PROVISIONAL ARMY OF THE CONFEDERATE
STATES
“Nous sommes
la Legion”
May 01, 2012 Volume 2, Edition
3
PACS Staff – January 2012- Gettysburg, PA
Members and Friends of the Legion,
The
season is here with our first maximum effort event next weekend. Here is a
quick rundown of PACS’s major events;
New Market, May 18, 19
& 20: PACS
has been given command of this event through the 150th in 2014. We have moved
the camps to a better location and are very close to reenactor parking and the
sutlers. Next weekend should prove to be an enjoyable, laid back weekend. I am
promising sunshine as well!!
Cross Keys at Cedar
Creek, June 8, 9 & 10: It is important that PACS makes a showing at Cross
Keys. We felt it was important to support
events other than the ones that we were commanding. We also felt it was
important to show some support to another of the Cedar Creek Battlefield
Foundation’s events since they have given us command of the Cedar Creek Reenactment.
I encourage each and every one of you to join me there and make the Cross
Keys event a maximum effort event for PACS. Please join me there!!
Gettysburg, July 5, 6, 7 & 8: I am making a call for volunteers for Gettysburg. With the big 150th
coming up next year, it is very important to make a showing this year. You will
also be able to register for the 150th while you are there. There will be a
limit to the number of troops they will allow in 2013. I will be there
and I am asking that the Legion give me 100 rifles to lead into battle this
year! Please give it some serious thought and join me there in July.
150th Antietam/Sharpsburg, September 14, 15 & 16: This is shaping up to be the event of the year. We have had several
planning meetings so far and everything is coming along. We have the camping
areas picked out for all branches and they are excellent. The battlefield is
huge. All eyes will be on PACS for this event since we are in command. I can’t
tell you the amount of time that I am devoting to this event to make it the
best ever. The event organizers are just as committed as I am to making this a
fantastic event. Since this will probably be our best bet for having the entire
Legion in one place and the ranks as full as possible, I am planning to have
pictures taken of our Infantry and Cavalry in formation and the Artillery in
battery formation. Please join me in this fantastic 150th event. “There
are already over 2000 people registered!!”
Cedar Creek, October 19, 20 & 21: This is one of our favorites and PACS is in command for the next two
years. More details to follow but plan on a good weekend.
There are many more events that
members of PACS will be attending. Go to our website and see a complete list of
events on the “Schedule” page.
We have still have t-shirts
available!! They can be brought to New Market. Email Deb at wesdebjones@aol.com and let her know.
If anyone actually reads my column,
email me at gesuero@verizon.net and tell me “I read it!!”
As always, I want to hear from any member of the Legion that has
something to say. Our organization’s strength is built on the membership and
the communication within. I have an “open tent” policy. Stop by headquarters
and ask to see me, stop me when you see me walking through our camps or email
me. I want your ideas, your thoughts and even your complaints. I just ask that
for every problem you bring to me, you have a solution or two as well. Working
together we can accomplish anything.
Please don’t forget that we have a Facebook
page and a website for the Legion. These are YOURS! Post unit information,
event information, buy, sell, etc. on our Facebook page. Especially your pictures from events!! If
you want something added to the website just let me know. We have a “NEWS” page
for current info and a “NEWSLETTER” page where the newsletter is posted. Let’s
utilize these tools for everyone's benefit.
I hope to see you all in the field very soon, with full haversacks
and cartridge boxes,
Brian Gesuero
General, Commanding
Provisional Army of the Confederate States
“Nous sommes la Legion”
Headquarters Staff:
Capt. Bruce Yealy
BRUCE “DOC”
YEALY
Bruce has been in civil war
re-enacting since the 125Th Gettysburg where he first got his feet
wet in re-enacting! Ever since then Bruce has been a great civil war supporter,
teacher and historian. Bruce is married for 20 years this June to his wife
Dana, he has 3 children, Eric, Ashlee and Morgan and a grandson Jayden. Ashlee
his oldest daughter is currently at Wilson College in Chambersburg PA. For
history and museum conservation, she is also an active civil war re-enactor.
Bruce’s profession for more than 30
years has been in public service, he is an EMT/paramedic for “Hanover hospital”
in Hanover Pa. where he has lived his entire life, and he is also a
firefighter/paramedic for “Baltimore Washington Thurgood
Marshall International airport.” This is
what brought Bruce to his re-enactment calling as a “doctor” in his studies of
civil war medicine he learned that his current certification as a paramedic is
the equivalent training of a civil war surgeon! This has even lead Bruce to
collect many original civil war medical instruments and books which he loves to
display and explain to visitors at re-enactments.
