Author:
EKMBBC Captain Leon Harrison, G.C.M.
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Date Posted: 00:38:03 04/30/09 Thu
Leon Harrison
West Carrollton, Ohio
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
To: The Editor
Subject: Sat. 4-25-09 4th annual Grove City Encampment
“General Clay speechified at Grove City”
This year, I was going to skip writing about the annual [Saturday, April 25] Century Village/Fryer Park Encampment at Grove City, Ohio, as our regular East Kentucky Magazine readers, buyers and subscribers and advertisers may or may not have read about it all before and don’t want to read about it anymore. But, this year, our own General Cassius Marcellus Clay (aka Paul D. Taulbee) proudly speechified loud while standing upon a stage and in front of an appreciative enthusiastic Buckeye crowd who applauded and cheered and heard his every word. No, as an ethical and professional journalist, I could and would never consider brown-nosing or buttering up an editor or publisher just to get something printed with my infamous, uh…name.
I have got to peck this out to save, share and snail-mail it with my Grove City photo CDs. This year, I make and send no printed pictures. I am halfway through reading Tony Horwitz’s good book, “Confederates in the Attic”, in which he also writes about attending and participating in Civil War battle reenactments and touring southern Civil War battlefields and territory. Thus, I am sort of disgusted, as I am sure that many of our elderly parents and grandparents are [and dead ancestors would be], by too many of our spoiled childish citizens bragging and nagging about some president defending and protecting us while “keeping us safe” because “we are afraid.”
I just got off the phone with Colonel Ronald Ross Cornett, East Kentucky Magazine Columbus Correspondent and recently-promoted Medical Surgeon Inspector, who did his first-ever educational medical display at last Saturday’s Grove City event. I told him that Keith [aka Kacey] and Kathy Crager of K & K Mercantile [Civil War sutlers] have my pawn-shop Hawken-type rifle; which I had left leaning against their trailer after Pvt. Hill and I had left without rechecking the area one final time. Maybe, tomorrow [Thursday] afternoon, I can drive up to Enon to get my rifle from them, trading it for a couple of these photo CDs and a few East Kentucky Magazines, within which a story about last year’s encampment were printed and published.
At Fryer Park, Kacey and his fellow members of the 76th Ohio Volunteer Infantry did not want us to have fun with such short-barreled “squirrel guns.” That Saturday morning, after I let Private Adam Hill, Ron’s 20-year-old grandson, shoot a couple of cartridges from my Hawken, he only got to carry and drill with this gun for fun. Short soldiers with short guns are a hassle and unsafe when they fire them from and within the proper battle ranks of two, over front-rank-soldier shoulders and next to their faces from rear ranks. Period-authentic Civil War Enfield and Springfield rifles have longer barrels and are safer.
Mixed heights and rifles are okay and safe when fired by home guard Harlan County Battalion-type units, as long as soldiers are spread out in single skirmish lines and battle ranks; usually looking and doing quite good at the annual Battle of Leatherwood, Kentucky, [Oct. 23-25 this year]. In a way, this is like going back to the early 1960s Civil War-centennial beginning and roots of our current modern reenactment hobby; when people could just show up to have fun with black-powder guns and mixed, mismatched patched uniforms of gray and blue. Yes, there is a method to our regressive badness and madness: Getting young people started as new reenactor recruits by loaning them uniforms, cartridge-box purses and cheap [pawn-shop and gun-show] rifles to shoot; thereby getting them hooked before they decide to start buying enough expensive authentic reenactor gun stuff and fun stuff. How can a $600 Springfield rifle break when a $125 pawn-shop Hawken don’t or won’t?!
Early this past Friday afternoon, I arrived at Grove City and the Cornett Castle. This time, Private Whitey barked at me with more eager enthusiasm than anger. Nurse Sharon was also glad if not eager to see me. Paul D. would arrive that evening. We three could not believe that Sharon did not want to attend or participate in this annual Grove City event, instead of going to work at the thrift store once more. I took Private Whitey for a walk around the neighborhood, he pulling me with his leash and making me exercise too. Col. Cornett has trained Pvt. Whitey to defecat, uh…decorate the yards of his nearby Buckeye Copperhead Confederate-sympathizer suburbanite neighbors and strangers. I think that we got away with this mission and his pissin, uh…urinatio…decoration, and escaped without witnesses. Pvt. Whitey was ignoring rather than following my orders, of course, since I was wearing my cooler civilians clothes, like ya know.
