The first in a fight… …the last to leave
The Irish Volunteer!
69th New York § Irish Brigade
1861--1865
-
January/February
2003-Vol. V, No. I-
That’s right folks, yet another brand new season is already upon us. It should be a great year, we’ve got new faces, a great impression, and the best darn unit in the whole club!
Right now it is very important that all paper work is done before Fort Point. If you have not already sent in both your ACWA and unit paperwork and dues, then please do that immediately! ACWA forms for 2003 can be found at; http://users.lmi.net/mmusante/20th_Maine/CompG/members/forms.htm.
Unless you received a ballot with this newsletter, then I have yet to get your unit forms. The unit ’03 form you need to mail to me are on our website, (www.69thNewYork.com). If there has been an error, please let me know ASAP so I can straighten it out.
On another note, I am pleased to announce that Private Danny Corbin will be receiving his M1842 Springfield musket at Fort Point, yet another Pumkin’ Slinger to the ranks!
Fort Point:
This Fort Point will run just like the others that we’ve had in the past. Please try to arrive before 9:30, as we need to get formed up and ready for the flag raising. Bring white dress gloves and NY Shells if you’ve got them!
We will be doing a fair bit of drill. Please keep in mind, that not only will the rest of the Brigade be watching us perform our stuff, but also there will be members of other clubs present. Lets perform our drill in a professional and military manner. While drilling, no talking in the ranks. I expect full discipline and cooperation from every member.
I think that the combination of everyone’s ’42 Springfield and New York Shell Jackets and our fluency in drill will leave a good impression on other club members and the public and should help encourage recruits.
Remember, you represent the Fighting 69th, stand tall, be proud.
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Schedule
of events for
Fort
Point, January 18th, 2003
Please keep a copy of the Units
Schedule, do not be tardy for formations! Changes to the schedule, if any, will
be announced at formations
NO CAPS OR POWDER AT FORT
9:30 Arrive at Fort in uniform. Be there no later than 9:30 as we need to
get in formation for the flag ceremony.
9:45 Fort Opens, 69th in Color Guard for flag Raising.
10:30 Brigade assembly, unit drills.
11:30 Unit meeting and elections
12:00 Lunch
1:30 Unit Drill
2:30 break
3:15 Unit Drill
3:45 Break
4:30 Unit Drill
4:50 Flag lowering
5:00 Fort Closes
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Commander’s Notes
Dear 69thers,
As you all know, I will be leaving for basic U.S. Army training following Fort Point, that event being my last until after Roaring Camp. I sorely regret le0aving the company for that length of time, but I believe that it will be in good hands. A big cheer and an Irish Wolfhound go to Private Dick Edwards, who has volunteered to take over most of the thankless behind the scene jobs, including the Newsletter, website, and unit Mess Sergeant position. Thank you Dick!
Sergeant Gilbert and Corporal Coye will be in command of the unit. They will lead the unit in Company Drill, and at times, onto the field, size and circumstances permitting.
1st Lt. Starr, a long time field veteran, and I were discussing the beginning of this next season. He has volunteered to assist the 69th whenever and in whatever way possible.
Please bring any questions and concerns you have to our Fort Point meeting, and I’d be glad to discuss them.
I look forward to meeting and commanding everyone once again at Fort Point,
Sláinte,
Lieutenant J. Gilbert
Command’ng, Sixty-Ninth New York Volunteers
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2003 Elections
If you have already sent me the 2003 unit dues, you will find a ballot in this issue. If you have not paid the ’03 dues yet, I will have some extra ballots at the Fort and some ’03 enlistment forms. Please turn in your ballots at the Fort Point meeting, where they will be counted. Thank you!
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Ordnance Report
Everyone will need to make their own ammo, or purchase pre-rolled rounds from the 20th. I recommend that you learn how, as often other units pre-rolled supply runs out over the course of a normal event weekend. Sergeant Gilbert and Corporal Coye would be more than happy, (right guys?) to show you how to roll tubes and make rounds. It is actually simple, and in an hour you can make enough to last you the weekend. If you do want to go this route, you will need to purchase powder at Fort Point! Ordinance Sergeant Tom Hegdahl from the 20th will be there selling powder, (yes, even to Irishmen), for about $10 a can. You are going to need enough to last you through the Knights Ferry event.
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"Cuzz
Sergeant Sezz"
Report not submitted in time
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"Corporal’s
Corner"
Report not submitted in time
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"Accurate
Impressions:
More Than Money Can Buy"
by John Stiteler
There are plenty of things you can do to improve your impression without spending a ton of money. If one is willing to invest a little time and energy, one can make significant improvements and set a great example for one's pards. And you will be ahead of the guys who buy great uniforms but miss the point of living history when it comes to other areas.
