By Austin Williams, 5th Virginia Co. A History, including that of the Civil War, has a tendency to focus on the extremes of human behavior. Battle histories are filled with accounts of heroes leading the charge and cowards shirking in the rear. Often lost, however, are the stories of those who just wanted to get …
The following muster roll of the the Fourth Virginia Infantry, Company D “The Smyth Blues”, was written by a former member of the company, John Samuel Apperson, for the ‘Times-Dispatch’ on June 4, 1905. It was published in the Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 34, pages 359-362. It is presented here with minimal edits. …
The following is excerpted from Fredrick Todd’s classic reference work, American Military Equipage, 1851-1872, Volume II – State Forces, Chapter 56 – Virginia. Todd does not detail the specific sources behind each datapoint he presents, but his work draws heavily on the annual reports of the Adjutant General of Virginia, as well as the expertise of …
By Austin Williams, 5th VA, Co. A We spend hundreds of dollars on the best available reproductions of Confederate uniforms and equipment. We spend hours pouring over period manuals to ensure our drill is precise down to the smallest detail. And then, when it is time to eat… out comes the modern food from concealed …
The following list of battles in which the Stonewall Brigade fought was published in the ‘Rockingham Register’ on November 10, 1895. It was published in the Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 23, pages 56-57. It is presented here with minimal edits, although it omits some engagements, such as Fort Stedman, and includes some in which …
By Austin Williams, 5th VA Co. A Once a battalion is formed in line, its commander may wish to change his battalion’s formation from line into a column depending on terrain and the tactical situation (see School of the Battalion: Forming the Battalion for a description of forming the battalion into line). While columns can …
By Austin Williams, 5th VA Co. A A scorching sun beat down on the men of the Stonewall Brigade as they made their way along the dusty roads towards Spotsylvania Court House on May 8th, 1864. They had spent the previous three days fighting in the tangled undergrowth of the Wilderness, as the Army of …
By Austin Williams, 5th VA Co. A A battalion marching in a column has several options to return to a line of battle, formed to the left, front, or right of the column’s original line of march (see School of the Battalion: Forming the Battalion for a description of forming the battalion into line and …
By Austin Williams, 5th VA Co. A One of the most challenging aspects of accuratly protraying Confederate infantry is the wide variation in uniforms and equipment based on location and period in the war. A member of the Army of Northern Virginia in 1862 looked vastly different from the same individual in 1865. To improve …
By Austin Williams, 5th VA Co. A People come to Civil War reenacting in a myriad of ways. Perhaps you have a friend in the hobby who has encouraged you to give it a try. Perhaps you attended a reenactment as a spectator and found yourself wishing you were in the midst of the smoke …