The
Tyrants' Foe 
Newsletter of the Texas Rifles
Volume XXI, Number 2
****************************************** April 2005
Civilian & Military
Fort
McKavett Garrison Weekend
Scheduled!!
June
3rd - 5th Fort McKavett, TX
See
Fort McKavett Immersion below.
Captain's Dispatch
Pleasant Hill
The 2005
version of the Battle of Pleasant Hill has gone into the books, but what kind of
books I could not say. Certainly it
was not a history book. Although
not a Texas Rifles maximum effort event, Pleasant
Hill was attended by thirteen members; eleven as
Trans-Mississippi Confederates and two as Federals with the 1st
Texas. Beyond the first and successful use of
the Texas Rifles Ration System set-up by Lt. Marek and the comradeship around
the campfire, the chief lesson learned at this event was that there are very few
organizations of Texas reenactors
with which the Texas Rifles can operate.
Or to put it more bluntly, there are very few organizations that rise to
our standards. We received many
positive comments about our Trans-Mississippi uniforms and equipment from fellow
Confederates and even sutlers. One
unit was so impressed that they asked us to make the uniforms for them. Our drill and comportment were
good. But the event just didn’t
click for me. We could not serve
with the 15th Texas
because they are essentially dangerous to themselves and those unfortunate
enough to be around them. We did
serve with the 12th
Texas, but found them to be so
ignorant of how to run a company and a battalion that we, who did things
correctly, could not function with a bunch of guys whose major ambition at a
reenactment is to not be bothered by such things as drill, maneuver and proper
sequence of commands.
We went to
the event looking to march and skirmish against our friends in the
1st Texas, but the
landowner forbade us using the miles of trails through his extensive
property. It seems we would have
disturbed the Boy Scouts in their encampment. So we were left to find a campsite away
from the Confederate tent city and existed on the fringe of the event both
figuratively and literally; something to keep in mind next year at Winedale as
we discuss the 2006 event schedule.
Port Jefferson
Our next
event and a Texas Rifles Maximum Effort Event is Port Jefferson over the weekend
of April 30 and May 1.
Jefferson,
Texas is a fascinating cotton shipping town
left high and dry by the destruction of the waterway needed to ship its cotton
and the lack of a railroad. The
formerly wealthy town withered on the vine after the Civil War, leaving many
period homes and businesses intact, which would have otherwise been destroyed in
the name of “progress”. We will
participate at this event with our friends in the Red River Battalion. There will be plenty of action for the
military members and lots of things to do for the civilians as well. The civilians will have a role to
play as the armies pass through town.
The organizers will supply one meal for the reenactors on Saturday night,
but we will need to organize the food for other meals. The battalion will not be issuing
rations.
We have not
attended the Port Jefferson Event for many years, so all of this is rather new
and challenging. I look forward to
meeting the challenge with you.
Captain John Keahey
Lieutenant’s Inkwell
The Jefferson
event is right around the corner and is our first Max Effort event of any size
for the year. At last count, we had nineteen Military members answering the Call
to Arms. We always wish that there could be more but when you look at other
units you see that the 18-22 range is very good for a turn-out. Many units show
up with half that. We will have a good showing in both our numbers and our
performance. It was plain after the Pleasant Hill Farbvent, that the Red River
Battalion is definitely the unit that we want to serve with. Making an effort to
improve is what makes you stand out even if you have not reached the top, and
actually, once you start to strive to improve your impression both as an
individual and as a unit you see that there are always improvements to be
made.
In that effort, let's try to do our best with our unit impression at
Jefferson.
The preferred impression is Trans-Miss so that we can look the part of early war
troops fighting in the Mississippi
area. This will help us prepare for our trip to
Corinth
this summer. Most of us have this impression. It is easily done by wearing your
"white" overshirts instead of a jacket. If you don't have one of these, check
with the QM, or use a Civilian sack. I think that the
Columbus
jacket will be "accepted" at this event, but we might want to try to keep these
to a minimum as well in order to keep our unit impression tight. I think if all of us who have the
overshirt wear it, we will make quite an impression on the RRB this far ahead of
Corinth.
