2010 Department of Missouri HQ Muster

[Pitspitr]

I have pruned this thread to just the pertainent details and a few FAQ's.

I will be hosting the 2010 Department of Missouri Muster July 23, 24th & 25th, in my pasture. This will be open to anyone in the GAF. You need not be headquartered in the Department of the Missouri. By using Google Earth and going to  41°40'16.24"N Latitude and  99°19'42.54"W Longitude you can see the Dept. Muster site. Registration forms are available on the dispatches page of the Grand Army's Web site.

This muster will be a primative camping event and will be participant driven meaning that I have set up the match based on what the participants want to do while there. The planned activities include: a 6 stage GAF steel target main match, a GAF Expansion Era Match, a 500 yd paper target long range match, and the School of the soldier. I will be teaching the school of the soldier using Upton's Infatry Tactics. for those of you who might want to read it before coming to the Dept. Muster, I found a downloadable .pdf of Upton's at:

http://books.google.com/books?id=iaQNAAAAYAAJ&dq=upton's+infantry+tactics&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=yAshMyGAQs&sig=91H-0U6X-UnqCtWLlVb8RyPg5mo&hl=en&ei=KGYAS-iZLdGrngfG6KkS&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBgQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=upton's%20infantry%20tactics&f=false

The School of the Soldier is where new soldiers are taught how to march and drill. It usually includes everything from the basic position of "Attention" to Bayonet drill. When I teach the School of the Soldier I teach the 1872 Upton's Manual for army infantry. Civil War reenactors use Hardy's Tactics. It isn't something that can be thoroughly taught in one weekend but one could learn the basics. Modern soldiers will have a hard time learning some things because they are sooo different from the way it's done now. (For instance; today it's called "port Arms. In 1872 it was called "Arms Port")

I intend to have a tent city and have tentage for 4 individuals if you don't have your own.  Participants can also use modern tents. We'll just set them up a little way of to the side so that photos won't show them.  Also we should be easily able to get photos without anything modern in them. We should have plenty of time to sit around the campfire and visit.

The muster itself will be low budget. The meals will be cooked by Delmonico and participants will pay him not me. I don't intend to issue medals to the winners, but entry fees will only be around $35. The only reason I ntend to charge an entry fee at all is to use that money to eventually purchase steel that I will use to make steel targets for GAF to use. These targets will be scaled versions of the 1880's army silhouette targets.

Can I bring a Pop-up?

What kind of ground clearance does it have? Remember, the camp site is about 3/4 of a mile out into a pasture over a pasture trail. Pickups and SUVs aren't a problem, but I'm not sure about cars. If you drive a car you could park it in my yard and we could carry your gear up in my pickup or four wheeler.

Now, I'm going to assume that since this is NOT on Gum'mint property, that spiritous likkers to warm man 'n' beast are welcome?*

*Or at least will be duly ignored by the CO? As long as a tin cup full finds it's way into his tent?

Well.....
Even though I'm probably the only Irish Catholic alive who doesn't drink, I see no reason judiciously applied spirits need be prohibitied.

Are the long range targets paper or steel? I.E, is it lead bullet only, or is jacketed ok?

I hadn't considered that possibility.

Yes they are paper, so yes jacketed are ok for that event. JUST MAKE CERTAIN NOT TO LOAD JACKETED FOR THE STEEL PARTS OF THE MUSTER!

Col. Pitspitr, Sir do you have an approx. round count for the Dept. muster?

67 rifle 40 pistol for the main match. Figure 15-20 for the long range. Don't have a count yet for the Expansion era match. Contact Ned Niederlander for that.

Pitspitr, Are there accomadations in the Sargent area for us folks that won't be camping out? I know about the places in Ord and Burwell.

The nearest motel is just South of Taylor, which would be about 10 miles by car (or 6 by crow)

[Pitspitr]

Insurance coverage is a large portion of match costs.

In this case I can get insurance through the shooting program of the local Lions club like I have for the last 2 Grand Musters.

[Pitspitr]

I'm going to post a picture of the targets I want to get cut.

[Pitspitr]

Salt Crick Rick and I will be there, he's chompin' at the bit to go.

