CivilWarTalk Throwback Thursday, 5 - 20 - 2021

James N.

Colonel
Annual Winner
Featured Book Reviewer
Asst. Regtl. Quartermaster Antietam 2021
Joined
Feb 23, 2013
Location
East Texas
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This week marks the anniversary of Grant's Vicksburg Campaign and the beginning of the 47-day Siege, so Throwback Thursday revisits the May, 1983, reenactment of Champion's Hill, Mississippi, largest battle of the campaign. Above, in a steady drizzling rain that reminds me of the past week here in Texas, I'm trudging uphill at left along with a color-bearer behind the advancing Union cavalry while clad in my dark rubberized poncho and white havelock trying to keep the water off. Below, my friend Marty Brazil of Biloxi, Mississippi channels General Grant mounted upon his steed. By the next day the creeks had overflowed and many of the reenactors required for their cars to be towed by tractor from the sodden fields where they had parked! For more photos of this soggy event, please see:

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/champion-hill-mississippi-may-1983.158132/

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Anyone Else having (preferably) old Civil War-related photos, mementoes, or memorabilia from reenactments, living history, or other events or vacation or other travel they would like to share with us is welcome and heartily encouraged to do so in this weekly thread!
 
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I did enjoy touring Vicksburg in 2005. I was extremely impressed with the Park and it impressive trenching. Loved the Cairo exhibit. Unfortunately, I don't have my photographs. I have these from the 2015 151st event at Cedar Creek...View attachment 401273View attachment 401274View attachment 401275View attachment 401277View attachment 401278
Our Champion's Hill event was pretty small that year, possibly partly due to the wet weather; on the other hand, yours at Cedar Creek looks like it enjoyed beautiful weather - how large was the reenactor and/or spectator turnout? I've never attended an event there, but have visited the battlefield itself several times over the years.
 
This week marks the anniversary of Grant's Vicksburg Campaign and the beginning of the 47-day Siege, so Throwback Thursday revisits the May, 1983, reenactment of Champion's Hill, Mississippi, largest battle of the campaign. Above, in a steady drizzling rain that reminds me of the past week here in Texas, I'm trudging uphill at left along with a color-bearer behind the advancing Union cavalry while clad in my dark rubberized poncho and white havelock trying to keep the water off. Below, my friend Marty Brazil of Biloxi, Mississippi channels General Grant mounted upon his steed. By the next day the creeks had overflowed and many of the reenactors required for their cars to be towed by tractor from the sodden fields where they had parked!
I'm pretty sure that was the Champion's Hill event that I attended with Holmes' Brigade from Missouri. Saturday wasn't bad, but it poured that night. A steady rain continued Sunday, right through the battle. Sunday night we huddled in our dog tents under a big tree on a barren hillside, praying that it wouldn't attract lightning. I remember Cal Kinzer of the Union Rifles, wrapped in his gum blanket, sitting by a drowned campfire, illuminated by the lightning flashes, with the water pouring off him. I presume he decided that bringing a tent would be unauthentic. Ah, good times!
 
Our Champion's Hill event was pretty small that year, possibly partly due to the wet weather; on the other hand, yours at Cedar Creek looks like it enjoyed beautiful weather - how large was the reenactor and/or spectator turnout? I've never attended an event there, but have visited the battlefield itself several times over the years.
It's usually a good sized event. I'm guessing there was about a thousand reenactors there for the last event, the 155th in 2019, and a nice crowd of spectators. It's on again for this year and am planning on being there.
 
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