Chase Farm

September 12-13, 2009

The quote for this weekend: "NEVER tell your wife anything!"

Me and Dave went down separately because I had a class and he was a half hour away from Lincoln, RI at work. There was no point in him going back home and then turning around again. He got down there and the guys from the 1st Maryland (the only ones we really knew down there) helped him put our tent up in the rain (cracked a tent pole dammit).

Well, I called as I was heading down there & he told me his truck was dead. A slight problem since it was parked right outside camp. He spoke to me on the phone and told me about it then I heard in the background one of the guys shout "Never tell your wife anything!" So he tried to deny it.

Next morning things went from bad (the night before) to worse as he got a call from work and his battery needed replacing, there was no mistake, it had to be replaced. So he left and headed back home and called me a little while later & told me his electronics were flipping out. Which upgraded the problem from battery, to alternator. To make a long story short, the new battery that he got on Saturday, lasted him until Tuesday night.

By Saturday night, the small access road was soup. I looked at the mud and said to myself, 'there is no way my little front wheel drive Volvo wagon is going to make it out of here this way,' which is why the people in charge of the event shut the worst part of the road down. Yeti did show me another way that I could get up to the camp site which would not cause me to get stuck or slide down the hill backwards. He had scouted the area on Thursday and found a little used access road.


There was night firing at the Confederate camp on Saturday night, that was really cool. A Federal cannon actually fired back a couple of times, we had the better location though.


Captain Henry was court martialed for supporting Miss Joy's brothel and his punishment was to ride a stick horse throughout the Confederate camp. It made horse noises, too.

I actually got my union pants and kepi on the Friday before the event (for when I galvanize at Train Robberies). I had them with me because I did not go home after work on Friday. It all worked out because I got to help with an artillery crew. Obviously, I did not do anything much because I had no experience, but it was really neat to stand behind those cannons as they went off.

I have to thank Chris and Pam for taking my camera and catching these photos for me. Thank you so much guys! You did a great job!



And those are just two out of several they took.

A Nation Divided, Waterford, CT

May 16-18, 2008


This was my first overnight event of the season (by the way, I am finished with school completely! No more homework, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks...or something like that). Me and Dave felt the real crunch of gas prices when we left Massachusetts and Connecticut prices were over $4. Luckily, the truck held out until we made it back to Massachusetts where gas was about $.20 less. Well, it was dark...and raining...and we did not know where our tent was because it rained at Camp Pratt last month & Dave left it with Mike to dry out. I went around in the dark calling out names, when someone from the 1st Maryland told me where people were. Then I found Tom! And Meadow! And Sandy! Unfortunately, they were wondering where Mike and Robbie were. This looks like the only event that me and Dave are going to see the 1st Maryland at (sorry guys) because the next oppertunity would be at Gettysburg. While I would love to go, I just cannot bring myself to wear the Civil war clothes in that heat. I am looking forward to some photos from our other members which I may use to update my blog.

Now to some photos of this event!

Here is a cute photo of Tom & Sandy. Apparently, Mike makes some very good ribs that everyone loves (I brought the wet naps). Well, everyone except for the vegetarian...

Aside from the blue uniforms, you know which side of the war these guys are on. I love how this photo clashes with the next...

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! The Confederates take the town!! It was funny because the captain said to everyone "No burning, no looting...wait >laughter<...no burning. Dismissed." So this was how the Confederates sacked the town of Unity, by milling about carelessly...

This was a pretty big place, nice field to run around on.

We actually had two small cannons (I think they were howitzers, but correct me if I am wrong) which were a big hit with the crowd.

This was a small enjoyment on the Confederate part, we actually outnumbered the Union. Not by many bodies I heard, but still, we are usually, grossly outnumbered.

Well, that is a fairly simple synopsis of that event. It was nice because it was quiet and right next to the beach. I was not about to go swimming, but I did go walking around out there with Dave and the beach was pretty nice.

Ft. Knox, Maine

July 28-29

So, here's the story; I went to Ft. Knox knowing I was going to post photos of the event on this blog and talk about it. However, I did not plan on taking so many good photos nor experiencing so many fun events! I loved this event! It was wonderful, definitely worth the (8 hour round)trip! The park had real restrooms!!!! It was not just port-a- um...chamberpot, they had real restrooms! I nearly cried. Nah, it wasn't that dramatic, but it was really nice to go and wash your hands for real and not just with hand sanitizer. But the event was fun and there were quite a few spectators on both days. Also, the 20th Maine, they're a good bunch of people.

Anyway, it looks like I'm going to have to post Ft. Knox three times because of the sheer number of photos


"Here, Dave, shake my hand." That arm actually belongs to our surgeon's collection of Civil War props. I was kind of surprised that they sold fake limbs, but then, why should it?

Here's a good shot of Peg and Chris watching the rest of the company get ready to take the fort! I know what you're thinking...

On Saturday, the Federals went to march in the Bucksport parade. Well, they left a few soldiers behind because they either 1. didn't want to walk all that way, and/or 2. so that there were some Union troops left at the camp. Anyway, the Union surgeon, "Chelly" I believe his nickname was, came over to our encampment (kind of hard to miss since we were just outside the only entrance to the fort). He said to Mike "How 'bout 11:00 you guys come over and take the Fort and tie me and --- up. Just to see what the rest of them do?" Well, they expected the Union to come back around that time. So a little after 11:00 Mike got everyone lined up and we went for a "stroll".