We will probably have a mixture of weapons and accoutrements, but try to stay
away from the Federal issue trousers.
Having
never been to this event, I am not sure of the quality, but having served at
this past Pleasant Hill, I can assure you that the Texas Rifles BRING the
quality that they desire. I look forward to serving with you all again very
soon.
....Oh
yes, Anticipate a weapons inspection very early in the event. NCO's, you are
responsible for having the men show up to formation with clean serviceable
weapons. The men are a reflection of YOU after all!
FJMarek
Lieutenant
Texas
Rifles
Because the
Sergeant Says So!
The
experience of having to fall in and serve with a less-than-well-drilled
battalion at Pleasant Hill seems to
me an excellent prompt to discuss the tremendous importance of practicing the
manual of arms and close order drill whenever possible. Clearly, the best opportunities to do
this include camps of instruction and living history events. That said, practice of this kind does
not have to be executed on merely the company or battalion level. Indeed, squad and individual practice
can be rather useful, particularly when you consider that such components are
essential building blocks that enable larger organizations to operate smoothly
on the drill field. Cartridge
rolling parties are excellent occasions to engage in impromptu drill
sessions—with or without accoutrements—as are local festivals. For the lone soldier, going through the
distinct motions of each arms position in front of a mirror is one way to
sharpen your skills while still surrounded by the comforts of home. Close order drill is a bit more
difficult for the individual, but not impossible. Careful study of drill manuals such as
Hardee’s, Casey’s, Gilham’s, and the
like can simultaneously improve one’s overall knowledge of period drill and
increase understanding of why field evolutions are performed in the
fashion they are. If each private
in the ranks regularly participated in such activities, company and battalion
level drill would be noticeably more fluid and veteran in its progress and
appearance. Now, I must state for
the record that the Texas Rifles generally do a remarkable job of “knocking the
rust off” in time for big events.
To be sure, we consistently exhibit great discipline and professionalism
on the drill field, even when other organizations around us are visibly lacking
in military polish. Even so,
additional attention to detail will enable us to stand out even further, thereby
serving to enhance our reputation as an elite reenactment and living history
unit. In short, the brighter we
shine on the drill field, the better respected we will become in the hobby. After all, authenticity is not just a
matter of material culture—it also encompasses how an organization functions in
its role as a Civil War-era infantry company on active campaign.
To the Tyrants Never Yield,
1Sgt. Phillip M. Sozansky
From the Home Front
This Spring
we have some great opportunities as civilians. Next weekend, we transform ourselves
into the townspeople of the occupied city of
Jefferson. We even get to “live” in a house. OK, so it’s not from the 1860’s but it
is near the historic part of town.
It will be so nice to attend an event where the civilians are removed
from the battle and camps, but not from the action. Expect some interaction with both
armies.
Next up is
the Ladies Conference in
Fredericksburg (May 21-22) at Ft.
Martin Scott. Annette, Molly and I
will learn how to fire period weapons, clean poultry and garden. We’ll be sure to share our findings with
the rest of the group.
To finish
the Spring season, we have our own immersion event at
Fort
McKavett June 4-5. The immersion portion of the event will
be Saturday and Sunday. All
participants are encouraged to arrive on Friday evening for fun and
socialization. Due to the social
structure of the time, many of us will not interact with each other throughout
the weekend, making Friday night more important. Information about this event is
presented below. I hope you will
all make it to this event, which should be incredible. Besides, it’s the last thing we have
until Fall.
See you at
Jefferson,
Nancy Tucker
Civilian Coordinator
Jesse Jones
2005
Quartermaster
Report
QM has been looking at ways to raise money to purchase new
equipment. I will be working out details with the command of the rifles. Once we
hammer every thing out I will post the plans on the next newsletter and the next
meeting. The QM has about $100.00 in its funds and I will be opening a new
account this week.
Loaner gear- If you us loaner
gear you need to be sure it is properly cleaned when you are returning this
item. The QM should not have to walk behind everyone who uses this equipment to
show how to clean this gear after every event! The new recruits are excluded
from this portion of the letter this is intended for the people who have been in
the Rifles for a year and up! We need to gather all of equipment that has been
loaned out so that the QM can inventory what the Texas Rifles has in its
inventory! The QM is looking at a new policy on the loaner gear which I pass
through the command as well!
