.

But what can you say? This was a real Civil War battlefield and the first one that I have participated in that was such. In early November 1861, Confederate forces retook the town. But the next day, Yanks reclaimed the town. The town was definitely a split town prior to the War and remained so throughout. Even today, the town seemed definitely more Southern Sympathetic! On Saturday, the crowd cheered when we 'won the day'. On Sunday, applause for the Union forces was very sparse, and half-hearted. Bethany tells me were even some 'boos' to be heard when announce that the Yankees re-claimed the town!

But the folks in town were real friendly. They fed us several times, had warm showers available, and some of the town folks, when they saw us pull out of town (we were, as usual, the last to leave!) all waved at us from a corner shop. Very cool!

Merle and friends under his set up.

Confederate Infantry pressing the Yanks in the street.

Here we are posing in front of an old cemetery there in Guyandotte. You can't tell from the pic, but the tree behind us, a sycamore, I believe, was the largest of its kind that I have ever seen. In fact, it was one of the largest trees period I've ever seen!Ok, Merle...here I am at it again...trying to mount from a standing position without stirrups. You can see the problem. This time, I got my upper leg to clear, but I just can't get my left one to actually clear more than a few inches from the ground. I have surely, always had 'white man's disease'. White men can't jump...at least this one!

Living History - Chief Logan Res. - 29 Sept 2007

Here are some of the pics of the family at this recent Living History event. It would take too long to arrange them just like I like, so here they are in this order!

Jake on the move and looking very big!

And here is a common view of Jake...he sits on the ground and tends the fire.

And here is my Super Tom...he is getting big too!

Here is my cute Eme...isn't she the cutest girl you ever saw?!!

My little, blue-eye Joe! He is surely such a handsome fella!
(He takes after his Dad in both regards!)

And here is another great looking, blue-eyed boy, my Jimmy!

And here is Jimmy acting like his big brother and trying to start the fire...well, if he was near the fire that is!

And here is my Sweetie-pie, Bethany, in her new, just made dress. You unfortunately can't see her or the dress real well due to the lighting. This is about my only pic of her at the event.

Here is Jake riding Chic.

Here is Merle teaching Tom a bit how to ride Travers.

Here is a real nice pic of Merle and Eme on Travers.

Here is Joe on Chic with me leading.

And here is little Jimmy on his first horse. He got to ride on Chic a bit and did real good!

Here are some more of the pics of our recent living history event that Merle, Gary and I did for the Cub Scout event Howlin' at the Moon out at Chief Logan Reservation. We had a lot of fun, got to camp out, show the Cub Scouts and families the cavalry and infantry weapons and even share some basic Civil War history. Fun was had by all!

Here I am after another ride around camp. Lots of fun, and that is surely the way to tour a scout event!

Here I am arriving back at camp. Boy I can see what I get such a sore from that saddle...it is way too small! I guess I should have captured a bigger one from those Yanks, eh?!

Here is me just pretending to fire my pistol. Chic didn't like it one bit! She started trying to run away and spin away. I scared some poor schmuck trying to come up the trail at the same time. He wasn't about to move! Merle said to hold the gun pointing between her ears...she can't see the pistol that way. If I was firing it, she could have time to adjust to the noise.

Chic in mid-spin with me trying to get her to cool it.

There is Merle and Travers, Me and Chic, and General Lee (Gary) and Nelly Gray

Here is a nice shot of General Lee with a rather hefty looking scout!

Another shot of the General and Nelly!

Here is a nice shot of our campsite and the tent and fly, as well as many of the boxes and chairs, that Bethany and I have made. And we did most of that in a two-month period earlier this year!

Here I am riding bareback on Chic. It wasn't too bad at all, but I'll have to learn how to ride like that better before doing it too much in a close area like that one was! Chic thought it would be fun to start trotting away...I didn't think it was a hot idea, so I got off fairly quick and tied her up.


Here I am trying to jump on Chic. That was the apex of my jump! Looking at the picture, I think I must jump with two legs, whereas, Merle, who did it quite easily (he tried to lure me into a bet that he could do it...well, if you're asking for a bet...duh, of course I know you can do! I offered to pay him in Confederate money, but he wasn't interested in that bet!) is able to jump off one leg. I also couldn't get my right foot to turn out and over. I may try again in the future.

To get on Chic, I had to jump chest to back and then pull myself up. Merle got a kick out of that. Easy for him - he can make the jump!! But I did get up on Chic's back and that is the main thing.