Starting from the top and working down, below are suggestions for cheap or free improvements to the materiel aspects of your impression.
Take off the hat brass. Yep, just take off all that shiny stuff. Other than maybe a company letter on a fatigue cap, loads of brass is inauthentic.
Wear your waistbelt high around your waist, just under your ribs, and shorten your cartridge box sling so that the top of the box is snug against the lower edge of your belt. This is a simple matter of adjusting the strap and buckles.
Polish your brass. Even soldiers on long campaign had pride in their appearance. Do not keep it mirror bright, but do keep the green tarnish off.
Shorten the straps on your haversack and canteen. Most veterans have found from experience that a haversack and canteen banging against your hip is a pain in the...hip. You will be amazed how your traps are more comfortable when worn high on the body instead of dangling and smacking against your knees and the knees of the guy next to you. The haversack should be worn high under your arm, the top edge just above your waist belt, and not strapped down under your belt. . As a general rule of thumb, wear the canteen high enough that it rests on your haversack above the buckle, where it does not bang against your cup if the cup is hitched to the outside of your haversack. Either knot-up the canteen strap or rip out the stitches where the strap is sewn together, cut it, and re-sew it to a shorter length.
Un-blouse your trowsers. Don't know what this means? Good! If you do know, don't do it. Except in rare cases, there is no need for blousing your trowsers into your socks and it looks sloppy. Besides, it wrecks your socks. If you are worried about dirt or bugs getting on your tender legs, blouse your drawers, but not your pants. (No drawers? That's your personal choice! The rest of us do not want that much information about you.)
Want to save some money? Stop dry cleaning your uniform. Shake off the dust, brush off the mud and grass, but do not wash your uniform. Dirt was an authentic fact of life for a soldier on campaign. If you must have your uniform cleaned, whatever you do, do not crease your trousers! It was not done then, and it looks silly now.
Making these simple changes to the uniform and equipment that you have now could make a great change in your appearance and greatly improve your impression. You will look like a veteran, but how do you act like one?
Aside from making free and inexpensive changes to one's appearance, another area that tends to be ignored is behavior. Most of us are guilty of many infractions of basic military custom and discipline, not to mention flat-out farby behavior. In the army of the 1860s, a man who talked back to an officer or NCO, or did not respond quickly and correctly to orders and commands, would have been dealt with harshly. Speaking as a sergeant, there were plenty of times the writer would have preferred having a man hung up by his thumbs, bucked and gagged, or given a sharp smack across the backside with a rifle butt to hurry him up. Our hobby frowns on this level of authenticity however, so we are left with the responsibility of acting as if we fear such punishments, and behaving accordingly.
When ordered to fall in, do it quickly and act like you know what you are doing. Once you know your place in ranks for the weekend, get there and stay there-quietly. If a latecomer shows up and throws things off, let the NCO take care of it-handling such matters is the NCO's job, and he can handle it without your suggestions. The job of the private soldier is to fall in and shut up. This includes not telling your pards where they belong or reminding them to be quiet. Ever notice how much noise is made by men telling others to be quiet?
Follow commands quickly and confidently. Your officers and NCOs commands are not suggestions or invitations to discuss the idea. If the officer makes a mistake he will correct it. If the guy next to you screws up, let an NCO correct him. You really only need to worry about getting yourself to the right position at the right time. Nothing ticks a guy off more than having half a dozen know-it-all privates pushing and pulling and telling him what to do. Let the officers and NCOs do the training. It is their job. Your job is to pay attention, and maybe you'll learn something too.
At all times while in ranks, be quiet. "Parade rest" is not actually a "rest" but is rather a different form of attention and requires silence. "In place, rest" allows a soldier to relax somewhat and, if need be, to talk quietly while maintaining his position in the ranks. "Rest" means that soldiers must stay in the immediate area, but are allowed to sit down, talk freely, and generally relax. Talking is permitted on the march, but do not make idle chatter. How many times does someone miss a command to change rifle positions or a marching command because he is talking to his pard? This happens all the time and there is no reason for it. When allowed to talk freely on the march ("Route step"), keep the conversation appropriate to the scenario. Gripe about officers, brag about your exploits in battle, reminisce about "home", sing period songs, or engage in other period-correct, scenario-specific conversation. Do not talk about the car trip to the reenactment, or your new hardcore shirt, reenacting politics, or the football game you are missing. Save modern conversations for modern times. Doing so will add to the experience for you and for those around you.
