The A.C.W.S. NEWSLETTER2018 4th Edition

ACWS Ltd PO Box 270 Washington, Tyne & Wear NE37 9BX

Issue 190

Spetchley Hall 2018

ACWS is a Member of

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ChairmanMr. MichaelSmart

A.C.W.S. CONTACTS - Directors & Army Commanders

TreasurerMr. Ian Morris

MembershipMiss Claire Morris

CommunicationsMrs. Val Holt

ConfederateCommanderMr. Glenn Gibson

Without PortfolioMrs. Viv Corbishley

SecretaryMrs. Linda Reed

EventsMr. Peter Holt

Health & SafetyMr. Martin Cross

WebmasterMr. Mike Bussey

FederalCommanderMr. Tim Davies

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The ACWS travelled to the M5 Multiperiod Event at Spetchley ParkGardens on 11th and 12th August2018 for the 12th anniversary of thisincreasingly popular event. Thisyear's event attracted well over1,000 re-enactors fromapproximately 100 different re-enactment societies andapproximately 2,000 spectators andall these have commendablyincreased over the recent years.

There was another excellent turnoutby both ACWS Union andConfederate re-enactors and I willalways continue to state that that theACWS turnout at this event isparticularly commendable due to thesignificant distance many people still

ACWS at the M5 Multi Period Event at Spetchleyhave to travel alongside theinevitable delays/speed restrictionson our appalling motorways.Nevertheless, for many people, itwas certainly worth it as this wasanother superb M5 festival despitethe varying weather and full credit toeveryone turning up regardless ofthe doom laden forecast which didnot materialise in full.

The M5 Multi period Event is run bythe Worcester Re-enactors for thebenefit of other re-enactors and yetagain sees this prestigious event justgetting bigger and better every year.Everyone now agrees that it is fastbecoming the new Kelmarsh/KirbyHall. Despite the dire forecast, therewas great sunny weather over the

118th Pennsylvania at Spetchley 2018

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Friday and Saturdaywhich allowed for acracking publicattendance. Thepresence of so manyother excellent displaysby other re-enactmentsocieties ranging in timefrom the Greeks to WorldWar 2 as well as the everpopular Real Ale beertent run by Trolls Bottom,an authenticallyrecreated 1940`s World War 2prefab pub (The Wheatsheaf - whichdonates all its profit to militarycharities), excellent food stalls andvarious Sutlers (inc the Civil WarSutlers) made it a great place to lookaround, shop, eat, drink andsocialise. One particular trader,namely cobbler and clog maker,Andrew Burk fixed my metal heeland repaired my brogans at the costof just a pint in the Real Ale beer tentwhich is indicative of how friendlyand helpful we re-enactors are toeach other.

Overall, the M5 Event organisers aswell as the owners and staff ofSpetchley Hall should be reallycommended for all their continuedvoluntary efforts, unbelievablefriendship and hard work whichmakes for such an enjoyable,pleasant and full multi period event.This is particularly important with thesteady decline and now absence of

many larger multi period events overthe recent years.

As usual, the ACWS was requiredto perform a 30 minute skirmisheach day in the main arena as wellas do additional drill displays and the2 Grand Parades at the end of bothdays. Personally, I thought bothACWS skirmishes were above ourusual high standard as there was somuch action, firing and movementfrom all the infantry, artillery andcavalry. The Union Army had acracking turnout with all their Federalregiments namely the 19th Indiana,69th New York and 118thPennsylvania all fielding really goodnumbers and having the ACWSUnion cavalry and the ACWS Unionartillery. A large body of fast movinggreen jacketed USS Sharpshootersreally made their presence felt andit was also pleasing to see down mymusket sight a few Union Soskan"Bucktails" in the blue ranks as well.

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skirmishers and these soon clashedthereby filling the whole field withlots of firing, movement and flanking.

There were some real close up andstand up slugfest fights right in frontof the crowd with no side preparedto retreat or fall back. The field wascovered in the smoke of battle as therattle of continuous musketry fireand cannon fire filled the air. Bothsides took casualties but eventuallythe Union infantry, cavalry andartillery started pressing andpushing down the flanks and therebels were forced to very slowlyretreat suffering lines of casualtieson the way as the Union volleyspoured in. The result was a Unionvictory but not before a lot of furtherhard fighting by the Confederatesindicated by the large amounts ofgrey clad bodies scattered all overthe battlefield by the end.

On the Sunday, the battle started offin a similar vein with both sidesdeploying their skirmishes beforesending in their main bodies oftroops. On this occasion, both mainbodies of troops refused to giveground on clashing in the middle andlong lines of infantry poured their fireinto one another causing a lot ofoverheated muskets. However, theConfederate lines were significantlystrengthened by their fast firingartillery piece steadily moving upand keeping in line with the rebel

The Confederate Army also had acracking turnout fielding 5 separateregiments namely the 1stTennessee, the 32nd Virginia, the43rd North Carolina, the 24thVirginia and Hoods Texas Brigade.For once, the Confederates hadenough camping space for theselong regimental lines but let's hopenext year that they are a littlestraighter! These Confederateregiments were supplemented byour Confederate Soskan friends whojoined in and filled the ranks. Boththese big skirmishes werethoroughly enjoyed by all the public,by all the Civil War re-enactorsthemselves and many other re-enactors watching due to all thedifferent and impromptu scenariosbeing employed at the same time.On the Saturday, the battle startedwith Major Tim Davis, the UnionCommander, sending in the Unioncavalry and a large body of USSSharpshooters deploying in skirmishlines from the top end of the field andsweeping downwards towards thelarge Confederate Army.