As usual, Col. Cornett drove Paul D. and me around town for fine dining and tours between Grove City and downtown Columbus, both that Friday evening and following the Grove City event on Saturday. I love warmer and better weather! Especially when I can cheaply view without paying for or listening to those lovely young coeds at OSU, while glancing at theme discreetly while they talk and walk along the sidewalks without gawking at them. No, neither Ron nor Paul D. made any or many sexist comments or looked at all of those lovely young ladies like I did. Oh, Sharon did not ride along with us, or even want to share our company for some reason, probably figuring that we three late-middle-aged men are basically if not probably harmless now.
That Friday evening, while watching a Columbus TV news program, we viewed and listened to a ten-second sound bite from Governor Dennison, who was participating and performing at the State House: He stated that the Civil War was supposed to last ninety days, not four years. The State House Battery was encamped there and doing artillery demonstrations and drills for the public, firing one of those big brass cannons for fun. On Saturday, the governor and a similar Confederate artillery unit, with one black steel cannon, would be educating, demonstrating and entertaining at Fryer Park. Is this the fourth time?
After fine dining in a local restaurant, Ron drove Paul D. and me out to Fryer Park just before dark and parked. Some of the primitive Indians, pioneers and mountain men, civilians, soldiers and sutlers had set up their teepees, tents and camps, and had their campfires burning logs and glowing with coals, a few of them cooking meat and stew. Spectators, guests and visitors were also sitting there in front of the stage to view and listen to Loosely Strung, a good local four-member bluegrass and traditional-music band. Paul D. bought a couple of their music CDs. Your EKM Buckeye Bureau Chief was walking around and taking flash-photo pictures for you and for Paul D. We three also had to pose for these photos. A big open-sided pavilion tent had been pitched and set up in front of the stage, rows of plastic chairs set up under it for spectators. We sat and chatted and walked and talked, looking at pioneer and Civil War stuff, sniffing and smelling those nostalgic ancient ancestral aromas of wood smoke and roasting meat…but not unwashed bodies, disease, latrines and smelly feet.
Thank God for electricity, indoor plumbing, running water, showers, toilets and portable potties! We also thank Him for the Mega Millions lottery tickets that we three wise and thrifty men invested in…for the sake of our village children. Since I did not win, I have to call and ask these two old friends if they did. Captain Harrison is still outranked by his two superior officers, who therefore get to sleep in the Cornetts’ beds instead of upon their air mattress; which Sgt. Harrison blew up [with a blower] and laid out upon their dining-room floor once more. Sergeant Harrison once again remembered and thus made sure that that little valve was shut and secure for the night, because he did not wish to awaken upon a flattened mattress and a carpeted but hard floor as he had that one time once before.
Private Adam Hill, 20, also slept over after getting off from this third-shift shelf-stocking job at Kroger, early that Saturday morning. Since he is so young, healthy and tough, three hours of sleep is more than enough, giving him some of the authentic romantic Civil War and similar military experience of being a private soldier who still did their duties and their best with or without food, water or rest. Colonel Cornett and Sergeant Harrison had informed and warned Private Hill not to smoke his cigarettes while standing in ranks, and to leave his cell-phone alone or at home, and to take his two shiny diamond earrings out of his earlobes.
That Saturday morning, the four of us breakfasted at The Ohio Restaurant, whereat Sergeant Harrison left his typical usual generous tip. He cannot stop himself from giving his money to honeys! Of course, we had to start posing for East Kentucky Magazine photos. Let me get a cup of coffee and look at these digital-image pictures. Take a break.
Just my luck: my first Civil War event of the year and it was eighty-three degrees and thank God for the breeze, that kept blowing away papers and hats and other lighter stuff. Sergeant Crager had to chase his slouch hat all day but kepis were okay. Sgt. Harrison and Pvt. Hill had driven and ridden inside Sgt. Harrison’s little HHR car while their superior officers had taken Col. Cornett’s bigger SUV. Sgt. Harrison carries two extra blue shell jackets and a gray one that he has not needed to wear yet. He also bought and brought a small collapsible wooden chair. Although they each had a rifle, Sgt. Harrison took out another one of his three Hawkens for any new recruits or guests who might get to or need drill with it or shoot it.
