The
Tyrants' Foe 
Newsletter of the Texas
Volume XXII, Number 2
****************************************** April 2006
***Next Maximum Effort Event***
Red
River Battalion Muster in preparation for Perryville
September
9-10th, 2006 TBA
It is all a question of random
chance. Random chance and
statistics informs us that the weather at some events will have rain and some
will be dry; it’s all a matter of chance.
What I fail to understand is how we can have the driest winter on record
in
I would like to commend all our
members who attended Beaumont Ranch.
In spite of trying conditions, no one complained and everyone did
everything that was demanded of them.
I know that we all were cold, wet and disappointed at times, but the
Texas Rifles pulled through in their usual grand style. On the
As will be discussed in an
accompanying article, the
It has been a rainy year thus far for reenacting, but the next several events will enjoy great weather; random chance and statistics guarantees it!
John M. Keahey
Captain
Lieutenant’s
Inkwell
Although it is still a few months away, I would like to
pass on a little bit of my excitement about the
Outpost event this coming June. The Outpost started as an
excuse for a small mess of us to get together and practice our first person
impressions without the distractions that come with most re-enactments.
The Mudrollers, mostly defunct now due to
attrition and promotions, set up camp near
Last year saw a shift in our motivations at Outpost. Due to
a tight schedule early in the year, we decided to move the event to the first
week of June. No longer a “winter” outpost, we now had
the
It is a new year and the Call to Arms has been sounded!
Outpost 2006 will be held on the first weekend of June this year on the same
great spot of land with an expanded scenario and more men to man the works.
Please watch for Jim Bozworth’s article in this newsletter with a full description of this years plans. I will
simply sum it up by saying that this is shaping up to be another awesome
weekend. Like last year, it will be tough with plenty of work and little rest
but therein lies the challenge. We can never fully put
ourselves into the shoes of the men who fought in 61-65, but we should get a
good dose of what army life was like back then. If ever there was time to
“soldier up” for an event, the time is now, the place is
FJMarek
LT of
From the Home
Front
As this is my first report as Civilian Coordinator, I wish to
thank the membership for electing me to the position and to
Several of the Civilians attended Beaumont Ranch in March. We
stayed warm and dry in a room at the ranch while our brave soldiers
unfortunately endured the terrible weather. The Civilians enjoyed games of cards
and chuck-a-luck, hot tea and chocolate, cookies, a wonderful lunch and
celebrated Elizabeth Lechman's birthday with cake. We were very thankful to be
able to provide a bit of comfort and shelter to the military members when the
weather finally became unbearable.
Six camp stools for the Civilians are on order from James
Country Mercantile. These will provide much needed seating for our members in
the civilian camp. Once received,
the canvas seating will be covered with
more appropriate period fabric. The Civilians now have their
own informational brochure. It
provides information about the Civilian activities and membership in the Texas
Rifles. A few have already been
distributed at different events. Planning for the
Other goals for the Civilians include producing a new member
guide, developing appropriate scenarios for events and purchasing a fly to
provide the civilians with shade and a common place for us to gather.
I attended a school event in March at the
Texas Rangers among others. This event provided information
about living through the Civil War to the Jr ROTC units of the school. After
hearing presentations on medicine, soldier life, and the homefront, the students
participated in a mock battle with reenactors as commanders and various military
service recruiters judging the battle to determine the winner. I also
participated in a festival at Old Settler's Park in Round Rock celebrating the
200th birthday of
Steven and I plan to attend the May Bellmead event for a day.
It is fairly close to us and usually has some interesting civilian activities.
If anyone is interested in attending and wants more information let me know.
I invite anyone interested in the civilian side of the era or
a civilian impression to contact me. We would have all been civilians at one
time or another in the time we interpret and it is appropriate that some
civilian attributes be apparent in all our impressions.
With fond regards
Annette Bethke
Civilian Coordinator
Corporals Corner
For all those intrepid individuals that have attended an event this year, welcome to the Texas Rifles, Volunteer Marine Regiment. The Lechmanns & Joe Raffels have decided they are causing the rain. If this were so, be assured we would have taken steps, like obtaining landing craft. Unfortunately, that’s just how Mother Nature responds to Reenactments.
