In the field at Gettysburg, July 1st-3rd

Transcription

1 In the field at Gettysburg, July 1st-3rd Volume 23, Issue 10 We are but few in number but formidable. -Pvt. James Shelton, 7th Md. Co. B July 2017 Inside this issue: Captain s Report 3 Gettysburg Schedule 5 On to Richmond AAR 8 Though small in number, the 7th Maryland did an outstanding job at Fort Ward. The company had the honor of leading the color guard raising the 35 star flag with Pvt. Eric Stahl providing the appropriate bugle call. Besides living history interaction with the visitors the 7th Maryland participated in a several drill and firing demonstrations with members the 3rd US Regulars, the 28th Mass and the 1st Minn. Those able to partici- (Continued on page 4) June has come and gone, with members having participated in the reenactment of The Seven Days ( On to Richmond ) and two living history events at Fort Ward s Civil War Camp Day and at Fairfax County s 275 th Celebration Fair. We open the month in Gettysburg (for three days!), followed by events at the Bull Run Winery in Manassas, VA, and in Funkstown, MD, the next two weekends. Members enjoyed the event at the winery last year and Funkstown, where the 7 th saw its earliest action, is a fun event that includes street fighting, foraging, and a terrific fireworks show. Please ensure you are drinking plenty of water at least a week before the events you plan to attend to help prevent heat related illnesses. I failed to prepare for On to Richmond, didn t drink enough while there, and was really feeling it Sunday evening upon arriving home. Don t make the same mistake. A review of On to Richmond will be in next Cpl. Erik Schwetje President month s issue. Looking forward to seeing you in the field.

2 PAGE 2 JULY July 1-3: 154 th Gettysburg, Bushong Farm, Pumping Sta. Rd., Gettysburg (Company) (FVB Event) m/ July 9 : Bull Run Winery Living History, Manassas, VA (Individual) July 14-16: Skirmish at Funkstown, Funkstown, MD (Company) July TBA: Union Mills event, Union Mills, MD (Individual) AUGUST August 12-13: Battle of Renfrew, Renfrew Museum grounds, Waynesboro, PA (Company) rkcwreenactment/ Aug : 26 th Annual 93 rd PA event, Old Union Canal Tunnel, PA (Individual) SEPTEMBER Sept. TBA: Moorefield WV event (Individual) Sept. 9-10: South Mountain Living History / Drill weekend. Location TBA (Company) Sept : Harpers Ferry Living History / Drill Weekend. Location TBA (TBA) OCTOBER Oct : 153 rd Battle of Cedar Creek, Middletown, VA (Company) (FVB Event) Oct : Opening the Cracker Line: The Battle of Wauhatchie (Individual) 5-Opening-The-Cracker-Line-The- Battle-of- Wauhatchie&s=de7142be1b914cdb7ce78b e454600a10 NOVEMBER Nov. 19 th Remembrance Day Parade, Gettysburg, PA (Company) (FVB Event) DECEMBER Dec. 9: Blenheim House Living History / Christmas (TBA / Individual) Dec. 16: Wreaths Across America, wreath laying, Arlington Cemetery (TBA / Individual) I know that I ve already sent out an about this, but I cannot stress the importance of heat acclimatization for the summer events. Right now, weather projections have the weather for the Gettysburg event listed as mostly/partly cloudy with temperatures in the mid 80 s. That s probably one of the better forecasts that we ve have for a Gettysburg event, but even the heat of mid 80 s can catch people by surprise. Please make sure you are preparing yourselves for the Gettysburg event and the heat that comes along with wearing wool and several layers of cotton. Here are some things to know about acclimating to the heat: It can take anywhere from 7 to 14 days to acclimate physical exercise out in the heat. I realize, that for the majority of the Gettysburg event, soldiers will be able to hunt out shade and relax. However, it s those times during drill and battles, out in the sun and heat, that concern me that most in regards to physical health and safety. So, please take the week leading up to Gettysburg to get outside more and get used to the heat at various times of Sarah Harris Lafferty Vice President the day. Since I m out on summer vacation, I ve been able to go biking or walking at various times of the day, to get used to the heat. I encourage everyone to attempt to get outside leading up to Gettysburg, Funkstown and Renfrew, in order to acclimate to being out in the (Continued on page 3)