Harrison and Hill leaned their three rifles against Keith and Kathy Crager’s K & K Mercantile trailer and left them without any doubts for fears here. Their newest reenactor acquaintances and potential friends had to set up their sutler stuff regardless of the wind. As a rule: Reenactors can trust each other like sisters and brothers, maybe even more so. But, sometime, during that previous Friday night, someone had walked off with a Union canteen that had been left hanging by a strap from a tent pole outside. Sgt. Harrison also left his pistol on a trailer fender when he was told that no pistols would be allowed or used, according to host unit and home unit rules, which is okay by the way. He could have and should have taken back his bayonet and scabbard from Pvt. Hill, because he could use it with his Springfield but Pvt. Hill could not attach it to his civilian Hawken.
Sgt. Harrison also did his duty for the Harlan County Battalion and the Leatherwood Reenactment Committee by leaving copies of the Leatherwood website press release with the Cragers and the Confederates, not that those Caudill Confederates need any or many more reinforcements of course. With each of these press-release copies, they also got autographed copies of Leon Harrison’s “Civil War reenactors honor, respect and remember their veterans” letter that has been printed and published by better editors…as has been seen within East Kentucky Magazine.
Sgt. Harrison and Pvt. Hill helped a couple of men unload Buffalo Bill Cody’s [aka William J. Steece] big brown [stuffed] buffalo from a trailer that they had backed up to the black wooden barn, each of them grabbing and holding up a leg to move it inside nearby. Yes, they all had to perform and pose for photos with Buffalo Bill and his buffalo, Sgt. Harrison smiling at the cameras and aiming his Springfield at it again.
Col. Cornett and Gen. Clay had set up the colonel’s medical display on top of some straw bales that had been set up for them under the edge of an open-sided tent that was being buffeted and bent by the wind that was also pulling up tent stakes and thus loosening poles and ropes. This was Col. Cornett’s first medical-officer impression. For about six hours, he and Gen. Clay had fun interacting with the visitors while wearing their warm and formal dress-blue Union uniforms.
Sgt. Harrison wanted to check and fire his and Pvt. Hill’s respective rifles, to make sure that they would be ready for action if not battle. They walked out upon the open flat grassy field that was located behind the cabin, to stop and shoot out toward the distant rebel-flagged hill. After firing a round apiece, a soldier told them to walk out past a thin yellow-plastic safety ribbon that had been stretched around the perimeter to mark and thus make a safety zone for shooting. After stepping across this ribbon, they shot another loud smoky black-powder volley into the air out there. Sgt. Harrison’s Springfield hammer stopped cocking and locking! Something inside the lock was broke, folks! His $600 rifle was only three years old. Of course, nothing was wrong with that cheaper pawn-shop Hawken, which soon had Sgt. Harrison cussin’, fussin’, and squawkin’. Later, after that first drill session, a veteran medical man from the 76th OVI opened up Sgt. Harrison’s Springfield lock plate for the very first time, wherein he discovered a small broken steel tension wedge spring. They had no spares there.
We all walked and talked, mixed and mingled and explored once more, going to and through the barn, cabin and Old Orders School House, located between the small Civil War, Indian, Pioneer, and Revolutionary War encampments with sutlers and vendors set up between them all, the Kiwanis soda-pop-and-snack trailer nearest to the old brick school building. Inside the two-story log house, ladies dressed as pioneers served small samples of Johnny cake and hardtack to visitors, while explaining family furnishings and farm implements. Some of the pioneer and primitive mountain-man people and their friends may also attend the upcoming annual Mountain Days music festival that is held every August at Dayton’s Eastwood Metro Park. Various bands, musicians and singers performed and played upon the cabin porch and the stage all day. A blacksmith was set up with his anvil, forge and hammer beside the barn. Members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War also had an open-sided tent set up with chairs and a table upon which they displayed and distributed their literature. Every February, they have a nice Lincoln Birthday dinner at Schmidt’s Restaurant.
