CivilWarTalk Throwback Thursday, 8-13-2020

James N.

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This week Throwback Thursday reverts to another of my early reenacting days sometime in 1978 - I'm standing alongside an associate, Corporal Peter J. "Pete" Tuttle who was another member of the Regular United States Army who was also at the time the only dedicated Federal reenactor I knew and who would "throw in" with our unit whenever we would "galvanize" for an event. (Unfortunately at this distance I no longer remember where Pete was stationed at the time - possibly Fort Hood - but we saw him regularly at local events here in Texas.) By this time, however, more and more members of our unit were acquiring Federal impressions and thinking about switching over on a regular if not yet permanent basis. I was one such, though I had yet to put together a proper infantry impression, so here am using various props like my original binoculars, Colt M.1850 Navy revolver, M. 1860 cavalry saber, and repro sword belt and gauntlets that I also used when portraying an artilleryman.

Anyone else having (preferably) old Civil War-related photos, mementoes, or memorabilia from reenacting or other activities or vacation or other travel they would like to share with us is welcome and encouraged to do so in this weekly thread!
 
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I don't know how well a picture of a picture will work, but here is a picture of the Dallas Light, portraying the Chicago Mercantile Battery and grouped around their 10-pdr Parrott at the conclusion of the week-long Red River Campaign reenactment in 1994. What a great event that was! 70 miles and seven days in the field; tacticals, ambushes, set-piece reenactments for the public, cavalry raids, camp life -- added so much to reading a memoir. It really is hot marching on hot dusty roads in those uniforms (water never tasted so good), yet we were glad we had them in the subsequent deluge and overnight freeze! Got me hooked.

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I don't know how well a picture of a picture will work, but here is a picture of the Dallas Light, portraying the Chicago Mercantile Battery and grouped around their 10-pdr Parrott at the conclusion of the week-long Red River Campaign reenactment in 1994. What a great event that was! 70 miles and seven days in the field; tacticals, ambushes, set-piece reenactments for the public, cavalry raids, camp life -- added so much to reading a memoir. It really is hot marching on hot dusty roads in those uniforms (water never tasted so good), yet we were glad we had them in the subsequent deluge and overnight freeze! Got me hooked.

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I'd like to ask exactly what Dallas Light this is? I ask because my original unit went through many different names over the years form the 1970's on, and at one time used this too. (Good's Texas Battery, Douglas' Texas Battery, Dallas Light Artillery, 1st Texas Light Artillery, and finally The North Texas Reenactment Society.) Unfortunately, for some reason this was one Mansfield-Pleasant Hill-Red River event I missed.

Welcome to the forums!
 
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Oh don't judge him too harshly. Its like a very Confederate minded fellow reenactor here in Texas, who is always a Yank officer at events, told me when I asked him years ago why.

"All the Confederate officer jobs were taken!"
That was largely if not entirely the situation I not only found myself in, but also noted Federal commander of the Frontier Battalion and many reenactments like Spring Hill, Tenn. in 2007, my friend Col. Mark Dolive, seen above behind the firing line during Pickett's Charge at the 135th Gettysburg.
 
I don't know how well a picture of a picture will work, but here is a picture of the Dallas Light, portraying the Chicago Mercantile Battery and grouped around their 10-pdr Parrott at the conclusion of the week-long Red River Campaign reenactment in 1994. What a great event that was! 70 miles and seven days in the field; tacticals, ambushes, set-piece reenactments for the public, cavalry raids, camp life -- added so much to reading a memoir. It really is hot marching on hot dusty roads in those uniforms (water never tasted so good), yet we were glad we had them in the subsequent deluge and overnight freeze! Got me hooked.

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I happened to run into an old friend of mine recently, now retired from reenactments, who loves to tell one story of that event. Supposedly he was in camp with his artillery, (they didn't follow the campaign) when the campaign march got close, and one of the officers he knew well looked gaunt walking in. He said he was thirsty, and my friend Jimmy told him "Well there's a water faucet over there." the reply being along the lines of "I don't want no water! I want a coke!"

That was before my time. It needs to happen again so I can try making the march.
 
I'd like to ask exactly what Dallas Light this is? I ask because my original unit went through many different names over the years form the 1970's on, and at one time used this too. (Good's Texas Battery, Douglas' Texas Battery, Dallas Light Artillery, 1st Texas Light Artillery, and finally The North Texas Reenactment Society.) Unfortunately, for some reason this was one Mansfield-Pleasant Hill-Red River event I missed.

Welcome to the forums!
Thank you, James. Dallas Light Artillery from Dallas, TX. Led by the incomparable Bruce Frazer (he was a Brigadier of the Army of the Gulf command staff for that event so not in the battery photo) and our captain was Kieran McMullen (Lt. Col., ret'd) (in the photo). You may also remember John Porter or David Hitchcock (also in the photo).

I don't know the group's history before I joined in January 1994, having read an article in Civil War Times about the planning for the Red River Campaign reenactment and knowing battery member Chuck Maltese from the Civil War Roundtable. Group's identity/primary portrayal later became 14th NY Ind. Batt., and then Battery K, 1st Illinois Artillery but I believe we were always formally still the Dallas Light Artillery. I moved across the country at the end of 1999.

You mention Mark Dolive. I remember him and George Hanson but only knew them as being with the First U.S. infantry.

We (Dallas Light) were also at 135th Gettysburg, portraying a battery in Hood's Division, and so after the cannonade moved forward in support of the Pickett-Pettigrew Assault, displacing two or three times as it progressed.

Tom
 
Thank you, James. Dallas Light Artillery from Dallas, TX. Led by the incomparable Bruce Frazer (he was a Brigadier of the Army of the Gulf command staff for that event so not in the battery photo) and our captain was Kieran McMullen (Lt. Col., ret'd) (in the photo). You may also remember John Porter or David Hitchcock (also in the photo).