3 By the time you read this we will probably be heading to Gettysburg. For me it has been a long break since my last outing. I have been keeping up with some of you have been active nearly every weekend. Jeff Joyce, Dan Paterson, Erik Schwetje and Mike Lafferty have been very busy and have been joined by several others. I certainly hope that this Journal has some after action reports of their adventures! I have had some conversations with some of you about possible ration issue events. Many of you I have talked with are very excited about the possibility. If you don t already know, I have been attempting to accumulate enough hardtack for such an event. It takes some time to make in quantity but my hope is that we will have more than enough for the experience. Many of you may not have ever tried subsisting on hardtack, salt pork and coffee for an event. I encourage all to give a try, if only for one meal! Some of our veterans are very creative in cooking with the marching rations. Most of what they have tried has been done by soldiers for hundreds of years. Hard tack or hard bread can be traced back to ancient Egypt! Among those that were first massed produced, the Royal Navy issued sea biscuits to the sailors as far back as the late 15 th century. At the beginning of the American Civil War the hard bread that was issued was from the stores left after the Mexican American war. This proves that as long as it was prepared and stored properly Capt. Jeff Bush Company Commander that it could last indefinitely. Just look at the condition of the examples from the war that are now in museums! Preparation of hardtack for consumption was more than just putting it in your mouth. They had several different names for these hard baked pieces, none of which described an easy eat right out of the box! Tooth dullers, had to be prepared for the most part. Soaking in water, coffee, beer, whatever was available was the best way to soften them up. The average soldier of the 1860s would most likely soak them in their coffee. This was a way to not only soften for cooking but allowed any worms to extricate themselves. After the worm castle was soaked it could be fried in grease rendered from the pork. I have tried it this way and it is pretty tasty! The sheet iron cracker could also be crushed up and liquid added to make dough. A little forage of fruit to roll up in it and either a boil, bake or fry and desert is served! On several occasions I have had the opportunity to try some very tasty confections with such dough, prepared right at the fire! Now with all the ways to use the hard bread, most often it was not up to the individual soldier to prepare. Most of PAGE 3 the time a designated cook or cooks would prepare all of the issued rations for the company. Imagine cooking for up to one hundred men! Creativity would have been left to someone else! Getting the boys fed was all that mattered and that most likely meant boiling everything! I can picture the crackers being broken up loosely and tossed in to the pot with the pork. Ah salt pork! Salt pork was another ration that was used throughout the ages, but not as much perhaps as during the American Civil war. During the American Revolution, fresh beef was the main stay of the colonials, if available. Pork was reserved for the sailors in large quantities. The salt cured pork that was issued is not at all like the salt pork we find in the neighborhood grocery of today. The small slab found today is for flavoring dishes and is not meant to be a meal. The preserved pork that was the preferred ration of the 1860s was just that preserved meat. Most likely packed in a keg with salt and salt brine at least to begin with and by the time it reached the soldier it was a salt crusted dry slab. To properly prepare, it would require soaking to rehydrate as well as release some of the salt. Once again in large quantities it was destined for the pot and if you were lucky the water would have been changed at least once! The tastiest way for individually prepared pork in my opinion is roasted. This is done of course after soaking to reduce the salt content. You can fry, roast or bake fairly easy. (Continued from page 2) heat. By getting out into the heat, and doing some form of exercise or physical activity, your body starts to adapt to the heat in several ways, including change in heart rate, body temperature responses, skin temperature responses, and how you perceive exertion out in the heat. I remember several instances, especially at past years in Gettysburg, where people had to fall out on the march to battle, or early on in the battle, because they were not ready even for how they perceived those activities out in the heat while wearing wool. When you are acclimated to the heat, your body will increase in overall ability to perform in the heat, but it will also have improved heart function and blood distribution, as well as earlier onset of sweating (which is actually a good thing), as well as increased sweat rate. And please know your limitations, both in preparation for the event as well as while at the event. Know your body, get to know how your body should react in a hot environment. While you should see an increased sweat rate for healthy exertion in the heat, too much sweating can be a possible sign of heat exhaustion, which can lead to heat stroke. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include general weakness, increased heavy sweating, a weak but faster pulse/heart rate, nausea or (Continued on page 10)

4 PAGE 4 (Continued from page 1) pate included: Cpl. Dan Paterson, Jr. Pvt. Scott Diezman Pvt. Jeffrey Joyce Pvt. Eric Stahl