Major Glenn Gibson, theConfederate Commander,responded by sending in 2regiments of skirmishers who wereordered to press hard and drive theFederals from the field. This resultedin some excellent skirmishing tacticsby both sides. Both the Union andConfederate Commanders then sentin their main forces behind the

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must ensure we continue to do thisto enhance the reality andexperience for the public.

There are always unexpectedhighlights with the ACWS atSpetchley so I will mention a few.The main highlight for many ofcourse was the continuation of theTexas War of Independence. Thisresulted from the outstandingsuccess of the M300 Alamo eventat Weston Park in 2017 and thecreation of the Remember theAlamo Association (RAA). As such,the first event of this newly createdsociety saw the Battle of ColetoCreek being re-enacted with re-enactors from many differentsocieties including the ACWS takingpart in both the Texian and Mexicanranks.

Overall, the Texian's looked superbin their varied authentic and mixedcoloured coats including buckskins,coon hats and many Kentucky long

rifles and flintlocksand the Mexicansdisplayed all theirpomp and ceremonywith their shakoes,red, yellow and bluefrock coats, blaringbugles/drums andn u m e r o u sbanners/flags. Bothbattles had creditablenumbers and thecolourful display was

infantry and making the firepower somuch more deadly.

Eventually, the sheer volume ofrebel firepower told as the Unioncasualties started to mount. TheConfederates continued to pressthereby forcing the Union forces toretreat leaving long lines of blueclothed soldiers behind. As usual,both sides took appropriatecasualties on both days and thepublic were particularly entertainedas most of the action took place rightin front of them. The confusion,noise, orders and screams of battleenhanced the large clouds of fogfrom the black powder that hungover the battlefield throughout. TheACWS always try and do realisticcasualty scenarios and this eventwas no exception. Many other re-enactors and public commented onthis excellent aspect particularly atthe visible human carnage at the endof both battles. This is not always thecase with other re-enactments so we

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Overall, this was another highlyenjoyable and packed weekend andpleasing to see the socialising andcamaraderie between the Union andConfederate re-enactors continue.

The ACWS singalong in the Real AleTent on the Saturday night due tothe poor weather was well receivedby all. It is to the ongoing credit ofthe ACWS that both armies continueto have excellent attendances andparticularly pleasing to see botharmies now visibly consolidatingafter a number of relatively leanyears. Nevertheless, it is stillimportant for everyone to make andencourage ant new recruits. Anotherbig thanks to Christian Sprakes whocommented superbly throughout theweekend for all the other societies.Just stop and listen to Christianwhen commenting on other societiesand you will realise just howknowledgeable and interesting he isdespite working all day long!

The next ACWS event is a smallsociety event at Lincoln Castle on18th and 19th August 2018. Thereis also a smaller ACWS regimentalevent (organised by 43rd NorthCarolina) at the Forces in the Fieldmulti period event at CulzeanCastle, Scotland on 25th and 26thAugust 2018.

article by Stewart "Goober" Douglas,43rd North Carolina Volunteers.

enjoyed by everyone whoparticipated and watched. Long maythis new society continues to grow.

From a very personal perspective, Ido feel that the massacre of over430 Texian's that occurred at theGoliad after their surrender at theBattle of Coleto Creek could havebeen re-enacted but I am fully awareof all the powerful emotions behindthis event and the reasons why itmay not have been felt appropriateat this particular stage of time. Otherhighlights for the ACWS included themaking by Daz Paul (Union) andformal presentation of 2 superbCavalry Guidons for both the Unionand Confederate cavalry. They arereally awesome additions to theoverall ACWS flag displays.

Andy Farnsworth (32nd Virginia)deservedly won the ConfederateSoldier of the Year Award. MartinClarke (Sergeant - 2nd SouthCarolina) was a close 2nd and mustget immense praise for bothrecruiting and re-establishing the2nd South Carolina Regiment andgetting them back on the field as aunit. A great sight and anotherregimental addition to theConfederate Army. He was alsoinstrumental with all his hard workand effort in getting the Rememberthe Alamo Association off theground. As usual, the ACWS alsoexcelled during the 2 GrandParades.

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Spetchley Images

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The FBI and the search for Union Civil War Gold

Union Army hierarchy and PresidentAbraham Lincoln. The party was totake a particular circuitous routethrough the wilds and densetimberland of northern Pennsylvaniato avoid Confederate scoutingparties. The wagon train consistedof 2 wagons, 8 cavalrymen, a civilianguide named Connors and a UnionLieutenant named Castleton.Significantly, Lieutenant Castletonwas the only person in the party whoknew about the gold bullion as it wassecreted in a hidden compartmentin a false bottom in one of themodified wagons.

The gold bullion consisted ofbetween 26 to 52 bars of gold worth$2 million. In current dollars, it wouldbe worth $50 million. The legendgoes that soon after the journey hadstarted, Lieutenant Castletondeveloped a fever and before thedetachment reached St Marys in ElkCounty, he suffered a seizure.

Whilst talking in his delirium, herevealed the real purpose of themission as well as the secretcontents of the wagon hiddenbeneath the hay. The following day,the detachment left St Mary`s andheaded for Driftwood. This was thelast time either Lieutenant Castletonor the 8 Union soldiers were everheard of again. However, according

In March 2018, the most powerfullaw enforcement agency in theUnited States namely the FBI(Federal Bureau of Investigation)suddenly turned up in a very remotepart of Pennsylvania and havingcleared the area of any prying eyesspent the next few days and nightsdigging. They eventually left leavinga large hole and were seen at theend of the dig loading 2 bigarmoured trucks.

