February 18, 2011
Dear Company Commander and/or interested persons;
The planning for the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of 1st Manassas is well underway. A site has been identified and secured. Registration site is up and running. People are planning on attending. What is your status and that of your unit? Please let me know if you and/or your group are attending and how many will be present. Also if you are attending as a Tiger Rifle (in Tiger Togs, zouave type uniforms) or as a generic Louisiana Infantryman of the time period. This will help us with preplanning the numbers of men in each company.
Here is the most current information that we have. Please pass it on to any members of your unit or others that might be interested in attending and participating with the 1st Louisiana Special Battalion (re-constituted). As information is provided, additional informational notices will be sent out.
Notice from the Overall Confederate Commander, Major-General Jake Jennette, Army of Northern Virginia; I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to everyone who has journeyed to this place to join in this commemoration of a truly epic event in the history of America. The First Battle of Manassas, fought in July, 1861, was a watershed in American History. Americans fought Americans in a war that continued for four long years and ended in Appomattox, Virginia in 1865. On this hallowed ground, our ancestors met in an epic struggle for the soul of this country. Regardless of whether they wore Gray or Blue they were American patriots and their memory should not be forgotten. We know that disease and battles contributed to the loss of over one million casualties. These are our fellow Americans. We should honor each of them as true patriots and ensure that their story is perpetuated forever.
FAQs:
The event website has a page with FAQ’s, related to the event. Most of the information is items we are aware of as reenactors. But there is good information on event specifics (i.e., RV parking, etc)
http://www.visitpwc.com/reenactment/faq.html
Camp Info:
The event will be held at Pageland Farms, which is located near the Southwest corner of Manassas Battlefield Park, just north of I-66. While the Confederate Camp has been indicated, our Battalion Camp has not yet been determined.
http://www.visitpwc.com/reenactment/maps.html
Schedule (tentative)
http://www.visitpwc.com/reenactment/pdf/Schedule.pdf
Safety, Rules, Authenticity, and Scenario Enforcement:
As it relates to safety, everyone should know and understand the event safety rules. Those proposed appear to be the ‘standard’ rules one finds at any CW event. One should follow event safety rules and their home organizations safety rules. As it relates to uniforms, as this is an early war battle, participants should strive to be properly attired for the period of the Battle. We understand that participants in the Battalion will come from a variety of time frames within the war (early, mid-, late-) and we will not refuse anyone because of this. BUT, there is sometimes a but, this is an early war battle and soldiers would not have raggedy looking uniforms, no matter their home unit time frame. Shine your brass too! Got gaiters?
http://www.visitpwc.com/reenactment/pdf/Overview.pdf
As it relates to the registration process, the following is provided:
Home Page for Information about Registration and Event -
http://www.visitpwc.com/reenactment/index.html
Reenactor Page - Registration Information
http://www.visitpwc.com/reenactment/reenactors.html
Registration Information (When filling out this electronic form have the member use Longstreet’s Corps as CSA Military Affiliation and 1st Louisiana Special Battalion as Unit Name [In Unit Information Section]. NOTE: per web site NO WALK-ONS ARE ALLOWED.). You can use me as the Unit Contact Name and My Email Address (James R Tebbetts, latigerreb@yahoo.com) if attending as a singleton. If coming as a group, use your group leader’s name, address, email and such.
https://www.logiforms.com/formdata/user_forms/21086_6842197/84596/
Individual Waiver/Release Form (fill out and send after filling out information in above link)
http://www.visitpwc.com/reenactment/pdf/WaiverRelease_Form.pdf
Medical Form (keep in cartridge box, for those with medical issues)
http://www.visitpwc.com/reenactment/pdf/MedicalForm_Standard.pdf
Past discussion with event coordinators (Prince William County people) indicates that they will have a searchable database up and running. Recent discussion with them indicates this searchable database will be open in April.
