Well its like this, most who know me intimately will discover that I procrastinate and am often packing at the last possible moment, but this time I was ahead of the Game. I had Vicky make sure the Toyota was checked out,,,it had a tranny flush new filter and an oil change, then at the recommendation of the Techies at EMERSON TOYOTA we had the radiator flushed...ready for the grand trip to parts south. early in the Morning on thursday I was finishing the packing of the trailer and made coffee,,, but forgot to put the caraffe under the maker thus creating a lake of coffee on the counter.....First omen. so leaving the house looking like a victoriam cathouse exploded we went on our merry way to meet Corporal Bassford in New Sharon....then down to Falmouth to hook up with Maj. Nulle my surgeon. after that we were southbound and ahead of schedule!

At the Entrance to the Mass Pike the transmission Failed, in the worst possible place as far as safety goes. but we transfered the trailer to Cpl. Bassfords vehicle which strained under the added weight and made our way to the Charlton plaza...there decisions had to be made.
we were forced to rent a van and send my wagon off via triple A to a local Toyota dealership transfering cargo and heading south again, only after spending four hours at the plaza....

we headed through pounding rain and arrived in Chamberberg at midnight and were able to secure a second room. when the fire alarm went off I sniffed the air determined that we werent on fire and rolled over and went back to bed....

Come morning, we secured some breakfast and headed to the Site, after registering we came across Pvts Stubbins and "gundeck" who had miss Deb with them....I had managed to get word that we would be late but not how late and apparently I am cared about or maybe its spillover from the rest of my family, but the speculation of my demise upon the road may have even included Alien abduction....so we set up camp in a drizzle and never really dried out once until I got home on Monday night.
With our small numbers we were going to form togeather with the 1st Maryland and the 7th Tenn. but the First battle for us on Friday night we fell in with the 12th Ga. as the first was absent from the field..I acted as a Lt. for that battle which Was a caotic noisemaker and in my opinion most represented what a battle must have been like absent the carnage.....we advanced and witdrew and advanced several times plus the fording the emmitsburg stream...the grass and chuckholes tripped up many a soldier....and I forgot the fact I might need a new transmission, ah the moment in reenacting that we all want is when the modern world fades away and we are left with the action....I had even tuned out the grandstands behind the union lines and the fact the gatehouse to the "cemetary" was plywood.......
The next day we Formed up with our comrades from the 1st and 7th with Capt Pratt as comander, First sergent Svick(sic) and second sergT Flye.
We went to battalion Drill and performed well despite our clumped company or "clumpany" and we were drilling on a side hill.....we lost a man due to an asmatha attack but would recover for picketts charge.
That afternoons battle was different as it was called several times due to "medical Emergency" and then melted into a little roundtop scenario...I went back to camp and cooked ribs......nursing a bad back and a blister forming on the arch of my right foot......
the next Morning dawned and I napped after breakfast.....I was some tuckered out from all the Drama,and medication for the back but I was not going to miss picketts charge.......the time for the battle Arrived and we formed up under rain showers...which always happened when we formed up....maybe god wanted us to be cool......and rusty....My saber was nothing but rust by the end of this event......so Formed up and away we went. Company cheerful despite the rain the heat humididity and the fact we were marching off to our doom....everybody else was marching ...I was limping..
we Staged behind the Artillery and were put at rest, while sitting there Gen. Lee and Picket came by to shake the hands of the men who would be making that fateful charge As I and several others tried to rise out of respect of the General he Said "no boys, sit down its you who will be doing the work this day...."
The Artillery opend up for its 45 minute barage...and for the first 15 minutes it was cool....liked the house blowing up then we gotr used to it and were anxious to make the charge.......then the cannons slowed and stopped. and word went out to rise and form we said out goodbys and attention company, right face by colum of companies and each company marched off in colum of four between the cannons and up the field.. our batalion formed into line of battle on the fence and held in reserve until we could make our way across the ditch and keep it hot... gthe smoke and noise was intense and after a while we moved closer to the wall firing......and then the bulk of my company went down from a union volley, and withb the few remaining I gave the order and we assailed the wall....I watched as the two that went with me were cut down...my saber in hand I ran tword the wall....blue upon blue was all I saw ahed of me, as I dashed up avoiding the carpet of grey at my feet and then I fell,,my left hand resting palm down on the top of the wall.......a union soldier offered a hand to cross the wall but I declined and then after a while I began crawling back down the sloap.....

Battle over I truged back to camp Stopping at the artillery camp to rest and refresh with some more friends from the first Md. then back to camp for limited takedown and food. wecamped out there and were up early and did the final takedown and striked the tents...headed north and on the way found out a pipe in my radiator broke putting radiator fluid in my tranny and the dealership said I needed a new one or a used or a rebuilt none of the options are good....but talking to some freelancers It might be enough to replace my radiator and flush the transmission.. turning a $4000 nightmare to a $500 inconvience....
Arrived home about midnight on monday...showered and went to bed....got up the next morning to go to work like the whole thing never happened......
Seamus