Twin Rivers 2010

Twin Rivers Campaign Successful

Individual Reports:
Colonel Cheaves, Division Cavalry Bridage
Colonel Crofutt, Muddy Rivers Brigade
Colonel Moffet, Western Brigade
Major Pete Stoddard, Chief of Artillery
Major P. D. Erickson, Chief of Engineers
Captain Emmett Taylor, Co. C, 5th Regiment Mo. Vol. Cavalry
Sgt. Maj. Eric Frank, Acting Adjutant, Muddy River Battalion
Colonel Duane Hamby, 1st Bttn, 1st Brigade of Cleburne’s Division
From the Ranks

Images from the weekend.

During the second week of November 2010, twelve hundred military and civilian reenactors descended on Michigan City, Mississippi to take part in the long awaited Twin Rivers Campaign.

This event was the culmination of countless hours of lost sleep and personal commitment and seeing it finally take place was a bitter sweet moment for the command staff of Cleburne’s Division and First Federal Division.  The event had been moved twice due to unforeseen issues with the properties acquired for the event early on.  Diligence, patience and persistence paid off in November as reenactors began arriving for the four day event.

The Twin Rivers Campaign was designed and executed on a slightly different model than a usual event.  The main goal and focus of the four day event was to provide the participating reenactor with the feel of a working military camp.  Normal schedules were abandoned, with written orders at the spur of the moment taking their place.

On Thursday, November 11, 2010 at precisely noon the event got underway with a Federal advance into the re-created Town of Dover.  Numerous period civilians had chosen to inhabit the recreated town under the leadership of Mayor Robert Orrand.  The Northern aggressors were an unwelcome site and many of the townsfolk chose to make an escape rather than subvert themselves to Unionist rule.

While in the Town of Dover, the Federal forces accepted into their possession several contraband slaves which they promptly returned to Federal headquarters and freed.  Special thanks are to be extended to Angela de Silva, who is African American and takes pride that she is a seventh descendant of Missouri slaves.  Ms. De Silva is also a professor at the School of American Studies at Linwood University where she teaches and specializes in the re-enactment of Slavery and African American Studies. Ms. De Silva stated in a press release dated November 6, 2010, “I have been attending re-enactments around the country, and never see any people of color as civilians, either slave or free.  We were certainly there during the conflict, but never present at the restaging.  It’s as if history was once again being edited.  So, I decided that was going to change, whereas much as I can, I created a troupe of like minded passionate actors who are equally committed to telling our story.”  In short time the Federals began their withdrawl and Confederate forces invested the town and harassed the rear guard of the retreating Federal army.

From this first engagement, each army committed itself to the field for action.  At various places, over the expansive two thousand acres, skirmishes raged and battles ensued.  Participants were able to participate in over seven battles over the course of the weekend.   The event site provided for a period experience for all participants due to the lack of modern improvements and intrusions.  Everyone who participated was thoroughly exhausted and enjoyed the various battles over the event weekend.

On Sunday morning a special memorial service was conducted by a group of the event participants.  On the Northern edge of the event site sits a cemetery that was in existence during the War Between the States.  On the outer fringe of this cemetery was a mass grave of soldiers interred after the Battle of Davis Mills, a battle which occurred in the immediate vicinity of the cemetery.  A memorial stone was placed on behalf of Cleburne’s Division, First Federal Division, the Blue Gray Alliance and Burton’s Sugar Farm which is located in Michigan City, Mississippi.  The stone was dedicated to the men who made the ultimate sacrifice by contingencies of infantry, cavalry and artillery from both sides.  Ms. Angela de Silva and her African American civilian portrayers also made a tremendous contribution to the dedication ceremony with a touching rendition of Glory, Glory Halleluiah.

All in all there has been nothing but good reports of the overall success of the event.  The Blue Gray Alliance wishes to thank all of the participants who attended and would like to formally invite all reenactors to other Blue Gray Alliance events.  Cleburne’s Division and First Federal Division will be the overall command structure for Wilson’s Creek 2011, Vicksburg-Raymond 2012 and Chickamauga in 2013.  In addition, Cleburne’s Division and First Federal Division will host the Shiloh event in 2012.  Stay tuned to the websites of both organizations for subsequent information.