Caesar Creek, Ohio - 15 Sept 2007

Our most recent event was at Caesars Creek Pioneer Village between Dayton and Cincinatti just west of Interstate 71 via State Route 73. It is a great little set up there of restored cabins and such of early settlers. Merle and I were really the only ones representing the 5th Texas Cavalry. There were a couple of other fellas, but they were busy playing Generals Lee and Grant. This was our first event in Ohio...and we've only been here for about 3 weeks at this point! I got all our gear out of storage the day before we went, that is how fast we got into it in our new home area.


Here I am proudly standing next to the Battle Flag. I was heavily armed to defend it out there on the battlefield! I was carrying (2) borrowed '51 Colt Army pistols (.45 cal) and my '51 Colt Navy Sheriff (.36 cal).

This is myself with Merle Collins. He invited me into the 5th Texas Cavalry. His support has been invaluable. Without his knoweldge, and generous use of his horse, Chic, and the tack, extra revolvers, traps, etc....I wouldn't be able to do a cavalry impression at this time. Thanks for making a dream come true for me, Merle!

Here is Bethany and I in front of our Battle Flag. Look at all those pistols...phew! I'm sure our buddies in the 26th NC would be greatly impressed! (a little bit too mainstream for them...but it sure was fun to fire a ton of shots from horseback!) I like this pic of us a lot. Only the little .36 cal '51 Colt Navy Sheriff is mine. I plan to get a Remington with additional cylinders to change out while on the field in addition to my Sheriff. I might also get a Colt Walker too, just because they are so dang cool!

Dead Yanks in the ravine...that is always a good thing! But as Joe would say, 'the Yankees didn't win the War, they just win on Sunday!' Merle and I only observed from the top of ravine as we were on horseback in a dense and rugged forest area. This was one of two operations on Saturday afternoon.

What a beautiful day it was...perfect weather for anything, especially a reenactment. Here is our infantry behind the picket fence. There probably were another 100 Confederate foot soldiers and a few cannons around to the right of the fence. The Yanks charged across the field and were decimated by our artillery pieces and the fire of the men. They were a bit 'too' decimated as they all died...quite hokey! But the crowd had fun and seemed to enjoy themselves, and that is the main thing.

Here is Jimmy wandering around our campsite - our home away from home!

Here is Jimmy in typical form...He looks tired there, doesn't he?

Bethany soothing a poor, hurt Jimmy.

Here is Jake kickin it around camp and climbing an apple tree he was not supposed to climb. He just goofed off and had a good ol time!

Here is Tom vanquishing a foe...of some sort. I guess he is beating down the pioneers here or something! That looks a lot like Joe there getting the business end of that stick from Tom!
Here is Tom hanging out with his buddy who we liked to call 'Johnny Appleseed'.

This is classic Eme...she always manages to find friends!

Isn't my little Eme Pie so pretty?!!

Joe is always on the move and difficult to pin down for a good shot. He is often in the mix of kids, but always quietly. We like to call him the 'silent destroyer' at home, because he is stealthy when tearing up something that he shouldn't be touching. But he often has guns that he likes to carry around at events. And he likes to run with the older kids whenever he can.

And of course, Jim likes the pistols too!

Here are all the kids in typical action (except Eme...she is hanging somewhere with her girlfriends!). There is usually another kid or two to be on hand with our gang.

This is, as you may imagine, tough on Mom. You should she how tired she looks at the end of the day!

Here are some very poor quality pics of me on Chic, but that is all I have for now.

This is probably about the point where the Yanks said something to the effect (but more kindly) 'Y'all should retreat because you stink, Brent'. And they were of course right, but for my first time ever, I did pretty good really. I'll get better and whip 'em out right in time!

Merle is atop Travers, a beautiful, but honery gray Tennesse Walker. Merle is doing a field repair on the stirup I broke by not knowing what I was doing out there on Chic. You can kinda see Merle's wife Jeanne holding the horses still while he cuts leather with a big Bowie Knife. I was just waiting for Travers to jump and me to get a Bowie knife to the gut!

Here is the beautiful Chic. She is training me up to ride real nice! Chic is a quarterhorse, and obviously a 'sorrel' color as they say. I borrow Merle's "McClellan" style saddle. After the battle, Merle and I practiced a bit more and I finally got the 'holding on with your knees' part I think! I also got where I wasn't confusing Chic with commands. She is neck reigned, and will be great to ride as I get more practiced.

Boscobel, WI - 3 to 5 August, 2007

Hanging around camp at the end of the Boscobel weekend. It was a happy time as we were moving to Ohio, but it sure was a sad time as we were leaving behind all our buddies in the 26th...thanks to you all for all your kindness, help and overall support of us new folks in the hobby!

