CWT Fall Muster 2026?

[Kathy the history sleuth]

I am also from the North; I daresay you would not be that uncomfortable. In every one of the last three CWT musters I've been to, I have also not been the only Northerner there.

The MIS group will be doing Charleston in late April.

I have not made travel plans yet for my April trip to Charleston, but if you want to send me your itinerary I would enjoy joining you.
I have not made my vacation request at work yet either. I was seriously thinking about going by myself and continuing north, as I said above. If it's anything like the Mobile muster it would be a blast!

 

[Kathy the history sleuth]

I'm from Wisconsin and I would not worry about it. I've been to about 5 Musters and I always have fun. I was thinking about going to Charleston in April and driving up to TN with stops on the way.

I live in Wisconsin and I've been to about 5 musters and I always have fun. I was thinking about going to Charleston in April and driving up the Outer Banks to see the kids, but have not bought a ticket yet. If there is a Muster I hope we see you there!

 

[major bill]

Not used to saying Please or Thank You?

Just the opposite. When I am uncomfortable I tend to be overly polite. Others can see this as being standoffish. Referring to one's self in third person is polite and proper but can make one appear aloof.

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

Referring to one's self in third person is polite and proper but can make one appear aloof.

Referring to yourself in the third person makes you seem crazy or narcissistic. I always associate it with wrasslin star The Rock as it was a signature part of his character, for the latter reason.

 

[G Low]

Referring to yourself in the third person makes you seem crazy or narcissistic. I always associate it with wrasslin star The Rock as it was a signature part of his character, for the latter reason.

I can smell what you're cooking

 

[major bill]

Referring to yourself in the third person makes you seem crazy or narcissistic. I always associate it with wrasslin star The Rock as it was a signature part of his character, for the latter reason.

I learned to do so in military schools. Addressing a senior soldier in first person is some what insulting to some senior soldiers.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

@major bill I'm from New Hampshire and I hosted the 2021 Antietam Muster. I had loads of people come from the South and I think 99% of them really enjoyed themselves. I want to say 100% did but one can never be sure. I know I certainly became deep friends with some Southerners and the relationships still live on.

I need to add that it was that deep, old Rebel @UCVRelics that gave this Yankee gal unexpected and unending help, long distance, and many, many phone calls and much advice on how to run a muster that made it successful.

 

[Kathy the history sleuth]

sorry for the double post, but you get the idea, lol!

Charleston has been in serious consideration for several years now so if someone can organize it that seems like probably the best choice. Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, Fort Johnson, Fort Lamar / Secessionville, and the Hunley plus the historic town. And maybe the folks from Castle Pinckney could arrange a boat tour?

Atlanta is doable, but will have to be carefully planned to deal with weekday traffic and weekend parking. Fortunately/unfortunately, almost all the surviving stuff is outside the beltway. Marietta to Dalton is about an hour, which is a little longer than typical, but not unreasonable and you'll end up back at the muster hotel in or near Marietta. You could do basically Powell's Volume 1 on Friday, Volume 2 on Saturday, and either Atlanta History Center or Lovejoy's Station (if there's enough of it?) on Sunday.

Kentucky if you base out of Lexington, Perryville and Richmond are both about an hour away and Frankfort is about a half hour. Henry Clay's Ashland is also in Lexington.

New Orleans is going to probably be one of the most expensive Muster locations for a hotel. Baton Rogue is probably too far do as more than a pre/post event side trip.

Red River Campaign is probably too spread out.

For potential revisits, I think the two main candidates would be Chickamauga (it's a complicated battle) or Murfreesboro/Franklin/Nashville (the Muster there was in 2022 and the attendance might have been on the low side due to the pandemic.

Two other ideas:

Jacksonville, Florida: Fort Clinch is an hour away and has Union reenactors on the first weekend of the month and Fernandina Beach has a few Civil War era homes listed on the Florida Civil War Heritage Trail. Yellow Bluff Fort is a short stop for some earthworks. Camp Milton (western outskirts of the metro area) has a little interpretation and Olustee is about a half hour past Milton. The Mandarin Museum has an exhibit about the Maple Leaf which was sunk by a Confederate river mine. Kingsley Plantation is an antebellum slave plantation east of Jacksonville with a rather unique history. Evergreen Cemetery has 250+ Civil War veterans, including J. J. Dickson. Old City Cemetery has another 220+ veteran graves, including Joseph Finegan. Used to be the Museum of Southern History, but that closed last year - apparently permanently.

Savannah: Forts Pulaski, McAllister, and Jackson. An extensive historic downtown. I don't know if any of the Confederate defensive line from 1864 is identifiable? Hilton Head Island is an hour away (Forts Howell and Walker, plus Mitcheville), as is Beaufort in the same direction (including Reconsturction interpretation).

This is a very nice summary of possibilities.

 

[Kathy the history sleuth]

The last few years I have had other engagements during the muster but this year I'm not planning on being in Texas so being located in Louisville, I'm clearly still a big supporter of one at Perryville but you would definitely want to make Lexington the HQ. Perryville, Richmond, Nicholasville & Frankfort are all within an hour of Lexington

Perryville could easily consume one day.

Richmond is more of a driving battlefield with numerous sites but could be an afternoon trip after morning exploring around Lexington.

