Well I will cut out the standard stuff about driving to the event and start after the officer's meeting on friday night.  For the weekend I was the 1st Sgt in the 2nd Comp, 1st Bttn of the Confederates.

Although I have to mention that on the drive down, stopping at Fort Johnson and looking across the mountains is breathtaking.  This was also my 3rd McDowell.

For me the highlights of this event were:
-Helping to finish the bridge across the creek for the Confederates to use to pass over.

-Running guard details at the headquarters area and being able to interact with spectators as we helped them off the wagons.  Also I was able to have a short (15minute) interaction with one of the ladies from town who encountered my picket line.

-The fight on saturday and not knowing every detail of what was going to happen and having to react to what I saw and what the orders were.

-Being the skirmishers to advance into McDowell and help secure the Hull House and witness the surrender of the officer and guard detail there to my officer.

-Sunday's fight on the hill and seeing those Federals come up that hill at us and just the smoke, noise and confusion as we countered and fought and moved to the flank..

-Running into guys I had met at Bedford and regardless of side being able to chat for a bit before and after the event.  

Even the rain didn't dampen the spirits in our camp and the boys did well to keep dry and under the nice cover of the Federal tents from the night before.  

I may try to write a more period AAR for my unit later and if I do I will post it here.

Thanks for the AAR, Greg.  Here's one from the Federal perspective.

I & my carpool buddy Mike Odell arrived about mid-afternoon on Friday, breezed through inspection, and proceeded to the camp of the 3rd Virginia (Loyal), Company A (CVG). We set up our wedge tent along the banks of Crab Run, and met other "loyal" Virginians arrived and arriving. Around dusk we were able to draw rations of a 1/2 loaf bread and some bacon, which made a fine evening meal. Before too long Co. A's fiddler (Lars Prillaman) arrived, and serenaded us with several tunes before we turned in.

Saturday morning: company & battalion drill took up most of the time. For the spectator battle to begin Co. A was detailed as the rear-guard for the 3rd Va (US) btln, and as such we were posted on the muddy dirt road leading up to the hilltop graveyard. The remainder of the battalion was posted above us, near the graveyard. It turns out that some of our officers had their timepieces set an hour early, so the entire battalion was in position and waiting around for an extra hour (or more?). Once the battle started around 3pm we were directed to the top of the hill, where we poured some volleys into the advancing rebs. After losing our fiddle player to a "bitter pill" we fell back down the muddy road, eventually to the field below, where the rebs hidden atop the hill and on the wooded slope cut us up badly. I went down with a painful shoulder wound, and was helped back to where we'd dropped our knapsacks so many hours before.
After retreating through town we were marched out to our Saturday evening bivouac area, in the woods along the banks of the Bullpasture R. -- evidently where rebs had camped before, as beside a still-warm bed of coals we also found a loaf & a half of bread. Needless to say, it was not wasted.
After dinner I was detailed to the Grand Guard, and so -- along with about a dozen other chaps -- advanced a piece up Sitlington Hill. Co. A's contingent was assigned to (what I considered) an ideal position beneath some large pine trees. Although on a bit of a slope, our camp was relatively dry beneath the pines, which also provided a bounty of dry branches for our fire.

We were awakened EARLY Sunday morning (0530?), and told to pack up. I and the four others from Co. A were detailed to be the advance of the advance guard, and as such we proceeded up the mountain "all eyes & ears" keeping a careful lookout for any signs of sesech. We didn't find it until almost to the crest of Sitlington Hill, when we espied off to our left a column of rebs advancing up hill along the crest. We advanced a bit further, and then opened fire on the silhouetted figures of the column. We got in several shots before they even began deploying to their right.   Thus began what seemed like an endless stream of advances, retreats, charges and fall-backs. I think we moved up and down that hill at least 6 times! It was exhilarating -- and much more physical than the Sunday battle of 2 years back (which I count as my first McD event). Near the end of the engagement we were moved to the extreme left of the Federal line, in an attempt to flank the rebs on their right. We charged again, but took grevious losses. The living fell back again to the woods track, from which we hastily built some works. We steeled ourselves for another push from the johnnies, and were not disappointed. After their futile assault to storm our position, it was a sight not soon forgotten to see so many gray-clad bodies littering the ground to the front of our works.

The battle over, both sides advanced to the peak of the hill, from which the event organizers, god bless their hard-working souls, gave brief speeches and declared the event over.

Needless to say, the walk back down the mountain was easier than going up, and was filled with endless chatter of how much all enjoyed the event. I, for one, had a first rate time, and look forward to the next event run by these fine folk, Pridgeon, Watson, Anders and all the others that had a hand in organizing it.

Charles Kibler
Co. A, Chesapeake Vol. Gd.

Charles

If you were in Anders' group, than I probably saw you all pass by on sunday on your way down the path back towards your saturday night camp.  I was there helping tear apart the bridge.  

I saw Anders leading a column and the boys in that group all looked to be pretty happy.

As we marched down off the hill sunday morning, our boys started to sing songs and it made coming down those paths a bit quicker.

The Saturday fight was a good one, we knew you were below us on the hill, we could hear you but it was tough to level our guns down that far without the powder pouring out.

The event organizers observed throughout the weekend that the reenactors seemed universally happy to be there. It was obvious in the conversation and the way they conducted themselves. :-)

The only thing I couldn't figure out is why we came off that hillside Saturday afternoon. We were in the trees on the military crest of the hill. The Federals were massed below us in the open and close enough to count their buttons. It seems to be almost the universal fact of Reenactor Battles that nobody moves until they are physically pushed.    

Even Buck and Ball will hurt you from a 100 yards away!  

You were supposed to eventually come down the hill far to your left, reform in the field and push us out with a push on our right.  Dave's force was first to push the one small battalion off the hill, then throw down one company to your right, on that road, and have it shot to pieces; then to try to come over the brow of the hill, then to finally move to your left. Remember, it was all a demonstration for the spectators in the final phases, an aggressive series of moves by a confederate commander impatient to move ahead and getting a couple of bloody noses in the process before succeeding.

However, the hill to your left proved impracticable. (Now we know what that word really means, by the way.)  After some fumbling around we figured out what the problem was and did some militarily inept things so you could get down the hill.

I think only about nine people actually knew what was supposed to happen, the full deal. Pretty good command and control and very good discipline in the rank and file to bring it off at all, let alone with an unannounced change of plans.

We didn't have much defilade, but honestly, if you knew what incredible targets you made backlit by the sky. Anyone standing and shooting was exposed from ankle to head.

Bill W.

I'm a little sensitive concerning ranges about now. I was dealing with the same situations a week before and I wasn't a private in the ranks at that event! It's also been my pet peeve ever since I got in the Hobby.

BTW, our Company Commander quickly got us off the top of the hill and down in the trees on the military crest so we weren't silhouetted against the sky.

Here is an article from the local Highland newpaper on McDowell..
http://therecorderonline.com/news/1007/rebels-run-yankees-out-of-mcdowell