Here is a good example of tents at camp - and how tight we were packed in there at Boscabel.

A good random camp scene.

George looks like he is passing secret messages to the Yanks here!

We're chuckling about something...maybe someone cut the cheese or something...I don't recall!

Ooh, this one would be perfect...if only Captain Paul were in it!

Why we are acting like tigers...I'll never know!

Phil and I here before I leave. Phil was very helpful right off the bat in helping me and the family feel welcomed in the group. He was one of the first people we met that October 2005 at Minooka. Phil, thanks for all you did to get us into the hobby and the NC 26th!

Ryan and Bill...well, you look mighty tired Sgt. Bill after a long, wet weekend at Boscabel!

John and I here. John was Gen Longstreet this weekend. But I like your Stonewall Jackson impersonation the best!

General R.E. Lee or Paul Wood...Paul, you did a great job in portraying Lee. Paul was actually a driving force for us to join the 26th as well. We also talked with him a lot back at that 2005 Minooka event. I think Paul looks the most like Lee from any reenactor I've seen yet!

Look at those period kybos...cool! :)

Defeated at Saylers Creek...we didn't reenact the hand to hand, all out claw to the death that occurred in the real battle though. Nor the horrible lack of food and water that the Army of Northern Virginia was having to endure at that time in April 1865.

Here is some of our gang, with Sgt Tom and Lt. Gerry leading the way.

These drummers were very cool...wish we had them at each event. Only thing to top them would be some fifes to go along with them.

That's a nice pic at the end of the battle. Minus those distant telephone poles (which I should just photoshop out) it looks like it could be a real picture. And well, it is color, etc...

The 26th NC is in there somewhere!

Yank cavalry...keep on moving! Nah, they did a great job and there was quite a group of cavalry assembled for the event.

Look at those trench works...pretty cool eh?! Nice pic, sweetie!

There is my happy Joe...always having a good time!

It was actually worse rain than it looks in this picture. I am trying to get poor little Jim dry. You can see how wet I was and I was trying to stay dry!

Infantry...always standing and getting jawed at...I don't miss that in the cavalry, that's for sure!

Here we are getting the low down from Lt. Gerry prior to going out there.

Somebody needs to drive them from the field!

Ah, lots of smoke in the air, and lots of fallen Yanks...that is a good day's work! We are entrenched some where down to the left of the flag. I actually see Capt Paul getting down in the trenches there left of the photo. I also see my bald head there next to him. We were saluting the gallant foe, who, as a flag bearer, charged up the trenches all by himself, not knowing that all his mates had fallen wounded or dead around. This really happened at the battle of the second Cold Harbor, Virginia. Our colonel is saluting that flag bearer in the pic.

I wish I could have seen this battle from the spectator point of view. It apparently, was quite a somber scene as so many Federals fell trying to take the entrenchments at Cold Harbor. This was the battle where Gen. Grant got the nickname "The Butcher". There was almost complete devastation on the Yank side. The crowd was quite hushed and subdued as the battle was reenacted in a fine manner. It really brought home the sacrifice of the men on both sides who sacrificed so that America is what it is today.

The smoke is rolling!

A typical well laid-out campsite.

Glenview, IL - 27 to 28 July 2007

Battle from a far...well not really. This was taken from camp, which was right near the very small field there at Glenview. But it was a pleasant place to camp and a good group of folks wandered through all day.

Infantry in action while the ladies look on in anticipation of a gallant victory on their behalf...or continue in their conversations...you know, pretty much the same idea...

You can see some of the infantry and it appears dismounted cavalry going here. Also John the Medic attending to a fallen comrade.

Nice pic...very garden like here in Glenview, eh?

Here is Lt. Matt and Sgt Bill bringing us back in from the field. I'm not sure who is the young man next behind Bill...Chris, I think? He is falling in the with the 26th, but I think he is from 154th TN. There is George next to him. I'm behind Chris and Vince is next to me. I can't recall the name of the fella behind me, but he is also from the 154th TN. He is originally from Britain and has a real interesting accent.

A close up of me and Vince.

Looks like Sgt. Rich is bringing up the rear. I got back into step at this point. I remember being a step off earlier...hate that!

Here is a nice pic of almost all of us in front of this gun. I believe it is a Napolean piece...but not sure. They are always cool to be around though.

Here is a sleepy Joe...he just woke up from a good nap.

There...Joe finally got in a pic!

Jimmy with a close up of this gun! You can notice a sleepy Joe walking over to find us all after his nap.