Despite this warm steady wind, Kathy and Keith Crager had managed to set up K & K Mercantile at the parking-lot end of the Union encampment. On the opposite side of the stage and closer to the cabin, Crabtree’s Independent Rifles were set up under a big open-sided tent with a few of their brass-plated Henrys on display in a rack on top of a table. We shook hands and chatted, posing for pictures with our reenactor sisters and brothers and any other people who chose to do so. Yes, we talked about past and previous and upcoming events and battles, advising and inviting each other to attend our favorite events. During his windy [weather] speech, Governor Dennison would mistakenly refer to Captain Crabtree’s unit as “Crabtree’s Kentucky Rifles”…which really does not sound that bad.
A smaller Confederate camp with tents had been set up between the two large flat fields, the Confederate cannon with caisson set up upon the more distant isolated field behind the YMCA complex nearby. Your EKMBBC took pictures of the gun crew and spectators between morning and afternoon drill, still missing that desired flame-from-the muzzle shot. Some of those sneaky riffraff-rabble rebels had climbed up on top of that big high grass-covered manmade mound, planting their battle flag above a small wooden fort with low thin walls that wouldn’t even stop a minié ball. From there, they held the high ground and could look down upon Century Village and Fryer Park. Some of Sgt. Harrison’s lazier and older fellow soldiers, with Pvt. Hill, were worried about assaulting this prominent position. Fortunately, the rebs didn’t have enough infantry for a fight, despite their superiority in artillery support. That afternoon, between his drills, Sgt. Harrison would bravely make his individual unarmed assault upon the summit, whereupon it he defeated two rebel men and their Confederette companion, she being the wife of one who had a gun. Sgt. Harrison let them take his picture while he acted like he was captured and surrendering as their prisoner. He should have asked them to likewise pose for similar prisoner photos.
After the morning drill session ended, Union troops were marched to stand silently in lines and ranks, on opposite sides of the stage, their Confederate cohorts similarly and silently standing in ranks nearby. They all knew that it was time for the traditional ceremonies and speeches. At Grove City, Governor Dennison always gets more than ten seconds to speechify and to rectify his Civil War history and record. We wish that we could get him to do so in front of those Caudill Confederates and their Orphan Brigade brethren at Leatherwood. Oh, if only they could be so lucky as the best of us and the rest of us Union troops. As mentioned, we got a kick out of it when the governor mentioned Crabtree’s “Kentucky” Rifles. He also honored and helped us to remember a long-dead Union local Union veteran, giving us a few personal facts, figures, stories and statistics for historical and societal context.
This year, for the very first time, the governor was followed by an energetic enthusiastic fire-breathing Kentuckian, General Cassius Marcellus Clay, who took his place upon the stage, in front of a microphone, brandishing his big shiny Bowie knife and pistol while bravely and brazenly shouting about Christianity in front of nice polite civilized Buckeyes and old-fashioned Ohio folks who had rarely if ever heard such stuff uttered in public…at least recently. In many ways, our ancestors may have been simpler but smarter way back when. During this speechifying, Sergeant Harrison had to discreetly break ranks and leave his formation, to go and get his camera and do his EKM journalistic duty by taking a few pictures of General Clay in passionate action. After taking his pictures, Sgt. Harrison still had plenty of time to return to the ranks and retake his place in line. Yes, this looked sort of bad but I had to do it for you and for our publisher and our public.
I need to fix something to eat. Don’t worry, it won’t be much or take too long. By the way, we can also thank God for microwave ovens. I guess that I needed this new Whirlpool refrigerator, if only to freeze ice cream, but it cost me enough to pay for a half-dozen [close] Civil War battle reenactments; not to mention a few new uniforms or even another new fun gun.
For some unknown [and unasked] indiscretion or past infraction, the former Captain Crager had been demoted to the rank of sergeant. As a captain, he had drilled Sgt. Harrison and Pvt. Hill during the 2007 encampment. He may have noticed that they hadn’t improved much since then. Kacey has been reenacting for twenty-five years and has appeared in some Civil War movies. I classify him as a Drill Master, who knows how to drill soldiers with correct commands to march and maneuver and shoot with his troops and with other units. I consider his 76th Ohio Volunteer Infantry unit to be a good reenactor outfit that performs authentically and practices and stresses authenticity. They had set up a good camp with some interesting displays, one of them cooking a big Cumberland Gap ham on a black-iron spit over an open campfire.
