MAGNOLIA WAYNESBURG HUNT
Several intrepid members of the Sixth Ohio
braved inclement weather on March 29 to explore a different form
of equestrian reenactment. Soggy
skies and plummeting temperatures may have thinned the field and
discouraged spectators, but the boys in blue held their own with
the riders in red as our Lieutenant, Sergeant, and Bugler proved
you can follow the hounds at speed and still maintain rank structure.
The sight of the hunt as it returned was truly a timeless
experience!
Once the hounds were kenneled, the Sixth
claimed the field. Sergeant
Markijohn explained the role of the Civil War cavalry as Lieutenant
Hopes and his rank, now bolstered with reinforcements from Pittsburgh, performed maneuvers. After a rousing saber spat, the riders of the
hunt were recruited and armed (with hotdog sticks and a polo mallet),
and introduced to the fray. One
or two elegant Thoroughbreds seemed to take offence at the “violence”,
but the mule and the polo pony were game!!
SPRING TRAINING 2003
Spring training for the 6th O.V.C.
was hosted this year at the lovely Vance Farm near Columbus, OH. While the weather
over the weekend of April 11-13 was brisk, we did manage to avoid
significant snowfall this year.
The ranks were filled with newer troopers and green horses,
while many of the most experienced veterans were unable to attend,
making for a most interesting Saturday morning.
By Sunday afternoon, however, even the rankest of the broncs
(ahem) was responding well to the drilling, and the ear-to-ear grin
on Trooper Mungo’s face as his mount ran away with him proved that
he’d been bitten by the cavalry bug!
MORT KUNSTLER SIGNING
The 9th Kentucky Cavalry (a.k.a.
6th Ohio)
was spotted in the heart of Cincinnati, Ohio on April 25. The
small Confederate force made its appearance to support Mort Kunstler,
as the artist unveiled his new painting of Confederate General John
Hunt Morgan. The troopers,
commanded by General Morgan himself, patrolled the gardens of the
Cincinnati Museum for several hours, giving explanations and demonstrations of cavalry tactics
to history buffs and horse-crazy kids.
Afterwards, the unit was invited into the museum to meet
Mr. Kunstler and view his display, and to visit the Civil War exhibit,
which included General Morgan’s frock coat, saddle, and sidearms.
The Raiders were again sighted that afternoon
in the vicinity of Montgomery, Ohio. General Morgan,
apparently inspired by the content of the painting, paraded his
small troop down the streets of Montgomery
past throngs of spectators. Citizens
waved and small children pranced alongside, following until the
troop reached the historic church, where skirmishers entered the
building to capture several
prominent figures in the town. When
faced with hanging from the nearest stoplight, the town mayor hastily
pled fealty to the Confederacy.
Mr. Kunstler and the other captives were also quickly freed,
and the troop exited town with their saddlebags loaded with the
fruits of the harvest.
MEMORIAL DAY PARADE
The Sixth Ohio was represented in Monroe, OH on May 26, as a small contingent in the Memorial Day
parade.
POMEROY RAID
Due to inclement weather (read: extensive
flooding!), the Morgan’s Raid work weekend scheduled for June 6-7
was rescheduled. Instead,
a representative force took advantage of opportunities to promote
the event. A raid was staged on the town of Pomeroy Friday
morning. The local drive-through
bank was robbed on horseback of all its post-it pads and Confederate
bills. The fabric store and
shoe store were liberated of a few items for the General’s comfort,
and apparently a flagon of beer and a local maiden were only saved
by the timely arrival of the local Federal Militia.
In the evening, a historical plaque was unveiled in Wilkesville.
BATTLE OF LOUDOUN HEIGHTS
The United States Volunteers straggled into
northern Virginia on June 20, converging in the hills above Harper’s
Ferry, WV on land consecrated by the troops of Jackson, Sheridan,
Merritt, and Mosby. The Union
cavalry parked their war wagons with the hope that they could be
freed from the mud on Sunday, and set up camp in an old cow barn,
fully aware that a Confederate force of undetermined strength lay
beyond the next rise. Small
parties rode out through the afternoon to scout the ground and assess
the Rebel assets, but as in the Union army, reinforcements continued
to arrive through the rainy evening.
By dark it became evident that the 6th Ohio’s own Lieutenant Hopes would be in command of the Federal
Cavalry.
The Horsemen in blue rose at daybreak, prepared
to take and hold the heights into the next afternoon if necessary.
The cavalry of approximately 19 riders formed into two companies,
with the 6th Ohio and the 1st Vermont forming Company B led by Sergeant Markijohn, and troopers
from the 2nd US, New Jersey, and 17th Pennsylvania forming Company A.
