The Western Brigade

General Order #1

February 13th, 2008

GENERAL ORDER,                                          Headquarters, Western Brigade

          No. 1                                                          February 12, 2008

First Lieutenant William Hoskins, Western Brigade, is hereby appointed Adjutant for the forces under my command in the upcoming Missouri campaign.

                                                                                  Col. Wm. James Moffet

Slight Change of Plans

January 22nd, 2008

Due to certain technical issues, the registration procedure for Gettysburg “At High Tide” has been modified.

Please register for the event at the “At High Tide” site: http://www.wmhf.org/athightide/registration.html

Note that the costs go up after 16 February.

The Western Brigade leadership agreed at our annual congress last November to issue authentic rations at this event.  We have not had a full battalion-wide issue since Corinth several years ago. Once we tie down the final details, including costs, company commanders and unit contacts will be notified.

Thanks for your patience in this matter.

W. J. Moffet

Colonel, Western Brigade

Register for “At High Tide”

January 14th, 2008

Happy New Year!

January 3rd, 2008

New Year - New commanders!  We have a new staff here at the Western Brigade; a new commander for the First Federal Division; and new leaders commanding both the Army of the Ohio and Illinois battalions.  With new leaders you will see a re-birth of excitement for our great hobby all across the west. The state of the brigade is very good - my eternal thanks go to my predecessor, Mike Lavis, for his dedication and devotion to the Brigade.

Plans are coming along very well for the two Western Brigade events for 2008.  Now that we have cleared the decks and completed the holiday season, it’s time to focus on “Stand of Colors” in May (16, 17, 18), and “At High Tide” the last weekend in June.  Both promise to be excellent events, and every effort should be made to get to both!

“Stand of Colors” will be the brigade’s first opportunity to travel to western Missouri in our 20 year history.  This event will represent many of the battles of the 1864 Missouri campaign.  There were many battles, culminating in the Battle of Westport outside modern Kansas City, Missouri.  This event will offer something for everyone - established camps, forward positions, interactions with civilians, and set piece battles.  Working with other Federal forces, we will be on some of the best terrain that has been available to us in years.  Proceeds will benefit special needs kids - a great opportunity to go to a great event, and help a great cause in the process!

Beyond the event itself, note that a bit of time would be well spent at one of the many historical attractions in the Kansas City area:  the National World War One Museum; Watkin’s Mills (featured in the movie “Ride with the Devil“); and the Steamboat Arabia Museum top my list - there are others. 

Gather more information about this interesting event at http://www.standofcolors.net/ - registration is up - make sure that you list “Western Brigade” along with your home unit in the appropriate line.

 Westport has been called the “Gettysburg of the West.”  Our other event this year is “At High Tide” - the ‘real’ Gettysburg 145th event.  Read all about this fascinating event at http://www.wmhf.org/athightide/ .  Please note that all Western Brigade units are to register through the “At High Tide” website - watch for a post very soon with details.

For Gettysburg, the Western Brigade will be representing several Federal units raised in the west:  Iron Brigade on Saturday; Gibralter Brigade on Saturday evening, and the First Minnesota on Sunday.  Our staff has planned a number of special features for this once-in-a-lifetime event.  Plan to arrive early on Friday.  Watch for more details very soon.

2008 should be a great year for the WB.  Col. Mike Lavis has turned the reins over to me, and I plan to continue his excellent and successful policies - taking the Western Brigade to “the Next Level.”  I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the finest and largest western Federal unit in the world.

Col. Jim Moffet

Western Brigade

The Amazing Disappearing Post

December 23rd, 2007

It appears that the last missive from the good Colonel was eaten by Internet Gods. This is just a test to see if there’s something wrong with the system itself. We may be in need of an update

And here’s an update just because I can.

Oh…Merry Christmas.

2007 Meeting Minutes Now Available

December 5th, 2007

Better late than never I suppose! Your friendly Clerk has been a bit overwhelmed of late…like since November. Anyway, all mea culpa-ing aside, the link below will take you to the minutes for the November Western Brigade Congress.

http://westernbrigade.org/history-and-philosophy/2007-meeting-minutes/

One more mea culpa…your friendly Clerk neglected to post a picture of the new Colonel.  Bad clerk!  You may see our new Colonel here.

