History and Philosophy
Annual Meeting Minutes
The Brigade meets in General Congress once each year at a time and place determined by the leadership. Minutes are kept and are presented here as a record.
| OPERATING PHILOSOPHY |
| FROM THE WESTERN BRIGADE BY-LAWS: We promote |
| …living demonstrations, reenactment demonstrations, and portrayals of the Union Army… |
| …education of the general public… |
| …coordination of like-effort for the benefit of the Membership… |
| WE SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISH THE ABOVE BASED ON: |
| …monitoring of safety practices, and encouraging the use of ear plugs. |
| …an emphasis on historical accuracy…we use Casey’s Infantry Manual exclusively, conduct camps of instruction, provide many opportunities for NCOs and officers to perform duties on and off the field, rotate command positions, constantly re-evaluate our interpretation of the Western Federal soldier and his material culture, and share information among the members through Circulars, Special Orders, and General Orders. |
| …a desire to have fun…through shared experiences, and open communication. |
| …a willingness to work with and for the community of reenactors beyond the Western Brigade as demonstrated by our support of the First Federal Division, our participation as a partner in the North/South Alliance, and participation at many local and national events. |
| A Brief History of the Western Brigade… |
| The first battalion of what would become the Western Brigade was formed at the 1987 Shiloh event. There was also one company of cavalry and one artillery battery. That eleven company regiment was commanded by Mark Upton. Later in November of that year representatives of this informal association met in Indianapolis to discuss formal affiliation. The meeting was called by Chris Craft of the Mudsills. Interim officers from that meeting included: | |
| Executive Agent - Chris Craft, Mudsills | |
| Secretary & Bylaws Chairman - Chuck Warnick, 14th Indiana | |
| Newsletter - Bill Fannin, Holmes | |
| Treasurer - Richard Schachtsiek, Logan’s Brigade | |
| Corresponding Secretary - John Zaharias, Mudsills | |
| The By-laws Committee met in January, 1988, and produced the first document. The by-laws were presented to the units at the125th Gettysburg event. The by-laws were ratified on 11 March 1989 with 17 charter member units. The elected officers were: | |
| Colonel - Chris Craft, Mudsills | |
| Executive Agent - Chuck Warnick, Stone’s Battery | |
| Secretary - Ward Williams, Cumberland Guard | |
| Treasurer - Richard Schachtsiek, Logan’s Brigade | |
| Newsletter Editor - Eric Essex, Stone’s Battery | |
| Colonels through the years were: Chris Craft (1989), Dave Shackelford (1990-1991), Chuck Warnick (1992-1995), Bill Christen (1996=1997), Chris Ableson (1998-2001), and Mike Lavis (2002). Executive Agents through the years were: Chuck Warnick (1989-1991), Ward Williams (1992), Don Heitman (1992-1996), Larry See (1997 - 2000), Mike Lavis (2001) and Steve Florman (2002). | |
| The largest turnout since the formation of the brigade was at the 1864 Tennessee Campaign event…two battalions (756 men), 1 six-gun battery, and 1 cavalry company. Antietam in 1997 saw a battalion close in size to this. At Gettysburg98 we had over 450 men in line. | |
| The Western Brigade formed the North/South Alliance with the 1st Confederate Division as an event planning and coordinating organization. The Federal half of the North/South Alliance is now the 1st Federal Division (the WB, the Frontier Brigade, the Army of the Pacific, and the Cavalry Brigade). | |