Civil War Days at Sully, 2009
AAR by Sergt. M. A. Schaffner
Co.’y ‘BSS’ 16th Michigan Volunteer Inf’y

   For the fourth or fifth year in a row, Brady’s attended the annual “Civil War Days” at Sully Plantation in Fairfax, which this year took place on the weekend of August 14-16.  Sully provides an island of the historic in what has now become an ocean of generic northern Virginia sprawl and, despite the nearness of Route 28 and the ubiquity of jets flying in and out of nearby Dulles, it’s a pleasant spot to spend the weekend.  The staff and volunteers at Sully go out of their way to support the reenactors and living historians who attend:  the site charges no registration fees and provides free firewood, ice, and straw.  Sanitary facilities include, besides the permanent bathroom for visitors, ample porta-johns.  Ample water for the Federal camp came from a spigot just a short walk away.  
 
   Given the location, the excellent support, and a steady stream of visitors, Brady’s enjoys Sully as an opportunity to educate the public and possibly snag recruits.  Although we’ve had problems with events here, they have focused on the reenactments themselves.  And the problems with the reenactments lie solely with us reenactors.  This year brought several improvements as well as some things that still need work.  Fortunately, not Barbara Ziman, the site manager, Dave Childs, the US commander, and Duffie Miller, the CS commander, have all listened and made changes.  It’s worth noting that, given the uncertainty over exactly how many reenactors and living historians will show up for any given day of the event, and the mixture of units involved, all three individuals have more complex and challenging jobs than the numbers of participants might suggest.

   For Brady’s the event began Friday evening with the arrival of Captain Mark Maranto, Eternal Senior Private Bill Wilson, and Null Sergeant Schnapps (the rank of Null Sergt. is signified by the wearing of striped trousers, an NCO belt, and no chevrons).  After quickly setting up camp in the waning twilight, we had an opportunity to run over to the CS camp and engage in some night firing but opted to stay behind and mop sweat instead.  This left the burden of the attack with Dave Childs, Mike Naliborski, and one other member of the 4th US (1st Regt. USV), who at that time constituted the balance of the Army of the Republic.  Apparently they had an appointment with ten or fifteen rebs who they were anxious to entertain.  Exciting sounds followed for a time, as the three regulars gleefully played a black powder version of hide-and-seek with their bewildered counterparts.  Meanwhile we Brady’s covered the rear and wondered how hot it would get over the weekend.

   Saturday provided an early answer to the question.  After a warm evening that took on a slight chill between, say, 2 and 4 a.m., the sun rose and quickly reminded us why the British lost more men at Bladensburg to the heat than to the U. S. Army.  We nonetheless got the fire started for coffee and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, exerting ourselves only as required to follow the shade from one spot to another as the sun climbed over the eastern tree line.  By about 9:30 most of the rest of our contingent arrived.  The very first to show up was private John Maranto (or some fellow claiming to be John Maranto – can anyone remember what this fellow looks like?), followed by bugler Peter Abernathy and privates Wayne Abernathy, Dan Lewandowski, Andy Scandal, and John Teller.  We also gained John Tuohy of the 28th Mass. and, as a last minute reinforcement, Greg Hillenbrand of the 28th.  Total strength would thus come to one officer, one musician, one sergeant, and eight rifles – two sergeants short of Brady’s actual present for duty count at Appomattox.   Not everyone could participate in the battles (Wayne, for example, attended to his weapons and kept an eye on camp for us), so our field strength for Saturday’s two engagements came to the three supernumeraries and a half dozen rifles.

   Around quarter of ten we fell in for company inspection and drill in the manual of arms, then Captain Maranto led us out for remedial skirmish drill.  Everyone messed something up, which I only observe in order to obscure my own continuing tendency to swing left on a right wheel.  We did not drill too long, though, as the benefit of getting our act together had to be weighed against the cost of overexerting ourselves in the increasing heat.

   In addition to drill, our living history contribution consisted of a fairly accurate bivouac, with a couple of dog tents and simple arrangements of gum blankets and straw, as well as Wayne and Peter’s very impressive collection of sharpshooter weapons, to which Dan added his Spencer carbine (not a sharpshooter weapon, but really neat).  As at Fort Ward a few weeks earlier, this attracted a constant crowd of spectators.

   Other living history demos included the 4th US’s display of knapsack contents and Regular uniforms, firing demos by the artillery and Confederate infantry, and mounted saber and pistol demos by the Black Horse cavalry.  Large living history tents appeared to contain various superannuated versions of Confederate staff officers, but General Lee himself went MIA this year.  On the grounds in front of the plantation house visitors could find a couple of sutlers and an olde timey musical group.  I suppose I can also count as a contribution to living history the Safeguard that Schnapps filled out and placed on the front door of said plantation house.  But for that piece of paper, who knows what looting might have occurred?

