http://www.sunjournal.com/story/320876-3/Franklin/Musketry_history_humor/

My dear Mr. Johnson~

I only have but a brief moment, but I shall post you soon. Yes, yes, Norlands was a success! There were a few missing element that would have brought it to a higher level... one of them was you.

I do hope your dear daughter's birthday went half as well. She was such a dear when I saw you the other day.

til later,

~Miss Rose

Before I go into my report, I will say that this was the most frustrating registration process I had ever experienced;  and then;  when I arrived, I was told I did not send in a waiver for myself.  No big deal while filling the waiver out, I stated I was certain I had and Ms. Kathy gave me the folder to see for myself.  To her embarassment, mine was the second waiver and there were at least five others listed as not having waivers that did.  Mistakes do happen.

The Confederate side was poorly organized and Mason Dixon Proclaimation was largely, "chucked out the window."  The proper safety checks were rushed or not completed.  To their credit however, they did remove all bowie knifes from folks before taking the field.  There were only minor injuries and none caused on the field that I am aware of.  Of a slight to major concern was that someone (Confederate) was carrying lead round balls.  THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE "no,no".    There were several excessive powder charges that were heard by everyone.  Dustin was in front of a yahoo campaigner who was using excessive charges and complain of constant ringing in his ear afterwards.  There was also one other re-enactor who refused to use lesser charges because he feels that the "public has the right to know how the muskets sound if they had a real charge with a lead ball in them."  I also seen several in the ranks using the cci 6 wingers.  Overall I would have to rate the Confederate side with a D- in safety, and another D in organization but a C in overall will how everything turned out.  I learned a couple new commands that I will have to test some time.  "Front March".  There were a few others but I don't remember the words per batum.  I will admit that after the "Front March" I was no longer listening to commands but just following what everyone else was doing.

The pluses to the event, we had plenty of room for the camp.  There was plenty of fire wood and water within a reasonable distance.  Portajohn were within a reasonable distance.   Norlands did a great job in providing the essentials.  Also the pluses were the public access to the camp and interactions were positive and active.  Most of the time things looked pretty good. 

June 8th, 1864                                                                                                                                           

Camp before Petersburg, Va

Good Evening,

    It is my honor to report on the actions around Norlands Farm by this company on June 5-7th.   Elements of the command arrive in the late afternoon and found suitable ground for our camp behind a wooden fence bordering the road running past the farm. Other detachments from the 15th Ala, 7th Tenn, 1st MD, 4th Al and 3rd Ark were setting up in the same area.  Our order were to scout along the region and delay any Federal Advance countering if at all possible.  The camp fires of the Federals was spotted on hill no further than 400 yards and our scouts reported that two Federal Companies were bedded down for the night.

At about 11 PM one of our Scouts entered the Federal Camp dressed as a union soldier and found that they had relaxed their pickets.  The detachments were found to be that of Company A of the 3rd Maine, Company B of the 20th Maine and stragglers of the 25th Mass and other units.  The Town of Unity was quiet with no soldiers seen in the streets.

The company woke early in the morning at about 5:30AM.  The companies formed up to shirmish with the federals.  Our Battalion commanders were absent from the site and the command was passed to Capt. Pratt of the 15th Al who after a fashion organized the detachment into line and proceded out on the field of battle.  The morning tactical was one on rough ground, thickets, marshy and occasional fences include a mysterious one that put out a shock. Many complained of the vastness of the bugs.  Several prisoners were taken and exchanged but neither side accomplished the objective.   

The detachments arrived by in camp before 9AM and rested.  There was little activity outside of short order drill and firings.  Some order to demostrate our expertise in the matter.  At roughly 2:30 we were called to arms as the Federal's were seen forming companies after taken on more ammunition and rations.  Their gleeming bayonets betrayed their intentions of marching on the field undetected. 

My command sent some volunteers in for the shirmish line and the rest formed company with elements of the 15th Ala, 4th Al and 1st MD.  There were 14 in the ranks.  The 1st Company was composed mainly of the 7th Tenn and I belive 3rd Arkansas.   Our formations must have attracted the attention of the townsfolk as hundred turned out to watch the events unfold on the field.

Our Shirmisher were led by Lt. Al Ruggiero who held off their line in time for our 1st company to take the field. Our company was held in reserve for a short time until it was obvious that the command was in peril.  The Federal had superior numbers and our appearance only held their advance.  The Federals while superior in numbers lacked tactical sense and divided their line to attack both our flanks.  This manuver failed and inflicted more causalities than it caused.  In a mere 25 minutes of fighting the my command suffered 4 wounded.

