Category: 2012

  • The Wall

    Fredericksburg, VA December 8, 2012 The last event of the season finally arrived and I began my long trek to Fredericksburg, Virginia crammed into a Ford Explorer with three other guys and their gear.  I joined Quinn Marcotte, Charles Russ, with Butch Foster in his SUV. It was a long 11-hour trip with Butch arguing…

  • Guyandotte and Weenie Dogs

    Guyandotte WV 2012 November 3-4, 2012 Sgt Mergle getting carried off the battlefield.  He was dropped four times.photo courtesy Toril Lavender For The Herald-Dispatch Cpl Carte and I arrived early on Friday at Guyandotte WV to get settled in and kick back for the rest of the day.  It was around 2 when we pulled up…

  • Fallen Friend

    October 27, 2012 One of our beloved comrades in arms suffered a heart attack.  Last week, Gary Shaw, former 1st Sergeant of the 1st Tennessee Company B, was admitted to Mount Carmel East in Columbus, Ohio.  A few of us visited him after the Ohio Leadership Conference.  He is doing fine, and is expected to…

  • The Stump

    Monroe OH October 20-21, 2012 When I arrived at Monroe, I camped near the same place as the year before.  Sgt Nyman arrived about the same time as I and since we were the only ones of the 1st Tennessee to be camping, we chose a spot a little up the hill, where we could…

  • Gone with the Windy Shiloh of Indiana

    Hartford City IN October 13-14, 2012 Hartford City was always one of my largest events every year, and I had probably attended that last six years there. But going there just a week after Perryville seemed anti-climatic.  None of the 1stTennessee joined me to continue recovering from the onslaught experienced at Perryville (or perhaps they…

  • The First National

    Perryville Battle, 150th Commemoration Perryville KY I grew up in Ohio, and my idea of seafood was something from Red Lobster.  It was something passable for supper, but stank fishy. But then I visited Barcelona, Spain, and had fish fresh from the Mediterranean.  I realized Ohio does not have seafood—it only serves spoiled fish.  Seafood…

  • Taking a Hit

    Pioneer VillageCaesar’s CreekWaynesville, OH Courtesy Civil War Sites When I finally crashed on Friday evening at Pioneer Village in Caesar’s Creek, I was reminded of sleeping under the street lights of Grove City. But this time there was no electricity-there were no street lights.  It was the light of the full moon that gave the…

  • Double-Quick Up the Hill

    Fort Recovery, OH Sept 8-9, 2012 The change in perspective from private to major is dramatic.  As a private, all I saw during a battle was the blue target in front of me.  I fired my musket on command.  I right-faced on command.  I marched on command. But now, as major, my job is to…

  • The Federals and the Copperheads

    Durbin Bean Bake Sept 1-3, 2012 The Durbin Bean Bake is a Labor Day only event, but the 1st Tennessee makes its own fun Saturday and Sunday. I arrived early Saturday expecting to be pretty much alone most of that first day, so planned on taking advantage of the time by bringing a bunch of…

  • Rising through the Ranks

    Jackson, Michigan August 25-26, 2012 Jackson usually is an event that the 1st Tennessee shows in force, but for some reason was not voted for at the Regimental meeting.  I had debated about whether going to Jackson, or to Richmond, Kentucky, which also had a large event this same weekend.  In the end I decided…