Information to consider as it relates to registering:
Registration closes on June 1, 2011 or upon sell-out (term from registration web page). “Sell-Out” occurs when maximum number of reenactors has been reached. Per registration people this is between 12,000 and 15,000 reenactors. Reenactor registers via web site and then sends in print out of event waiver and registration fee, which is $20. Sorry, they CANNOT ACCOMMODATE WALK-ONS. Registration is on a first-come first-serve basis. Substitutions will be allowed, BUT, sometimes there is a but, substitutions must occur no later than 30 days before the event, by June 22, 2011.
Payment, along with forms are to be sent to:
Prince William County/Manassas CVB
10611 Balls Ford Rd. Suite 110
Manassas, VA 20109 USA
Make Checks out to PWC/Manassas CVB
As a reminder, when filling out this electronic form have the member use Longstreet’s Corps as CSA Military Affiliation and 1st Louisiana Special Battalion as Unit Name In Unit Information Section.
As a side point, it appears one can arrive as early as July 20, 2011. Registration/Check In opens at 7AM and runs till 10PM from the 20th till July 24th. Please note that the 24th is a Friday. No registration/check in appears to happen on Saturday, but this may be a typo on the TENTATIVE schedule found on the event web site.
As it relates to general event information, the following is provided:
Because we will be a composite unit, made up of units and individuals from varying organizations, we plan on consolidating these smaller units and individuals into larger companies of more manageable size. Everyone should be aware of this. Everyone should be prepared to fight as a private soldier. Company commanders and NCO’s will be identified as we get closer to the event. It is hoped that we will have the same number of companies that the 1st had at the original battle, 5.
The event sponsors will allow 2-3 ‘ice angels’ to go out onto the field to support those battalions that are on the field ‘fighting.’ At the event we will seek volunteers to go out with us.
As a reminder, here are the age standards for those attending:
16 and over can be on the field and fire black powder weapons.
12 and over can be on the field if a trained signalman.
12 and over can be on the field if an ‘ice angle.’
11 and over can be on the field if they are a functional musician.
There needs to be an adult/guardian available to supervise those noted above.
Weapons, per event rules 2-banders are allowed with Army Commander approval. Which we now have. So if you have a 2-bander bring it. Those with 2-banders will be in the front rank. There is also a rule about no knives on the field. If you know your history, you know we did a knife attack. We have gotten the okay for us to carry them onto the field. Please note: Do not abuse this. Make sure your knife are tied down and secured.
Looking at the information provided, it appears this event will be more infantry oriented than at previous Manassas events. Artillery and Cavalry are by invite only. So hopefully the battle will start off with us, not the Cavalry that happened at past events. Looking at tentative schedule, battles will be in mid-morning. Hopefully public can get up early to watch.
So far we have 7 different reenactor companies (from Virginia, Colorado, Louisiana, and California) and a number of individuals indicating their desire to participate at this event. Right now we are estimating about 120 rifles in the Battalion, based on numbers hoping to attend. We have been working with Confederate Command and they have agreed that any person attending as a Tiger Rifle or Coppen’s Zouave would be directed to fall in with us. Nothing odder that a lone Tiger Rifle or Coppen’s running around the field, when there is a Battalion elsewhere on the field. As previously asked, let me know if you and/or your unit is attending and numbers expected. If attending as a singleton, let me know also.
Because of the wide variety of units expected at the event, it has been determined to use Gilham’s Manual for Battalion use. Here is link to a web site with this Manual: http://www.47thva.org/gilham/ . Just scroll down the page, there are links to the manual. If you have problems getting on, let me know and I will find another site.
If you are attending and have not made your desires known, please contact me and provide the particulars (name, unit, contact method [email, phone, or pony express], number attending, etc). Please give this information the widest possible distribution to men in your unit and others that might be interested in attending Manassas and participating in the reconstituted 1st Louisiana Special Battalion.
Hope to see you and your men this upcoming July. After Manassas, On To Washington City!!
James R Tebbetts, Captain
Adjutant, 1st Louisiana Special Battalion
150th Manassas Reenactment
latigerreb@yahoo.com
cc:
Major ‘Buddy’ Wheat, Commander, 1st Louisiana Special Battalion
Capt. Kevin Miller, Chief of Staff, 1st Louisiana Special Battalion