I'm off to fight with Co. A the 2nd Mass Volunteer Cavalry

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Howdy to the camp,

After enlisting as a trooper, I'm finally off to fight with my unit, the "California 100" (Co. A the 2nd Mass Volunteer Cavalry).  There is a build up of Secessionist troops, including: 1st Virginia Volunteer Infantry, 5th Texas Infantry, 7th Virginia Infantry, Norfolk Light Artillery Blues, and the 9th Virginia Cavalry.  Rumor has it that they are camped close to Gibson Ranch in Elverta (by Sacramento, CA).  The scuttlebut is that we are forming up tonight, and plan on fighting them darn Rebels all day saturday and Sunday.  who knows, maybe we will even chase that rascall Mosby!

Sorrowfully, I had to leave my Spencer Infatry rifle behind (they aren't on our TO&E).  I will be well served, however, by a pair of 1863 Sharps carbines (one Armi-Sport, and the other an IAB), my 1860 Colt (Uberti), and my 1860 Ames light Cavalry saber.

Hopefully I will come through unscathed, but in any case, tell my wife I love her <g>!

Tuolumne Lawman,
aka: Trooper Bernie Molloy, Co. A, 2nd Mass.

[Two Flints]

T.L.,

Sounds like the 2nd MA Volunteer Cavalry is way outnumbered   too bad your Spencer can't be used to equalize the fight

Two Flints

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Howdy,

Well, we'll have some help from the 69th NY, 7th Michigan Cavalry, Federal Artillery resrve, and 7th West VA.  We'll give them a good fight<g>!

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Howdy to the camp,

Well boys, I've been to see the elephant! 

What a weekend.  Friday, saturday, and Sunday.  Slept in a dog tent on hay, rubber ground sheet, under a wool blanket and rubber poncho.  Used my cavalry shell and sack coat rolled together for a pillow.  Stood the 4-5 am guard duty shift, stoked the fire, and made the BIG pot of coffee. We ate fat back, lots of hard tack, some jerked beef, peanuts, dried fruit and oat mush.  Drank water and STRONG coffee. (also a little "Oh be joyfull" at night, Staurday). Only period stuff. No Snickers. No farbiness allowed.  In same ways, it was not too different from being in the field when I was really in the Army 30+ years ago. The weather this week end in Sacramento was either hot and humid, or cold and rainy.   

We fought four engagements over the same ground, about 3/4 mile long and 1/3 of a mile wide.  we had infantry, artillery (one each Parrot and 3 inch ord rifle) Berdans, Zouaves, and of course us cavalry as skirmishers.  (In fact, being the cavalry being used to plug holes and flank, we covered more ground on foot in an avereage battle than anyone else in the infantry lines)  The rebs had 6 cannons, and actually had a few more men than us.  One battle we duplicated Cahncellorsville, with the Rebs rousting us out of camp, most us half dressed and scrounging for arms.The biggest batlles only had 200 to 250 on each side.  It was enough!  Cannons going of, charges in the ground (cannon hits) going off, fife and drums playnig, smoke, screams, orders, fubling to load the Sharps on the run while chargiing, advancing, retreating, protecting the flag or the guidon, etc, etc, etc. In the rain battles, I found that fighting in an 1860 cavalry poncho is aweful cumbersome.  I took some hit, but none fatal.. I was captured when I and one other Cal 100 were the last left from our unit, and fell back with a couple Berdans and a dozen ground-pounders to protect the colors and the commander of the brigade when we were over run.  Thankfully we were paroled.

At one point in one battle on saturay (shortly after a "cannon hit" went off 15-20 feet from me), I had one of  those "moments" where past and present became blured. THe smoke screams, cannons, booms of rifles, smells of sweat and BP, people falling all around me... got to me. I had to remind myself that this was not 1863! The last time I had one of those moments was in the California ghost town of Bodie about 10 years ago).  I can just imagine what a really big re-enactment like that have back east would be like.  The enormity of the actually Civil War battles just boggles my mind after my experience this week end.  I have studied Civil war, taught Civil War, and talked Civil War.  After this weekend, however, I have a depth of awe and reverance for those men that is hard to explain if you haven't experienced it.

