I have yet to see any mention of the recent event in Olustee.  I attended it with my unit, we were Federal for the weekend.  I'm curious as to what folks thought of the event.  I have only been in the hobby for about a year now and always like to hear opinions on what happened, good or bad.  It's all grist for the mill to help me develop my impression.

Personally, I had a great time.  The drive from NC was a bit of a bear but worth it.  Robert, sorry we didn't get a chance to meet, maybe some time in the future, eh?

Bernie;
I attended Olustee, and so did a couple of folks on this board. While you may get mixed reviews, in my opinion, it was a fun a event. My unit was a mixture of the 21st Ohio, a sprinkling of SRR members, some independents, with the remainder 48th NY members (my unit). Slim pickings this year with sutlers, but there were some folks out there selling decent wears.
Our company marched out Friday night for a recon. Did a picket post, had a running fight with some rebs from Joey G's group, only to have it interupted by some yahoo farb cavalry. Overall it still was a good scenario until that cav group showed up. So far we've had a campaigner company at Olustee, since about the mid 90's, with the occasional long distance march.
Yes, Olustee has its faults, but in my opinion no comparison to Picketts Mill and Winter '64.
I'm glad you had a good time.
Kindest Regards;

Hey Harold,

It was good to see you again my friend. The people you got into a scrap with was my Flatlanders Mess, we're the ones that brought the noise and the pain to you Bluebellies haha. It was a good time and I thought a good scenario , you know of course till we got rounded up by that "cavalry".

Ready for round 2 next year?

http://flatlandersmess62.googlepages.com/  

--Last edited by Joey21stga on 2008-03-01 22:28:54 --

Hey Joey;
Hope all is well up yonder. It was good seeing you there!
You fellas did a great job harrassing us! And we both agree, until the "Deliverance Cavalry" showed up.
Be ready for round two!
Will you be at Picketts Mill/New Hope Church in May/June?
kindest regards;

Hey

Yea I will be at the Mill in May. I will be in the 32nd AL unit so you have someone to shoot at.

I'll be shootin' at ya too Joe!  

Awesome, I look forward to it. Kinda bad I look forward to getting shot at ....hmmmmm.      I guess I will have to wait until Bummers so we can all actually be on the same side huh?

Olustee has always been one of those events that "tries hard", meaning, they always try to provide a more authentic experience for those that want it.  I've done it from both sides for almost 10 years, and some years are better than others.  I can't add much about the battles this year, as I was a citizen who was supposed to have his son with him, but somehow ended up selling hats with Dirty Billy for the weekend, but I heard mixed emotions from those I spoke to.  I think the progressive set always has something better to say than the mainstream, because they know how hard it is to do things "right", but I always look forward to Olustee even when there is an off  year because they usually get back on track pretty quick.  

Ross,

Thanks for the kind words. As the host unit we try our best to make sure all have a good time. It's difinitely not a Pickett's Mill or W 64, but we hope it's not as bad as some events I won't name. Any time you have an event of that magnitude you are going to get a variety of impressions and levels of authenticity. I did hear that there were some units that seemed to use a modified drill manual (i.e. they did their own thing), but most of the comments I heard were realatively positive.

I did havwe the unique experience of being captured for the first time at an event. We executed a flanking maneuver during the "tactical" portion of the event and it did not work out quite the way we had planned.

Ken,

Joe and I will both be setting our sites on you at the mill    

--Last edited by toptimlrd on 2008-03-02 22:12:30 --

Well Olustee is Olustee. It's a slightly better mainstream event than the status quo and it is by far the best mainstream event in Florida from what I hear. All in all I enjoy Olustee since it is the main one during the year I get to see almost all my friends, it's only an hour from home and  I get to visit some decent sutlers, though pickings were slim this year. Granted I can't say much to the  main "battles" since I didn't participate as I spent most of my weekend with Civilian friends (Golden Teacups), or I was harassing Joe Blount for my paper work to get through Federal lines. Before all that I was tracking Federal infantry, sneaking through cavalry videttes, and crawling on my belly for 100 yards to listen in on a US recon patrol.

Oh I wanna thanka  couple people on here too. Thanks to Ken for letting the Flatlanders be the resistance, thanks to all the guys in the SCAR company for putting up a heck of a fight, thanks to my Flatlanders who came out to shoot Yankees and sorry for getting you lost Thanks to Joe Blount for paroling us captured Secesh ( I still want my paperwork).  

--Last edited by Joey21stga on 2008-03-03 00:02:39 --

Yeah Joey, I too will be shootin at you at the Mill. Then I will watching you gin cotton in Westville in October.  What a surreal world of reenacting we are in!
I did Olustee 1997-2003 and again in 2005. I guess I am just Olusteed out this year, so I didn't make it.  

Regards,
Jim Butler

Quote :

Jim wrote : Yeah Joey, I too will be shootin at you at the Mill. Then I will watching you gin cotton in Westville in October.  What a surreal world of reenacting we are in! I did Olustee 1997-2003 and again in 2005. I guess I am just Olusteed out this year, so I didn't make it.   Regards, Jim Butler

Well sure is a lot of people gonna be shooting at me, hey at least I am a big target.

I sure do look forward to SOS too, least no one there will be shooting at me.....well not so far but I am bound to get into some hijinks

Hey Jim I hope you can make "Old Crustee" next year. I think Ken has some good things in the works for it on the campaigner side of the coin.  

--Last edited by Joey21stga on 2008-03-12 01:09:14 --