The entire Union Cavalry greeted the overcast morning with
a determined assault on the muddy hills above, to claim a small knoll overlooking both Federal and Confederate camps. While our arrival was uncontested, it was witnessed,
and Rebel troops very rapidly began to test our resolve to hold
the ground. Colonel Dana
Heim chose to use dismounted cavalry in his initial defense, preferring
to obscure the strength of his infantry from the scouting Rebels
(which, later in the day, proved to be very fortunate!!)
The remainder of the morning was spent with
the two cavalry companies alternating positions—one unit providing
dismounted pickets and mounted videttes, supported by the hidden
infantry, the other unit scouting and engaging the enemy at the
base of the hill in some very aggressive fire and saber fighting!
The afternoon began with Company A on a foraging
mission and company B defending the hill with their numbers depleted
by several small missions. The
infantry was sent to scout and defend the base of the hill. Sensing our weakened defenses, the Rebel fighters
ascended the rear of the hill silently, sneaking through the underbrush,
to surprise and overwhelm the pickets in the woods. However the horsemen from Ohio and Vermont rallied quickly to reform and maintain the defense
until mounted and infantry support could arrive. The powerful defense by the Berdan’s Sharpshooters
turned the tide and crushed the Confederate attack (“Where did all
them @#$*% tree frogs come from?!”)
Saturday’s activities came to a climax when
word arrived that the Confederate army had been spotted standing
down, and a plan of attack was hastily executed.
Company A circled around to the Rebel right flank, Company
B to the Rebel left flank, with the Union infantry serving to distract
any Confederate action. As
the engagement panned out, Company B hit the Rebel Cavalry first,
eventually placing themselves between the grey horsemen and their
camp. This seemed to alert
the Rebs that something was up, and they charged through our line
and back into their camp, where they soon found themselves squeezed
between both Union companies.
With the Confederate fighters essentially
routed, Colonel Heim must have felt the hill was secured, and allowed
the cavalry to return to our dry barn to hay and water the tired
horses. However, Mother Nature decided that no one should
hold those heights, and loosed a barrage of her own. With the muddy hills turned slick and soupy,
Sunday’s activities were cancelled, and the Union Cavalry was allowed
the luxury of a leisurely breakfast with plenty of time to visit
as we all sloshed our gear back to our vehicles.
TALL SHIPS
Kudos to Trooper Vance and his lovely wife,
who attended the Tall Ships Festival July 12-13 to promote our event!
WORK WEEKEND RESCHEDULED
July 26 turned out to be a much dryer weekend
than early June, so the rescheduled work weekend was much more successful.
Troopers with heavy machinery and big, powerful tools (Uh,
Uh, Uh!!!) converged near Dexter, OH at a big field with a heavy growth of brush at one
end. The orders were, ”Clear
out the brush around that house!”
The response was, “There’s a house in there?”
As it turned out, not only a house, but a large barn and
several outbuildings were revealed once the vines and weeds were
removed.
Workmen were rewarded with several tasty
meals courtesy of enthusiastic local citizens, and a dry place to
spend the night. But even
the chlorine in that swimming pool was not enough to cure the poison
ivy!!
BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG
A few members of the Sixth Ohio were sited
in the Federal Ranks at Gettysburg. The heavy summer schedule and the rescheduling
of the reenactment had both apparently taken their toll on the company,
but those who attended reported that fun was had by all.
PHOTO CREDITS
All photography in this issue was provided
courtesy of Carl
Staub, who has trudged with us over many a rugged road (and
damp campsite!)
MORGAN’S
RAID
Eight
hundred steel-shod hooves rang on the paved streets, echoed by the
rolling thunder of the cannons.
Bugle calls directed every maneuver.
After 140 years, John Hunt Morgan once again paraded the
glory of his troops through the heart of Wilkesville, Ohio.
The Morgan’s Raid Reenactment commenced Wednesday
September 3 in Wilkesville, Ohio with a gathering of the troops, registration, vet checks,
trailer unloading, and parking.
The town hovered between two time periods, as fully accoutered
Confederate horsemen traveled the streets between cars and horse
trailers, and women in hoop skirts mingled with crowds in shorts
and tennis shoes. By evening, however, the last of the trailers
had left town. The troops,
well fed by the people of Wilkesville, settled in for the night
among scattered picket lines and campfires, hoping the evening’s
dampness would get no wetter.
Thursday morning began with a sequence of
bugle calls, first brigade, then battalion—First Call, Reveille,
Stable Call, Breakfast Call. After a filling meal provided at the
Community Center, camp was broken and the brigades formed.
Hundreds of horses from across the country fell in together,
with a minimum of fuss and confusion, and accomplished one of the
most impressive cavalry dress parade in reenacting history. Four abreast, dressed in grey and butternut
and every shade in between, the battalions of Basil Duke and Stovepipe
Johnson were awesome as they rode beneath the fluttering banner
of their Commanding General and his staff.