Jake really enjoyed being a powder monkey.

I had got done talking to some of the cavalry earlier when this pic was taken. I'm walking back from 'dying' while trying to take a cannon earlier in the battle. That was cool!

My blond-haired, blue-eyed Jimmy - my Bobcat!

What Joe is doing here...I don't know. Being a goofy 4-year old boy, I guess. It looks like he as dosed his head a little bit with that water as well.

Tom with Chappy and his owners, I can't recall their names, but they were good folks. They are getting ready for a vow renewal ceremony with one of the long-time reenactors in the area at this time when the pic was taken.

Tom with Chappy, a Percheron/Quarterhorse mix. A beautifully large horse. And really bombproof!

Jake pretending to pull the charge...wow, he is really pumped up there, eh?!

Here is my pretty little girl, Emeline Melissa!

Here is a happy Jake - powder monkey!

A good pic of one of the artillerist and a gun.

The first use of our newly made tent and fly. There were some bugs to work out, but all in all, not bad. Also, many of those boxes were new at this event too. Not a bad looking camp, considering at the start of the season, we had none of this!

Another view...a few farby items in the pic, but not bad.

And another view...you can see our made 9 ft. A frame here nicely.

Here is a good look at the portable, folding table I made. I use Captain Paul's table as a model.

Here is a nice pic of one of the kid's tents and their trooper boxes. Before this event, we all slept these tents. All 7 of us in 3 tents. In comfortable weather it is not too bad, but under harsh conditions (like the extremely hot Wauconda weekend) it is very difficult. Two kids to a tent generally. Bethany, Jimmy and I slept in one tent though. When it is bedtime, blankets are put on the poles for privacy, keeping the light down, keeping it a little warmer and trying to keep out mosquitoes.

And here is Bethany doing some sewing or something back in camp. Looks like Tom is taking a break in this pic too. At later events, especially after the downpour at Boscobel, I added two more poles to get rid of the slumping portion of the fly. Camp looks pretty comfy in this pic!

Wauconda, IL - 6 to 8 July, 2007

Wauconda...what a blistering hot event! It was a great event, except that it was so hot and we had no shade. I'll always remember it as the event where we all nearly dehydrated. Luckily we sucked down some Gatorade on Sunday before we went home, or we could have all been sick. We tried drinking lots of water, but without any shade throughout the day, we were in a tough spot. Unfortunately, there are no pics of the actual battles of the event. Bethany took some, but we have no idea where they were saved to (if at all). So this is all we got.

Here I am trying to save the fair skin of Joe with sunscreen. I know I wore it. I had to pay top dollar for this bottle at a local IGA. I can't believe there was no nearby WalMart?!

On Saturday evening we went and talked to the cavalry. I told them how I really was interested in cavalry. They wanted to let me join their group, but I told them I was moving soon. But they were a good bunch of guys.

I love this Dunn. I believe his name is Bullet...can't recall though. Jimmy and I are having a good time saying hi!

More pics of me and the kids enjoying the horses.

Doesn't the Jakie look sharp here?!

Here is Jake doing his big brother thing. He is a great help with Jimmy at events.

Oooh...scary Tom! He spent the weekend trying to shoot down junior Yanks in the playground. It was funny...they wouldn't die there either! What a shame to see such young kids spoiled so early on!

It was so hot, even Eme Pie was slowed down with her socializing!

Here she is in her new sun bonnet. Too bad she didn't wear it very often...

Here is my sweet Joe...in the shade. That is a nice straw hat, but he didn't keep it on either.

We thought this was funny at first, but got a bit worried. He was fine, but you can see the heat was taking its toll on our poor kids. It was SO hot in that sutlers tent! Still a cute pic!

Jimmy having some fun in the shade.

The heat also took its toll on Jimmy. He refused to walk at this point. He threw a fit. We just walked on, but went back to carry him. He just was unable to walk...he was hot and pooped out!

Here we are minus Jake...he's taking the pic! The shade was our only respite...and it kept moving!

Man its hot...I almost never roll up my sleeves!

Here is my sweetie pie...what a trooper in this heat!

This was our hang out for the weekend. At least in the morning hours. Come afternoon, we sat under a tree on the other side of camp.

Just take a nap, Jimmy!

Oregon Coast girls just love the 100 degree weather...it reminds them of the 60 degree summer days back home. Oh, wait...maybe not! But she is trying hard to be a strong supporter of our hobby. She is a believer in the Cause!

