This weekend we were hosted by the ever gracious Sturgills as we hunted antiques and enjoyed a Renaissance fair experience. Saturday, Derrick, Melissa, Nikki, Aila, Robert, Serenity, Braidyn, and I drove south to antique shops in Lafayette and Yamhill where we got amazing deals on antiques, toys, and militaria. Aila got a great deal on a new china cabinet, I loaded up on antique woodworking tools, and Derrick found an original ANZAK hat for only $16! Afterwards, we returned to Sturgill manor where Heather and her mom had worked to prepare an excellent company dinner and Derrick and I manned the grills. There we were joined by Captain Brown and his better half, Amber, for a fun evening of food, campfire, and occasional nerf marksmanship. Capt. Brown was quite impressive speeding around in William's power wheels jeep. On Sunday, we all enjoyed a day at the Renaissance fair where we joined by Ms. Patty and Harliegh and enjoyed the entertainment and games such as archery, knife throwing, axe throwing, darts, and ninja star throwing. We missed all who were unable to attend and hope to see you for our next off-season gathering. | |
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Our hobby can be a an expensive one and finding period correct pieces we would dare use in the field are hard to come by. There are two volumes now of Civil War Woodworking with projects for all skill levels. My impression is of joiner from our unit which complements my passion for self-reliance and making things. Below are some examples of what I've been making in hopes they inspire others. Have questions? Want to join me in the maker shop? Shoot me an email!
What I've made CW related so far:
Willamette Mission this weekend was a great camping trip for the Berdans. While the temperatures regularly approached ninety degrees a quick swim in the Willamette River made it much more bearable. Taking in the battles was at times disappointing and amusing. The Union Battalion still loves long drill and their hard work clearly shows with such battlefield commands as "retreat on the Major!" and "rally on the left!" The battles were awkward with the Union constantly ignoring their flanks despite artillery fire, cavalry attacks, and infantry fire. Apparently they thought if they ignored the Secesh they would go away. My personal fav was the continuing increase in the use of work boots instead of brogans. The farb appears to be spreading but that wasn't the most shocking. Entirely out of the blue, I was called over by Capt. Sturgill to witness a man dressed in a terrible Native American costume. A photo of the person is in the slide show. Chehalis will have temperatures in the mid to upper 80s so hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Pvt. Ternan and 1st Sgt. Koepp spent the afternoon improving their marksmanship and having fun with their Sharps rifles. While still far from meeting the original Berdan qualifying requirements, overall marksmanship seemed better the further back the target went. Pvt. Ternan shot consistently and had better accuracy than the 1st Sgt. Early mornings made for long days this weekend at Union Gap. The company was up at 4 a.m. Saturday to send Capt. Sturgill and 1st Sgt. Koepp off to help feed the Battalion pancakes for breakfast and help with clean up. Saturday afternoon, Company D did a full run of their target shooting range attracting curious public and battalion staff. Before Sunday morning's battle the Sharpshooters were requested to accompany the battalion Sgt. Major in working with the public. Company D speed shooting competitions continued with Pvt. Coffee now firing 3 palmed rounds in only 50 seconds! In the competition for first to shoot to fire three rounds from the cartridge box, Pvt. Siler came out the fastest in the company. For timed speed, 1st Sgt. Koepp fired three rounds in 33 seconds.
Company D, were leaders in the battalion all weekend. By unanimous decision, Co. D will be color guard for the rest of the season. Under Capt. Sturgill's leadership, the sharpshooters showed how the color guard can actively rally the troops and provide a heavy rate of fire. It is our goal to restore the color guard's tradition of honor and prestige within the battalion. After suffering a massive defeat from the Confederates, Capt. Sturgill and Pvt. Whitehall made a valiant and successful dash to preserve the colors from capture! June 7th and 8th the Sturgills, Pvt. Ternan, Melissa and I participated in living history demonstrations at Fort Stevens state park. Here you see us demonstrating our rifle range. |
Contact us!
Captain Ethan Whitehall: ethanbugs17@gmail.com Vendors: NJ Sekela Wambaugh & White Regimental Quartermaster Townsends Dell's Leather Works Gun Parts: VTI gun parts Taylor Arms Flintlocks, etc. Firearms Dealers: Gun Broker Dixie Gun Works Other Links: Washington Civil War Association Happy Friends of Civil War Farb Company C Berdan Sharpshooters Historically Speaking New Recruits: WCWA Safety Test Other Resources: Reenactment Checklist Company D Standing Orders Company D Drill Guide Berdan Brochure Officer Responsibilities Archives
September 2023
Special thanks to the archivists at the Maine State Archives for all their research help.
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