On a brighter note, Nancy & I had a great time at Beaumont Ranch (not counting the weather, the event coordinator, the site, & the offsite distance to lodging). The cameraderie around the damp campfire, at Annette’s room & in the barn is what makes reenacting fun & is a big part of why I love the hobby & being a member of the Texas Rifles.
On a more military note, I would like to see all of us concentrate more on our company drill. As Texas Rifles, we are all proud of the reputation earned by the group, encompassing both current & previous members. If we want to maintain this reputation & continue to impress people both within & outside the reenacting community, we need to work harder than we have been. There in no one to blame, except possibly for the aforementioned Mother Nature. I know our company drills of late have been short, but our performance during the drills has been lax. We need to put more effort into company drill in a number of areas including; maintaining our dress while marching (line bowing in & out), the rear rank needs to maintain distance with the front rank (rear rank falling back), maintaining 2 steps behind the our commanding officer, keeping track of our dress side (usually left unless otherwise specified) & most importantly, don’t anticipate commands & turns. We are consistently wheeling prior to the order in a column of companies & stopping the wheel early. Sergeants, Corporals & experienced privates need to step up and help those with less experience. This doesn’t mean repeat orders or singling someone out who’s making a mistake, but help out with positioning & quietly give advice in the ranks when the opportunity presents itself.
Please take these observations as constructive criticism and not as a complaint. We are one the best reenacting companies, but I know we can do better & want us all to be proud when we march, whether it’s during battle or drill.
Proudly your servant,
Corporal Don L. Tucker
Company G, The
I regret to inform you that this
event is now closed to most members of the Texas Rifles. I have been in email correspondence with
our friend Mike Bringhurst of Company C in the 1st
The stated reason for this
position on behalf of the NCLHA is their insurance policy. Their insurance policy, apparently,
specifies that individuals can participate with the NCLHA troops twice without
paying dues and becoming members.
These individuals are termed, “volunteers”. Unlike the Texas Rifles, payment of the
dues automatically makes you a full member of the NCLHA instantaneously. Under this clause the
It would be pleasant to accept
the position that this impasse is a product of complex insurance language in
which the leadership of the NCLHA finds itself trapped in spite of their good
intentions. I have known the key
players in this little charade for many years and served with them on many
fields. The insurance angle, while
probably true, is a convenient excuse.
We left the NCLHA due to repetitive, mean spirited subterfuges just like
this one. So be it. It would have been great to participate
in this march, renew old friendships and see places made memorable by the
John Keahey,
Outpost
II
When: Friday evening, June 2 until Sunday
Where: Private property a few miles outside of
We in the Texas
Rifles would like to extend an invitation to participate in an experience that
is unique in this region and rare in the hobby itself. Please understand that if you are
reading this, we consider you to be a progressive part of our hobby and feel you
will find this invitation of special interest. For a period of 36 hours you will have
the chance to step into a Civil War scenario that was very common to most
soldiers but is almost never addressed by our hobby. The event will take place on beautiful
rolling wooded and open country that has almost no modern intrusions.
Scenario: An earlier attempt was been made to
fortify a hilltop that commands a seldom used but potentially strategic
road. These fortifications were
poorly built and the position was overrun and abandoned. The tides of war have changed once again
and this hilltop is once more a valuable piece of real estate. You are a member of a Federal company
that has been assigned the task of refortifying this hilltop. An officer of engineers has been put in
overall command of your force and will guide you in your task. A Confederate force is already in place
to act as a threat (having campaigned in the bottoms with the heat and
mosquitoes at the previous Outpost event, we would advise you to be glad to be
Federal for this one).