Bruce has also been a big provider
of EMS Services to re-enactors at all re-enactments he has attended. He helps
establish and operate EMS services at many re-enactments over the years and
promote the use of AED’S in the re-enactor environment. Bruce and his family love to re-enact. So the
next time you’re on the field facing the enemy! Don’t worry “Capt. Doc Yealy” will be right behind you keeping you safe!!
Very few T-Shirts are left
If you are interested in getting a PACS T-Shirt, contact us
soon. We only have a few shirts left. E-mail Brian gesuero@verizon.net to order
your shirts.
We
will bring the shirts we have to the New Market. They are $15.00 each.
2nd Regiment:
So far it
has been a great spring! It is now time
to gear up for the New Market event. I
will not be able to attend this event, but Lt. Col. Bill Long will be there to
lead the troops of the 2nd Regiment.
Be Careful
and have a Happy and Safe weekend!
Col.
Andy Peterson
2nd
Regiment Infantry
3rd
Regiment
I would
like to personally thank each and every person who came to our spring muster.
We had a
blast. There were 2 semi-scripted battles for the public on Saturday and
Sunday, and a tactical for ourselves on Saturday
evening.
Port-a-johns
were kept clean, and next year I'll be sure there's a handicapped one for the
ladies in hoops. I heard nothing but good reports from everyone, and a lot of
people said, the tactical alone was worth the trip. The ladies in the kitchen
kept the food coming, and the steaks were done to everybody's individual
liking.
Companies in attendance were from 3rd Regiment: Tigers, 42nd Mississippi, and
the 5th Virginia. Other companies were the 5th Texas, 5th Kentucky, and 55th
Virginia.
Feds in attendance were Birney's Division and elements of the Federal Reserve
Corp. We had 150+ reenactors there. So I think we definitely saved the event.
To everyone who missed it, you missed a great event. We did lots of drilling
and lots of fighting.
I was also presented with 3rd Regt's new colors
Saturday morning, which will be displayed proudly at New Market.
Our next
event is New Market, so let's see a big turnout from 3rd Regiment there!
Humbly I remain,
Col. Dave Knapp
Commander
3rd Regt 1st Legion PACS
The Cavalry:
Well, April is winding down and the beginning of the season for
most of us is starting up.
Myself, I was fortunate to be able to attend the Blue-Gray Shiloh
event. It was a great time to be able to fall in with our Western “Pards” of Cleburne’s Division. I also had the chance to be the number 5 man
on an original tube owned by Riley Gunter of Freeman’s Battery.
I would like to thank
everyone who attended the training camp at Camp Merritt. We had an awesome turn
out and got a lot of new people on horses for the first time. A special thanks to Bill and Mona Raymond for
making it possible.
I am so looking forward to New Market and all the fun to be had
there. The Chickasaws are ready and we should have a good turnout for the
event.
See you all there.
Capt. John Softchin
PACS Cavalry Battalion
“What you think we aint, we are”
Artillery
Lt. Gary Wright
Safety Officer
Hi, I am Gary Wright. I was
born on 20 Dec 1943 in Weston WV, which was exactly 83 years to the day after
South Carolina voted for secession. My
family was farmers and I lived the typical life of a farm boy for about 10
years.
In the early 1950's, my
family moved to Monroe Falls OH, which is near Akron. We lived in a small rural
area and my dad worked for Goodyear lighter than air (Blimps).The only thing
remarkable about my life in Ohio was that in 1962 I did graduate from high
school in Stow OH.
While in high school, I had a variety of jobs,
some farm related and one at a drug store and one at a gas station. In Dec
1962, I enlisted in the US Air Force. I served on active duty for 20 plus
years, first as an electrician and then as a criminal, fraud, counter intelligence
investigator with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
While in the Air Force, I was
assigned duty in many exotic places such as Texas, Alaska, California, New
York, Delaware, South Viet Nam and Spain.
I retired as a Special Agent form the Air Force Office of Special
Investigations in the summer of 1983.
Two weeks after retiring from the Air Force, I started working for the
State of Delaware as a social service investigator working in the Georgetown,
DE area.
In Feb 86, I started working for the Defense
Investigative Service as a federal background investigator. During the next 25
plus years as a federal agent, I worked primarily on the Eastern Shore covering
parts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Between 1995 and 2000, my office was
located in Virginia Beach, VA and I covered parts of the Virginia Beach area
and the Eastern Shore of Virginia during that time. I retired from the Federal
Investigative Service in Aug 2011.
In mid Sep 2011, I started
working as a part time Deputy Sheriff in Sussex County, DE. It's the best of
both worlds; I am enjoying my retirement, reenacting and working part time all
with great people.