Lexington offers a number of ACW related sites, a few include:
- Lexington Cemetery (burial site of John Breckenridge, John Hunt Morgan, Basil Duke, Gordon Granger, Henry Clay, etc)
- Hopemont (family home of John Hunt Morgan)
- Ashland (Henry Clay's plantation)
- Mary Todd Lincoln Home

Camp Nelson National Monument is near Nicholasville.

Frankfort has a number of sites:
- Fort Hill (remnants of the fort that overlooked and guarded Frankfort during the war)
- Frankfort Cemetery (burial site of Simon Bolivar Buckner, George & Thomas Crittenden, and "allegedly" Daniel Boone)
- The Kentucky Military History Museum at the former state arsenal
- The former and current statehouses

A little further away you have side trips for before and/or after the primary muster in Covington, Louisville and Bardstown that are relatively close with plenty to see from earthwork forts to cemeteries and museums, etc.

I have not been to the Perryville area yet, and I would be interested in that.

 

[Stryker65]

Your ok, Delaware WAS a slave state!!

Pardon me, that'd be a Border State. The Switzerland of the Civil War, if you will.

 

[Stryker65]

I have not been to the Perryville area yet, and I would be interested in that.

Haven't been back to my birthplace (Lexington) in nineteen years. That'd be something I'd be interested in as well.

 

[redbob]

I have not been to the Perryville area yet, and I would be interested in that.

And if the subject interests you, Perryville is just off the Bourbon Trail and Bardstown has several interesting museums and great food at Kentucky's oldest tavern.

 

[Kathy the history sleuth]

And if the subject interests you, Perryville is just off the Bourbon Trail and Bardstown has several interesting museums and great food at Kentucky's oldest tavern.

Thanks for the information. The members of my CW Roundtable talk about Perryville. I'm sure I will get there one of these days even if a Muster doesn't go. It's within about a day and a half driving distance from southern WI.

 

[NFB22]

Thanks for the information. The members of my CW Roundtable talk about Perryville. I'm sure I will get there one of these days even if a Muster doesn't go. It's within about a day and a half driving distance from southern WI.

In terms of battlefields that are not part of the NPS, it tops the charts of the ones I have visited.

 

[Stryker65]

As some of the more-experienced members have said, it will eventually come down to the necessity for a QM (organizer) for each muster, and I think that will be the main sticking point every year. The costs as well are a major investment.

 

[bdtex]

As some of the more-experienced members have said, it will eventually come down to the necessity for a QM (organizer) for each muster, and I think that will be the main sticking point every year. The costs as well are a major investment.

Not all attendees are retired either as you well know. Gotta pick a place and dates early so some attendees can schedule vacation time at work. Planning should start in November.

I'ma throw this in too. The alternating Eastern/Western/Trans-Mississippi Theaters thing isn't a site-owner rule. They don't care where we have our musters. The only site constraint is that it be a Civil War site. If we decided to do it at an American Revolution site, we'd have to post about it in the Campfire Chat forum.

We try to alternate for variety purposes and to try to spread the travel burden around, but it's not a site rule.

 

[stu613]

Not all attendees are retired either as you well know. Gotta pick a place and dates early so some attendees can schedule vacation time at work. Planning should start in November.

I'ma throw this in too. The alternating Eastern/Western/Trans-Mississippi Theaters thing isn't a site-owner rule. They don't care where we have our musters. The only site constraint is that it be a Civil War site. If we decided to do it at an American Revolution site, we'd have to post about it in the Campfire Chat forum.

We try to alternate for variety purposes and to try to spread the travel burden around, but it's not a site rule.

It is all a matter of perception! It's all "eastern" theater to me.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

The alternating Eastern/Western/Trans-Mississippi Theaters thing isn't a site-owner rule. They don't care where we have our musters. The only site constraint is that it be a Civil War site.

THANK YOU !

Many of us have discussed this same thing since these "musters" began.

But ...

Why have only one muster per year ?
Why not have as many musters that CWT members are willing and able to attend ?
(no matter where it may be)

As you pointed out, these events are unofficial. And I fully understand the time,effort and costs involved to make such an event happen (been there/done that) organizing similar events over the years.

Sure ... a yearly gathering of all forum members would be great !
But for whatever reason, that may not feasible for everyone.

Anyway, just my two cents.

 

[Drew]

Why have only one muster per year ?
Why not have as many musters that CWT members are willing and able to attend ?
(no matter where it may be)

As you pointed out, these events are unofficial. And I fully understand the time,effort and costs involved to make such an event happen (been there/done that) organizing similar events over the years.

No reason not to have more than one per year. But, not all Forum members are of the same means. It's a matter of consideration to choose places where as many as possible can afford to attend and participate.

Atlanta and New Orleans have been suggested up thread. I love the latter and can't stand the former. I won't go to a muster in Atlanta, not because it's super expensive, but because it's a logistical disaster waiting to happen. Hartsfield Airport is a nightmare and the traffic in the area is impassable. You all have fun there without me.

An affordable path may be found at N'Orleans and that would be cool. @Desert Kid tagged me into a post up thread about Huey Pierce Long. I can tell you a story or two about him, but he lived a few years after the War Between the States and I won't go there.

Whatever you all decide I'll go along with and do my best to get there, as long as it's not Atlanta. Cheers.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

No reason not to have more than one per year. It's a matter of consideration to choose places where as many as possible can afford to attend and participate.

Absolutely !

Plus ... not everyone is interested in the same battles/locations ect.

That's exactly why I see nothing wrong with multiple "musters" each year.