Purchase new
uniforms and equipment- Once the QM has inventoried all gear the QM will look to
see what needs to purchased to be able to better fit people in the
field!
Rowdy
FORT
McKAVETT IMMERSION
EVENT
Date
The event
will take place over the weekend of June 4 and 5, 2005. Participants are urged to arrive at the
site on Friday evening. The day and
event will begin with reveille on Saturday morning, just as in any period army
post.
Site
The Fort
McKavett Immersion Event will take place at
Fort
McKavett State
Park in Menard
County, Texas.
Fort
McKavett is located northwest of
San Antonio and is about a five hour
drive from Houston. This is an original pre and post Civil
War era fort. Many of the buildings
have been restored and we will have use of some of them over the weekend. This area remains isolated and
rural. This will allow all
participants to truly enter into the spirit of the event and feel the isolation
of the garrison’s occupants.
Concept of the Event
The concept
of this event is to provide the participants with an excellent living history
experience in an outstanding setting.
While visitors will be allowed and encouraged, the primary goal of this
event is to immerse the participants for 33 hours in the life of a western
frontier garrison of the immediate post Civil War era. Visitation will probably be sparse in
this remote area. This will allow
participants to enter into their characters more fully. The event will officially start at
reveille Saturday morning and end at 3:00
p.m. on Sunday. In
between these times participants are expected to stay in character as much as
possible.
Military Impressions
Fort
McKavett was a U.S. Army post
garrisoned by regular army soldiers.
For our purposes we will interpret the garrison as the post commandant
and small staff, attached specialists such as artillery and ordnance, and one or
two infantry companies. As we will
be interpreting the immediate post Civil War era, standard Federal Civil War
uniforms, equipment and weapons are the ideal. As regular army troops, the uniform will
be the forage cap, shirt, sack coat, kersey trousers and black brogan
shoes. Standard Federal
accoutrements, knapsack, haversack and canteen are preferred. A
Springfield pattern M1855, M1861,
M1863, or M1864 is preferred.
Enfield pattern muskets are
acceptable. If any member has a
M1866 breech-loading Springfield,
please bring it for illustrative purposes. Many enlisted men in the post Civil War
regular army were ex Confederate soldiers and officers earning a living the only
way left to them. Slouch hats and
other non-regulation items of uniform and equipment are allowed on post as
fatigue wear while on campaign, but not as the uniform of the day. Officers will also wear standard Federal
officer’s attire. All participants
seeking to serve as officers will need to have their roles approved in advance
by the organizers. Many frontier
regular army officers continued to insist that they be addressed by their brevet
Civil War Volunteer rank. For
example, Lt. Colonel George A. Custer continued to be addressed during his post
Civil War career by his brevet wartime rank of General. No Confederate, militia or irregular
troops are wanted for this event.
Civilian Impressions
There are
many civilian impressions that would be appropriate for this event. At the top of the fort’s civilian social
structure would be the officer’s wives and children. These hopefully will be able to stay in
the period officer’s buildings.
Obviously, an officer’s wife will need to associate with an officer, but
these portrayals can be for the event purposes only. An officer’s wife would never stoop to
menial labor, nor associate socially with the enlisted men’s wives.
Next down the
social ladder would the wives and families of the enlisted men. The U.S. Army of the period did not
encourage their enlisted men to marry.
Accommodations for enlisted families were ad hoc and generally
discouraging. Wives of enlisted men
frequently supplemented low army pay by serving as servants to the officer’s
wives and as camp laundresses. This
can be a great activity for the women doing this portrayal. There exists a beautiful period school
building on the grounds and recreating a period school could be another
activity. As the event will include
part of Sunday, perhaps a non-required period religious service could be
held.
Beneath the
families of the enlisted men were the occupants of
Scab
Town across the creek from the
fort. This collection of huts,
tents and temporary buildings provided the enlisted men with alcohol, gambling,
entertainment and other more personal services. This would be a great impression for
civilians to do and with which to have fun. Perhaps
Scab
Town could run wide open on Saturday
night?