5 PAGE th Gettysburg Friday, June 30 VOLUME 23, ISSUE 10 7:00 AM Reenactor registration opens 6:00 PM Officers Call at Federal HQ to include Division Commanders and field grades 6:00 PM Division medical staff/safety officer meeting at Federal HQ 6:00 PM Division quartermaster meeting at Army quartermaster fly, adjacent to Federal HQ 7:00 PM Federal Volunteer Brigade Staff and Officer s meeting. FVB Headquarters 10:00 PM Reenactor registration closes 12:00 AM (MIDNIGHT) All quiet Saturday-July 1 7:00 AM Reveille followed by morning meal Morning Reports due to Army HQ 1 hour after Reveille. Camp condition report due to Army HQ one hour after morning meal 7:00 AM Reenactor registration opens 8:30 AM Gates open to public 8:30 AM Federal Volunteer Brigade Drill / Regimental Drill 9:00 AM Federal Volunteer Brigade Dress Parade Cavalry will form and conduct weapons safety inspection per the USV Safety SOP. Inspection certificates will be collected and turned held by the HQ Staff courier assigned to the Division for this purpose. Move into column of march as directed for the scenario being carried out. 11:00 AM Cavalry battle Ambush at Hunterstown 12:00 PM Federal Volunteer Brigade Staff and Officer s meeting. FVB Headquarters 3:50 PM Attention 4:00 PM Assembly 4:10 PM To the Colors Form and conduct weapons safety inspection per the USV Safety SOP. Inspection certificates will be collected and held by the HQ Staff Officers assigned to the Division for this purpose. Move into column of march as directed for the scenario being carried out. 4:30 PM March to Battle 5:00 PM Battle: Perrin s Attack The Capture of Seminary Ridge 9:00 PM Reenactor registration closes 12:00 AM (MIDNIGHT) All quiet Sunday-July 2 7:00 AM Reveille followed by morning meal Morning Reports due to Army HQ 1 hour after Reveille. Camp condition report due to Army HQ one hour after morning meal 7:00 AM Reenactor registration opens 8:00 AM Federal Volunteer Brigade Drill / Regimental Drill (Continued on page 6)

6 VOLUME 23, ISSUE 10 (Continued from page 5) 8:30 AM Federal Volunteer Brigade Dress Parade / Inspection 8:30 AM Gates open to public 9:00 AM Catholic Mass with Fr. David Moreno, Activity Tent #2 9:30 AM Officers Call to include Division Commanders and field grades at Federal HQ 10:00 AM Federal Volunteer Brigade Staff and Officer s meeting. FVB Headquarters 10:00 AM Period Worship Service adjacent to Federal HQ Cavalry will form and conduct weapons safety inspection per the USV Safety SOP. Inspection certificates will be collected and turned held by the HQ Staff courier assigned to the Division for this purpose. Move into column of march as directed for the scenario being carried out. 11:00 AM Cavalry battle Farnsworth s Fatal Charge 1:20 PM Attention 1:30 PM Assembly 1:40 PM To the Colors Form and conduct weapons safety inspection per the USV Safety SOP. Inspection certificates will be collected and held by the HQ Staff Officers assigned to the Division for this purpose. Move into column of march as directed for the scenario being carried out. 2:00 PM March to Battle 2:30 PM Battle: The Wheatfield A Bloody Harvest 8:00 PM Reenactor registration closes 12:00 AM All quiet. Monday, July 3 7:00 AM Reveille followed by morning meal Morning Reports due to Army HQ 1 hour after Reveille. Camp condition report due to Army HQ one hour after morning meal 7:00 AM Reenactor registration opens 8:30 AM Gates open to public 8:15 AM Federal Volunteer Brigade Drill / Regimental Drill 8:45 AM Federal Volunteer Brigade Dress Parade 9:00 AM Officers Call to include Division Commanders and field grades at Federal HQ 10:00 AM Federal Volunteer Brigade Staff and Officer s meeting. FVB Headquarters Cavalry will form and conduct weapons safety inspection per the USV Safety SOP. Inspection certificates will be collected and turned held by the HQ Staff courier assigned to the Division for this purpose. Move into column of march as directed for the scenario being carried out. 10:00 AM Cavalry battle: Clash at Fairfield 12:00 PM Reenactor registration closes 12:20 PM Attention 12:30 PM Assembly 12:40 PM To the Colors Form and conduct weapons safety inspection per the USV Safety SOP. Inspection certificates will be collected and held by the HQ Staff Officers assigned to the Division for this purpose. Move into column of march as directed for the scenario being carried out. 1:00 PM March to Battle 1:30 PM Battle: Cushing s Battery A Valiant Stand (Segment of Pickett s Charge) Event concludes at the end of the battle scenario.