We had enough men to form the usual typical and traditional battle ranks of two, shorter people in the front rank with taller people standing in the back rank. The company commander and the First Sergeant soon had us divided into two platoons: the first one being the more advanced class and the second one, mine and Adam’s, called “The Awkward Platoon”. Kacey was thrilled to drill The Awkward Platoon and soon has us performing adequately. Adam had trouble because he is left handed and has not had much experience handling or shooting guns; like too many of our younger citizens who could and should be taught to properly use and shoot firearms…unlike the dangerous young drug thugs and similar criminals whom they may have to face and fight someday.
Anyway, Kacey made us sweat and regret not paying attention and getting more exercise outside. Sgt. Harrison shared his canteen water with Pvt. Hill until it ran out. BAD SOLDIER! That afternoon, after his first drill session ended and he had snacked and relaxed, Sgt. Harrison had returned to the ranks with an empty canteen! Every soldier knows and remembers better after finding out the hard and hot way. Sgt. Crager also knows that he is giving reenacting refresher lessons at the first event of the year here. Kacey started with the basic facing, rifle drill and marching, followed by firing commands from the ranks. Doing a skirmish line is also a lot of exercise! He had groups of four comrades-in-arms taking turns, leapfrogging ahead and retreating behind in short skirmish lines, his blue-clad soldiers covering each other and reloading to fire as soon as they were ready. Sgt. Harrison and Pvt. Hill went “Bang! Bang!” in lieu of really shooting. It is not much fun having an empty, a clogged or a defective gun. The Second Platoon rejoined the First Platoon to maneuver and shooting in long skirmish lines, strung out across the flat grassy field like it was real, ending it with a fine finish. We weary older soldiers were glad to get back into ranks and march back to the encampment for some rest before decampment and our departure.
“Thanks, Kacey, I needed that. It was good for me.”
“I’m tired,” complained a sweating Private Hill.
“What! You’re only twenty years old!” replied Sergeant Harrison.
“I only got three hours sleep.”
“Reenacting is fun. It’ll only cost you a couple hundred
dollars,” stated Sergeant Harrison. This comment got some grudging cynical chuckles from their fellow soldiers.
They broke ranks with a spirit of comradeship and esprit de corps, new and old acquaintances and friends vowing to meet and get back together again at some forthcoming future event. Some of the participants had to immediately start breaking camp and loading up their stuff, especially those folks who had to go to work or to school come Monday morning, back to the 21st century with their families and friends again. More young people ask me about the 1960s than they do about the 1860s; most of the century between them seemingly being either unknown or uninteresting to most folks.
This Friday [May 1], Ron Cornett and I have to drive to Mansfield, Ohio, to get my Springfield fixed at a big, sutler show at a county fairground. Heretofore, I have never had any previous reason to go to Mansfield. The Cragers are also going to this show but are not taking their sutler stuff with them. I also need a couple of new uniforms: a formal junior-officer frock coat and a sack jacket, that are big enough to fit over my bulging manly muscle. Years ago, I made the mistake of washing my first sack jacket in warm water before putting it inside my clothes dryer [set on low], thereby causing it to shrink a size or two. I ordered my expensive dress frock coat, before I retired back in February 2007, requesting that the sutlers make it the same size as one of my older lighter sports jackets…which might also be too tight by now. I will probably keep my two relatively-new and unused short blue shell jackets, saving them for new Union recruits and my own personal hot-weather wear, if I can’t sell or trade them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, right, I could and maybe should get some exercise and ride my bike until these old uniforms fit me once again. Oh, do you and Paul D. want me to write a story about this weekend’s events?
EKMBBC Captain Leon Harrison, G.C.M.
Duke of Hazard and Appalachian-American Ambassador
EKM Buckeye Bureau/Harlan County Battalion Ohio Outpost
West Carrollton, Ohio
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"General Clay speechified at Grove City"