St. Maries Citty Militiaman

Transcription

1 St. Maries Citty Militiaman Ancient and Honourable Order of the Followers of Calvert s Black and Gold in the New World St. Maries Citty, Ancient and Chief Seat of Government of the Lord Baltimore s proprietarie Colony of Mary-Land, Number 327, January, 2014 Editor: Ernest J. Willoughby 1 ALL SET FOR THE WINTER BUSINESS MEETING, JANUARY 18 Be sure to attend our annual business meeting at the Visitor Center in Historic St. Mary s City on Saturday, January 18, at 10:30 AM. In the event of inclement weather that day, we ll schedule a makeup meeting for the following Saturday, January 25. This is our annual planning and updating meeting for the 2014 activity season, and we need as many of our members present as possible. Our agenda for business will include the following: Call to Order 10:30 AM Announcements and Introduction Introductions Hosts briefing Treasurer s Report Upcoming Events HSMC events Invitations to events beyond HSMC Other Business as needed Lunch 12:30 to 1:15 PM Afternoon Program, to be determined If you have issues to discuss, you can send them to Ernie, or bring them with you to the meeting. A HISTORY OF THE MODERN ST. MARIES CITTY MILITIA FROM THE PEN OF OUR LATE CAPTAIN, THOMAS R. CALLAWAY The year 2013 marked the 40 th anniversary of the activation of our modern organization. After so many years of serving as a living history presence at our sponsoring institution, Historic St. Mary s City, it seems fitting to reflect on that history and to consider where we may wish to take the organization into the future. To that end, the editor will include in this and future issues of

2 2 The St. Maries Citty Militiaman an account provided in a manuscript by Captain Callaway, titled 17 th Century Militia in Maryland and 1973 On, given to Ernest Willoughby as a draft in August, Your editor has modified Callaway s presentation by making a very few editorial corrections, and by breaking it into segments to appear in serial form, starting here with an account of the first 10 years of the organizations existence. THE FOUNDING AND EARLY EVENTS, The reconstruction at the site of St. Mary s City (St. Maries Citty), 1634 capital of Maryland, was in its initial phase. A Commission of officials and citizens had been formed to develop policy, and a small, full-time staff was in place. Based on an excellent archaeological program and archival search, the nature of the Citty was coming to light in the early 1970s. To support the program and to give it much needed publicity, Maryland s governor and other dignitaries visited the site on a weekend closest to the original March 25 landing of the Lord Baltimore s first settlers to Mary-Land. Celebrations were centered on the reconstructed State House of 1676, built for the 1934 celebration of Maryland s 300 th year of settlement. In 1972 the Executive Director of Historic St. Mary s City, Burton Kummerow, asked that a volunteer group be raised to represent the 1670s period of Maryland s first settlement. This militia was to act as honor-guard for the governors of Maryland during their visits to St. Mary s City. The late 17 th century period was chosen because in 1972, with the exception of the reconstructed State House of 1676, there was little in the way of that century s structure above ground. Kummerow was a member of the First Maryland Regiment, a Revolutionary War period living history unit, and drew on that organization for men. In 1973 the reconstituted St. Maries Citty Militia was in being. Each man made, or had made, the long coat characteristic of the time and, with breeches, shoes, and hat of the period, carried sword and a flintlock musket. For most, this last meant a Brown Bess of the revolutionary war period, as nothing else was available. Mark Meader, who was to become an NCO, and later Lieutenant, was the first of the group to have a matchlock made. As not one of us was familiar with this not too safe arm, Mark was fortunate to lose only his eyebrows when exploring a hang-fire! As each of us became properly armed, we learned great respect for, and prized, our matchlocks. While first mustered only for the one-day celebration in March, the Militia was soon involved in other activities at St. Mary s, such as Charter Days in June and, on occasion, as honor-guard for dignitaries in Annapolis. In the early years, the Militia included these members: Burton Kummerow Ernest Peterkin John Griffiths Mark Meader Ross Kimmel Jeff Hobbs