They have refused to publish orpublicly state what they were doingthere and what they found. However,what is known is that 2 local treasurehunters had been digging in the areafor years in search of long lost Uniongold bullion from the American CivilWar and the FBI had suddenlymuscled in on their operation. Thisis the amazing story of the long lostUnion gold bullion and the FBI.

The story begins in June 1863during the American Civil War whena small detachment of Unionsoldiers left Wheeling, West Virginiawith 2 wagons full of hay. However,its real purpose was to deliver alucrative cargo of gold bullion inorder to replenish the fund used forUnion Army payroll purposes. It washeaded for the Philadelphia mint atHarrisburg, Pennsylvania and wassupposedly authorised by both the

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subsequently banned from the area.Suddenly, in March 2018, the FBIappeared at Dents Run and clearedthe whole area, closed the only roadto the site and began excavating anddigging the alleged site identified byFinder Keepers.

They would not allow FindersKeepers to actually view theexcavation as they were confined totheir motor vehicles well away fromthe site itself. Following the 2 dayexcavation, the FBI revealed nothingexcept that they had been merelyconducting court authorised lawenforcement activity and nothing atall had been found. They left a largehole which they allowed FindersKeepers to finally view as beingconfirmed as totally empty.

Finders Keepers fully believesomething was actually found butthey were not told. Numerouspetitions and Freedom ofInformation Act appeals have sincefollowed to force the FBI to disclosefurther details and information aboutthe dig but nothing has beenforthcoming.

Article by Stewart "Goober" Douglas.

Sources : The Lost Patrol, TomRizzo ; The Guardian 17/3/2018 ;Fox News 17/10/2018 ; CBS17/10/2018

to one account, the civilian guidewas later found disorientated andhysterical some 40 miles southeastclaiming that the detachment hadbeen attacked, wiped out and all theloot taken. The Union Armyquestioned this account and askedthe Pinkerton Detective Agency toinvestigate further. They wereunable to find any further informationappertaining to either the missingparty or the cargo.

However, several years later, theauthorities did find several humanskeletons at a spring near DentsRun in Elk County. They presumedthese remains to be those of themissing Union soldiers. In addition,they also found the remains of deadarmy mules nearby. Another reportstates that 2 gold bars wererecovered nearby in 1865.Nevertheless, the missing gold wasnowhere to be found. Ever since thistime, treasure hunters have beensearching for the missing goldbullion.

In 2005, a local man named DennisParada set up a company calledFinders Keepers to locate the losttreasure and in 2012 he suddenlydeclared that he had actually foundthe location of the gold bullion witha high powered metal detector atDents Run. However, federal lawwould not allow him to dig orexcavate the site and he was

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ACWS at Lincoln Castle

prison has been open as a museumand it has been used as a film setmost notably for Downton Abbey.On the highest part of the castlegrounds, there is a small enclosedgraveyard where there are thegraves of those who were executedfor their various crimes. They havevery simple markers featuring onlytheir initials and the date of deathand it is quite an emotional andthought provoking place.

Nevertheless, Lincoln Castle is abeautiful site overall and all theACWS re-enactors were given theadded bonus of visiting the 3 mainattractions. Firstly, we were givenfree access to walk all around themedieval walls. This walk providedsuperb views of the castle complex,Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln City itselfand the surrounding countryside.Secondly, we had a private tour ofthe Victorian prison and particularlythe visually amazing "separatesystem" prison chapel where all theprisoners were secluded from eachother in individually enclosedwooden pews looking up at thepulpit.

This was enhanced by the use ofnumerous mannequins and is theonly surviving example in the World.The prison itself has 3 restoredfloors (both male and female) with

On the weekend of 18th and 19thAugust 2018, the ACWS travelled tothe prestigious site of Lincoln Castleto participate in Buffalo Bill`s WildWest Horse Circus Show. ThisEvent commemorated the 250thanniversary of the origins of Circusas part of the Circus 250! Initiative.Buffalo Bill`s Wild West Show itselfstepped back in time to the turn ofthe century and was once performedin front of Queen Victoria herself.This small society ACWS Event wasprogrammed to be busy during bothdays and so it proved.

Lincoln Castle itself is a beautifuland historic site and it was a realpleasure and privilege to be able tocamp inside. Lincoln Castle itself isa major Norman castle which wasconstructed in Lincoln, Englandduring the late 11th century byWilliam the Conqueror on the site ofa pre existing Roman fortress. Thecastle is particularly unusual in thatis has 2 mottes. It is only one of twosuch castles in the whole country.

The other is in Lewes in Sussex.Lincoln Castle is a scheduledancient monument and is one of thebest preserved castles in England.It has been mainly used as both aprison and a law court in moderntimes. Lincoln Crown Court stillcontinues to this day. Part of the

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Union and Confederate Armies thenperformed a fast moving skirmish inthe main arena. Both skirmishesinvolved the use of 2 cannon by theUnion Army. On the first day, theConfederates managed to take oneof the cannon and turn it on theUnion but the Union Infantry heldtheir lines and in a last minuteengagement and despite beingoutnumbered managed to blast allthe remaining Confederates at close(but safe) range with their remainingcannon.

The second skirmish involved thesame scenario but on this occasionthe Confederates managed to takeboth cannon off the Union and takethem back to their lines. The sight ofall the remaining Confederatesrunning back to their lines hauling 2cannon and waving all the rammers,wormers and spongers in front of thecrowd was a very memorable sightand cheered by all the publicpresent. Both these skirmishesinvolved infantry and artillery in fastmovement, loud firing and closeaction fighting which wereparticularly well received by both thelarge amount of public and theorganisers.