On a lighter note, I used an Armi Sport 1863 SHarps carbine that Tammy Loy at Taylors sent me.  Prior to the weekend I discovered two things:  One, RWS caps are not hot enough to negotiate the long and twisted flash channel of the Sharps.  Use CCI musket caps.  Second, it works even better if you drill out the cone (nipple) to .165 inch.  THIS SHOULD ONLY BE USE FOR BLANKS). I fired over 200 rounds of blanks (70 grains FFFG Goex in a curler paper wrap) this week end, without a single failure to fire. 

Our Cavalry unit was using Sharps, as were the Berdan folks who skirmished with us.  Our Sharps were lightyears ahead of the front stuffer Springfield and Enfield rifles the grunts were using.  It was still a pain in the butt to load a linnen cartridge and cap a cone while either advancing or retiring.  I wished I had my Spencer!  In most every engagement, the Spencer would have had a significant advantage over the Sharps.  I can see why every Cavalry unit wanted them. Since I can't use my Spencer (my unit didn't get them until April-May of 1864, and we a an 1863 incarnation of the Cal 100), however, the Sharps is an excellent choice.  MUCH preferrable to ANY front stuffer.

In closing, now that I am activily re-enacting I have discovered my personal place on the Farb-Stich Nazi scale.  If a Farb is a 0 and a Stitch Nazi is 100, I am about an 80-to 85.  I have good correct stuff, camp and eat correct, but just can see spending the extra for hand sewn button holes.

Yours truley,

Trooper Bernard Molloy
Co. A, 2nd Mass. Cavalry
California 100

aka: Tuolumne Lawman

PS.  hard tack isn't too bad if you soak it in the grease from the salt pork, or make it into a fritter to fry with the bacon.

[Gunner]

You are lucky!??
Since I left Penna., I am on detached service from Danville ART'y, ANV, CSA....and I kinda miss it.
Shooting cannons at yankees is in a word, exhillerating.  The smoke, the BOOM.
I am having a devil of a time finding a battery to join out here in AZ Terr.
I would like to stay Confederate, since I am already kitted out, but I would be a recruit / powder monkee for either side .
On the farb scale, I reckon I am only about a 50.

Gunner
SSS #1
aka
Pvt Gray Butternuts
Rammer @ #1 or #2 postitions, Battery Teamster
Danville Artillery, ANV, CSA

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Howdy Gunner (or should I say Johnny Reb!)

Try <www.acwa.org>.  They are southern california based, and have an extensive Confederate brigade, including several cannon stuffer units, I believe.  We (NCWA) do things with them (ACWA) occasionally.  In fact, their Zouaves were with us this weekend.

Some of our guys come from Idaho and Colorado!  Our confederate battery in NCWA has 6 or 7 guns, I believe.  ACWA is a larger organization from what I understand.  I am sure the could use another "Gunner," especially a teamster!  Folks who know how to ride arttillery horses don't grow on trees!

[Snapshot]

Good reed`n bro. We had a ACW re-enactment in Norway the exact same weekend. 40 re-enactors REB artillery the 1Texas light artillery. The 7th Texas Vol infantry, The 7th Mitchigan infantry(Sweedes), 2nd USSS (Berdans).
My good friend had comand of the REBs, and I had comand of the Yankee`s.  We gave the more than 60 spectators value for been there.! Even made one whole page in the local newspaper!
We re-enacted the battle at Blacburn`s ford, as any historian will see this is not corect, as the Berdans for instance was not formed yet. The battle was a small pre-battle to the first Bull Run. So realy early in the war.
Well we can not afford to say no to any unit as small as we are, we who considder us self of some experience just have to motivate people to try to be as PC as posible. We can not afford any nazi stitch counters, but we can try to do things as correct as posible! I used my Sharps and lended my Root and Enfield to others, just to get more people in the line!
After the battle we formed a combined unit and drilled some more.......
Small but still doing it, you may ask why ACW re-enctment in Scandinavia? Yaàll see it is our history to, lots of Scandinvaian fought and died in your Civil War!  The artillery officer is the friend who owns the original Spencer Carbine that I`ve posted picturews of on the SSS. Of course he used it in our battle!