Expectations:
You should expect to live for
36 hours in a Federal military camp that is in harms way. First person personas are encouraged but
are not required. Guards will be
constantly posted, details will be organized to gather wood, water, dig sinks,
and roll call and formations will be necessary. Your army-issued rations will be cooked
for you by a company cook. Fatigue
details will construct ramparts, ditches, obstacles and revited gun emplacements
as per the instruction of the officer of engineers. All of these tasks will occur under the
threat of hostile fire. To suppress
these threats, pickets may need to be thrown out at any hour.
Objective:
You will be successful if your
company is able to build so many pre-determined feet of works within the set
time. The Confederate force will
win if they are able to slow down your work with attacks and interrupt
completion. The rules of engagement
will virtually preclude casualties.
Rates of fire and proximity will determine whether a force is having
effect on the opposing force. The
officer of engineers will make this determination. The officer of engineers will in effect
be the referee, and as in the real army of the time, may not necessarily make
rulings that you agree with.
Outcomes: Based on Outpost I, this will be a very intense 36 hours. Food will be plentiful but plain. Sleep will be limited. Frustrations will arise. There will be some amount of physical work. That’s the way it was for the boys of ’61-’65 too. It is not our intent for anyone to be put in an unsafe situation, nor are we out to hurt anyone. This is a hobby and not the real military. Having said that, it is the goal of this event for men to come away with an understanding of what it was like for a Civil War soldier to be given a difficult task and see what strengths and weaknesses arise from this exercise.
What you will need
to provide: Above all you
will need a positive attitude. You
will need a complete Western Federal kit with shelter half. Be prepared to carry your kit about half
a mile into the site. Bring three
gallons of drinking water in “milk jugs” that will be carried in and pre-dropped
for you. Modern medications and
mosquito repellants may be carried but not in plain site. Plain cotton work gloves may be used if
you are prone to blisters. Period
shovels and axes are needed, (the soil is sandy and digs pretty easily). There will be a small charge for rations
that should be less than five dollars for the entire weekend. Plan on arriving on-site no later than
For updated information check http://www.texasrifles.org/
If you have any questions, contact:
Jim Bozworth at http://us.f354.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?&To=jimbosworth@hotmail.com
or Frank Marek at http://us.f354.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?&To=fjmarek@aol.com
TR QM
REPORT
The TR QM is in recovery, needing to dry-out, reclaim and restore the articles provided to members and recruits for the Beaumont Ranch and previous events. The current balance in the TR QM account is $350.00, but that will soon change.
The goals of the TR QM are to; 1) follow through on the Bode Plan to sell-off unneeded items in the inventory via EBAY, 2) upgrade the loaner items in the area most needed such as accoutrements, trousers and jackets and 3) support the civilians in their needs. The first upgrade will be to replace all four bayonet scabbards with one that will actually swallow an entire bayonet of any design. How does that sound to you, Andrew?
The second upgrade will be to replace the Pakistani cap boxes, cartridge boxes and belts. These cheaply made items are deteriorating rapidly. The cap boxes will be replaced first as the cheap ones don’t stay closed and dump the caps out on the slightest pretext. The Pakistani cap boxes will be disassembled, rebuilt as CS painted cloth cap boxes and sold.
The third upgrade will be to add to our Federal Trouser inventory in the 44” waist size range. We have needed this size for some time. I would also like to reduce our loaner CS jacket inventory to the current Texas Rifle required style and increase our supply of cotton overshirts, but these are down-the-road goals.
I want to do a complete inventory of the contents of the TR QM. To that end I need to know who has what items of clothing and equipment. My information on what is out of the inventory is as follows;
Eddie Voskamp has Federal trouser P11
Victor Yancey has a boy’s brown jacket, and grey trouser
Andrew Davis has some accoutrement items, but I do not know what specifically
John Lechmann has a Federal sack coat, trouser, shoes, two pair socks, forage cap, shirt
Ben Lechmann has a Federal sack coat, forage cap
Ben Levine has jacket B1, trouser B9, checked shirt, hat, shoes
Please verify with me that you have these items and take steps to return them to me if no longer needed. The above list is not meant to embarrass anyone and probably is incomplete, but I need to know.
