With the exception of the friday night pork fry which fell through due to events beyond the control of our bugler Chuck Thompson, Chuck's first effort at organizing an event was quite a success. The town came through with powder, caps and food and were rewarded in return with some excellent living history. Patricularly appreciated were the debate by Ray Ham and Bill Fannin, the temperance (abstinence?) "talk" which followed and oddly enough, the Sunday dress parade in the Union camp.

Bill and Ray squared off once again in what looks like a to be continued scene from an old movie serial. This time it was Lincoln vs MeClelIan and both debators had their hackles up. Orating from the Fayette courthouse steps, much as it would have been done in 1864 they promoted their respective candidates before a partisan crowd of several hundred. A skeptical history professor at the college in Fayette was quite impressed, pronouncing their facts "immaculate," and indeed it was an excellent historical performance. Copperhead hemp planter Ham spoke first amid cheers from the secessionist crowd followed by the wounded old vet Bill who surprisingly had tough going. However, when he called for Lincoln men to step forward a take a pull from the old brown jug with him, the volunteers were numerous - so much so that a mob of temperance women aided by Brother Beckner, who looked remarkably like John Brown, became impassioned for their cause and seized the steps. Kathy Fanin, Ruth Hendy and Constance Soper along with other axe wielding ladies brought tears and laughter alternately from the tough crowd, but did succeed in causing a few lost souls to come forward and take the pledge - that is until the vinegar bitters appeared. Our good 1st Lt. Higginbotham, long an advocate of the beverage, stood to testify as to its virtues, himself taking a stout pull at this bottle of salvation, never dreaming that it did indeed contain vinegar bitters. Quoth the Lt.,"This isn't the (choke) same vinegar bitters (gag) that I buy regularly (gasp) this must be a different batch." For truth, a viler more obnoxious substance has not graced this correspondants lips. Modesty prevents me from describing what it surely must taste like, but suffice it to say that several penitents fled the scene after but one sip, presumably to try and expunge the taste of the vile fluid with huge quantities of alcohol. The bottle of bitters was last seen in the Confederate camp where it was probably mistaken for cheap whiskey.

Other moments of note occurred during the Sunday inspection when Color Sgt. Kirtley was discovered to have hidden a flask of whiskey under his slouch hat, when an official dispatch from the Adjutant Generals office arrived requesting confirmation of the death of Pvt. John Maki ( who was very much alive ) as his wife had filed for a widow's pension. We note the woman was only sixteen, when the ever quotable Lt. Higginbotham said, "Remember boys, eat the cookies not the soap." in referance to a soap issue made by the Ladies Union Aid Society. Best excuses for gambling devices go to Jack Crothe for being "part gypsy" and for only using them for "fortune telling" and to Bill Fannin who uses them as "a charm against bullets" offering the fact that he hadn't been shot yet as proof that it works. We also note shiny new Lt. Strother counted his company from left to right, presumably he was flustered by a letter he received congratulating him on the success of his battery in overpowering certain breastworks. Were you formerly in the artillery Don?

Special thanks to our commisary staff, Sgt. Wilson, Darryl. Wilson and Cecil for the fine job they do feeding all of us and to Chuck for working hard to make the weekend a pleasant experience.