3 3 John Wilson John Barnaby Wilson Bill Brown Charles Fithian Rob Alley Tom Callaway Bryce Workman Bill McIntosh Fred Gaede Steve Hanson Frenchie Mallet Robert Hines Luther Sowers For several years the unit was all male. However, 17 th century militia was, like the National Guard of today, family-based from its earliest days. The first females, or distaff, were: Harriet Stout, who worked at Historic St. Mary s City, wife of Rob Alley Gloria Callaway, wife of Tom Callaway Diane Fithian, future wife of Charles Fithian There were amusing as well as serious happenings at the early musters. On at least two occasions we attempted to cook a suckling pig over an open fire. Somehow, it never got done enough to eat. As a target for our live fire shooting each year, we used a full-sized drawing of an Indian. Eventually, an Indian group complained. The next year we shot at a pirate figure. To date, no pirates have come forward to complain. On one occasion, the Militia was aboard the Maryland Dove, replica of the smaller vessel that brought settlers over in The governor, his aids, and other dignitaries, with a crowd of onlookers, were on the dock on St. Mary s River. The ship was to sail up the river and secure at that dock. The Militia was to fire a salute as we approached. The Dove was sailing at a rate of knots, much to our enjoyment. At the command, we fired the salute with our muskets and sailed on past the dock! We were going too fast! With laughter from the governor and all, we sailed up the river, and slowly beat back into the wind to land where originally planned. This was in the days before the Dove had an auxiliary engine, and like the original was at the mercy of the wind. As part of each of the March celebrations, a mock trial was held in the State House. The jury was chosen half from the visitors, half from the Militia. Jury discussion as to guilt and punishment was divided on the basis of 17 th and 20 th century attitudes. Things of relatively minor consequence today, such as disobedience by a servant, or theft of a pig, tool, or clothing, were matters of significant concern in the 1600s. On several occasion we reenacted Coode s Rebellion, rushing into the Citty firing our muskets in the air, and demanding control of government. In the early years there was no narration, so that visitors were probably as confused as entertained at our actions.

4 4 With the approach of 1984, the 350 th anniversary of settlement, the Militia was asked to reaccoutre to represent the earliest Maryland settlers. To this end, research in 1982 led to the development of a handbook, Manual of the Compleat Militiaman Armes, Equipment & Drill of the St. Maries Citty Militia, as a guide. In 1983 recruitment led to a larger, truly family-based organization. The floor of St. Mary s Trinity Episcopal Church Hall became a place to lay out patterns during the day, and a place to sleep for what had become two-day events. With muskets being quite costly, pikemen were incorporated in the unit to illustrate a typical English militia company of the time, where one man in three still carried this venerable weapon. Doublets replaced long coats for men, and the increasing number of women appeared properly clad in shift, bodice, and petticoat. William Balderson became our first drummer. We carried with pride the black and gold flag of the Baron Lord Baltimore. We organized into three platoons two of musketeers and one of pikemen, each with a sergeant and corporal. Officers were Captain, Adjutant, Lieutenant, and Ensign. A quartermaster/camp master, and a unit nurse rounded out the field organization. On occasion a boy, too young to carry a musket or pike, carried a pot of coals for the musketeers to light their slow match for matchlock. Drills became more frequent. On one occasion we managed in spite of a sheet of ice. Not too many fell! We soon looked very professional, though we, as did the earliest Marylanders, had no uniforms, but wore what represented the economic and social status of each person. Membership grew to more than 80, with some coming from as far as Pennsylvania, the Carolinas, several from Virginia, and one man from California. (To be continued) St. Maries Citty Militia men drilling at HSMC in the 1990s, musketeers to the left of the colors, pikemen to the right, a murtherer on the gun carriage at far right.

5 5 THE EDITOR S PAGE Your editor reminds you that he is looking for short articles, announcements, and items of interest pertaining to our St. Maries Citty Militia and to Maryland and other English colonies of the 17 th century. If you have anything that you would like to see in The Militiaman, send it in! By ejwilloughby@aol.com; by postal service: Hartman Drive, Lexington Park, MD