Credit must go to Major Tim Davis,Union Commander and Major GlenGibson, Confederate Commanderfor organising and planning theseexciting skirmishes in a relatively

individual cells which gives a uniqueinsight into the Victorian penalsystem. They have video screenstelling the stories of all theinhabitants. Thirdly, all the ACWSre-enactors were allowed a specialprivate visit to see an original copyof the Magna Carta in the speciallycreated Magna Carta vault within thecastle grounds. Many of theprinciples enshrined in the MagnaCarta still influence our societytoday. Only 4 still remain. All 3attractions were well worth thetravelling distance alone.

The ACWS was contracted to bebusy throughout the weekend andso it proved. The Union Artilleryopened the show with a 2 gunbattery fire display. The public whoqueued early to get in and turned upin their droves on both days wereboth woken up and exhilarated bythe awesome fire, noise and displaywhich reverberated all over the city.

The Union Infantry then performedsome excellent drill and a firingdisplay in the main arena. TheConfederate Infantry, following ashort period of drill, then organisedthe ever popular Kids Drill which dueto the sheer numbers and keenenthusiasm of both children andparents resulted in some of the bestever Kids Drill scenarios. There wereso many participants that they hadto form up in 2 lines! Finally, both the

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displays such as the SouthernWomen's Homespun Spindle Wheeldisplay, Martyn Clarkes Civil WarVisual displays and the Ask aSoldier Questionnaire which actuallyran out of quiz sheets as well as allthe respective lollypop prizes! Over150!

Overall, this was a superb eventwhich was thoroughly enjoyed byeveryone who attended. LincolnCastle is a superb secure locationand the overall event was very wellorganised. It was an event that wasreally well attended by the publicwho thoroughly enjoyed the wholeweekend. The ACWS clearlyenhanced their superb reputation toboth the English Heritage Eventorganisers and Lincoln CountyCouncil.

We all hope that this will lead tobigger and better events in thefuture. Above all, however, massivecredit must go to every Union andConfederate re-enactor whoattended due to the mutualfriendship, co-operation, hard workand camaraderie that continues togrow and develop within the ACWS.Needless to say, both campfiresenjoyed their usual merriment,singing and banter!

Article by Stewart "Goober"Douglas, 43rd North Carolina

small arena. In addition, credit mustalso go the Martyn Clarke who tookover the ACWS commentary dutiesand really excelled with hisknowledge and enthusiasm. Theother main activity in the main arenawas the Wild West Show whichincluded some really mind blowingand amazing stunts, jumps andleaps on horseback which werethoroughly enjoyed by all the ACWSre-enactors and the public alike.Other activities included the QuackDoctor and Have a Go HammerThrowing.

Despite some excellentperformances in the main arena, theACWS really excelled with theirLiving History displays, regular drillsessions and Encampment duringthis event. The Union Army providedGuard Duty on the main gate duringboth days and the Confederate Armydid drill both inside and outside thecastle walls. The Living HistoryEncampments contained 2 brandnew and exciting displays.

The first was the UnionBarber/Dental Surgeon displaywhich was superb and went downreally well with all the children readilyqueuing up for an authentic shaveand a tooth extraction! The secondwas the Soap/Candle Makingdisplay by Confederates Gary andSandy Scott. These only added tothe many other but more well known

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Civil War Limb Pit Discovered

understanding Civil War combatinjuries and medical practices duringthe course of the Civil War.

On this battlefield, in 2014, side byside and in a shallow pit, 2 Unionsoldiers were hastily buried. Theywere buried not with flowers ormemento's but 11 arms and legs.The limbs belonged to their fallenUnion comrades and were verylikely gathered from the amputationtables of overworked Union Armysurgeons as they strove to savelives on that Civil War battlefield. 1of the Union soldiers was aCaucasian male aged in his latetwenties. His skeleton still had a.577 calibre Enfield bullet still lodgedin his upper thighbone.

This type of bullet was almostexclusively used by Confederatetroops and the bullet is believed tohave slowed down as it rotatedthrough his cartridge box beforelodging sideways in his body. Theother Union soldier was a Caucasianmale aged in his early 30`s. He isbelieved to have died from aConfederate .31 calibre leadbuckshot round as he had 3separate injuries in his shoulder,groin and lower leg. His body wasfound with Union Army eagleimprinted jacket buttons. Isotopeanalysis revealed that during their

The Second Battle of Bull Run inAugust 1862 was a significant buthigh-casualty Confederate victory.The 1st day involved continued linesof Union soldiers fighting uphill andattacking General StonewallJackson’s forces who were dug inalong a railway grade. The 2nd dayinvolved Union General John Popeordering another ill- fated attack onJackson’s position but this timebeing subject to a massiveConfederate flanking counter attackby Confederate General JamesLongstreet causing the whole Unionarmy to retreat.

To-day, this battlefield nearManassas, Virginia is a closelyprotected site under the oversightand management of the NationalPark Service. The policy is to let theground remain undisturbed andallow all the countless bones andbodies lie in peace. Preservation ofthe land is the top priority. However,in late 2015, in the process ofclearing a narrow trench for a utilityservice project, Park personnelinadvertently stumbled across anarchaeological treasure trove.

This is the amazing story of the 1stever discovered intact surgeons"limb pit" by the National ParkService. Experts state that thefinding is a pivotal development in

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thereby discover their possibleidentifications.

The remains of the 2 Union soldierswere transferred to the Army on 19thJune 2018. The 3rd U.S Regiment,"The Old Guard", moved theirremains from the Manassasbattlefield to Arlington to await theirinternment. To prepare for this, 2custom made coffins were madefrom the wood of a wind-felled oaktree from the Manassas battlefield.

The coffins were designed in theCivil War fashion of "toe pincher"design namely wider at theshoulders and narrow at the headand feet. The remains were thenwrapped in reproduction Civil Warblankets. They were formally buriedwith a full military ceremony onSeptember 6th 2018 at the ArlingtonNational Cemetery.