The same ideas hold true for talking during sham battles. First of all, don't! You should be paying attention to safe loading and firing procedures and listening to your officers and NCOs. Most reenactors get excited during the "battles" and surely the original soldiers did, too, and some exclamations are to be expected. However, reciting lines from Gettysburg, Glory, or Monty Pyton is not authentic in the least and can really destroy someone else's "moment". Everyone has a job to do during "battle". A private's job is to be safe and follow orders. NCOs and officers will be watching for safety and giving commands-let them do so. Remember that your officers have orders from their commanders about which they may not have consulted you. Not knowing the whole plan in advance is unfortunate but authentic, and very often the average private in the ranks gets no vote about the tactics that the commanding general employs.
Time in camp provides excellent opportunities to improve the authenticity of personal and unit behavior. The same ideas discussed above about conversation in the ranks also hold true in camp. In addition to what you talk about, think about what you do in camp. One major change to consider is to actually be in camp! Civil War soldiers did not make a beeline for "sutler row" or "the civilian camp" after a long march or hard-fought battle. Most likely they collapsed from exhaustion, as we sometimes do as well. After a brief rest period, then what? For starters, clean your rifle and get your gear ready for the next time you are ordered to fall in. Replenish your cartridges and caps. Repair or adjust anything that needs it. In short, be prepared to fall in again at a moment's notice. NCOs may have fatigue details to lead. While we do not go so far as to suggest that you volunteer for such things, responsible members make themselves available to help their pards in such instances-for example, when the Sergeant orders your squad to collect firewood or fill canteens, only a skulker looks to duck out of it.
Once the day's work is done you may have time on your hands... how do fill it? Write letters, read letters from home aloud to your pards, whittle a stick into a toothpick, sleep, sing, gamble with dice or cards, tell lies with your pards, sing songs, stare into the fire, be bored out of your mind. All of these are free or cheap and are very authentic.
At day's end it is time for sleep. All you really need is one wool blanket and a rubber blanket for a ground cloth. If you have a shelter half ("half": singular, not two halves) you may join up with a pard to make a tent, or join with the pards in your mess to make a small shebang. Three or four shelter halves make a fine authentic shebang; more than that and a degree in engineering along with a building permit is required.
In the morning, do not leave your blankets scattered about the fire. Instead, as the first item of the day's business, pack up and be ready to strike camp, even if you are in a fixed camp for the weekend.
Who says authenticity is too expensive? The ideas suggested here are mostly free and are just some of the many things that can be done to improve your Civil War impression. By and large, they will cost you only some effort and a willingness to change. Authentic gear is indispensable to achieve the look of a common enlisted man in the Civil War, but a picture-perfect uniform and traps, worn wrong and with anachronistic behavior, is just as incorrect as pure polyester and plastic. Accuracy in behavior and attitude, along with accurate equipment, make a truly more-authentic impression.
John Stiteler is the 2nd Sergeant of the 2nd
Minnesota Volunteers/River Valley Rangers of the Western Brigade. He is also
the editor of The Ranger: Newsletter of the River Valley Rangers
DIRECTIONS TO FORT POINT
FROM THE NORTH: Proceed over the Golden Gate Bridge, staying in the farthest right lane. After passing through the toll gate, take the first available exit to the right, continuing in a circle to the right, through an underpass, through the visitor parking lot, to a stop sign (Lincoln Blvd.), then turn left onto Lincoln Blvd. Follow road for about 1/8 mile and turn left onto Long Avenue/Marine Drive to the fort.
FROM THE SOUTH: As you approach the Golden Gate Bridge, stay in the farthest right lane and take the "Last San Francisco Exit". Proceed through the parking lot to your right until you reach the stop sign (Lincoln Blvd.). Turn left and proceed to Long Avenue/Marine Drive and onto the fort.
Year
2003 Schedule of Events
♣ January 18th, Fort Point and Unit Elections
♣ March 22nd and 23rd, Battle of Knights Ferry
♣ April 26-27, Healdsburg Event (?)*
§ May 24-26, Roaring Camp, Santa
Cruz
§ June 21-22, Casa De Fruta,
Gilroy
♣ July 3-6, Gettysburg Reenactment, Gettysburg Penn.
§ July 19-20, Duncan’s Mills
§ August 16-17 or 23-24-Salinas (?)*
§ September 13-14, Pioneer Park, Nevada City
§ November 15, Holiday Ball in Murphys (?)*
*
Denotes possible changes Club Events Unit
Events Guest Events Auxiliary Events
For more information please see our
web site at www.69thNewYork.com
Lt.
"Irish" Joe Gilbert,
Ukiah Ca,95482
Official Publication
of the
69th New York,
Company B