I don't know the group's history before I joined in January 1994, having read an article in Civil War Times about the planning for the Red River Campaign reenactment and knowing battery member Chuck Maltese from the Civil War Roundtable. Group's identity/primary portrayal later became 14th NY Ind. Batt., and then Battery K, 1st Illinois Artillery but I believe we were always formally still the Dallas Light Artillery. I moved across the country at the end of 1999.

You mention Mark Dolive. I remember him and George Hanson but only knew them as being with the First U.S. infantry.

We (Dallas Light) were also at 135th Gettysburg, portraying a battery in Hood's Division, and so after the cannonade moved forward in support of the Pickett-Pettigrew Assault, displacing two or three times as it progressed.

Tom
I now realize that mid-1990's era pretty much coincides with my then-waning interest in reenacting following my stints in "professional" reenacting making movies. Bruce followed me as chairman of the North Texas Reenactment Society, and under his lead it ceased being much of an actual unit or group, becoming instead nothing but an insurance umbrella for many Texas area units. Likely, you were still the Dallas Light Artillery because that was the name that had been chartered with the state by Glen Smith and Jim Marrs ca. 1977.

For many years Bruce refused to portray Confederate units with his guns and that drove away some of the remaining old members I remember so well. Although I recognize some of the names you mention and recall Bruce mentioning them too, like yourself they joined after I had ceased participating with the battery. In my last events of the 1990's I served as as a volunteer aide with the headquarters of the Frontier Battalion at the 135th Shiloh (Mudlo) and Gettysburg, both of which you will find threads about here.
 
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Bruce was terrific. Great character, great story-teller and a great leader. Under him and Kieran McMullen I feel we really brought Civil War light artillery to life. After Red River we knew we wanted to keep mobile and tended to focus on campaign-style events involving movement to contact and maneuver, not only static events. We learned the artillery bugle calls, maneuvered to them, and the 1864 manual became our bible. We knew of only one other mobile battery at the time. For Red River Bruce had trailered in horses and drivers from Montana and we used them again when available, supplemented by some local horses and drivers. When horses became short (four minimum are required for pulling a Parrott), we got a 12-pdr mountain howitzer tube, researched and built a prairie carriage for it and then a prairie caisson to provide support. Those could each be pulled by a pair or by one solid Morgan. We did numerous two to four day maneuver events in Louisiana and Oklahoma as well as local set-piece reenactments, frequently bringing horses so that we could do even some maneuver there. And we usually did one maximum-effort national event per year, such as 135th Gettysburg. We typically were federal but would also do C.S., as at Gettysburg where we portrayed a battery in Hood's Division.

We also did live-fires, competing every year at the National Black Powder Cannon Competition at the Home of the Artillery, Fort Sill (firing canister, bolts and shell; frequently winning) and three or four live-fire training exercises with the modern day troopers of the 1st Cavalry Division at Ft Hood (firing bolts and shell). Speaking of that, here are a few pictures from I think about February 1995. On the left is a 1st Cav battery captain, next to him is 1st Cav Div Arty commander, Col. Colby Broadwater, next to him is Bruce, next to him is Ft Hood post commander, Lt. Gen. Wesley Clark (a few months before he got his fourth star and command of NATO), and I'm sure you recognize Chuck on the right.

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We were firing on old wrecked vehicles on a hillside a half mile or so away and Lt. Gen. Clark got a first round kill with our M. 1860 Parrott (repro).
 
We demonstrated several rounds and then gave basic 1860s gun crew drill training to troopers who wanted to jump in. I used to call this mixed-crew sequence Clinton's Defense Cuts:

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We also did live-fires, competing every year at the National Black Powder Cannon Competition at the Home of the Artillery, Fort Sill (firing canister, bolts and shell; frequently winning) and three or four live-fire training exercises with the modern day troopers of the 1st Cavalry Division at Ft Hood (firing bolts and shell). Speaking of that, here are a few pictures from I think about February 1995. On the left is a 1st Cav battery captain, next to him is 1st Cav Div Arty commander, Col. Colby Broadwater, next to him is Bruce, next to him is Ft Hood post commander, Lt. Gen. Wesley Clark (a few months before he got his fourth star and command of NATO), and I'm sure you recognize Chuck on the right.

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We were firing on old wrecked vehicles on a hillside a half mile or so away and Lt. Gen. Clark got a first round kill with our M. 1860 Parrott (repro).
Been there; done that - also with Bruce, ca. 1990 or thereabouts. here are Ed Owens and I at our camp before attending some sort of dinner or ceremony held for the occasion in the evening.
 
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… When horses became short (four minimum are required for pulling a Parrott), we got a 12-pdr mountain howitzer tube, researched and built a prairie carriage for it and then a prairie caisson to provide support. Those could each be pulled by a pair or by one solid Morgan. We did numerous two to four day maneuver events in Louisiana and Oklahoma as well as local set-piece reenactments, frequently bringing horses so that we could do even some maneuver there. And we usually did one maximum-effort national event per year, such as 135th Gettysburg. We typically were federal but would also do C.S., as at Gettysburg where we portrayed a battery in Hood's Division.
Nothing *new* about any of that for the North Texas Reenactment Society, AKA Good's/Douglas' Texas Battery as in this living history tactical event at Nancy, Kentucky on the old Mill Springs battleground. All we lacked were ANY horse(s) - this was well before Bruce joined our unit, back ca. 1978.

 
Great pictures, Nathan. Glad we had such a good foundation to build on!
For your further edification:











https://civilwartalk.com/threads/with-u-s-grant-at-shilohs-125th-april-1987.111839/post-1091630



 
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