Man, I'm fried at this point. I just need some cool Gatorade, or a nice dip in the water. I got heat rash on my legs from exposure to the wool directly on my skin...and well, the heat!

Laying on this blanket in the shade is what we should have done all weekend.

These 3 shelter tents are our lone sleeping arrangements for the weekend. After this weekend, we built our A Frame tent with fly...we couldn't risk another weekend of exposure like this to the family again.

LaPorte, IN - 23 to 24 June, 2007

All aboard!

This was a fun event at La Porte, IN. You can see the pics below, as well as view this video that my wife Bethany made of a few clips from the Hesston Steam Museum Civil War event. It was a lot of fun. We ran the scenarios back and forth about every half hour. First, the Confederate forces would stop the train by force and capture the gold. Then the Union forces would return the favor. The spectators had a great time it seemed. It was a beautiful farm that housed the steam trains and various old tractors as well. I highly recommend your visit if you are near Northern Indiana/Southwest Michigan.

Here the engineer is making final checks on the engine for the day.

This was the common view for the spectator on the trip out.

Here are the Yanks returning after a successful capture of the train, its cargo of gold, parole of Confederates soldiers, and hijacking of the passengers.

Jacob was asked towards the end of the day to be the flag bearer. He looks a lot like some of those old time pics of young boys as drummer boys and such.

Here is Kevin, who usually does a Confederate impression, but today had to switch back and forth all day long in the scenario. He would canter out from behind the train and head it off to get the train to stop. He sure looks tired here, he?! One thing is for sure - he has a beautiful Bay mare named Gracie.

Here is a real nice pic of Rich, Darell (look through the smoke) me and Bill. It was a real pretty site, even though the ground was sloping. It made for a real rough night of sleeping. In fact, it was the worst night of camping I've ever had. The mosquitoes were as thick as I've ever experienced. Poor Jake was especially tormented with them and still is leary of camping due to those nasty 'squitoes! But otherwise, it was a great event, the food was good and I hope the event grows every year. It was a grand time and fun was had by all!

Here is a nice pic of Rich and Eme. She must be looking for some snacks!

Here is the family on the train. Smile Tom! He is still leary of cameras ever since Christmas time last year when some goofiness was captured on 'film'.

Look at Jimmy's big blue eyes. He looks to be contemplating mischief to offset his boredom!

Yep, indeed he was! Here he is at his favorite activity of the day...playing at the water spicket!

Mmm...nothing tastes better than sucking on farm spickets to get a quick, refreshing drink!

Look out...he'll enchant you with those youthful, sparkling blue eyes!

Here is Joe with some flowers he picked. I'm sure he'll put them to good use.

Here is Joe giving a flower to his sweet mother!

Here is Joe giving a flower to his pretty big sister...aren't they so cute!Look at my pretty brown-eyed little girl!


Aren't these two girls pretty...they even have matching dresses?!

Here is my pretty Eme in a new dress that her Mom made for her. Don't pay no heed to the 'period' Army transports in the background!

Here is Tom having a good time on the train.

Smile Tom!

Look at the green in his otherwise blue eyes.

Here is my Jakey...reading his book & guarding camp. He sure likes to read. It is good to see a country boy learned in such a manner!

Here Jake is posing with his dear 'ol Dad.

Here is a nice pose of Bethany in her new dress and freshly made carpet traveling bag.

My beautiful Bethany in her new dress that she made!

Myself, Darell and Bill waiting to board the next train to defend the gold from them vile Yankees!

Here I am with my Sweetie!

This is a real nice close up of us together.

Naperville, IL - 18 to 20 May 2007

Here are the kids at Naper Settlement, in Naperville, IL. It was a good, fun event, even though the facilities are crowded.

Here I am with my Sweetie Pie in front of one of the old houses.

Mom and the kids

Dad and the kids

This could be a period looking photo in front of this old house.

This is a good one of Bethany...a crappy one of me!

There was a petting area at this event...kids liked that.

Here is a nice family photo...Tom had his period face down pat!

Here we are defending the fort from those dern Yankees! I'm standing next to Sgt. Rich on the back row.

'Keep 'em hot, boys! Pour it in 'em!'

I hope that crazy dismounted cavalry fella went down in the face of all that fire. I doubt it though....

Preparing for the attack in the fort.

Here I am marching off to battle, with Lt. Matt guiding us on.

A gaze into the officers tent...

A cannon must have discharged it shot...

Looks like we're trying to advance behind these 'hemp' bales.

I enjoyed guarding the stacks before the battle. It was a nice honor.

Here we are at drill.

Getting ready for battle...or something.