Roughly seven miles down the road, the Raiders
approached Dexter, Ohio, where a small band of militia made a determined stand
in the shadow of an old farm house.
They were able to resist the onslaught of the dismounted
second brigade, but collapsed rapidly at the flanking maneuver of
the first brigade, who charged onto the battlefield with pistols
blazing, much to the delight of hundreds of school children watching
on the hillside.
A
bearded grandfather and his small grandson take potshots at the
passing troops. Then the
ladies of the house pass out pies to the ranks, shared back and
forth as the column traveled. This
worked well with pumpkin—it was tougher with cherry…
Jim and Jennifer Sheets and their family
provided a welcome respite for all, with shade, water, and a sustaining
meal. In return, General Morgan left the Sheets’ fine
horses unmolested—on the contrary, several of the troops’ wounded
mounts were left in their generous care.
Just one more hill…
The
remainder of the afternoon was scenic, but rugged and grueling. The countryside provided for some fantastic views of
southern Ohio and the rain soaked trails provided for some excitement,
but not as much as the smooth pavement did for the trotting 2nd
battalion. Skidding horses was not expected nor desired.
Troops dismounted to provide a walking break for all. A half-mile
ahead rose a hill that, though tough for the remounted steeds, was
a killer for the artillery and wagons. Troopers rested, some snoozing,
at a small church beyond the crest, as they waited for the artillery
to cross that hill. Local children filled canteens and shared cookies,
crackers, cakes, and anything else they had.
Horses and riders had left the Sheets farm rested and refreshed,
but straggled wearily into the Hall Farm. Riders picketed their
worn-out mounts on the forested hillside and collapsed on the grass
for a delicious meal of roast pig and corn.
Dennis Harlow of the 7th Virginia and Chris Cook
of the 1st North Carolina put in hours of overtime resetting and shoeing by the
lights of two pick-ups.
Morgan’s Raid proved to be educational to
both riders and teamsters alike as horsemen unaccustomed to riding
their mounts so long and hard experienced the difficulties of their
19th century counterparts.
Galls were tended, tack readjusted, and teams switched to
cope with the demands of the rugged ride.
The armies of the Civil War used six-horse teams to pull
their cannons when they could—now we know why. Even pick-up trucks were pressed into service
when our Confederate division needed more horsepower.
Friday afternoon, Morgan’s Raiders again
found themselves harassed by the Ohio Militia.
As they crested the hill above the Pickens’ Farm, gunfire
was heard. General Morgan
and his staff were seen overlooking the battlefield from the shade
of an old barn as dismounted troopers slowly pushed the Militia
back down the hill toward their cannons.
A second mounted brigade soon made short work of capturing
the infantry cannons, but when the bold militiamen refused the terms
of surrender, the battle raged anew.
.7
miles to camp…thank goodness there were busses!!
Friday evening, the column arrived in Chester in time to change shirts and attend the ball. Every costume shop in southern Ohio had been stripped of Civil War-type fashions, so there
were plenty of eager belles to welcome the weary troopers to the
dance. Chester Fire hall
also welcomed the troops with a delicious meal.
Chester Courthouse, recently restored to its full historical
glory, was filled with period displays, crowned by the presence
of General J. H. Morgan’s frock coat, saddle, weapons, and personal
effects. The Troops of the
2nd Virginia claimed General Morgan’s (reproduction) coat at auction,
on the condition that he must continue to wear it through Sunday
(ensuring he could not turn Federal with the rest of his unit). Rumor has it that Summerfields”s Tavern in
Chester was equally welcoming to the raiders!
Saturday morning, the riders of the 6th
Ohio took their turn as scouts, guiding the column into
its final camp in Bashan. Again, Ohio
Militia was on hand to harass the troops as they arrived, but they
were dispatched so quickly that the 6th never got the
chance to save the day!!
Weapons
of choice, boys…
Later in the afternoon, Federal Cavalry finally
caught up with the column, as Colonel Craig Beachler’s galvanized
troops donned their Federal jackets for a thrilling battle scenario,
impressive if for no other reason than the sheer number of mounted
troopers involved! An initial charge of Federal Sabers against
Confederate pistols was followed quickly by a rally to the top of
the hill, where those Federal Troopers not shot out of the saddle
regrouped to fight dismounted. This
was then followed by a rousing saber melee, where the Rebels proved
that they did, in fact have sabers.
While Saturday evening passed quietly in
good fellowship around the water tank and grassy field, fighting
recommenced in the wee hours, both at the battlefield and in Pomeroy. A small skirmish in a tavern in town reportedly
brought down a rain of plaster, while the firefight just outside
the camps in Bashan brought down the wrath of a local citizen on the commanding
officers. While the interrupted
fight would have to be called a draw, federal infantry apparently
awoke to find their parrot rifle repositioned.
