September 9, 2008

Gentlemen,

The purpose of this letter is to fill you in on a number of things taking place at this event. Please refer to my first letter concerning other important details.

CS Registration Nearing an End!

We have about 55 guys registered thus far for the Confederate battalion. We’d like to have more. One more reminder – please get the word out that, because we’re outpacing the US by a margin of about 2:1, CS registration will not be accepted after September 14, 2008. Please take a moment to let your comrades know and tell them to get registered!

Event Check-in

Event check-in will be conducted at the red brick house on the Bristoe Station battlefield. Wear your uniform and accoutrements to check-in for a brief cursory inspection. The hours for check-in are Friday, October 10, from 12noon – 12midnight and for CS participants it will re-open briefly Saturday morning from 6 – 7am. All participants must go through the check-in process. We need all participants in camp Friday night. Stragglers must arrive in camp prior to 7:30 Saturday morning. If you anticipate a problem arriving during these times, please email me. I will do my best to accommodate you. The march will begin around 7:45am so don’t be late!

The address of the park is actually the address of the park office. It’s on the battlefield but down the street from the house. For those with GPS unit capability, use 11639 Iron Brigade Unit Avenue, Bristow, VA 20136. This address will put you directly across from the entrance to the battlefield and the parking lot. An inspection of your rifle musket will also be conducted at check-in so please remember to bring it with you. At check-in, you will be given directions to the Friday night camp, our embarkation point for the march on Saturday.

Raffle

The Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park wants to purchase a cannon to be placed on the battlefield in the area where McIntosh’s battery was located. Five guns were captured from this battery during the battle. The proceeds from this raffle will be used strictly for this purpose. Up for grabs is a reproduction model 1861 Springfield rifle musket, a book on the paintings of Keth Rocco, a model of one of the cannons in McIntosh’s battery, and a gift certificate for a Civil War period civilian shirt with top stitching and buttons holes done by hand and original buttons. Raffle tickets can be purchased at registration/check-in and on Sunday upon conclusion of the event. Prices are one for $3.00 and two for $5.00. Drawings will be conducted in April 2009 and winners notified. More about the raffle will be posted on the website soon.

Sutlers

A few sutlers have agreed to come and sell their wares. They will set up in the same area as check-in (next to the brick house on the battlefield). You are encouraged to bring some cash and visit Ben Tart and Bill McIntosh. Bob Szabo will also be available on Friday and again on Sunday to capture your likeness.

Company Portrayals

We will field two companies representing original companies of the 27th North Carolina Infantry Regiment. Company B, the “Guilford Greys,” includes participants from the Stonewall Brigade, Liberty Rifles, Rowdy Pards, POC’R Boys, JacksNTens, and 6th Louisiana. Units represented in Company G, the “Orange Guards,” are the IVR, 10th Virginia, the North State Rifles, and the 49th Virginia. Brief unit histories will be posted on the website.

Original Soldier Names

Soon after CS registration closes on September 14, I will assign CS participants names of original soldiers from their company portrayals. Assignments will be made available by email as well as posted on the website. Original soldier names are to be used for roll calls, etc. By being assigned a “persona” you will know your fate in the battle and which scenario you will participate in after the battle.

Scenarios

The march and battle reenactment are just two of several activities offered. This event will be fluid in that a number of scenarios will take place simultaneously after the battle reenactment. Casualties to include killed, wounded, captured, and wounded-captured, will be fixed according to historically correct ratios of our company portrayals. It is important that you honor your original soldier assignment by depicting your personal battle outcome. Doing so will have a favorable impact on our scenarios. Towards the end of the march, you will be given a card that will detail your fate and also provide any future military record of your “persona.”

Let’s take a look at the casualty ratios for each of our companies. Company B, the “Guilford Greys,” suffered 60% casualties. One in every five privates was captured, one in every three was wounded, and one in every 16 was killed on the field. The battle impacted Company G, the “Orange Guards” similarly, suffering 54% in casualties. One in every five privates was captured, one in every four was wounded, and one in every 12 was killed on the field.

Captured Scenario – If you are captured, please hunker down on the ground when the order to retreat is given. Do not retreat with the rest of the battalion! There will not be a second charge. The Federals will “gobble you up” and you will go through the “captured scenario.”

Wounded-Captured – If you are “wounded and captured,” you will be gobbled up by the Federals and taken to the US field dressing station for “evaluation and treatment.”

Field Dressing Station – If your fate is “wounded,” your card will describe your wound, if it is known. If you have a wound to the lower extremity or chest, take your “hit” and remain on the battlefield until the ambulance corpsmen can get to you. Please be patient. You will eventually be taken to the CS field dressing station and then onward to the field hospital. Those with wounds to their arms, face, or upper extremity (not to include chest or lungs) should take a “hit” and move towards the rear on their own power to the field dressing station. Your card will state whether or not you returned to the company at a later time. Use this information to gauge the severity of your wound and your level of mobility.

Field Hospital – Some time Saturday evening, the wounded will be transferred to the field hospital. You might encounter a few surprises here.

Picket Post – As the battalion retreats and re-groups, those who have survived the battle will be confronted with having to carry on with urgent military matters despite the significant loss of men. Command staff will certainly be tried, as some undoubtedly will be charged with new responsibilities. During all of this “mayhem,” a picket post will have to be established.

All scenarios will run throughout the evening and into the nighttime hours. Some scenarios may end Sunday morning depending upon participant interest, etc. We’ll stay flexible.

Mark Your Gear

Participants and their gear may become separated during these scenarios. Any gear that is removed will be kept in close proximity to its owner. Of course, we want to assure that not one single item is lost and everyone leaves the event with everything they came with. To this end, an easy method has been devised to mark your gear. Each participant will be assigned a number and at check-in, will be given a sheet of stickers. Your assigned number will be on your stickers. Simply apply these small stickers to each item of your gear in an inconspicuous location. Sergeants and Corporals will receive a copy of the list at Friday night camp and can be consulted if needed. The Federals will have copies too.

Civil War Program for Children

A program has been proposed for 4th and 5th grade students of local elementary schools. The program will touch on several StandardS of Learning objectives on the Civil War and will be conducted at the battlefield on Friday October 10, from 10am – 2pm. If you can arrive early at the event and devote some time to teach kids about Civil War history, please email me for details.

Any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email me.

Thanks,

Phil Maddox
Stonewall Brigade
Popeswb(a)comcast.net