Capt. Pratt became delusional and began marching towards the Federals with his sword up high.  In Moments he was shot down. Mortally wounded.  We marched off the field after a truce was called.  Field hospitals were setup by the church which tended to the many wounded.  The rest of the evening was spent cleaning our muskets and drawing more ammunition and rations.  There were no further demostration outside of a friendly game of townball where the local children joined in.

The next morning was spent mending our gear and resting up for the next anticipated fight.  The horrors of the previous battle came to light with the roster of the men who formed up.  From the 30-35 men that went into the fight, only 18 were present when we marched out at 12:30PM the next morning.  My command now consisted only only four as I elected to fall in and fill the vacant ranks along with the Capt. of the 7th TN. 

Capt. Pratt chose four of the best men to advance as shirmishers when a picket line was spotted on the nearby hill.  The shirmishers managed to push the pickets, equal their numbers over the crest and our consolidated company advanced in pursuit.  It was a surprise to see a lone Federal Company slightly larger than our own over the crest.  We had formed into a single line with the intent of deploying as shirmishers but being that the Federal numbers were only slightly more than ours, our Captain kept us together.

The fight was more straight forward than it was the day before.  We managed to push the Federal force back after decimating their shirmish line.  They were force to shoot one of their own shirmishers who broke and ran before our noble force.  The rest of the battle was a slug match but neither side gain ground before a truce was called and hostilities ceased. 

We marched back to camp where orders were waited for us to return to our Regimental commands.  We accomplished our mission at a great exspense.  We struck our tents and began our march south to the Regiment.

  Respectfully,

 W.CottonGillway                                                                                                                                                                                                      

 35th Georgia Inf Co.D

Thanks for the reports everyone. I've heard from many co-workers and friends who went and had a wonderful time.

One teacher in particular would like to send a thank you card to a particular reenactor. He says he had a wonderful conversation with a Union soldier who at his tent had a number of rifles, including a Henry. Would anyone have any idea who that might have been? If you have a name then can you email me contact info?

I am very sorry I was not able to attend. But my daughter's 5th birthday party was quite fun too. You should all be proud to have been so well recieved and for such a worthy cause.

Yes, yes, it was not the same without you there. The weekend was a great success with well over 1000 spectators on Saturday alone!

Our official report is not done and the meeting is not until Thursday, but I shall keep you all posted as information becomes available.

I am not 100% sure on the Union soldier you mention, I do know we had a number of displays available. I shall post you privately with that information.

I am hoping for paper and ink on the next train so I may post my sister.

Warmest regards,

Miss Rose

For me, I believe it was one of the most successful event  Maine has seen in a long time.  I have more to say on what I experienced and I'll submit my AAR when things calm down here at work. 

I do owe an apology to a particular Angel of Mercy who tended the wounded at the field hospital.  I protected her dignity on Saturday (standing "hoop" duty"), but then on Sunday, as I lay bleeding profusely from a serious head wound, I thrashed about wildly with my eyes closed and...well...what little gentleman remains inside this Missouri Bushwhacker just can't elaborate on what happened next...

I do thank you for continuing to care for me, that cool cloth on my sweaty brow was most soothing.

More later...

Rod

 I haven't attended many events in the past year because work has been too demanding.  However, I have been listening to the planning and progress Mike Pratt and the others were making on this event and knew this was something I just couldn't miss.  What follows here are my personal observations of what I saw, heard, smelled and stepped in.  I could (and almost did) write a book and had to go back and cut out quite a bit so if you suffer through all of this, be thankful for the 2000 or so words I deleted.

 I got there on Friday around 1:30 and Mike was there (as expected) along with one other rather unique and interesting fella who was introduced to me as "The Yeti".  We dug the fire pit, and soon others started arriving and we all pitched in setting up tents and forming the company streets.  By evening, just about everyone who was coming had arrived and a respectable Confederate camp had taken shape.  I drifted off sometime after dark, serenaded by a Whip-poor-Will that I would have gleefully shot after listening to that broken record for over an hour.

 Saturday morning was beautiful!  The smell of wood smoke...the fog hanging in the trees...the cool morning breeze; just a few reminders of why I do this.  The Confederate camp woke to the sound of axes splitting wood followed by the crackle of burning logs, half-awake rebels emerging from tents and blanket rolls...groaning, coughing, and making other interesting noises as they "cleared for action".  Soon there was joking, laughter, and the smell of coffee and bacon.  Oh MAN, does that smell good in the morning!  The temperature dropped to a comfortable 41 overnight which made that hot coffee taste (and feel) wonderful at 5:00 AM and the huge pot of coffee on the grill was quickly emptied before First Call. 

