- Joined
- Feb 11, 2018
I am from Williamson, Wayne County. It started out in 7th grade history. My teacher portrayed the surgeon of the 21st Georgia in his off time and that got me interested in reenacting. I wanted to be yankee however and lucky for me a fellow in my church was part of the now defunct 111th NY infantry reenacting group. I joined that group at 16. That group only lasted a few years as when I joined there was a huge exodus into other units and the 111th fizzled out. However I was still interested in the 111th and read as many books as I could on the unit. I started digging around my ancestry hoping to find some 111th ties only to find I had a great great great great uncle in the 9th NY Heavy Artillery Co. F. I don't have any artifacts or letters from the 111th, wish I did. If something every happened to my current reenacting group, the 28th NY infantry, I would start the 111th back up or 9th NYHA. I make it to Gettysburg every year and visit the 111th monument as well as tramps about the swale where they made their heroic charge the 2nd day. I also look for 111th and 9th NYHA graves in the local cemeteries. This fall I found Captain Fish Co.B of the 9th NYHA, his company made of guys from my area held off the Rebs at Monocacy best they could and wound up setting fire to the bridge, delaying them even more.
Very interesting background, thank you for sharing. The ground in which the 111th fought on July 2nd and 3rd is by far my favorite on the battlefield.