It was totally packed at Naperville. Not a good place to campout, but a fun event all the same.

Here is Capt. Paul surveying the scene.

Here is a nice pic of the stacks.

Camp Douglas Honor Guard, Chicago, IL - 29 April, 2007

What a beautiful monument. This was a great honor to be here. The Camp Douglas prison camp was the worst camp of the war. And that is saying something! On this Sunday, April 29th, about 50 people gathered at the monument to all those Confederate soldiers who were imprisoned and died at Camp Douglas in Chicago Illinois. Not only does this monument stand over the largest mass burial in the entire Western Hemisphere, but it stands as a memorial to those who were horribly mistreated & tortured while imprisoned near Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois.

I could go on and on, but suffice it say that this prison was every whit as horrible as Andersonville in the South. Only difference is that the officials in Chicago withheld aid and proper treatment on the basis of cruelty, as opposed to Andersonville, which in most cases, just didn't have the supplies to do an adequate job. If you think it is okay to deprive men of clothes and blankets during the Chicago winter, then you'll likely agree with the procedures of prison officials at Camp Douglas. Click on the links to more information about this horrid and shameful chapter of American History in Chicago, Illinois.

Here are some pictures that were taken at the Remembrance Day event. The 2nd Kentucky Cavalry dismounted and the 26th North Carolina Co. G (that is my group!) were asked by the local Sons of Confederate Veterans post to serve as the honor guard. We were honored to do so.

Here we are in honor formation, listing to the States being read.

Rich, me, then (top row) Bill, Capt. Paul, Tom and his daughter.

Capt. Paul and Sgt. Tom

Joliet, IL - 14 April, 2007

Here is a nice camp scene. As it was very windy and of course chilly (the weather felt like early March, but since Chicago only has winter and summer, we got no spring weather this day!) One would need to keep the water hot so we could warm up from time to time. This event was a living at the Joliet Library. We had fun showing off for the public as they came through. Although it was cold, it was a good event.

Here is my sweet Bethany. She is standing in front of our new dog tent. You can tell it is ours because there is a ton of kid junk in it!

Here I am in my newly completed hat. I cut the edges down, and hand sewed the ribbon edging. It took quite a while. It doesn't look super, but that is as good as that hat will ever look!There sits the cannon...they would fire it off every now and again for folks as they came through and showed interest.

Here I am enjoying a laugh with my pal, Bill in front of the brigade flag. You'll recognize it as Cleberne's flag. Now he was a great and gallant general!

Little Jimmy looking cold...blue lips and all!

So we put him down for a comfy nap inside the tent out of the wind. He was almost asleep here!

This is a great pic of my little Joe.

Here is my Eme pie, enjoying a snack around the fire.

Here's Tom eyeing something up.

Here is Jacob being...well Jacob!

Inspection of arms. Mine should look pretty good...it is a new rifle!

"Good sir, will you kindly be of service to us, sir?"

"Mr. Union Officer, Sir...would you be so kind and go look for a lost dollar bill down range?"

Off goes the Yank..."a bit farther...ok, stop and turn around."

We had a good time shooting at the Yankee...

"Order Arms"

Here is Phil having a laugh with Bill around the fire.

Rich is watching Bill dig into some more of his vittles. Rich runs a great camp! I've worked hard to pattern my camp layout after his.

And here is Capt. Paul sitting around the fire, just checking the scene.

'Alright, who stole my cupcakes?! I'll beat the truth out of you if I have to!" Or something to that effect from Sgt. Rich...

A very nice tight stack...with some of the traps laid upon it.

Minooka, IL - 20 to 22 Oct 2006

This was us at our first event that we did together as family in period dress. This was taken near the 26th North Carolina Co. G camp at Dollinger Farms near Minooka, Illinois. Don't we all look great?! Bethany made all that you see us wearing except my uniform and her dress. And that rifle is an actual Civil War relic that one of the guys brought to the event that day.

This is a neat blog header that Bethany made up for her blog shortly after the event.

Tom and Joe dressed and ready for their first event that cold Saturday morning!

Jake looks pretty good in his outfit here. It is funny to see his clothes because all that remains a year later is his shirt and haversack! Uncle Fan is in the background, playing catch up to reinforce his buttons on his shell jacket.

Wow, look at how little Jimmy is here?! But he, too, was looking good for his first event, even if he wasn't too sure of what he was doing!

And here I am, doing what I did a lot this weekend...reinforce buttons on outfits. I'm trying to get Nathaniel's suspenders all ready to wear. There is a lot of force on those buttons as you go about the day.