   Saturday’s schedule called for two battles, the first at 11 a.m.  Duffie and Dave had consulted before the event, but everything depended on how many people actually showed up.  With two small squads on the Federal side (the 4th had maybe a couple more rifles than us), Duffie provided reinforcements in the form of about a half dozen galvanized rebs.  The cavalry, as in previous years, split into blue and gray troops, again about a half dozen on a side.  In addition we had three guns and the Confederates had perhaps thirty infantry after deducting the galvanizers.  Duffie and Dave’s plan called for the union infantry to man a picket post around the restored slave quarters, supported by a single gun.  The rebel cavalry would attack, retreat, and then mix it up with the union cavalry.  We would fall back from the Confederate infantry, retreating across the field in front of the spectators and more or less luring the Confederate infantry into the fire of the other two artillery pieces, who would then clean their clocks.

   Most of the battle happened roughly according to plan, but most of the Federal infantry took hits on the retreat, and the Conferate infantry, advancing in a resolute phalanx impervious to small arms and artillery fire, gained the field.  The spectators got to see all three arms in action with much sound and fury.  Hopefully it proved entertaining.

   What worked:  The cavalry showed admirable discipline in keeping a reasonable distance from the infantry and artillery.  This vastly improved both the safety and realism of the event from the level of previous years.  Also, while the engagement got confused at points and turned out different from what I thought had been agreed on, the course of the action went essentially according to plan.  Also, Duffie and Dave decided to replay the same scenario during the afternoon, which would allow us all to improve on the first run through.

   Something else that worked, and that I think deserves special commendation, was how Captain Maranto and Bugler Abernathy managed Brady’s retreat by several times placing themselves well to the rear and sounding “rally on the battalion.”   I especially appreciated the Captain’s keen eye for terrain, which seemed to always result in our rallying in the shade.

   What didn’t quite work:  In the real civil war skirmishers took relatively fewer casualties than troops in line of battle.  In reenacting, the reverse seems to happen.  Individual skirmishers exposed at short range to massive volleys take a lot of hits; troops in the ranks tend to stay in the ranks under their officers’ orders and not take hits till told to.  Probably half of Brady’s and the other union troops dropped before we got back to the guns, compared to very few rebs.  Probably the latter needed to be told a little more often.  In any case the problem, such as it is, lies more with reenacting dynamics than any unwillingness on the part of the participants.

   Safety issues:  Several of these popped up over the course of the weekend’s three skirmishes (two on Saturday and one on Sunday afternoon) and I might as well list them all here:
 The slave quarters where the union forces deployed at the beginning of each scenario were adjacent to the camp of one of the rebel artillery units, meaning we had two limber chests on either side of us.  With a little effort we could avoid actually firing over them, but I’m pretty sure we were within the ideal safety radius.  
 The artillery ranges were also awfully tight.  During the Sunday scenario the rebel infantry came entirely too close to the guns that were to fire at them.  Fortunately the artillerymen knew their stuff and didn’t shoot until Colonel Miller was able to get his troops back.  
 Also, two large living history tents lay just across the road from the slave quarters, putting period participants who were essentially spectators right next to the action.  Ditto some of the folks in the CS artillery camp.  Besides looking a bit odd, it put noncombatants close to the powder burners.  
 As we fell back during the first scenario on Saturday, some of the union troops on the right came very close to the spectator lines.  This was noticed by safety personnel for the site and corrected in future scenarios.
 Individual reenactors need better drilling in skirmishing and loading while kneeling.  Done improperly, loading while kneeling can lead to dangerously poor muzzle discipline, of which we saw several examples.  Poor skirmish drill can lead to troops not firing in turns or – much more seriously – firing from behind the forwardmost troops, one instance of which happened Sunday, resulting in needless pain and suffering for both Pvt. Scanlon and one of the 4th.  I demonstrated proper loading to a couple of folks while on the skirmish line; Dan essentially took over a cell for firing in the advance on Sunday.

   No serious injuries resulted from any of the above, but it’s something we can work on.  The main contributing factors seem to have been the compressed space and the improvised nature of the scenarios, rather than anything like willful scenario busting or gross negligence.  Over the years I’ve popped a couple of friendly ears myself under similar circumstances, and received like treatment.  It should never happen, but does, and thus requires constant alertness.