Atmosphere
Forget the
John Wayne movies! We all enjoyed
watching them, but they are generally poor history. Regular army life can only be described
as boring. Garrison troops were
required to observe peacetime “spit and polish.” Guard duty, kitchen duty, fatigue
parties, water details, inspections and drill were the constants of life. Courts Martial were very common and it
was exceptional for a soldier to get through his enlistment without being
subjected to at least one court martial for breaking one of the many rules. Combat was rare and desertions
frequent. Contrary to
Hollywood, the Native Americans
rarely attacked an army post.
Guerilla warfare, cattle theft, ambushes and isolated killings was more
to their taste than the risk of taking high casualties attacking an alert
garrison. The average size of an
Indian Wars fight was seven (7) combatants per side: hardly the stuff of epic
movies. There will be no battle
associated with this event, but ammunition may be needed for drills, etc.
Enlisted men
will sleep in a fully restored stone barracks building with reproduction iron
frame bunks, straw-filled mattresses and wood slat “box springs.” Food will be prepared on a group basis
by company cooks at or near the stone Cook House. Issue food had not changed since the
Civil War, and in fact for decades after the 1860’s the fugal U.S. Army was
still issuing hard bread, salt pork, rice, beans and coffee purchased during the
Civil War. Officers and families
would ideally supply their own food, but we may have to make allowances for
that. Officers and families are
encouraged to bring as many period furnishings
as possible to give their living quarters the appearance of real homes.
Most of the
military units in Texas had only
recently been doing “reconstruction work” in
Texas. In short, they were the occupying army
in a defeated nation. As such they
were based in the settled areas projecting the power of the Federal government
and protecting the newly liberated slaves.
Troops only re-occupied the fort system on the frontier after many Indian
attacks and high profile killings in the unprotected frontier areas. During this period the U.S. Army had 25
infantry regiments and 10 cavalry regiments. Most frontier soldiers were
infantry. In time of danger, the
army’s technique for fighting the Native Americans was to post infantry troops
at key water holes, river crossings and mountain passes. Many Indian attacks resulted in a
detachment of the local infantry troops being loaded-up with ammunition and food
and being sent to “walk down” the horse mounted Indians by sheer stamina. The grass fed Indian ponies would
give-out without the opportunity to graze while being pursued. Without having time to hunt, the Indians
would also run out of food. Unless
the trail was lost, or crossed a boundary such as the
Rio Grande
River; the infantry could often
bring the Indians to battle after a long
strenuous pursuit.
Much could be
said about the enemy, the Native Americans. Their long retreat from the east coast
of the continent in the face of the continual expansion of European style
civilization continued in post Civil War
Texas. The invention of repeating pistols and
rifles, railroads and telegraphs doomed their resistance to a fight without hope
of victory. Active in the
Fort
McKavett area were the Kiowa, Apache,
Kickapoo and Comanche tribes.
Suffice to say, the Native Americans of the frontier period did not
receive the same sympathy then as their plight does today. Regarded as savages, their skill as
fighting men, kidnapping of women and children, and use of torture inspired fear
in their foes and the determination to kill them all, or reduce them to small
bands of survivors living on reservations.
Organization &
Contacts
This event is
being hosted by the Texas Rifles.
We would be delighted to share this experience with our many reenacting
friends, but we must know in advance of your coming to
Fort
McKavett.
For
additional information contact John Keahey at
jjpkeahey@pdq.net, or by phone at
281-261-0665. Civilians can contact
Nancy Tucker at ntucker00@yahoo.com or
281-922-1915.
John Keahey, 4/19/2005
Pleasant Hill Pilfering
I would like bring to the Texas Rifles attention a disturbing incident
that occurred at Pleasant Hill. While leading us in battle, our gallant
Captain Keahey was wounded and two members of the Texas Rifles rushed to his
side. Unfortunately, they didn’t
render aid. In his weakened
condition, the Captain couldn’t defend himself and was robbed of his most prized
possessions, including his liquor.