[River City John]

Col. Pitspitr,
I had pm'd Delmonico and he said to figure $8.00 per meal.

Sat outside on the porch tonight watching the rain and oiled all my leather, including footwear. I am not planning on bringing any dress uniform, just basic field uniform.

(Watching the rain seems to be the main entertainment in my neck of the woods lately. )

RCJ

[Dusty Tagalon]

Is your pasture any worse for driving on then the previous site of the national muster?

With the long range being from 400 to 600 yards, I don't know if I will shoot it, I didn't have any hits at the 200 yard target last year. Where Capt Little had 2 or 3 shots with a pistol.

Expansion era match, any shotgun?

Brian

[Drydock]

No shotgun.

[Pitspitr]

Hi Brian
Sorry for the tardy reply.

As Chuck said no shotgun.

As for the road. My wife hates the road, but I don't know that I'd say that it's any worse than in Ord or at the '06 and "07 site. If your car won't handle the trail, I can ferry your gear in my pickup or four-wheeler. Hope this helps.

[Pitspitr]

T minus 22 and counting. The Argentine contignent has been re-inforced and will arrive Thur. afternoon late. Who else is going to be there? Looking forward to seeing everyone. Al.

The currently officially registered participants are:
Dusty Tagalon
Dutch Henry
Shalako AL
River City John
Texas Lawdog
Ned Neiderlander
Delmonico
Salt Creek Rick
Pitspitr
Col. Drydock
Col. Drydock's striker
Bow View Haymaker

Charles Issac, Ben Hughes, have indicated that they are coming but I haven't seen the registration form yet.

[River City John]

First I'd heard,- I did not realize that we needed to pay in advance. I had planned on paying as I go.

Will come up with something.
Do we have an address where to send the dough for grub? Or rather, where do we send our bread for eats. What I mean is . . .
RCJ

[Delmonico]

Glen Carman
Post Office 21695
Lincoln Nebraska 68542-1695

$8 per meal.  I don't have the cash to buy the groceries otherwise, wish I did, wish the wife would win the lottery and I didn't have to even worry about getting paid.

[Pitspitr]

Gentlemen

If it comes down to a question of paying for the food or the registration, pay for the food first you can always catch me later but Delmonico will need his up front so that he can buy the fixin's.

Bow View
It'd be best to send the check directly to him as i won't see him again befor the muster which means I'd just have to turn around and mail it to him.

[River City John]

Do we have directions available?

RCJ

[Dusty Tagalon]

John, download the registration, maps on it.

http://www.grandarmyofthefrontier.org/GAF%20Muster%20Registration%202010.pdf

Brian

[Niederlander]

I would think fifty rifle rounds and fifteen to twenty pistol rounds would get you through the expansion match.  The targets are all must hit, though, so if you miss a lot, like I sometimes do, it might take more.  Oh yeah, you need a bayonet or a sword, too.  Sometimes they get close!

[Pitspitr]

Most folks will want to take Interstate 80 to Grand Island. I used to tell people coming here from Omaha to take Highway 92 or 30 and go west. Those routes are shorter, but it does actually take less time to take the interstate. I never believed it until I had to go home through Lincoln and found out it was true. At GI get off at exit 312 and take highway 281 North to Highway 2. Follow highway 2 northwest to Ansley. At Ansley you will see a convenience store on the south side of the road. Just past the convenience store turn right onto highway 183. You will immediately go over an overpass. Immediately past the overpass you will turn left to stay on highway 183. Take highway 183 north to the first intersection north of the town of Sargent. At that intersection turn right onto road 816 (there is no road sign) and go 1.5 miles east. My mail box sits on top of a barrel. Turn left onto my driveway (Pit Spit Lane) Follow Pit Spit lane all the way to the north. When you get into my yard, go north of the house and turn left and go through the gate. Immediately after the gate bear to the right and go north to the top of the irrigation canal. Once on top the irrigation canal go east to the bridge and cross it. Once across the bridge bear to the right and follow the mowed trail to the top of the hill. From the top of the hill you will be able to see Camp Pitspitr.

[Pitspitr]

By the way if anybody wants to come early and just hang out your welcome to.