High Tide at Gettysburg - A Letter from Colonel Lavis

October 19th, 2007

Gentlemen:

Please give this the widest possible circulation:

As I have said before, there is and will be mass confusion, and rumors and out right lies that will be spread concerning the Gettysburg event next June:

Some of this is just the normal traffic that always seems to take place, usually spread by know-it-alls, who just shoot off their mouths to draw attention to themselves. Some of it will be honest questions, and assumptions. And, sadly enough some will be put out there to discredit our efforts.  Yes, there are those who do not want this event to succeed. And, there are those who are more interested in their own personal command situation, than in recreating actual history, and in providing the best experience possible for the men in the ranks.  And, there are those who stand to profit personally from other ventures, and so do not want this event to succeed either.

Here is the actual situation:   The event will be held June  27-29th 2008. It is entitled  “High Tide At Gettysburg”

Reenactors are putting on this event. A quality experience is the main goal, for all who attend. The scenarios will be carefully chosen and scripted, to fit the terrain. Regiments will actually get to protray what those regiments actually did 145 years ago. No one will be allowed to break a scenario, commanders will be held responsible for disobeying orders. In the past, the battle has been halted until the allignment was corrected, and then taken up again.

The scenarios under consideration are: McPherson’s Ridge, Cemetary Hill, and the Wheatfield. This is not a carved in stone statement, but a place for us to start. We will not limit the battles by any time frame, again, we are looking to recreate history, not rewrite it.

This is all being done by volunteers, no one will be making a single cent from this event. This event is being put on for you.

It will be held on the site of the 130th anniversary event.  Note this is not the Nancy Bushy farm, where the 135th was held, but this is the site where part of the movie “Gettysburg” was filmed. The red barn where the hospital scene was filmed will be the registration site. The camps and battlefields are directly across the road.

This site is very close to the battlefield. Only 2 miles, by road, from Longstreet’s HQ to the registration barn. The tower on Seminary Ridge, as well as both Round Tops are very visable, and actually overlook a portion of the battlefield. Some of the land is adjacent to NPS property. We are as close as we can possibly get. More than one mile closer than any other site.

The western battalions will be commanded by their own officers, this is a joint east-west ownership event, and the commands will be shared equally as well.  The NSA, and those who elect to fall in with them, each have 1000 of the slots set aside for them, if they are needed.

The permit situation is exactly where we expect it to be at this point. We have a good friend who is in charge of the next phase, and is working with us to ensure that we get the final approval. It is going to happen.

There will be a meeting, in Gettysburg,Sat. Nov 17th. If anyone will be going to Rememberance Days, they can contact me, and I will let you know the time and place. It is not a closed meeting, we just need to know how many will be there.  I will be making the trip down, just for the meeting, and General Dumfee will be joining me.

At the proper time, a web-site will be up, and it will be made known to all.

One final note:  Gettysburg hold a very special place in the history of the United States. This is especially true for Civil War reenactors.  This is not an earth-shattering revelation, you all know this. For years, Gettysburg has been given the nick-name of “Mecca”.   Furthermore, it was a very special and hallowed place for those who actually fought there, and elsewhere, during the Civil War.

The main thing that those veterans, blue and gray, asked of us, was to never forget them, or their sacrifices for their beliefs, and for their country.  We owe them, to give as close a protrayal as we possibly can, of what was done on that field. Putting a bunch of reenactors, on a flat piece of ground, in front of bleachers does not meet that obligation. Do not be fooled by the over-worn phrase “We are educating the public.”   If the public is not seeing history reenacted, then they are not being educated. Instead they are just being ENTERTAINED, for a price. They are seeing a show, nothing more.

Anyone taking on a Gettysburg reenactment takes on a special responsibility, equal to the place in our history that it holds. This requires a special effort to get it right.  The people working on this event are determined to do just that, not just for us, but for “them” as well.  This is going to be one special experience.

