photos by Jim Starbird

10/5/04 Now that we are all home and have had a chance to start to reflect on Franklin without pain... I thought I would send out this letter trying to voice my appreciation for you all. This was truly an amazing event that I will remember for a long time. Our battalion looked and acted splendid. We were the envy of every brigade commander at one time or another this weekend. We were asked to join every brigade out there. This means you all did and excellent job from clothing to marching and fighting you were noticed by all. I know the marches were tough and many things went awry but all in all it was an outstanding event. It was an honor to be counted among you and even more of honor to get to lead such a fine battalion. I cannot in words, express my feelings for all of you so I will not try, but to say this, I am glad this is only reenacting because if it were for real the loss of one would be too much to bear. Again, thank you for your efforts for making what could have been a disaster into one of the very best ever.

Your Obedient Servant,
Rob Sanders
Lt. Col. 1st ARK INF

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OLD STATE HOUSE FLAGS
In Little Rock, Ark. the old state house has been converted into a museum. This museum has some really great flags. Go to their website to see 'em

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AMMO BOXES
9/15/04Would you like to have the information on how to build an authentic ammo box? A good box can be used for lots of things besides ammo..like chairs, refreshments, and gear storage. This website gives you the details in a downloadable file. AMMO BOXES

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posted 4/5/04 Without the 1st ARK going Federal at the Mansfield/Pleasant Hill event it would have been a lonely place for Yankees. The Saturday event at Mansfield started off badly with the "bussing" problem. Seems the City of Pleasant Hill pulled out their busses at the last minute on Friday due to lack of "liability insurance". The event sponsors were only able to come up with 2 busses. It took over 3 hours to move everyone. Then the battle was pretty much just "standard issue". However on Sunday the battle was tremendous! They had 70 ground charges...there was dirt n' water and tree parts flyin all over everywhere! The Federals looked really good. The Zouaves had enough men this time to be very impressive. The view from the Federal lines was pretty awesome as the Rebs advanced with their Taylor Flags flyin' and powerful volleys. When the Reb flank was even with the woods the 1st ARK just "exploded" out of the woods where they had been hiding! It was a huge shock to the Rebs and they reeled back leaving a stream of casualties. But not for long. They advanced and drove the Feds from the fence on the hill...and then on to Grand Encore. This was the most historically accurate, exciting reenactment I've seen at Pleasant Hill and I've seen all of them.

DIVISION GUIDELINES

KEROSENE LAMPS

posted 4/14/04 Question- are the kerosene lanterns seen in reenactors camps "period correct"?
I contacted the Dietz company who is to lanterns what Henry Ford was to cars.
The following was what they told me.
Coal oil was first distilled in quantity from coal in 1856. Soon after Robert Dietz was awarded a patent for a burner specially designed to burn the new oil. In 1859 Edwin Drake produced the first commercially successful oil well... clearing the way for reasonably priced fuel. It would not however be until the end of the war that the cost of kerosene came down to the level where Dietz could sell lamps to the mass of people who were then mostly using candles.
The new tubular lantern of the style that has been seen at reenactments was patented by John Irwin in 1868, clearly making their use an anachronism.
There was only one kerosene style lantern that would have been available to the civil war soldier and therefore the reenactor, it was the dead-flame type.
While the dead flame style would have been a very unlikely item seen in a soldiers camp because of it's size and cost.
The only one I could find that fits the time period and is available is the Dietz #032 New Farm lantern which is a recreation of the original "New Farm" lantern that was first produced by Dietz in 1875, however this style lantern was popular as early as 1858.(the one pictured here is 1/2 size of the orginal)
In appearance, it greatly resembles the wood style candle lanterns with the excepting the top resembles the top of a pagoda, and there are two wire rings going around the glass.
I have yet to see this style lantern at a reenactment.

If you would like to see what they looked like or would like to buy one, (but hopefully not to use in camp) go to www.lanternnet.com

curtis payne