And here is my sweet Eme. Actually, she got to dress up at Lockport in September. But she is wearing her first homemade dress. Doesn't she look great?!

Here we are lined up for drill. Nathaniel and I are next to Capt. Paul, the big tall guy next to the tree.

Here we are, still waiting to go out to drill. Jake is waiting for his first taste of the action.

This is a very nice pic of Jake here. I'm not sure if he really is excited to go out, or if would rather be back at camp messing around.

This is a real nice pic of the guys just lounging around prior to battle. It is easy for me to imagine what the boys must have looked like back in the day!

And here are some of the boys of Co. G, 26th NC. You'll note Bill standing there on the left, and next Darrel, Rich, Daniel and Layton

Here is little Joe during the battle on the sidelines. I guess when you are short, it is tough to enjoy the battle. I think he is contemplating his escape. Just after this, he decided to walk back to camp on his own after the battle was over. Well, there were several hundred spectators here, and everyone was streaming back down the hill. After 20 minutes or so, he was found in one of the other camps. Phew...what a scare for Mom & Dad at their first family event!

Here is Eme being a good big sister to Jimmy.

Won't be long, Tom, and you'll be able to get in on the action too!

Here is a good example of an artillery crew. Typically, there are 2-4 pieces a side at an event, especially one as large as Minooka.

Here is an nice pic of the brigade. You can see the public is close to the action at Minooka. In reality, there aren't as close as it looks here, but still, people get to see the actions, the smoke, the rumble of the cavalry riding by and the huge booms of the artillery. It hooked me at my first time out!

The signal tower...it looked pretty rickety to me, but it sure looked cool.

Jake running message from Captain Paul to the colonel on the field.

This is one of my favorite civil war pics. Jake is calmly walking in front of the dismounted cavalry skirmishers. Of course, I doubt during the real War Between the States, that this would have been a common sight! But nonetheless, I like the layout of this pic alot, with the smoke floating above the skirmishers.

Here is George, back at camp on Sunday, cleaning his rifle. Much of what I know of cleaning the rifle is what he taught me this weekend. George was one of our families favorite guys from the Co. G of the 26th. Thanks much, George, for all your kindness to our family!

Here is Bethany being a real trooper on a cold, wet October day in Northern Illinois. She had to hold little Jimmy here much of the day. She is working hard to make the most of it. Not too many wives would enjoy doing this, let alone put up with all the hassle. I admire your dedication to teaching the kids right on American history (and the public). And of course, I appreciate all your support of me to do this great hobby!

Here is another nice pic of Jake waiting to go out on the field. He is borrowing Lt. Matt's shell jacket here to stay warm. It was quite cold that day!

Here is a pic of Lt. Matt trying to blow some heat back into his hands that frosty morning prior to drill. I am just to his left, looking forward.

Here is Matt's wife, reading a story to one of our little ones (Joe it appears). She was a great help to Bethany that weekend with a bit of respite here and there with the kids so they weren't all hanging off Mom!

Little Eme...always having fun!

Little Jimmy likes to smile and have fun, too!

Again, here is Bethany holding that turkey Jim! He was still heavy back then, even though he was only 14 months old!

There is a goofy Jacob face!

Here Nathaniel and I are at the end of the event. This is a nice pic I think. Too bad Nathaniel didn't make it to any of the events that we went to in Illinois in 2007. This was only his second event. And he didn't get to fire the rifle because he was the color guard. That and the Yankees changed the plans during the battle so he didn't even get to defend the colors as was scripted. Dern Yankees!

The gallant soldiers!

Here I am with Joe, Nathaniel and Tom in front of General Price's flag, otherwise known as the Missouri Battle Flag. I didn't know you could buy it at this point. A few months later, I would buy my own. Joe (Joseph Guild Harty) and Nathaniel (Joseph) are both named after our ggGreat Grandfather, Joseph Guild Lewis who fought for Missouri and the Confederacy during the War Between the States. He was the 2nd Lieutenant of Cos. A & B of the 8th Missouri Cavalry Regiment. He and other veterans of the War are one of the chief reasons why we do re-enacting in the first place.

Here is one of my favorite pics of me...standing proudly in front of the unfurled Missouri Battle Flag!

Lockport, IL - 9 September 2006

Here is a great picture of some of the Enfields stacked next to the Battle Flag.

Here's my two big boys in front of the stacks with me.

A nice set up here at camp.

Here I am with two of my sweet kids, Eme and Joe in front of the Battle Flag.