Article by Stewart "Goober"Douglas, 43rd North CarolinaVolunteers.

Sources:

New York Times, 20/6/2018;Smithsonian.com 20/6/2018;National Park Service: AnUnexpected Discovery; VariousInternet sources and articles.

growth and development, bothsoldiers had consumed food andwater from the Northern states. The11 smaller bone remains have cleancut cross sections at the thigh. Thiswas suggestive of the fact that thesesoldiers had sustained serious shinand foot wounds requiringamputation.

The precise nature of the cutsindicate that the surgical operationswere performed by a highly skilledsurgeon. With regard the finds, it isfelt that overall "these surgeons hadto work very quickly and make reallydifficult decisions without greatsupplies or resources "said KatieLiming, National Park spokeswoman"The 2 almost full sets of remains,buried very hastily, tell us thatsurgeons probably saw these menand said, "There`s nothing we cando".

It would appear that both men weretaken to the field hospital but due tothe severity of their injuries were notoperated on. Researchers arecurrently tracking down Union Armyamputation records from the battleto try and match up the identities ofthe 11 amputees. It appears that itis easier to identify partial limbs thanfull bodies due to Union surgeonsdocumentation which can narrowdown which troops were wherewhen they were operated on and

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43rd North Carolina ACWS at Culzean Castle

public and all the re-enactorspresent.

The Forces in the Field multi periodevent is clearly starting to grow andthis was clearly evident by thenumerous groups representingViking, World War 1, World War 2,Medieval, Napoleonic and Vietnam.As usual, this was not a full ACWSsociety event but was advertised asan ACWS regimental eventorganised by the well attended 43rdNorth Carolina and their newrecruits. However, it is to the realcredit of a small handful of otherindividuals from the Confederate(1st Tennessee and 32nd Virginia)regiments who made the long tripthat allowed for a more varied andinteresting display. Due to no ACWSFederals being present, quite a few

The 43rd North Carolina Regimenttravelled to Culzean Castle andCountry Park in Ayrshire on the bankholiday of 25/26/27 August 2018 forthe Forces in the Field 2018 multiperiod re-enactment. Although it didrain heavily in parts on both Sundayand Monday morning, the excellentweather on the Saturday in such asuperb and majestic coastal settingcombined with a huge, friendly andinterested public made for an overallenjoyable weekend.

Although the 43rd North Carolinaand their handful of guests did notwin the Annual Trophy despite theirreal efforts over the whole weekend,there was no question that they didput on superb and interesting freeflowing skirmishes in the main arenawhich was thoroughly enjoyed by the

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Other benefits and attractions werethe swan pond (a 13 acre lake!),deer park, a Victorian vinery,pagoda, a large Orangery, cannonand mortar batteries, smugglingcaves, the home farm visitor centrewith a restaurant, a cafe, a shop anda large toilet block. The castle itselfboasts a spectacular oval staircase,an armoury containing the largestcollection and display of flintlockpistols in the world (716 and allused) and a large round drawingroom.

The top apartment of the castle wasfrequently used by US PresidentDwight D Eisenhower for relaxingand golfing purposes. All of thesebuildings enjoy a panoramic view ofthe Firth of Clyde. Please see the43rd North Carolina facebook pagewhich has excellent pictures of thesite.

Due to the ongoing considerablekindness and generosity of theScottish National Trust organisers,I am always able to book somethingdifferent and interesting for all thosewho make the trip. As such, it wasthe memorable and highlyinteresting Ghost Tour (Please seeYou Tube Most Haunted CulzeanCastle for a sound bite). Thisinvolved a specialist guide who toldloads of wonderful and interestingstories about the castle and all thehaunted comings and goings of the

Confederates very kindly galvanisedto put on a small fight. Personally, Ithought the effort they put into theirFederal display and uniforms wereexcellent.

As I always say, it is absolutely vitalto attend such events in theNorth/Scotland to fully support allour Scottish members who regularlytravel such very long distances andgain new recruits which occurred inboth the Confederate andgalvanised Union regiments!

From a historical perspective,Culzean Castle and Country Park inAyrshire is one of the most beautifulsites that the 43rd North Carolinaever attended. It is owned and runvery efficiently by the ScottishNational Trust. The imposingbuildings with numerous turrets andbattlements are surrounded bybuffeting seas, lush forests andsecret gardens. Culzean Castle wasthe final masterpiece of the mostfamous architect of the day namelyRobert Adam. It is set in over 242hectares of stunning countrysidewith manicured gardens, delightfulfollies and numerous long woodlandtrails. It also overlooks stunningsands, pebbly beaches and coastaltrails with excellent views particularlyof sunset over the Isle of Arran. Afew members of the ACWS visitedthe Isle of Arran prior to the re-enactment as part of their holidays.

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Glen Pepper (1stTennessee) who devised2 different scenarios forboth days andcommentated duringthese. In addition, muchcredit must also go toSteve Brooks(1stTennessee) and CorporalMark Moody (43rd North

Carolina) who took control andorganised the actual displays andskirmishes from both sides.

As usual, this event always providesan invaluable opportunity for othersto take control, develop confidenceand experiment with other scenarioswhich proved both informative andinteresting for the public. On theSaturday, the back drop was similarto last year and involved GeneralShermans 1864 March to the Sea.

This was a cracking displayinvolving all the Federals comingonto the field fully laden with boxes,baskets and booty from theirforaging and being surprised by abody of Confederate troops. TheUnion troops quickly took coverbehind their looted baggage and afierce fire fight ensued. However,unbeknown to the Federal troopswas that there was another body ofConfederates hiding nearby. Thesesuddenly appeared on the Unionflank and being attacked from 2sides ensured their eventual defeat

castle, its rooms and thesurrounding area.