Sunday morning started quietly, with church
services and a small ceremony recognizing all those whose hard work
had made this event possible, and passing the torch for battlefield
preservation. Then Boots and Saddles was blown around 1:00 in preparation for the Battle of Buffington Island,
on the very land where General J. H. Morgan’s brother Richard Morgan
was captured in 1863.
“The
boom of cannons. The Confederate
teams rush onto the field to unlimber and engage at long range.
Hauser commands, ‘Dismount to fight on foot.
Action front!’ The entire 2nd Brigade (all the Reb
cavalry left) dismounts and advances, firing as skirmishers, while
the led horses join the teams and wagon in a sheltered hollow. The Federal militia and infantry grudgingly
give way. Bodies and wounded,
crawling, men dot the field. A
Federal Cavalry Company, with Col. Beachler at the front waving
his revolver, weaves through the crumbling Blue lines to protect
their guns and charges! ‘Withdraw, firing!’ Capt. Treat, in charge of the Secesh afoot,
sees danger coming, points and commands, ‘Wheel the line back from
this man!’ A second Federal
cav. company slams into the flank for the men hedging back.
‘Retreat! Save yourselves!’ Rebs fall in piles, moaning and crawling or
lying still. General Morgan
and his staff see disaster compounded as a third Yankee company
rides down from the rear to capture the teams and led horses!
Hauser and Mike Graff jerk the canvas from the wagon bows,
a wall of flame followed by a billowing cloud of smoke erupts over
the side, and the cavalrymen flee back.
Quickly reformed, the Federals charge again and, aided by
another company, overcome the last resistance of Morgan’s Men and
capture all but one horse-holder, who gallops away leading his linked
charges.”-----Jim Rowe-Co. H/4th VA September 9, 2003
Colonel Beachler’s 2nd Battalion,
under Captain Tom Hopes, formed on top of a hill to the left of
the battlefield. As Morgan’s
Confederate cavalry engaged the Federal militia and then two companies
of Federal Cavalry, Hopes’ Battalion attacks from behind, scattering
the horse-holders, then charging across the creek to capture the
Rebel cannons and the General’s hat.
Once the battle scenario was completed, Federal
and Confederate cavalry galloped to opposite sides to the battlefield,
eliciting a spontaneous ovation from the thrilled spectators, to
prepare for a spectacular demonstration of saber use and a final
dress parade.
Many
thanks again to all who made this event possible:
To
all of the horsemen and women who came to participate in the Raid—cavalry,
artillery, and teamsters!
To
the infantry who came to harass us!
To
the citizens of Ohio who worked so hard to prepare for us and feed us and
welcome us to their lands!
To
Darrell and Bob and all who worked to put this event together!
THE VACANT CHAIR
The members of the Sixth Ohio were greatly
saddened in June at the loss of their comrade, Garry Noble. Garry passed away June 11 after an extended
illness
Garry has been riding with the troopers of
the Sixth since 1999, first on “Jim”, then on “Magic”. Despite his failing health, his attendance at
unit activities has been exceptional, and his participation has
benefited all:
“He was loyal, dedicated, and a true student to history. He was a
good horseman and fine soldier. He did more with half of a
single lung than many of us healthy folks did with two…He never
complained and never let on just how ill he was. He answered
every boots and saddle, fought every dismounted battle, charged
across every field and made everyone that served with him proud.
He attended every event last year and fully participated in our
spring training in early April. He rode with us in the raid
in Montgomery, OH on April 25… Even though he had a hard time getting
up in the saddle, he refused any help and climbed aboard his fine steed,
Magic, and opened a big can of ass whoop on the citizens of that
small southwestern Ohio town just as John Hunt Morgan did 140 years ago
Like all
of the members of the 6th, he worked hard on preparing for
Morgan's Raid even though in his heart, he knew he would not
be able to participate. He literally lived for every event,
cherished every special moment and looked forward to his next.
He battled the odds. Years ago, his doctors said
he only had 6 months to live. We can all draw inspiration
from that.”---Darrell Markijohn, Adjutant-Co. B/6th OH June 11. 2003
Members of
the unit attended his casket in uniform during calling hours on
June 13, and troopers are wearing embroidered black armbands in
his honor
Our deepest condolences to his wife and children. He will be sorely missed.
UPCOMING
EVENTS
December
6-7 Zoar, OH
Christmas
at Zoar
EDITOR’S NOTE
Remember
to check the new web page at www.6th-ohio-cavalry.org
.There hasn’t been much action on the chat page, but the guest book’s
been hopping, and so has the photo album!!
Also,
any corrections, additions, or reminiscences are always welcome—especially
Morgan’s Raid. My own perspective
was somewhat limited—please feel free to pass along any tales you
would like to share!!!
Trooper
Mick
angelcroft@zoominternet.net