We did the 145th Chancellorsville back in April in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. This was what I'd term a medium sized event. there probably a total of several thousand reenactors present. There was a terrible weather system in the area that kept the attendance down as it was expected to draw an ever larger participant count. On Saturday afternoon in a drizzle we attempted to honor Jackson and recreate his flank march. The Confederate infantry marched from their camp area a distance of close to a mile in a column of twos through a road cut that was deep in the woods. The Confederate artillery line was on the crest of a hill and the road was about 400 yards behind us. As the cavalry demonstrated on the battlefield we stayed low and out of sight of the few spectators that braved the weather. I started to hear muffled sounds and turned around to see the infantry coming through the woods behind us. It was very stirring. Colors were furled but out front. No talking or orders could be heard, just the tromp of feet in the woods and occaisional bayonet clank or tin cup clink. It took those fellows almost an hour to pass behind us and form in the woods. Sometime in the middle of this activity the man playing Jackson came out of the road into a clearing behind and just stood there on his horse and observed the field while "his" troops continued to file by. It was the most realistic thing I have ever encountered personally. The entire Confederate gun line was frozen as we watched these boys march by. Moments like that make you forget all about the fact that it had rained all Friday afternoon and night and Saturday morning. Everything we had was soaked. But it was worth it. The weather continued to be terrible and Sunday's activities were cancelled. I reported to my Colonel that my boys wouldn't leave or load my gun unless we shot. He said to "have at it Sergeant". We fired a few rounds as a dedication to those men we were trying to portry. Our first shot was dedicated to Corporal John Hazelgrove, my No. 5 man's GGG uncle. He was a member of Page's Battery, Morris Light Artillery and is credited with pulling the lanyard on the first round at The Battle of Hazel Grove after Jackson was wounded. I hope we made him proud. And yes his name was the same as the battle. Ironic.

Keith