Here's the checkpoint, he asked where we were going and Mike told him that the Union surgeon invited us in. I don't think he believed us, but he was smiling as he let us pass.

Here is the 15th storming the fort and taking the two prisoners.

We tied up the two prisoners in the surgeon's quarters. It was funny because Lindsey tied up the gentleman in the white shirt, a lot. She kept wrapping the rope around him until finally Mike said "Having fun there Lindsey? I think that's enough."

Well, after the prisoners were left (foolishly) unguarded one got away, but we kept the surgeon. Miss Vicky came to see that we (the 15th) were treating the prisoner(s) decently. Dave had been left to guard them after we lost the one prisoner.

So, eventually we gave the fort back to the Union because the rest of the 20th Maine were MIA at that parade, lunch was served, and "Chelly" had a surgeon's lecture to do. Of course, just as we sat down to eat, the 20th comes around the corner and we all just started laughing. I heard somewhere that the gentleman who escaped had gone to warn them or something. Well, after they heard that we had taken the fort they posted a guard at the gate for the rest of the weekend. He stopped anyone who looked suspicious.

The face of the 15th? We get our photos taken by a lot of newspapers at these events, this was the first television station that interviewed anyone. It's too bad it happened on Saturday and there was no way we would have been able to see it.

Groton, Mass.

July 14-15, 2007

Wow! This has probably been one of the best events I have been to this season! What made it so great was that the Groton Historical Society (or Hysterical Society, as Chris likes to call it) was so involved in the event and really pulled things together! They even linked the town to the Civil War through historic buildings, discussions and cemetary tours of soldier's graves (all Union, obviously).

This was Lindsay's first re-enactment where she actually participated, as a soldier no less!

I don't personally know these boys, but they were watching the Confederates line up for the Saturday battle. Future soldiers?

Well, not only did the Union have seven cannons (at least six were full size, too!), but on Saturday they had the high ground. Here are some of the 15th's and the 1st Maryland soldiers running across the field away from enemy fire.

This was our (the Confederates) cannon...yes, I know, not that impressive to look at, but dang! That thing can make some noise! I like how the "bodies" of the artillery crew that manned it are strewn about.

Later that evening we noticed the Confederate Cavalry saddling up and I thought, "oh, they're going out to ride, scope the hills, or practice." Well, in reality, they were headed over to Unity to raid the town. When they started shooting and yelling, Mike looked up and said "Oh, it looks like Unity is being sacked again."

As I was watching the raid and the large tent on the right was that of the largest sutler (shop) for the weekend, well all of the sudden, as the horses were slowed down and things seemed to calm I saw these three figures go running out of the tent and take off down the field back to our camp. I'd forgotten that Kate, Charlene and Amelia (Charlene's new friend) had gone down to buy some rock candy. They came back with the news that a man had been "shot" during the raid because as the cavalry raider said "that suit is unacceptable!" I thought that was pretty funny and the girls told the story quite well.

Charlene is just so pretty in this photo. Her father has plenty of reasons to worry!

On Sunday, me, Vicky, Peg, and Kate went on a cemetary tour. When we arrived a Union group, the 13th Massachussetts I believe, were leaving after holding a memorial service for the Civil War soldiers buried there. I was sorry to have missed it, but the ladies giving the tour were excellent and they really knew their history! Two of the three were dressed as Civil War era widows and they described the three (recommended) stages of mourning for the time period.

A year and a day after her husband's death the widow barely went out or socialized and she wore black dresses with a veil and gloves and little to no adornment.

After that time had elapsed, for the following nine months she was allowed to incorporate a little color into her attire (i.e. putting little purple rose buds in the folds of her bonnet, a dark red hat covered with thick black lace, etc) and she was allowed to send out letters to friends informing them she was allowed to have visitors, the stationary was usually had a black border of some kind. As for jewelry if she wore any it was black, usually made of jet, and not fancy.

After those nine months she went through the final stage which was three months long and she only had to wear the black dress and hat, she could accent it with some of her family jewelry, white lace collars, etc., but she still had to keep it subdued.

Back to the battle!
Here's some of the Union artillery. They were supposed to lose on Sunday, but it didn't look like the Confederates won...I don't really know what happened except that the company nearest me took some hits (guys fell down as though dead) and their captain started shouting "Get up! get up!" They kind of looked at him like 'huh? But I'm dead." So not that many fell in the onslaught of our Volkswagon Beetle-sized cannon.

Here was one of the last Confederates standing on the left flank. He made the Union company nearest him charge and take him, they were actually laughing with him after that and I think they and him just watched the rest of the debacle unfold.

So that was the afternoon. As we were folding up though, the skies darkened and despite Mike's attempt to keep the rain away (he was blowing at the clouds as he was tying things up >eye roll<) as we were halfway through packing up the sky opened up and it poured! Lightening, thunder, the whole shebang! Everyone who was there to help ended up soaked through! It was pretty amazing through when the re-enactors around us saw we were still trying to get stuff stowed and they just came over and took stuff down. Before I knew what was going on the fly and wall tent were down and they were folding the canvas. There are some really nice people involved in the re-enacting hobby.