   After the morning battle Brady’s collected its casualties, including Dan, who had taken a hit after feeling woozy in the heat.  It’s a good reminder that on a hot day sometimes drinking one canteen before the battle isn’t quite enough.  But it was good for everyone that he took himself out of the action before becoming a real casualty.  In the event, we all capped off and repaired to camp to cool down and clean our weapons.  Bill and I had a snacking lunch of cheese, dried army bread, and Landjaeger sausage, with a few dried apricots.  We’d had pretty much the same for breakfast, with a few ginger nuts to go with the coffee.  Anyway, it felt too hot to cook anything.  After lunch, Brady’s spent some time catching up with each other and our USV friends, as well as entertaining random spectators.  The dog tent is great for inviting questions – “Did you actually sleep there?” and provides smooth entre for a discussion of the tent d’abri, gum blankets, campaign loads, &c.  The juxtaposition with the 4th’s A-tents allowed us to talk about the evolution of camping over the course of the war, so it helps to have the two types.

   (Note to 4th US:  In case there’s any doubt, we’re not hardcore; we’re just too lazy to bring all that out in August.  Come see us at Cedar Creek.)

   A few spectators came by as I fiddled with my sample pack of company papers and could be recognized as they staggered away a half-hour later with glazed eyes, envisioning countless miles of red tape and triplicate copies of quarterly ordnance returns.  It’s a sickness, really.

   The afternoon battle provided pretty much a repeat of the morning’s engagement, although Captain Maranto, with due consideration to the heat, pulled us back further and rather more quickly than before.  By the time the commanders ordered a cease fire the rebel infantry were still essentially untouched and full of fight – as I returned to the field to pick up our casualties I had the unnerving experience of having a company fire a volley at me at a range that would have cut me in half in the actual war.  Fortunately they missed.

   I think the fighting wrapped up around four, which gave the fellows time to clean their weapons before the free tour of the plantation house offered to reenactors at five.  I had done the tour last year and so passed on it – besides, I heard it was air-conditioned inside and if I’d gone in they would have had to call the local constabulary to get me out again.  Instead I built up the fire, cubed some of the double-smoked bacon, and simmered it with hominy and dried onion for about an hour.  We had the time, and I let it cook while I slowly chased shade around the camps.

   After the spectators and most of the reenactors left we spent a leisurely evening, with Brady’s numbers gradually declining to Andy, Bill, and me.  Dan came back in the middle of the night (he had to pass up the afternoon battle for a shift at work), threw down a gum blanket, and slept hardcore, making the very useful discovery that a loaf of bread serves as a fine pillow without affecting its eating quality one bit.  Some time after the last cluster of jets left Dulles and the mosquitos returned to their homes to digest the better part of our blood supply, I too drifted off and enjoyed a fairly good sleep.

   Sunday found Brady’s numbers remaining steady at a single group of comrades in battle.  We continued to entertain spectators, ate up the rest of our food, and in the early afternoon suited up for battle again.  There was some controversy about whether the battle should start at two or two-thirty, and a discussion between Barbara, Dave, and Duffie about the schedule for next year.  It was a friendly enough chat, but a good illustration of where the interests and concerns of reenactors and event organizers coincide and where they don’t quite.  As reenactors, we like events to end as early as possible on Sunday (before noon seems to have become standard at progressive events – probably because they don’t care about spectators).  For organizers, the costs of providing facilities and staff equivalent to a full day far outweigh the benefits of ending at the halfway point.  I suggested (no I had no earthly justification for saying anything, but I was sitting there), that – if the question was whether the event would start at two or two-thirty and the goal was to have something happening until three – that we might be able to work something out.  We could, for example, start the battle at two, end at two-thirty, but have a medical scenario lasting until three or later.  I know several pretty authentic medical impressionists in the area and, if enough reenactors volunteered to remain as casualties or ambulance corps, and if we segued directly into the battle’s aftermath, it could work.  Something to think about, anyway.

   For the Sunday afternoon scenario we reversed the direction of the Confederate assault.  The union forces (maybe fifteen infantry, including the galvanized rebs) again began at the slave quarters, and again were surprised.  As the rebel cavalry attacked, the union cavalry delivered fire dismounted, with their carbines, and the infantry hurried to join them, forming a ragged, close-interval skirmish line between them and the artillery limber (see “Safety issues” above).  The rebel cavalry retreated, whereupon the union cavalry ran to get their horses and re-engage.  The rebel infantry came out and, after a brief interval of firing before Duffie got them to fall back a little, the two cannon fired on them.  We were then ordered forward – to certain death, I imagined, but the cannon fired again and the better part of a Confederate company took hits, which was my first inkling that we would actually “win” this one.  After some more to and fro, we did.

   The event ended on a high note for most of us (once more see “Safety issues” above  – it may be awhile before Pvt. Scanlon can hear high notes again), but whether we can chalk that up to victory I can’t say.  The Confederates certainly played their parts well and I think we ended the weekend with a fair amount of good feelings all round.  This bodes well for the future.  Sully will always present challenges due to the limited space available for the spectator battle, but nearly every venue has this issue, more or less, and we’re getting a little better at working with it.  The fact that the organizers and commanders work well together and listen to each other certainly helps.

  I look forward to next year.