 By 7:00, we had formed up, completed safety checks and headed off to the woods to go find a cheese wheel and two boxes.  We never did find these particular items, but we DID manage to find some barbed wire strung about, some of it gave us a bit of a jolt as we quickly discovered it was electrified!  As we were marching toward the tree line, I noticed a line of Yankees up on a hill looking down at us.  Why they never opened fire, I'll never understand because we made a fine target for them. 

 Once we got in the trees, it was organized confusion.  We heard branches and leaves crackling so we ducked down and listened.  They must have heard us too because suddenly all was quiet.  Capt. Pratt moved us a bit further into the woods and it wasn't long before everyone was shooting at each other. 

 That's when I took a slug in my right hand.  I was watching two Yankees trying to be clever and sneak up on us so I figured I'd go "bushwhacking" and try to get the drop on them.  I was crawling slowly up the side of a hill, keeping my eye on a nice target, being as stealthy as an overweight 54 year old office worker can be in the woods.  Only a few more feet to a nice tree to use as cover...I reached out to move a dead log out of my way and that's when the slug hit me...a big juicy green one, hidden on the other side of the log.  I really don't like that cold squishy feeling between my fingers....yuck! 

 Saturday's battle was proof that Murphy's Law will apply, no matter how well things are planned.  There were a few things that went "off script", but overall the battle left a favorable impression on the visitors.  I was with our "imbedded" journalist, Mark LaFlamme, and we were tasked with moving the wounded Capt. Pratt on a stretcher.  The stretcher suffered some serious malfunctions however and we were left on the field tending to the moaning and groaning Captain...patiently waiting for another stretcher which failed to arrive.  About six other wounded (all Confederate, by the way) also lay about the field, baking and bloating in the sun, waiting for help which never arrived.  To Mike's credit, he remained in character, dutifully moaning, rolling around and choking on water, even as the spectators faded away like the morning fog.  Mark, Mike and I finally realized that help wasn't coming so Mark and I assisted the other wounded Rebs to their feet and pointed them to the hospital.  We then helped our wounded captain, dragging him to the hospital where we left him to the tender ministrations of our Surgeon and the wailing cries of Mrs. Pratt whose fear for her husband sent her into a case of the vapors. 

 We heard that not one single wounded Yankee appeared at the hospital; testament to the fine marksmanship of us southern boys!

 Saturday, after dark...things happened in the Confederate camp that will be the stuff of campfire stories for a very long time.  I missed much of it but heard ALL of it from under the shelter of my blanket.  I'll leave those stories to the fellows who experienced them first hand. 

 Sunday went fast.  After a HUGE breakfast of French toast, and enough bacon to clog the arteries of the entire Confederate Army, it was time for Church.  The Federals formed up and marched dutifully to services, accompanied by drum and fife music...

 ...the Rebs (most of them) were dragged kicking and screaming to the pews by their wives. 

 The afternoon battle was quick and bloody.  I took a messy head wound and Capt. Pratt ignored his own wounds and helped me back to the hospital.  I collapsed at the surgeon's tent, where I was attended by a wonderful Angel who fed me laudanum and cooled my face with a cold wet cloth.  Capt Pratt and Tom Bassford ended up under the Surgeon's knife and were lucky to survive.  I saw at least two Federals hemorrhaging quietly under the tree...there may have been more, but Lt. Bassford had recovered sufficiently to join me in stealing laudanum from the surgeon's kit so I didn't notice...or really care by then! 

  Overall, I say it was a huge success.  Lots of planning and preparation went in to this event and, despite the ubiquitous presence of Murphy and his miserable laws, things went well.  No one was injured by flying cap wings, Bowies, or powder burns; however the barbed wire claimed a few arms and legs. Not to mention the slug...nasty, squishy, slimy things...I really hate slugs...

 I hear the folks who run Norlands were very pleased at the results and I sincerely hope that they invite us back again next year...this time with cavalry and artillery!

My dear Mr. Rod~

I fear you are fretting over something to which I am unaware. There were so many of you brave men in need of assisance that I fear my efforts were a mere drop in the bucket.

I feared you dead and was relieved when doc deemed you alive, but in grave condition. So many were not blessed as you were and many women are now widows like myself. I pray they will somehow will find comfort that I was able to be there when their dear husbands breathed their final breaths. Just as I find comfort in my dear Samuel was being cared for when his time came.