I have always been interested in the US Civil War. Because of work limitation and the need to travel with my work, I was not able to get involved in reenacting until 2006 or 2007 when the 2nd Co Richmond Howitzers came into my life. I am currently a private in the in the Howitzers and a part time 2nd Lt., Artillery Safety Officer for the Howitzers and for PACS. Next to my wife and family, my reenacting family and the Howitzers are a very important part of my life.
My wife Debbie and I
celebrated our 26th anniversary in April this year. Our family is a
blended family and we have seven children, 13 grand children, one great grand-son
and any day will have a great grand-daughter.
I do volunteer work for
Delaware Hospice, the Family Court, and rescue work for Basenjis, a rare dog
breed. I am also involved with the local FOP Lodge and Georgetown Historical
Society.
I enjoy shooting, hunting and
collecting firearms, coins, antiques, die-cast models, police and military
related patches and badges and anything Civil War related. I also enjoy riding
my motorcycle.
Greetings!
I am really looking forward to getting out in
the field with all of you this season.
While we have been busy doing meetings and walk-through’s, there is
nothing like getting on the field and firing some powder!
New Market is just around the corner so now is
the time to prepare your gear and get ready to take the field. Please let me
know if you have any questions about the event or have any requests that I can
help with.
Be sure to check on registration dates as many
of the cutoff dates have been getting earlier each season. Please try to support the PACS max effort events.
Gun placements for the 150th
Antietam/Sharpsburg have been coming in and there are only a few spots
left. Union gun spots for the event are
already filled.
I am very proud of the PACS Artillery units and
their crews and look forward to serving with all of you on the field this
season.
Keep your powder dry and make plenty of noise!
I remain
your humble servant,
This is the last in a series of 4
letters from this soldier:
A letter From Captain C. Crawley Phillips, Company F, Third Reg. Virginia
Infantry.
1863 Petersburg
March 12th
My Dear
Father,
As opportunity favors I
will write to you again, hoping to have a reply in a very short time. I am on a
visit to Petersburg on a 24 hour’s leave and have met with many friends and
acquaintances such as it may not be prudent to mention names. I must leave you
to conjecture. I have just returned from a visit or call on Mrs. Meadow (sp?)
who arrived here but a short time since. It is very gratifying to me to learn
that yo are still in good health and spirits as all
attest who have lately seen you. I hope by the blessings of Almighty God it may
continue so and that a speedy and happy piace (sic)
may soon unite us. I wrote sometime since that you would send me my trunk and
all my good clothes & all that is available since it would save me much
expense besides I need them very much if I should get a furlough in which event
as I have before insinuated, even expressed, I expected to get married about
the 1st of April. I hope Sister will be able to get out of the
Yankee lines & I hope you will let me know by letter whether or not I may
expect her. I would be glad if you could come up to see me but I suppose I must
not even hope for such a pleasure as I would most probably be doomed to
disappointment and it would be better to see you not expecting you than
expecting you, not to see you. I know nothing or our
destination. It may be we will soon be much nearer of it may be we will be
father off. I cannot tell.
Please send me my clothes, also one
of my violins, my flute if you can. The friend who bears this assures me anything
entrusted to his care will be promptly delivered. I shall send another letter
either to you or Sister by another friend who promises to deliver to you. Write
me immediately if it is only two lines. Don’t wait to write a long letter. Such
cheering news as I hear from home encourages me much.
I am in very good health & pray
God I may continue so. My faith in Him is increased and I feel my dependence on
Him more & more every day & have a consciousness of being a better man
than ever before. I hope to continue to grow in grace ….. that
perfect day and I hope to make myself worthy so good a father. May Heaven’s choicest blessings be over….. Give my love to
all. My …… to Sister, Cousins Fanny & Mary & all. Write soon to
Your
Devoted Son
Crawley
HERMAN MELVILLE -- SHILOH
A Requiem
Skimming lightly, wheeling still,
The swallows fly low
Over the fields in cloudy days,
The forest-field of Shiloh -
Over the field where April rain
Solaced the parched ones stretched in pain
Through the pause of night
That followed the Sunday fight
Around the church of Shiloh -
The church, so lone, the log-built one,
That echoed to many a parting groan
And natural prayer
Of dying foeman mingled there -
Foeman at morn, but friends at eve -
Fame or country least their care:
(What like a bullet can undeceive!)
But now they lie low,
While over them the swallows skim,
And all is hushed at Shiloh.
Yes,
this is the same Herman Melville who wrote the popular novel, "Two Years before
the Mast" and a lesser known work (at the time), "Moby Dick"/
Our organization is recruiting new
members and units. There is no better
time to recruit than during the 150 year anniversary series.