John Keahey
501(c)(3)I've researched our options regarding non-profit. In order to claim donation deductions such as mileage, equipment etc. from federal income tax the Rifles will need to be a 501(c)(3). That will mean refocusing our purpose as educational, which in turn will mean a change in our by-laws and articles of incorporation. It would also require a considerable outlay of money (about $500). If we wish to incorporate to protect personal property from any legal action a state incorporation through the Secretary of State would accomplish this without the federal designation; however, there would be no tax benefit for members. This will now need to be referred to the general membership for a decision on what direction the group wishes to take. Annette.
THE CARE OF LEATHER
All of us are into leather,
at least as far as living history is concerned. Yet, how many of us take care of our
shoes, leather belts, scabbards, cartridge and cap boxes? A quick glance around the ranks shows
that, while most of us know how to maintain a musket, very few members know how
or are willing to put time in on their leather equipment. We all should. First, because your shoes and
accoutrements are an expensive investment. If you do not maintain them, they
will deteriorate and will have to be replaced. Second, good soldiers are distinguished
by well-maintained equipment.
Third, the campaign style of living history is harder on you and your
leather gear. Finally, why ruin
something neat!
Most leather is dead cow
skin, which has been chemically treated so that it will not rot. This treatment process is called
tanning. Leather has two sides, the
rough side and the smooth side. The
rough side used to be attached to the deceased animal. The rough side was used on the exterior
of working class boots and shoes because it is more porous, oils and polishes
can penetrate it easily. The smooth
side was the outside of the cow, now minus the hair, which is usually removed
during the tanning process. The
smooth side was used for the exterior of cartridge boxes, belts, etc. because it
is less porous and will shed water better.
Unlike living skin, leather cannot moisturize, or heal itself; if it is
not moisturized it will become brittle.
Eventually it will break at flex points. All leather equipment arrives from its
maker dry. The dryness only becomes
worse as the leather is exposed to sun, heat, sweat, and rain. The stuff imported from
There are a number of
leather care products on the market.
They can be purchased at hardware and food stores. Each has its uses. For shoes you can’t beat paste shoe
polish rubbed in thoroughly with a brush and buffed. Once or twice a year should
do it. And remember, the worse
thing you can do to your shoes is to place them near a campfire to dry or warm
them.
For accoutrements I
recommend a combination of saddle soap and neatsfoot oil (real neatsfoot oil,
not the imitation product). They
compliment each other nicely; saddle soap cleans and moisturizes the smooth
surfaces while neatsfoot oil thoroughly penetrates the rough side. Using a one inch wide paintbrush, brush
the neatsfoot oil onto all the rough leather surfaces. Don’t soak the leather in it, but make
sure the neatsfoot oil penetrates the leather thoroughly. Extremely dry or thick leather will need
more oil. Saddle soap is best
applied with a piece of sponge.
Don’t use the kitchen sponge because saddle soap is toxic. Rub the saddle soap with a sponge
dampened with water, creating a lather.
Rub the lather into the smooth side of the leather. After all the smooth surfaces have been
done, wipe off the excess saddle soap with a damp cloth. You will already see how much more soft
and flexible the leather is. It is
stronger now as well.
Do this once or twice a year
and your leather gear will last longer than you. Someone asked me at an event if I had
purchased a new cartridge box. The
box he thought was new is actually 17 years old! Although it has seen long service, that
cartridge box is in better than new condition. Will our gear last 130 years like
original Civil War equipment? No.
Unlike 19th century organic tanning, the chemicals used in the modern process
eventually break down and destroy leather.
John Keahey,
Newsletter
Deadline
The next newsletter deadline will be announced on the TR Yahoo group. Thanks, Don
Survey
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2005 Membership ID Name |
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Contact: Name Phone # (XXX) XXX-XXXX |
Medical
Information: Allergies:
none Other: none |
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If
lost, please mail to : 2810
This ID is to be presented at the first company formation at each Texas Rifles event, and should be carried on you throughout the event. Please keep a copy of your medical insurance information with this card. ID card replacement fee is $5.00. |
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