It was really enjoyed by everyonewho attended. A trip around thegrounds and parks had also beenvery kindly arranged but due to thecontinued poor wet weather had tobe postponed. But do not worry, wewill do this trip around the groundssome other time as people wouldreally like this.

Although initially the 43rd NorthCarolina had a 30 minute slot in themain arena on the Saturday andSunday both the elements and othersocieties pulling out left us with farmore time to fill and as usual the43rd North Carolina always agree tohelp out the Event Organisers byputting on additional impromptudisplays.

On the Saturday, the NapoleonicSociety were very restricted in theirdisplay time so the 43rd NorthCarolina put on both a skirmish andsome other displays to stretch outthe time. Much credit must go to

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firing and surprise the Confederateswith the important lost papers. Afierce battle ensues. This particularfire fight involved some close upfighting as well as some cracking prearranged hand to hand fighting. Thisskirmish was really appreciated bythe public who braved the elementsand well done to those ACWS re-enactors who rolled around in themud!

One of the other highlights of thisForces in the Field multi period wasan opportunity to socialise and meetother re-enactors. Again, this provedvery fruitful as the 43rd NorthCarolina introduced some newrecruits to the ACWS and hopefullythey will return and stay.

Overall, despite the poor weather onthe Sunday and Monday, it was athoroughly enjoyable weekend dueto the excellent site, the provision ofeverything required by the superband friendly Scotland National Trustrangers, the camaraderie of all thedifferent historical groups but aboveall the working together and co-operation of all the various differentACWS re-enactors. The finale of themulti period event was a Pipe andDrum march and parade whichconcluded this enjoyable weekend.

Article by Stewart "Goober"Douglas, 43rd North Carolina.

and wipe out. Following thisskirmish, there was a Union Soldierversus a Confederate Soldier firingcompetition, a Firing display, aConfederate Flag display and theever popular Kids Drill led by GlennGibson. All of these were thoroughlyenjoyed by all the huge amount ofpublic who attended.

Sadly, on the Sunday, the forecastproved all too correct with heavy andcontinuous rain and a few re-enactors packed up and left.However, it did clear up in theafternoon and full credit must go theACWS as they stayed and put onboth a spontaneous pistol fight aswell as a brand newscenario/skirmish to help the EventOrganisers out.This involved the back drop of theGettysburg Campaign 1863. A loneUnion Cavalry Scout is dismounted,wounded and lost and is soonsurrounded by a roaming band ofConfederate skirmishers. On beingcaptured, he is searched and foundto be in possession of some valuableUnion battle plans, maps andFederal troop dispositions. TheConfederates now need to get theseinvaluable items back toConfederate General Robert E Leeas quickly as possible.

However, the Union Cavalrymanmanages to escape when nearbyUnion troops come to investigate the

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The "Great Beefsteak Raid" - 14th - 17th September, 1864

of one of the greatest cavalry raidsof the American Civil War.By September 1864, the Unionsiege of Petersburg was entering itsthird month. Always lacking insupplies, the Confederate forcesdefending both Petersburg as wellas Richmond, Virginia in 1864 werebeginning to run out of food. A reportby Confederate General Robert ELee on 22nd August 1864 statedthat the corn necessary to feed hisstarving troops was fully exhausted.

In addition, the Union Army of thePotomac was tightening the noose

The "Great Beefsteak Raid" was aConfederate cavalry raid that tookplace in Prince George County,Virginia between 14th and 17thSeptember 1864 as part of the siegeof Petersburg during the AmericanCivil War. Confederate MajorGeneral Wade Hampton led a forceof 4,500 Confederate troopers onwhat was to become a 100 mile rideto acquire cattle that were intendedfor consumption by the Union Armywhich was laying siege to bothPetersburg and Richmond, Virginiaat the time. This is the amazing story

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1st District of Columbia Cavalry anda small detachment of about 150men from the 13th PennsylvaniaCavalry. Confederate General WadeHampton had only recently takenover full control of the Confederatecavalry after Confederate GeneralJ.E.B Stuart's death at YellowTavern in May 1864. The lattersfondness for riding behind andaround Union lines would appear tohave rubbed off on Hampton as heimmediately started making plans torelieve the Union of their numerousunguarded cattle.

Therefore, following a consultationwith Confederate General Robert ELee and gaining his tacit approval,Confederate General WadeHampton organised an overall forceof over 4,500 Confederate troopersfor the expedition. The forceconsisted of a 2 brigade cavalrydivision led by Major General H.F"Rooney" Lee.

This included Barringer’s brigade ofNorth Carolinians and Lucius Davisbrigade of Virginians. In addition,there were 2 independent cavalrybrigades led by Rosser and Dearingand 100 hand picked cavalrytroopers from Young’s andDunovant’s brigades led by Lt ColMiller of the 6th South CarolinaCavalry. This force also purposefullyincluded "several certified Texascattle thieves".

around the Confederate Army ofNorthern Virginia by cutting all theroad and rail supply lines from theSouth. Nevertheless, south ofPetersburg and away from the mainbattle lines, the country was thesetting for ugly guerrilla warfare.Confederate cavalry ranged deepbehind the lines regularly raidingisolated Federal outposts and rebelscouts and spies roamed the landgaining invaluable information andlooking for weaknesses. It wasduring this time that one of thesesources of information, aConfederate scout called SergeantGeorge D. Shadburne of the JeffDavis Legion submitted a verydetailed and thorough report on theUnion defences east of Petersburgas far as Coggin’s Point on theJames river on September 5th 1864.