Be warned, the culprits remain unidentified and at large!
Your servant,
Cpl. Tucker
Fortunately, at least one of the bandits can’t hold his
liquor.
RED
RIVER BATTALION
OFFER
At the Spring Muster of the Red
River Battalion, the members of the 9th
Texas, which comprise most of the
battalion members, were issued plastic laminated cards. The cards were approximately three by
five inches in size, the same as a medium size index card. On each cards was printed the owners
name, address, phone numbers, emergency contact information, and any important
medical information which could affect treatment in case of injury. Each member fills-out a standard form
which is then reduced in size and laminated. Members were encouraged to keep these
cards in a standard place so that they could be quickly found in case of need by
anyone in the 9th
Texas. The 9th members keep theirs
in their cartridge boxes.
Colonel Fred Yokubaitis, the
commander of the Red River Battalion has generously offered to let the Texas
Rifles get similar cards for our members at very reasonable price using the
9th Texas laminating
machine. The price would be on the
order of a few dollars for each card.
We have discussed formally and informally within the Texas Rifles for
years of developing some sort of medical form, so that we would know about
serious medical conditions in advance which members might have, or which might
affect emergency medical treatment.
This would have led to a pile of papers which someone would have to be
responsible for and to carry at events.
The 9th Texas’s
solution is much better.
I propose that we accept the
generous offer of our comrades in the 9th
Texas and pursue getting these
cards for each of our members. The
cost could be paid from our treasury, assisted perhaps with donations from
members. Something to think about
for our next business meeting.
Regards, John Keahey
NOTE: New Red River Battalion Website:
http://www.9thtexas.org/
Rowdy’s Corner
TAKING A HIT
Watching a reenactment always seems to be the same! People
take a hit and die. What we need to start working on is when we take hits take a
hit were you can walk off the field. Once you are out of sight of the public you
can reform and go back in as support troops. In every battle you have almost all
dead! It just not seems to give a false scene to the battle it self! So I would
like to see walking wounded you can also make it look real by screaming and do a
little running towards the rear for help. At Liendo Plantation we ran off then
we reformed and went back in as support it was to no avail as were we routed
shortly after but it looked good from what a lot of the bystanders had said! So
let’s work on this at our next event! We should have only about 1-3 killed the
rest should be wounded.
Cpl Rowdy
Look! Cpl. Tucker
followed Rowdy’s advise at Pleasant
Hill. But
then, he’s always been very impressionable.
A Short History of the
US Militia
This is a
short essay on the militia system of the United
States, as it served as the basis for
organizing the army of the Confederate States. After the Constitution was
adopted, the first law relating to the militia was the Militia Law of 1792. That
law, as amended in 1795, 1803, and 1808, specified that all able-bodied males
between the ages of 18 and 45 were to be enrolled in their respective state’s
(or territory’s) militia. Each state was to appoint an Adjutant General who
would be responsible for providing annual reports to the appropriate state and
national authorities, and for supervising the organization of that state’s
militia. All states were enjoined to structure their militia along lines
parallel to the Regular Army organization. There should be regular muster days,
and all militiamen should be drilled, trained, and disciplined according to
"normal standards", whatever those were. Officers needed uniforms of Regular
army design; militiamen needed none. Some arms and equipment would be provided
by the federal government; the rest was the responsibility of the state or the
individual militiamen.
All militia
were liable for active national service for six to twelve months, depending on
which of the many amendments to the law was currently applicable. They were to
be paid by the national government while in national service. Volunteer militia
units were recognized as legitimate state militia if sanctioned by the state
and, in practice, received most of the arms and equipment distributed by both
the state and national governments. The individual states appointed militia
officers and controlled unit training. When on active service with the nation,
state militia came under national control and direction.
In the
18th and 19th Centuries, most organization of the militia
was haphazard at best. Each state appointed an Adjutant General with the rank of
Major General of Militia. Any regular Army officer outranked all militia
officers, regardless of rank, which had a couple of interesting effects, when
during the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson actually took the field as the Major
General of the Tennessee Militia, and at New Orleans, refused to accede to the
command of the senior regular Army officer present. Fortunately, this
professional recognized the gravity of the situation, and did not challenge
Jackson to command the forces in
Louisiana. For the most part, the
AGs were political appointees, this being a patronage job.