Here is Lt. Matt and Capt. Paul reviewing the troops at 'Present Arms'
I'm sure Capt. Paul was saying, "All right, boys. We're going to go out there, look sharp, and put on a good show for the public. Now, don't forget to drink lots of water, because its very hot out there. And if you start to feel funny, just tell one of us and you can fall down as a casualty. Then we'll drag you and get you some help. No need to feel bad about that..."

Here is Bill, myself and John at attention. I like this pic a lot.

Boy, them Yanks sure know how to put on a good show. Too bad they don't fight as well as they sound! The Yanks always have the best stuff. Of course, I guess we are going for an accurate impression...

Well, we look pretty sharp ourself here. We came out in good order. You can see me just to the left of Sgt. Tom and Capt. Paul. I don't remember the Colonel's name...he was a good Colonel though. Apparently, he moved from the area.

He we come onto the field to get in position for the Yanks.

Hurry up and wait! We're receiving some last minute instructions from Capt. Paul.

I've spotted the family in the crowd...here I am posing for the camera with my pal Bill looking on

This is another one of my favorite reenacting pics. The Lt. and Capt. are pointing to some flanking Union forces. They are calling for oblique firing. "Pour some lead into them...hurry!"

Some dismounted cavalry...looking pretty cool.

We are backing up in the field. The way you do that orderly is the rear rank grabs the traps of the front rank and they reverse deliberately.

Here's my little Jimmy in his dad's hat and shell jacket.

Here I am posing with the Battle Flag. It was a proud moment for me earlier in the day when I ran out of powder. Capt. Paul told me to charge the enemy. I did so with gusto, with a great yell and fast pace. You can see the grass stains on my left shin where I went down after facing the fire of entire Yank company. It took 'em all to bring me down! Capt. Paul said, as the company approached, "Tread this ground with honor, boys. One of our gallant own went down here!" After we reformed, I got the honor of taking the colors from the field. Our normal flag bearer was a 'victim' in the hospital.

This magician was cool and the kids loved watching his tricks.

Here is little Jimmy posing with Mr. Lincoln. At Minooka '05 where we first saw the 26th in action, we posed with Mr. Lincoln when Jimmy was only a few weeks old. He is a bit bigger here!

Here I am with my cutie pie, Emeline Melissa Harty!

My Sweetie Pie and me!
(my grandma Baba Louie would be proud of my excellent grammar!)

Here is Bethany and I with the company G. Battle Flag. Bethany bought this dress at this event. Later on, she would make several more dresses for herself (that looked a lot better than this beginner dress, I must say!)

Plano, IL - 22 to 23 June, 2006

Here Nathaniel and I are in front of the stacks. This was our very first event that we did. We had a good time and got acquainted with the fellas of 26th NC Co. G. Nathaniel's pants hadn't come in by this point, but to the untrained eye, they look like the blue Union trousers. I pretty good fakey, eh?!

What a beautiful little creek in Plano, IL! The only thing that would have made this event better would have been the removal of all that nasty poison ivy. It was quite prevalent around the site.

Here Nathaniel and I are at the edge of the creek that ran by our campsite. It was the best site that I've camped in while reenacting. Not bad for a first event (except the battle wasn't much to write about). But we got to drill and I really enjoyed that. I also got to fill 'paperladies' and learn to fire, etc.

Discussions at the captain's tent. I think they were actually having an officer's meeting for the short battle and trying figure out how to put on a good show despite the fact that now Yankees bothered to show up for the weekend.

Here is the camp set up...a nice one for sure, with Cindy and Sgt. Tom on left, with me walking away on the right. I'm likely checking to see if I have time to sew on my buttons as several were popping off, despite my earlier efforts.

Capt. Paul is considering plans that he and the lone artillery officer are discussing. It would prove to be a very short battle.

"Ready - Aim - Fire!"

Sgt. Tom is barking the orders..."Put fire into 'em boys! Fire at will!" Nathaniel and I are in the front row, second and third from the left. You can see that while 'firing at will', I was the second fastest loader. They say that a good soldier could fire 3 rounds a minute. Of course, we are just using powder and caps, without using the ramrod at all for safety reasons.

Nathaniel (blue pants) and I (in the grey just in front of those boys) didn't survive our first engagement.

The Yanks surrendered under a withering, superior fire...actually it was just our guys galvanizing as Yankees...that is Lt. Matt accepting Lt. Gerry surrender. In fact, there were no Union forces at this event at all! Well, it was a first time event...

This is the gang in front of a period building (minus the steel handrails!). Myself and Nathaniel are the 3rd and 4th from the bottom right respectively.