Vol. V. September 2006 Issue 8.

1st Lieutenant’s Report

I would like to thank everyone who attended the company muster at Petersburg National Battlefield Park on Saturday August 19th. The tour was conducted by Mike Vice and was done in the unique style and manner as only Mr. Vice can do. The former "fighting" company clerk Bruce Wood made an appearance with a guest and of course the level of bantering among the members rose to a degree that we had not seen in quite a while. After the tour we all went to King’s (now Eley’s) Barbeque. This is where we used to eat back in the day when we did programs at Pamplin Park. All had a good time. This month, as I hope most of you already know, we have the Stanardsville Reenactment the weekend of the 23rd and 24th. This is a new event for the company. We will see how it goes. Please make every effort to be there if you are registered. Something that has just been added to our schedule is "Field Day of the Past" in Goochland on September 15th, 16th, and 17th. This is a great recruiting opportunity for the company. We are going to try and have at least one person there during the day to hand out company fliers to the public. If you can attend between 8am and 6pm, please contact Tom Stafford. I think many have already done so and I thank you for that. For the rest of the year there is going to be an emphasis on recruiting. Besides Field Day of the Past, we will also be participating on the opening of the American Civil War Center at Tredegar in October. We will probably have a booth set up at the Civil War show at the Richmond Raceway Exhibition Center (RIR) in November. This means we will not be able to attend the Gettysburg Parade. Sorry about that but we must get our numbers up and bring in some new members. Just to let the membership know, there is not going to be any immediate changes in leadership positions within the company. There may be some committee appointments but that is all. Some changes are being considered for next year. Among them is the suspension of the lieutenant’s position for a period of one year if approved by the membership. Also, we may have only one corporal for a while until we get our numbers up enough to justify having two. If we can bring in several recruits between now and the next annual meeting, none of these changes may be instituted.

 

 

I know that in this age that we live everyone has obligations, responsibilities, and commitments as far as family and work are concerned. Compared to these F Company is low on the priority list as it should be. But at the same time, F Company does need your support. Please try to help in whatever capacity that you can. We can only be as good as you help us be. Please fin more details about the September events elsewhere in this newsletter. Thanks in advance for your support of F Company. Until we meet again, God Bless.

Respectfully Submitted,

Lt. Tony Turley

 

1st Sergeant’s Report

Gentlemen,  

August has come and gone in a hurry! Our Company Muster on the 19th was a good time for all who attended. The weather was great for the time of year .The tour that Mike Vice gave was outstanding. It seems that every time that you visit a battlefield you will always learn something new about it. I would like to thank all that were able to attend and for those that were unable to be there, you were truly missed. Needless to say, the meal at Eley’s Barbeque after the tour was great! Don't forget that we have a Company recruiting event in Goochland at the Field Days of the Past on the 15th, 16th, and 17th of September. The hours are from 8am till 6pm.We also have the Stanardsville Event on the 23rd, & 24th of September. The directions for these events are located later in the newsletter. Also in October, we have been asked to participate in the opening for the new Civil War Center (Tredegar) on the 7th of October from 9am till 5pm.All who are interested please contact me. I will be contacting the membership as soon as I receive more information. We also have the Cedar Creek Event on the 21st & 22nd of October. So gentlemen if you have signed up for events please try and attend. I know at times it seems that you barely have time to take a breath. If at all possible please try and attend. You are missed when you are not there.    Remember our Armed Forces overseas and their families. May God watch over them and protect them! God Bless them and our great country!

 

Respectfully,

1st Sgt Stafford

Directions to Field Day of the Past

Directions for I-95 South (coming from Fredericksburg heading south):

From Fredericksburg take exit 84B onto I-295 (Charlottesville)

From I-295 take exit 53A onto I-64 West (Charlottesville)

From I-64 take exit 173.

Make a left at the stoplight at the top of the ramp onto Ashland Road.

The event parking should be on your left.

Directions to Stanardsville

The site is located on US 33, about 1.5-2 miles west of the intersection of US 29 and US 33 in Ruckersville, and about 6 miles east of the town of Stanardsville.

If you are coming from Mechanicsville or the Richmond area, you can either take US 33 West the entire way (a lovely, but winding country drive), or US 64 West to the #124/US-250 Shadwell/Charlottesville exit. Follow US 250 until you get to US 29 North. Head north on US 29 until you get to the intersection of US 29 and US 33 in Ruckersville (about a 20 mile drive) – a large intersection with a traffic light. Turn left – heading west toward the mountains – and go about 1.5-2 miles. The clearly visible battlegrounds will be on your left.

 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Friday, September 22, 2006

2:00 - 10:00 p.m. Registration

Saturday, September 23, 2006

6:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Reenactor Registration

10:00 a.m. Camps Open to Public

11:00 a.m. - 2 p.m. Military Drills

12:00 Noon Children's Activities - Mini Camp & Soldier School

1:30 p.m. Ladies Tea

2:00 p.m. Horse Race on the Bluff

2:30 p.m. Civilians Leave Camps for Spectator Area

2:30 p.m. Music - Sutlers Row

3:00 p.m. Battle of Rio Hill

4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Old Fashion Buggy Rides

4:30 p.m. Meet the Generals

5:30 p.m. Camps Closed to Public

6:00 p.m. Dinner for Re-enactors

7:00 p.m. Dance Lessons (Open to public)

7:30 p.m. Civil War Ball

8:30 p.m. Night Artillery Firing

10:30 p.m. Event Closed for Spectators

12:00 Midnight Quiet in Camp

Sunday, September 24, 2006

TBA Morning Tacticals

10:00 a.m. Camps Open to Public

10:30 a.m. Authentic Worship Services in Camp

1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Battle of Stanardsville

3:30 p.m. Break Camp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

History of the Battle of Stanardsville

Union

General George Armstrong Custer, headed for Charlottesville in February of 1864. Moving through Madison Courthouse, Stanardsville and Earlysville, with approximately 1,000 men and 2 guns, his forces burned and looted as they marched. Custer's men overwhelmed and captured a small Confederate force before they arrived at the Rivanna River on Feb. 29, 1864. Here, however, General Custer encountered a superior Confederate force of infantry and artillery near Charlottesville and began retreating towards Stanardsville. Custer burned the bridge that crossed the Rivanna as well as three mills during his retreat.
On March 1, 1864, continuing his retreat, Custer met a brigade of J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate Calvary. The two forces closed in at South River with a series of charges and countercharges, which ended when General Custer and his troops retreated by way of Banks Ford across South River and then headed to Culpeper. The battle was a minor skirmish but was important to Greene County's war effort. Custer's raid was very effective before he was driven off. In addition to burning bridges and mills, he also destroyed a supply depot in Stanardsville, a loss that the Confederacy, by March of 1864, could not replace due to continually diminishing supplies in the South.