7 PAGE 7 Miss Rizzi Oskoui Civilian Co-coordinator The Three-Year Quilt By Sarah Harris Lafferty In the month leading up to moving out of our apartment and into our new home, I had to complete one last sewing project while under the apartment roof. I decided to work on a quilt for which I have been saving pieces for a very long time. While flipping through a book on quilting, I saw a pattern for a quilt that called for over one thousand pieces of 3x6 inch rectangles. For the next three years, after completing a sewing project or while cleaning out some of my fabric, I cut scraps and extra fabric into 2x4 inch rectangles, mostly because I forgot the required size from the book and I was able to use up more scraps with the smaller rectangle size. Finally, after years of saving and piling up small rectangles of various colored fabric, I started piecing my quilt together. I had the idea of creating a rainbow quilt during most of my piece hoarding for this quilt, but I did not realize how complicated it would be to lay out the pieces. I thought it would be rather easy to lay out the pieces and sew them together quickly, but I was wrong on both fronts. In a one bedroom apartment, there s not much floor space to lay out a quilt of this size or design. I learned that I had to lay out a few colors or shades at a time, and then sew them together before laying out the next few dozen pieces. And then, I was surprised by how long it took to sew the pieces together. Each row contained 19 rectangles, and it can take quite a while to Mrs. Sarah Harris Lafferty Civilian Co-coordinator sew together a row of 19 rectangles. Then, each row off-sets the next, to create the alternating pattern of seams. The frustrating part in this was that each row somehow turned out to be a slightly different length from the previous row, so the seams did not lay out in the center of the previous row, as it was supposed to. Even with these small mistakes, which I m sure other people may not be able to notice, I still pushed on. I had the goal of finishing this quilt before we left the apartment, and I was starting to pack up around the quilt, as evidenced by some of the pictures. The boxes and quilting supplies started competing for room in the tiny little apartment, and I m sure Mike was a little frustrated by the combination of boxes, quilting fabric and ironing boards that filled floor space. Finally, after about a month of working, the quilt was complete, and I could not have been any happier with the results. Even with its small imperfections, I love how it turned out. I still need to complete the outer trim with some brown, black and white fabric, so as to complete the rainbow, but that will be an easy step to complete in the summer. I ll even be able to knot the quilt together over the summer, using a range of embroidery thread to match the rainbow look. I think I plan on placing this quilt on the bed in the guest room of our new house (Continued on page 10)

8 PAGE 8 By Erik Schwetje June has come and gone, with members having participated in the reenactment of The Seven Days ( On to Richmond ) and two living history events, at Fort Ward s Civil War Camp Day and at Fairfax County s 275 th Celebration Fair. We open the month in Gettysburg (for three days!), followed by events at the Bull Run Winery in Manassas, VA, and in Funkstown, MD, the next two weekends. Members enjoyed the event at the winery last year and Funkstown, where the 7 th saw its earliest action, is a fun event that includes street fighting, foraging, and a terrific fireworks show. Please ensure you are drinking plenty of water at least a week before the events you plan to attend to help prevent heat related illnesses. I failed to prepare for On to Richmond, didn t drink enough while there, and was really feeling it Sunday evening upon arriving home. Don t make the same mistake. Looking forward to seeing you in the field. On to Richmond After Action Report Billed as a must attend campaigner event, On to Richmond proved to be exactly that. The company organizers, who promised to push us, thoroughly researched the history of the 3 rd PA Germantown Reserves, Company G on The Peninsula and incorporated it into most of the weekend. Private Patrick Morton and yours truly fell in with Company G at Endview Plantation, Yorktown, VA, in the early evening. I volunteered for guard duty, which was uneventful (other than catching up with friends), while Patrick cooked our rations. The 3 rd PA had dropped packs, blankets, and haversacks early in the campaign, so we did not have these items with us for the weekend. Rations were kept in poke sacks hanging off our belts and in the epaulet pockets in the back of our frock coats. Our first battle Saturday morning was Casey s Redoubt, the Battle of Seven Pines, fighting in the woods next to the redoubt. Following the fight, we returned to camp and were ordered to find the road in the woods that we d be using on our 6 mile night march to Sunday s reenactment site. In the absence of a road, we were to create one. We, of course, could not find the road and, with no tools, did our best to create a path through the brush and small tress but scrambled back to camp late for assembly wondering how we would get our company through the woods later that night. We spent the afternoon lounging in the shade of the woods until we formed up for the Battle of Gaines Mill in the early evening. Prior to the battle, our First Sergeant opened everyone s cartridge box. Some received a fate round, your fate dependent upon the color of the cartridge you pulled. Patrick was wounded and was dragged back to a hospital scenario that was considered by some to be the (Continued on page 9) Photo by TG Daviuson