He also informed the recipient of hisreport, Confederate General WadeHampton that there were 3,000lightly defended cattle behind Unionlines at fire eater Edmund Ruffin’splantation on Coggin’s Point, only 5miles away from Union GeneralUlysses S Grants Headquarters. Healso stated that the cattle were in acorral and only protected by 120Union soldiers and 30 unarmedcivilians.

However, in reality, there were morebut the herd was still poorlyprotected by about 250 men of the

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Coggin’s Point totally undetectedand immediately divided hiscommand into 3 separate parts forthe attack. The smallest part namelyDearing’’ brigade would take up ablocking position to the East toguard against any Yankeeinterference from that direction. Thelargest part namely WH Rooney’sdivision would scatter the Yankeesaround nearby Prince GeorgesCourt House and guard against anyYankee interference from the Westas this was the nearest to the mainUnion lines at Petersburg.

Finally, the last column namelyRosser’s brigade and the 100hundred hand picked troops wouldstrike in the centre directly north,overrun the 1st District Of Columbiacavalry and capture the whole herd.By 5.00am on September 16th , allthe 3 Confederate columns were inposition and the attack commenced.Rosser hit first and after a spiriteddefence drove off the Union cavalryguards and liberated the cattle.

Both Rooney Lee`s division on theleft and Dearing`s brigade on theright took their blocking positionssuccessfully thereby also ensuringthe cattle were successfullyhemmed in. After 3 hours, all 3columns broke off their attacks andleft with 2,486 cattle, 11 supplywagons and 304 Union prisoners.All the cattle were quickly rounded

The dates of 14th -17th September1864 were specifically chosen by theConfederates as it was well knownthat US General Ulysses Grant wasvisiting General Sheridan who stillhad control of most of the US cavalryin the Shenandoah Valley at thattime.

On September 14th 1864, theConfederates headed to the southof Petersburg and the Uniontrenches in order to eventually turnnorth behind the Union lines. On thisfirst day, they travelled along theBoydton Plank Road andbivouacked at Wilkinson’s Bridge onRowanty Creek. Leaving early onthe morning of September 15th,Confederate General WadeHampton chose to cross theBlackwater River at Cooke`s Bridge.

This was key to the success of theoperation as this had beenpreviously destroyed by Unionforces and would therefore be atotally unexpected crossing point.He had earlier sent some handpicked Confederate "mountedengineers" to reconstruct the bridgefor the crossing and as it was beingrepaired, his Confederate troopersrested and watered their mounts.

On the very early morning ofSeptember 16th , Hamptonsucceeded in arriving 10 miles off

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the enemy were burned, aftersecuring from them some veryvaluable stores, including quite anumber of blankets. My loss was 10killed, 47 wounded and 4 missing".

Despite the raids success, itsstrategic impact was not as great asthe sheer amount of cattle takenwould indicate. For whereas theUnion could easily replace the cattle,the Confederates lacked the cornand grain to actually sustain andfeed them. As a result, the majoritywere quickly slaughtered and eatenby the starving Confederate troopsin the trenches.

For many days afterwards, theConfederates would taunt the Unionsoldiers opposite thanking them fortheir dinner and inviting them tocome on over to share their spoils.There was so much fresh beefavailable that even unauthorisedexchanges were made with Unionsoldiers for luxury items theConfederates were unable toacquire. Eventually, as the beef wasconsumed or became spoiled, theConfederates were forced to returnto their meagre and dire foodsituation.Union President Abraham Lincolncalled the Great Beefsteak Raid "theslickest piece of cattle stealing" heever heard of. Confederate GeneralRobert E Lee`s adjutant, Lt Col.Walter Taylor, said the raid made up

by the additional use of a largenumber of shepherd dogs that hadbeen brought along by theConfederates to help with theherding. Hampton returned back toCooke’s Bridge on the Blackwaterriver and successfully re-crossed. AFederal force of 2,100 troopersunder Brigadier General HenryDavies Junior lay ahead but wereeasily held off by Rosser’sConfederate brigade that had beenimmediately sent northward after theraid to scout ahead.

The Federals were then dispersedbefore Hampton arrived with all the2, 486 cattle, wagons and prisonersto the Confederate lines the next dayon 17th September. The total lossesfor the Confederates were 10 killed,47 wounded and 4 missing.

In his after action report, Hamptonwrote " the command returned totheir old quarters after an absenceof 3 days, during which they hadmarched upward of 100 miles,defeating the enemy in 2 fights, andbringing from his lines in safety alarge amount of captured property,together with 304 prisoners.

Of the 2,486 cattle captured 2,468have been brought in, and I hope toget the few remaining ones. 3guidon’s were taken and 11 wagonsbrought in safely, several othershaving been destroyed. 3 camps of

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Article by Stewart "Goober"Douglas, 43rd North CarolinaVolunteers

Goobers Notes:

1) The 1966 film Alvarez Kellystarring Richard Widmark portraysa fictionalised depiction of this event.2) The Prince George CountyHistorical Society hascommemorated the raid every yearwith a massive steak dinner eachSeptember.

Sources: Wikipedia; The BeefsteakRaid, Petersburg Campaign; TheBeefsteak Raid,Petersburgsiege.org; WadeHampton and the Great BeefsteakRaid.

for the disruption of Confederatesupply lines caused by the recentloss of the vital Weldon Railroad toUnion forces. Union GeneralUlysses Grant was morecircumspect. On being asked a fewdays later by a press reporter whenhe thought he would actually takePetersburg, he brusquely replied"Never, if our armies continue tosupply him with beef cattle!"

