The battle of the shoes.

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Joined
Aug 25, 2012
This is an interesting passage from a book I am reading. When the 2nd Michigan was in Washington in June of 1861 just before the First Battle of Bull Run they had in two months worn out their Michigan issued army shoes and received new ones. They tossed their old worn out shoes into the company streets. But soon the frisky young men from one half of the 2nd Michigan camp threw their discarded shoes at men from the other half of the camp and a general battle erupted between the two halves of the camp. One side conserved their ammunition and after collecting expanded rounds and pushed the others out of camp. Officers tried in vain to stop the shoe battle and finally appealed to the colonel who wisely decided to let the men settle the dispute by force of arms. Perhaps the colonel simply did not what to get hit by a few stray rounds.
 
This is an interesting passage from a book I am reading. When the 2nd Michigan was in Washington in June of 1861 just before the First Battle of Bull Run they had in two months worn out their Michigan issued army shoes and received new ones. They tossed their old worn out shoes into the company streets. But soon the frisky young men from one half of the 2nd Michigan camp threw their discarded shoes at men from the other half of the camp and a general battle erupted between the two halves of the camp. One side conserved their ammunition and after collecting expanded rounds and pushed the others out of camp. Officers tried in vain to stop the shoe battle and finally appealed to the colonel who wisely decided to let the men settle the dispute by force of arms. Perhaps the colonel simply did not what to get hit by a few stray rounds.
That's how he got to be colonel.
 
I know how the colonel felt. One very hot day in the National Guard we were suppose to study crossing danger areas. The other two platoons did so in a class room setting while I had my platoon do so in the shallow river that ran behind the armory. For some unknown reason my platoon did not find crossing the river without blank ammunition to fun and so armed themselves with water balloons. When the captain seen this he blew a fuse and sent me out to stop the battle . As I left his office I ask if he thought I would first get wet from a stray round or from accidently getting "bumped" into the river. I think I first got wet from a stray round. Sadly our general showed up for a surprise visit shortly after I was able to end the battle. After the general inspected the two dry platoons he found that me and my men and women soaked to the skin. I had to stand in front of the company and explain to the general why my men and women were so wet. My only defense was my platoon learns best by practical application of the lesson plan, while pointing out; "How can the other platoons lean crossing a danger area by sitting in a class room? The Captain after a few months got over his anger.
 
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