Musters, if
held, tended to be annual events in most locations. Typically, each county (the
US being
basically a rural country) would have a “company” and at the muster, elect the
Captain, Lieutenants, and NCOs. Some weapons might actually be present, and the
more ambitious might actually attempt to read a drill manual before continuing
the muster at a nearby tavern. Cities may have more than one company, and in
major cities, the militia company took on a social aspect. Certain units, such
as the Boston Company of Cadets and the Philadelphia City Troop were “gentleman”
organizations, and others such as the New York Grays and Louisiana Blues
equipped themselves well and actually were known to conduct drill.
When the
militia was “called forth” due to conflict, the weakness of this haphazard
organization became apparent. Companies varied greatly in size, anywhere from 30
men to 100 men could be a company. The unit was generally undrilled and had to
start instruction as soon as the unit was accepted for service. None of the
officers and NCOs had any experience managing a unit in the field, much less as
functioning as part of an Army. When the company organized during a time of
crisis, the captain would report the company to the state Adjutant General as
ready for service. The AG would then accept companies for service until the
state quota was reached. After being accepted, the company would be sent to an
encampment, and the state AG would then organize companies into Regiments, a
Regiment to be composed of 10 Companies (In 1861, the 1st Texas was
an exception to this rule, being organized with 12 Companies). The state
Governor would then appoint the 3 Field Grade officers of the Regiment (Colonel,
Lt. Col., and Major), the Col. then appointed the Adjutant (usually the senior
1st Lt., but typically the most competent officer that he could find
in the 10 Companies), and Regimental NCOs (Sgt. Maj., QM Sgt., Ord. Sgt., Color
Sgt., etc.).
Obviously,
the senior officers had political connections in the state, but many of the 1861
appointments went to men who had served as officers in the Mexican War 15 years
previously. Another exception to this rule, was Robert E. Lee, who after
resigning his commission as a Colonel of the U.S. Army, was not given command of
any of the Virginia regiments than being formed, and was assigned to the AG’s
office, until Jefferson Davis had control of the national army and needed a
commander for the ANV.
As the
Army was formed for service, a number of Regiments would be brought together to
form a Brigade. A Brigade could consist of a minimum of 2 and as many as 6
Regiments, but typically, a Brigade consisted of 4 Regiments. Confederate
practice was to brigade Regiments of the same state together whenever possible,
while U.S. Army practice was to brigade regiments with no regard as to origin
(although Regular Army regiments seldom served in the same brigade as state
regiments). A Brigade would be commanded by a Brigadier General or a Col. senior
to all of the regimental commanders. The appointment of Generals is the sole
province of the central government, so at this point, state influence started to
diminish.
If the
size of the army is even larger in scope, 2 to 4 Brigades would be formed into a
Division, which should be commanded by a Major General. As our Civil War formed
armies on a scale never seen before on our continent, larger organizations were
needed to command and control the units. An Army Corps was formed by anywhere
from 2 to 4 Divisions, and could be commanded by a Lieutenant General, the first
time this rank had been used since held by George Washington, and an Army would
consist of 2 or more Army Corps, and could be commanded by a General. At the
Division and Corps level, additional units such as Engineers, Paymasters, and
such, make an appearance.
At the
end of hostilities, the militia would be released from service, back to the
states, and the Regular Army officers serving as Generals would return to their
permanent ranks. For example, Custer died as Lt. Col. of the 7th CAV,
although he served as a Major General in our Civil War. Had the Regular Army not
expanded from 6 Regiments of Cavalry to 10 in the post war organization, he most
likely would have been a Captain.
This
system was still used in the Spanish American War, and then was changed to the
system we know today as the National Guard (organized state militia) and Army
Reserve as part of the reforms in Army organization that took place from 1905 to
1916.
Tommy Attaway
The next newsletter deadline will be announced on the Yahoo group. Thanks,
Don