May you all be held in the palm of His hand.

Miss Rose

  "You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."

Miss Rose,

I must admit I felt that I'd seen my last days.  But this Rebel head proved harder than any bullet the Yankees could toss at it!  I saw "the light" shortly after the Doc administered that foul tasting but oh so sweet elixir that removed my pain and sent me adrift on a cloud of pleasurable feelings that cannot be described as I simply cannot find the proper words to bring to life that which I was experiencing.  I dozed off a bit then awoke to darkness...each breath I drew took in an awful heat and a malodorus miasma that made me believe for a brief moment that I was about to embark on that eternal journey of atonement for my many sins...

Then I realized that it was merely my hat that had been placed over my face, most likely to keep away the flies as I slept, but that heavy woolen kepi was also blocking the fresh air...which probably accounted for my immediate delirium upon regaining consciousness.

I am much better now and ready to rejoin my comrades.  I hear Capt. Pratt and Lt. Bassford are recovering from their wounds as well, and I expect that all of us will be together soon, facing the enemy across the field of glory and death...and once again, they'll have the opportunity to waste their precious bullets on my hard cranium!

Thank you again for your tender ministrations to my wounds and I wish you the best.

I remain, your most humble and obedient servant,

Rod Brents

Formerly of Quantril's militia,

Currently with Co. G, 15th Alabama

From YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaEWGue7ejU

Courtesy of The Sun Journal: http://www.sunjournal.com/

My dear Mr. Johnson~Photos from the weekend.

Our Mr. Proirer is a man of many talents, do visit his website and see a few examples of his works. He designed the photo used for promotinal purposes. It looks like a painting!

He sent this last evening and I wanted to share it with you all.

~Miss Rose

 *******************************************************************

You all did an awesome job!
http://tinyurl.com/mcxeek

Phil Poirier
18 Millett Street
Livermore Falls, ME 04254
207-897-5349
www.proteangraphics.com
www.philpoirier.com

My dear ladies and gentlemen~

I fear we shall never get our Capt. Pratt's head through another door!!

~Miss Rose

http://www.sunjournal.com/story/321897-3/bsection/Civil_War_buffs_battle...

I'm having trouble breathing all the way down here on the coast due to the massive size of the good captain's head!

Excellant article Captain Pratt! I'm sure every remark, comment and praise mentioned is well deserved. Congratulations!

If that article doesn't breathe new life into reenacting in Maine, nothing will!  Hopefully, we'll see a few more folks enlist in the 15th too...after all, who WOULDN'T want to be lead by a "wise and fearless..." "...man of such impenetrable iron..."? 

Mike, you've brought the 15th a long way.  Thanks for all of your dedication and hard work.  The 15th went from almost obscurity to the best known and most famous rebel company in Maine! 

Three cheers for our Captain!

Also, please start up a collection...he's going to need the money for those extra large hats!

I poke fun, of course.

But Rod's word made me realize. Not only did the 15th Ala go from days of "almost obscurity" but there was a time you fellas were occassionally shunned as a unit.

Now, you've produced a Confederate hero deep in Federal territory.

Well said, Mr. Brents!

Congratulations Capt. Pratt and the entire 15th Ala.

I joined the unit in 1998 and watched it change dramatically over time.  I'm glad to say that those dark days are behind us forever. Even those who had "issues" with the old 15th and have seen us recently have to admit that there is nothing remaining from those old days.  If anyone still feels the way they used to about us, then either they haven't visited our camp in a while, or they are just too stubborn to let go of old feelings.   

What I like most about the 15th is the family involvement.  Wives, girlfriends, and children are dressing up, camping out, and contributing so much to the unit!  We present a detailed living histoy presentation for the public education because it's more than just what the soldiers did; we show how the women and children lived, and how this period in our history affected entire families. 

I'm proud of how the 15th Alabama has evolved and our professionalism, pride, and performance is evident in every event we attend. It's amazing how folks applaud and some even remove their hats as we march by in parades. Everyone loves a "rebel"!

 Thanks to everyone for allowing this old Southern boy to attend your event! I had a fantastic time. It was good to see all my pards that I had met last year and to meet so many more this year!

 Outstanding location (hope to fight on that ground again!) Yes registration was somewhat interesting but I have seen worse. The camps were orderly, the command structure was adequate, and the battles could have gone just a little bit longer, but that is why we hope for another event next year, anothe chance for improvement!

Thanks again and see ya'll in September!

Tophat