If you know of individuals that are looking to
join the re-enacting hobby or are looking for a unit, have them contact one of
our Commanders or get their information to us and we will have a Commander
contact them.
Units who are looking for a home with
a strong commitment to its members should look no further than PACS.
All of the information on PACS can be
found at www.1stlegionpacs.com .
The
Battle of New Market, May 15, 1864
Online Resources from the VMI Archives
The VMI Corps of Cadets fought as a unit at the Battle of New
Market, Virginia, on May 15, 1864. Two hundred fifty seven cadets were on the
field,
organized into a battalion of four companies of Infantry and one section
of Artillery.
Ten cadets were killed in battle or died later from the effects
of their wounds; 45 were wounded.
The
youngest participating cadet was fifteen; the oldest twenty-five.
Cross
Keys
June 8, 1862
Rockingham County, Virginia
Through the first week of June 1862, General Thomas J.
"Stonewall" Jackson steadily fell back up the Shenandoah Valley,
under pressure from two widely separated Federal columns. His monumental
triumphs at Front Royal and Winchester, on May 23 and 25, had unhinged Unionist
aspirations for control of the Valley, but now fresh Northern forces under John
C. Fremont and James Shields pursued him in quest of revenge.
The towering, generally impassable, Massanutten
massif played a key role in setting the stage, separating the Valley into two
discrete halves for fifty miles. So did the two arms of the Shenandoah River,
wending northward on either side of the big mountain, and
only bridged infrequently. The disparate Federal commands allowed themselves to
be separated by the Valley's topography. Shields moved through the smaller
valley east of Massanutten; Fremont followed Jackson
west of the mountain, and in direct contact.
Keeping Fremont and his troops from following close behind
became an essential element for Jackson's success. If they arrived around Port
Republic--south of the Massanutten--in time to
collaborate with Shields, Jackson faced dire odds and the potential to be
assailed from both sides.
On Sunday, June 8, Stonewall prepared for the church services he
so much loved as quiet early morning light bathed his headquarters at the
southern edge of Port Republic. Shields had not yet shown up from due north,
and Confederate General Richard S. Ewell stood
athwart Fremont's path at Cross Keys, a few miles from Port, down the
Harrisonburg Road.
Dick Ewell's troops occupied an
admirable defensive line above Mill Creek, in a region known as "Cross
Keys" because of a nearby wayside tavern of that name. The Confederate
line followed commanding ground, conveniently high enough above the stream to
afford a magnificent field of fire onto any approaching foe. As though sculpted
by nature for this military purpose, the high ground curled at its outer ends
into a bit of an arc. An attacking enemy would expose his flanks to the edges
of that crescent.
Unwilling to await an attack, and eager to close with the
Yankees, General Isaac Ridgeway Trimble pushed his brigade of four regiments
forward from the right (east) end of the Mill Creek line. Trimble's men—one
regiment each from Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, and North Carolina--found
cover behind a fencerow, in a perfect position to ambush any Federals who
pushed forward without appropriate caution. Enough vegetation grew around the
fence to provide useful camouflage.
Precisely such an incautious advance as Trimble anticipated
walked aimlessly into the Confederate deadfall, and paid a ghastly price for
the error when Julius Stahel's brigade of New York a
Pennsylvania troops moved toward Trimble's covert position, where they were
gunned down at close range. Trimble's men, riding the crest of a wave of
momentum generated by their repulse of the Stahel,
pushed their advance right through the point where the Federal attack began.
With Fremont violently overwhelmed at a crucial point, and
stymied everywhere else, Ewell had deftly accomplished
his mission. Jackson would have the morning of June 9 in which to defeat the
Federal force approaching Port Republic under Shields, without interference
from the direction of Cross Keys.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that
provided information for this newsletter.
It really is a pleasure to get to know members by reading their letters
and emails as well as seeing the pictures being sent in.
This is your newsletter, so please feel free to send in ideas,
articles, pictures or any other information that you would like to see in included. It is our hope to try to put out a newsletter
periodically to keep communications flowing and members updated.
Deb
Our web-site www.1stLegionPACS.com
.
On the site you will find information on the Legion structure, contacts
for PACS staff and officers, meetings, current news and more.
Facebook page. The address is http://www.facebook.com/pages/1st-Legion-Provisional-Army-of-the-Confederate-States/202849729740915. Anyone can post or upload pictures to it. Please encourage our
members and our friends of PACS to utilize this page to the benefit of all.
Please feel free to email your articles or suggestions to:
Brian Gesuero - gesuero@verizon.net
Debbie Jones
– wesdebjones@aol.com