My Respects

Mike Lavis

Battalion at Mill Springs

October 2nd, 2007

More 2nd Minnesota - Mill Springs Uniform Data

April 17th, 2007

At Mill Springs, the WB ‘battalion’ will be representing the Second Minnesota Volunteer Infantry.  Well trained under the leadership of Col. Horatio Van Cleve, the unit was made up of frontiersmen from all over southern & central Minnesota.  Though it was their first battle, they performed with great ‘coolness’ and would go on to be one of the hardest-fighting units in the George Thomas’ command.

We keep doing more research on the Second Regt. during this formative period at the archives of the Minnesota Historical Society.  If you’ve ever done this kind of work, you know it can be slow going (the letters are all hand written & many are faded - or worse), and only occasionally does a real jem show up!

The most recent ‘pearl’ was a letter from Private John Sherborne, Co. D, Second Minnesota.  It is dated 31 December 1861 (3 weeks before Mill Springs). John clearly describes what he was NOT taking on the upcoming campaign:

Uniforms at Mill Springs

March 16th, 2007

1. What did the Second Minnesota wear at Mill Springs on 19 January 1861? We know that most had dark blue trousers before that date. Assuming Company K’s issue was not unique, once in the field the entire regiment could have worn frocks or blouses, depending on the situation or their orders. On the morning of the battle, police guard drummer William Bircher sounded the alarm. He recorded:
2. “Sergeant of the Guards Pomeroy poked his head into the guard tent and ordered me to beat the long roll. I beat that long roll standing in front of the guard tent in the rain. I was only about half dressed. Some of the men were so excited they did not pull on their shoes. ‘They fought in their stocking feet all day.”
3. Several letters / journals describe the near-panic to get out of their tents so that they would not “miss the war.” Lt. Jeremiah Donahower wrote:
4. “Roll call usually occurred fifteen minutes after reveille, after which we returned to our tents, and while engaged in a strenuous effort to put my foot into my wet boot, that significant sound of the snare drum - omen of danger, the long roll, came from our guard tent; a monotonous beating on the drum that puts action into men and brings them into line quicker than will any other call, not excepting even the bugle call to breakfast.
   And when the rattle of the drum reached my ears I tugged and pulled the harder, and it yielded and both boots were on and grasping my sword and belt, but forgetting my haversack and giving no thought to my over coat, took my place in rear of the first platoon.
   Things nessesary [sic] to personal comforts were not remembered under the excitement produced by the startling sounds of the “long roll,” and possibly if I had not gotten my foot fast in the leg of my second boot, I might have gone into line wearing a boot on one foot and a shoe on the other, so gleefully did I hear the danger call. I missed the over coat, but being wet was not a new condition to be in, but to be hungry for breakfast, and dinner and for supper, with nothing to eat since six o’clock on Saturday evening, and all the knawing in the stomach due to my haste and thoughtlessness in not slinging the little bag containing my coffee, bacon and crackers on my shoulder before leaving the tent, was an oversight I during that day promised myself not again to be chargeable with, and I kept that promise. But I did succeed in getting into my boots, and it was well for me I did.”
   It can be argued that while on campaign, and in inclement weather, the men would have worn fatigue blouses. When the alarm sounded some may have remembered their great coats. Since the regiment formed in quite a rush, it seems unlikely that there was much concern as to ‘uniform discipline.’ Men were probably wearing whichever hat or coat they could grab in a hurry.
5. This is not to suggest a total hodge-podge of uniforms for wear at the event in September 2007, though while reenacting the battle it might be accurate. But at other times, when the Western Brigade is representing the Second Minnesota Volunteers in their camp at Logan’s Crossroads, uniformity of dress would have been the norm. Dress parades, guard mounts and other ceremonial functions would most likely have been in frock coats, with headgear as uniform as possible – probably forage caps (based on the photograph above). In inclement weather, great coats would have been worn.
6. Stephen Osman has also documented the ordnance of Minnesota volunteer regiments. The Second Regiment left Fort Snelling armed with percussion conversion Model 1816 .69 calibre muskets and Model 1855 58 calibre rifle muskets.
7. Mill Springs 2007 offers a great opportunity to improve our early war Federal impression. Minnesota companies of the Western Brigade have elected to wear dark blue trousers for the event and recommend that all who are able should wear frock coats and Model 1858 army hats.
8. We sincerely recommend that other companies do the same.

Jim Moffet