The "Great Beefsteak Raid" wasundoubtedly one of the greatestcavalry raids of the Civil War. At acost of 60 men, Hampton hadsecured nearly 2,500 beef cattle forLee`s nearly starving troops, totallyembarrassed the Union highcommand, captured 100’s of Federaltroops and secured much neededarms and supplies including 100`sof Henry Repeating rifles which hadrecently been issued to the 1stDistrict of Columbia Cavalry.

The latter were coveted weaponsseen as trophies by the victoriousConfederates and Hampton himselftook possession of one on which hescratched his name on the brassreceiver as a memento of hisachievement. Although one of thegreatest raids of the Civil War, itwould also prove to be one of thelast hurrahs for the proud Army ofNorthern Virginia.

Lincoln Castle"Yes your people did a crackingjob and I wouldn’t hesitate to usethem again! Regards AlanLarson"

"We enjoyed having you all atLincoln Castle and it's great tohear that your members had sucha good weekend. We've hadsome really positive feedbackregarding the event and pleasepass on our thanks to the ACWS.Thank you Stephanie Beacher"

Thank You ACWS

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Legend of the Lost Civil War Cannon on Cotton Hill

retreat back to the main Confederatearmy which was eventually achievedwith difficulty. On September 11th,General Cox`s Federal armysuddenly retreated and ConfederateGeneral Loring ordered all theConfederate forces to pursue theretreating Federals and CaptainAbbott and his troopers to take withthem a bronze cannon back up tothe cliffs on Cotton Hill overlookingthe River Gauley to destroy atemporary bridge the retreatingFederals were using and generallyharass them.

The subsequent action wassuccessful with the bridge being hitand demolished by the cannon aswell as knocking out a munitionsmagazine that was in the mouth ofnearby Zoll`s Hollow. However, inhis post Civil War account, CaptainAbbott fully recalls that after thisengagement "and then trying to getthe gun back and finding it a difficultjob, we hid it in a deep ravine, andit is there yet".

All the Confederate forces then leftthe area in pursuit of the Federalforces resulting in the battle ofCharleston on September 13th1862. However, all theconversations since this successfulengagement by Captain Abbott havecentred not on the actual operation

Most Civil soldiers both Blue andGray lost many personal and militaryitems during the American Civil War.However, 1 Confederate captain lostsomething a little bit bigger. He losthis precious bronze cannon and it`swhereabouts still remain hidden upto this very day. This is thefascinating story of the long lostConfederate cannon on Cotton Hill.

In an official post war Civil Waraccount the details are as follows.Captain Joel H Abbott, Co. H, 8thVirginia Cavalry recalls that onSeptember 9th 1862, the overallConfederate commander, GeneralLoring had begun to move hisConfederate army down to confrontGeneral Cox`s Federal army thenbased in the Fayetteville area.

Confederate Captain Joel Abbottwas subsequently given orders totake a detachment of his 8th Virginiacavalry through the woods to theCotton Hill area and cut anytelegraph wires and hold the roadleading to a temporary bridge acrossthe River Gauley to obstruct theFederals.

However, on September 10th aregiment of Union cavalry crossedthe river and climbed Cotton Hill andcut off Captain Abbott and his rebelcavalry detachment forcing them to

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would also appear to have beenspotted in different areas in thevicinity whilst still covered in denseundergrowth. As such, if it is still outthere, it lies somewhere in the NewRiver Gorge area, West Virginia. Soif you ever go rock climbing or hikingin the area keep your eyes peeledas you may across a valuable pieceof American Civil War history!

Article by Stewart "Goober"Douglas, 43rd North Carolina.

Sources : Find the Lost Civil WarCannon in the New River Gorge,June 10 2011 by Leigh, Summit BlogStaff; Account of the lost cannon onCotton Hill. A Civil War Narrative astold by Captain J. H Abbott (GauleyRiver Book Company)

itself but what happened afterwardsto this lost Confederate cannon.Because he was such a respectedand dependable captain it wasbelieved he would not make up sucha tale. So, is the cannon still outthere and if not, where is it now?

To back up his story, several peoplein the local community have theirown stories about the missingbronze cannon. In the early 1900`s,a local coal miner found the cannonand due to a miners strike at the timein 1902 was desperate to put thecannon back to good use by using itagainst the coal companies.However, his friends declined toparticipate in such a foolhardyventure and refused to help retrievethe cannon.

It remained where he found it. Inaddition, a young child called JimmyBlevin’s remembers finding thecannon whilst out playing and hisyoung siblings who accompaniedhim at the time fully recall this.However, being unable to move it orget it home, they just left it where itwas in the dense undergrowth. Inaddition, a couple of hunters havealso stated that they have comeacross the cannon whilst outhunting.

However, none of these parties havebeen able to positively identify theactual location of the cannon and it

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2018 At a Glance

EVENTS CALENDAR

20182018 ACWS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The 2018 ACWS Annual General Meeting is to be held at TheRubery & Rednal Royal British Legion Club, 64 New Road, Rubery,Birmingham, B45 9HY

2019Confirmed

10th - 11th August - Spetchley Park - with camping from theFriday to the Monday

24-25 August - Tilston - Tilston Wakes Country Fair The PlayingField, Church Road, Tilston, Malpass, Cheshire, SY14 7HBMembers camping from Friday afternoon to Monday morning.

On SATURDAY, a parade followed by a firing display of infantry andartillery on the event field & Living History.

On SUNDAY, the show will open with a cannon round, during theafternoon a firing display, kids drill finishing with a short skirmish inthe arena.

Note the event is only on SATURDAY & SUNDAY of this BankHoliday

Possible events 2019 - Unconfirmed

Sedgefield June, Ibstock on the 18th Aug and Shackerstone 7th-8thSept