9 PAGE 9 (Continued from page 8) most realistic they had ever seen. Following the battle we formed back up and began the dreaded night march. In the dark, we were able to find the road we had been looking for earlier in the day. We subsequently found out that there was bickering amongst the officers during the actual campaign and us looking for the Road to Nowhere was fallout from such. During the march we were pursued by Jackson s men (Chickahominy Swamp). We held them off with a few volleys and then disappeared into the night. Over dirt roads and through muddy creeks, we arrived at our destination soaked from head to toe. It was near the end of the march I started feeling the effects of not drinking enough water during the day. Neither Patrick nor I slept well once we and the daytime temperature cooled down. While my shirt hung on a fence rail soaking up the dew, I tried to sleep with my frock on inside out, the outside being drier than the inside. On Sunday morning I quickly made coffee and warmed what beef we had left while others cleaned rifles. I didn t clean my rifle all weekend, save a dry patch down the barrel Sunday morning and had only a couple misfires. After being paid (as the actual 3 rd PA was) we marched off to the Battle of Glendale, where we formed the skirmish line holding the secesh at bay before falling back and reorganizing our company to continue fighting. The afternoon battle was Malvern Hill, where the rebel charge after charge melted away under intense Photo by TG Daviuson musket and artillery fire. The weekend went by quickly (save those sleepless hours) and many of the finer details are nearly forgotten (like writing a letter home before Gaines Mill). After 36 hours or so of a fighting retreat, it left me thinking about what it must have felt like for the Army of the Potomac, after being only miles from Richmond, to be driven off The Peninsula. The event delivered a realistic experience, based on the historical record, that was challenging and fun.

10 Civil War Re-enactors; America s Living Historians. (Continued from page 7) (when we wrestle a guest bed into the guest room), so that I can display it easily for visitors. Or perhaps I need some quilt frames to hang it on the wall.. but don t tell Mike. This project took several years to save up for and complete, and it is a project that I will cherish for a very long time. I have the tendency to brainstorm some giant projects that take years to finish, but this is one that I m glad I got the chance to work on. Now on to the next project! (Continued from page 3) vomiting, possible fainting, and pale/cold/ clammy skin. The first two symptoms general weakness and increased heavy sweating are the most important reason for why you should know your body. You need to know the difference between being tired from exertion, and feeling weak from heat exhaustion. You need to be able to recognize these signs in yourself, as others may not be able to recognize them right away. Should heat exhaustion go untreated, it can lead to heat stroke; do not be too stubborn or unaware to ask for help. Hydration leading up to and during the event is also very important. You want to make sure that you are getting enough water in your system to equal how much is being sweated out. During exercise (think marching, drill and battle), it is recommended that you drink 7-10 ounces of fluid every 10 to 20 minutes in order to stay properly hydrated. Again, this is when it is important to know your body. But, just don t focus on drinking water, make sure to include Gatorade or some other sort of sports drink that will help restore electrolytes to your body. Fruit is also a good option for restoring and maintaining electrolytes in your body. The civilians always make sure to have fruit on hand during an event (even though you all may not eat it); it s a great way to restore electrolytes, and it can help with some hydration as well. No matter how you choose to hydrate, you should make sure you are sipping on something even when you feel the slightest bit thirsty, don t try to wait until you are feeling completely parched or dried out. And of course, there is that repeated warning of checking the color of your urine when you go to the bathroom, as a darker colored urine can indicate dehydration. However, muscle fatigue can also be a sign of dehydration, as muscle tissue can contain a lot of water as well. Again, this is why it is important to know your body, so that you can know the difference between sore muscles from some physical exertion or fatigue from dehydration. Another way to monitor your hydration is a simple pinch test on the skin on the back of your hand. If you gently pinch the skin on the back of your hand for a few seconds and then let go, the speed of which your skin returns to its normal position can be a good indicator of your hydration level. If your skin takes a while to return to its normal position, then you could be dehydrated; if it returns almost immediately, then you are well hydrated. Again, I cannot stress the importance of preparation and knowing your body. I know my loved ones will probably scoff at my advice to listen to your body, because I have been stubborn in the past (and probably future) and have ignored what my body was trying to tell me. However, at events like Gettysburg, Funkstown and Renfrew, where we are out in heat and humidity, it is important to listen to your body and know when you need to take a break and/or ask for help. I want you to enjoy the events and get everything out of them that you can; however, you must keep in mind that if you go down with a heat related illness, then you are taking away from those around you as well. Be safe, be prepared, and I look forward to seeing everyone (and worrying about everyone) at Gettysburg. Sources: -stroke-vs-heatexhaustion#symptoms2