On Memorial Day weekend, we were at a Civil War reenactment in Spokane, WA. Oh, it was so wonderful to see our 15th Alabama friends again! This is Jeb. He's a museum curator, or something like that, and he's really cool. Yes, he's shooting a bloody shirt. Hailey pulled this shirt out of the company loaner gear and painted a bloody gut wound on it. Then we got the brilliant idea to shoot the shirt. Jeb happily volunteered for the job.
The results were explosive! The shirt sustained a long rend down the front and a smoking hole in the sleeve, and this is without a bullet - a testament to the power of black powder. Don't play with this stuff, kiddies. (Except, of course, my kids do.)
Our fine soldiers have been without pay for quite some time, and we had begun to fear that Captain Brock had perhaps gambled our pay away, but it turns out he's invested our funds in the Bank of Nashville. Here the happy soldiers hold their bond certificates.
Sergeant Lawless provided some skirmish training for the men this weekend. Here they show "rally by fours," a maneuver designed to repel attacking cavalry. From any side. I'd aim for the little one.
We've had some changes in our leadership. Brave Sgt Newton suffered a shoulder wound and will be sidelined for several events. That moves Sgt Lawless up to breveted 1st Sergeant, (brevet = long-term temporary.) Here he is during Cinnamon Roll Call. Cinnamon rolls are a Sunday tradition in the 15th.
Corporal Long then became Acting 2nd Sergeant, which left an opening for a new Corporal. The honor fell to young Sammy - isn't he cute?
And speaking of cute, something about the Confederate uniform brings out my husband's blue eyes.
But Calvin got in a bit of trouble this weekend. Apparently he was muttering something during the morning lineup while the Captain was trying to talk. Calvin was ordered out of line to march along the camp street with his rifle over his head. As a show of defiance, he skipped down the road, muttering "I will not mutter in line."
On Sunday, the 15th Alabama played the 20th Maine in a new game called base ball. Calvin took a turn as hurler, as the Alabama Roses attempted to lay a duck egg on Maine.
Since Maine came up several players short of a full team, we loaned them acting 1st Sgt Long, which turned out to be a very bad idea, since he scored five runs for them. We taunted him with cries of "Go back to Hackensack," and "Run, you icewagon!" but if the truth be known, we would have lost even with his help. Here's Clarence taking a turn as striker. He didn't exactly hit the apple out of the orchard, but he stirred his stumps around the bases.
Here are some of the "lovely deadheads" watching the game. The final score was painful. Maine trounced us as badly here as on Little Round Top. (The 15th Alabama confronted the 20th Maine on Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863. Despite several ferocious assaults, the 15th Alabama was ultimately unable to dislodge the Union troops, and was eventually forced to retreat in the face of a desperate bayonet charge led by the 20th Maine's commander, Col. Joshua L. Chamberlain. This assault was recreated in Ronald F. Maxwell's 1993 film Gettysburg.)
Here are the lovely young ladies of the 15th heading out to the Saturday night dance.
Even after two weekends of Civil War in a row (more on that later), I was sad for the weekend to be over. But now we're off to Gettysburg!
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