Wilson’s Creek 2011

Wilson’s Creek
August 10 – 14, 2011

January 29, 2011
Circular 2011 – 1

Recognition
On behalf of Colonel Hodges I send you greetings.  Colonel Hodges and Colonel Crowder send their compliments and appreciation to all those that attended the Twin River’s campaign.  Pete Stoddard is recognized for his special contributions and for taking command Friday evening.

Wilson’s Creek is well advanced in planning.  This is a 150th event, and the first major battle of the West.  Previous Wilson Creek events have proven to be outstanding, so you are encouraged to register soon. Was the unit you portray at Wilson’s Creek? Here is the Federal Order of Battle for Wilson’s Creek, have a look!

Special Artillery Considerations for 2011 Wilson’s Creek:

1. The artillery is limited to 16 guns for each side. Early registration is recommended to insure your unit has a place.
2. Federal artillery units that attended Twin Rivers will have priority in the registration process. They are insured a place as long as they are registered by March 31st. After that date their place will be put in the general pool.
3. Federal artillery units that did not attend Twin River’s need to be registered by March 15st.
4. After March 31st, if positions are not filled, Confederate galvanized artillery will be allowed to register as Union pieces. When the 16 piece limit is reached registration for artillery units will be closed.

Bottom Line, if you are Union and wish to participate please register ASAP. Also, please send a note to myself and/or Boo Hodges to let us know you are registering.

Wilson’s Creek 150th registration link: http://www.wilsonscreek150.com/Registration amount: $20 per person (14 and under free)
Registration Deadline: July 1, 2011

There will be no Walk-ons at this event. In order to pre-plan accordingly all reenactors and participants
MUST pre-register by the registration deadline.

There are a two different ways to register for this event.

1. You may register online using PayPal by clicking on the registration form link below. You will be prompted to enter all necessary information and then directed to the PayPal site to complete the transaction. No transaction is considered complete until payment is rendered. Please check the REGISTERED REENACTORS link on the web site to ensure your name appears within two days after you register online. If your name does not appear or you believe there was an error in registration, please contact Mark Way and ask for verification of your registration. All confirmed registrations will appear in the REGISTERED REENACTORS area without exception.
2. You may fill out the online registration form, print it, and mail it with check or money order to:

   Wilson’s Creek Foundation
   PO Box 8163
   Springfield, MO 65801

Tentative Organization
The artillery will be divided into three batteries:
6 guns, Company F, 2nd U.S. Artillery: Cpt James Totten (Regular)
6 guns, Backoff’s Battery: Lt Edward Schuetzenbach, Lt Frederick Schaefer (Volunteer)
6 guns, Du Bois’ Battery: Lt John V. Du Bois (Regular Artillery)

Narrative
Both sides employed field artillery effectively at Wilson’s Creek, the armies fielding a total of thirty-one smoothbore cannons of two calibers (6-pound guns and 12-pound howitzers, see table 1).  Most of these guns were of Mexican-American War vintage, Model 1841, considered obsolete at the time but found commonly in both armies during the Civil War.  Neither side fielded any rifled cannon nor the famous new-model 12-pound gun-howitzer, commonly called the Napoleon.  Bledsoe’s Battery of the Missouri State Guard had one 12-pound gun, nicknamed Old Sacramento, that was originally a 9-pound gun captured from the Mexicans in California and reboxed to take 12-pound ammunition.  Supposedly, it had a distinctive ring to it when fired that soldiers could hear and know that it was in action.  Both sides organized their cannons into batteries of three, four, or six guns.

James Totten

Soldier, born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, 11 September, 1818 ; died in Sedalia, Missouri, 1 October, 1871. He was graduated at the United States military academy in 1841, became 1st lieutenant in 1847, engaged in the Florida war against the Seminole Indians in 1849-’50, and became captain in 1855. He aided in quelling the Kansas disturbances in 1857-’8, and in expelling intruders from the Indian reserves in Kansas and Arkansas in 1860. While in command of Little Rock arsenal in February, 1861, he was compelled to evacuate theft post by a superior Confederate force under Governor Henry M. Rector. He served under General Nathaniel Lyon and General John C. Fremont in the military operations in Missouri as chief of artillery, was engaged at Camp Jackson, Booneville, and Wilson’s Creek, and in June was brevetted major in the United States army for Camp Jackson, and lieutenant-colonel in August, 1861, for “gallant and meritorious service” in all these actions, lie became major in the 1st Missouri volunteers, 19 August, 1861, lieutenant-colonel the next month, and assistant inspector-general, with the rank of major, in November. On 12 February, 1862, he became brigadier-general of Missouri militia, in command of the central district of the state. He then engaged in several actions on the frontier and in pursuit of the enemy beyond Boston mountains, Arkansas, became inspector-general of the Department of the Missouri in May, 1863, and chief of artillery and chief of ordnance in 1864. He was brevetted colonel, United States army, on 13 March, 1865, “for gallant and meritorious conduct during the siege of Mobile, Alabama,” and on the same day brigadier-general in the United States army “for gallant and meritorious service in the field” during the civil war. He was inspector-general of the Military division of the Atlantic from 15 August, 1865, till” 27 August, 1866, and became lieutenant-colonel, United States army, and assistant inspector-general. 13 June, 1867. In 1870 he was retired.–His son, Charles Adiel Lewis, inventor, born in New London, Connecticut, 3 February, 1851, was graduated at the United States military academy in 1873, was professor of military science and tactics in the Massachusetts agricultural college at Amherst in 1875-’8, and occupied a similar chair in St. Paul’s cathedral school, Garden City, New York, in 1883-’6. He is now 1st lieutenant in the 4th artillery. He served in the Bannock campaign in 1878, and in the Chiricahua campaign in 1881. In 1.877 he patented an improvement in explosives, one in collimating sights, one in signal-shells, and several minor inventions. He patented “Strategos,” a war-game, in 1880, a system of weights and measures in 1884, and improvements in linear and other scales in 1885. Trinity gave him the degree of A. M. in 1885. He has written extensively on pyramid explorations, lectured in favor of Professor Piazzi Smyth’s pyramid theories, and for several years was chairman of the committee on pyramid exploration in the International institute for preserving Anglo-Saxon weights and measures. His publications include “Strategos, the American War-Game” (2 vols., New York, 1880); “An Important Question in Metroiogy,” a plea for the Anglo-Saxon against the metric system (1883); and, under the pen-name of Ten Alcott, “Gems, Talisroans, and Guardians, the Facts, Fancies, Legends, and Lore of Nativity” (1887).

Volunteers are needed for the Artillery Staff.  Contact HQ.

For more artillery information contact Mark Dolive