Campaigners Only

An Event within the Event

ATTENTION: ALL ABLE-BODIED MEN

“12 HOURS AS A SOLDIER”

Again in 2008, Lamoni’s Civil War Days is proud to provide a unique period immersion experience.
After 2007's sucessful infantry-only campaigner event, we are planning more than one campaigner activity in 2008.
These plans will include both infantry and cavalry components, and are under construction at this time.

This Event within the Event is strictly voluntary.
Although it is physically-demanding, it is also appropriate for a first-time campaigner experience.
As a campaigner, you will traverse the Lamoni countryside marching through our scenic Iowa farmland alongside fields of tall corn.
This is your opportunity to live as Civil War soldiers actually lived for 12 hours.

Our major campaigner activity: beginning at 7:00 PM Friday evening, August 29, 2008, and from separate locations, Confederate and Federal forces will form up in their respective camps. They will be issued rations, receive short instructions and then begin their respective marches across the countryside. This experience will approximate the way Civil War armies lived outside of garrison or of winter quarters while pursuing the enemy and actively on “campaign.”

The details of the 2008 Campaigner Event will be posted as they are decided upon. Return here closer to Labor Day weekend 2008.
Call Doug Jones toll free (866) 600-7667 with questions or to express your interest in joining this unusual activity.

NOTE: if you want to participate in this activity but cannot arrive at the event in time for the 7 PM Friday departure, we can still connect you with the campaigners at most any hour during Friday evening. Please make special mention of your late arrival time when you contact us.

While on campaign, supply trains were always kept far to the rear in order to protect them from enemy attack. This meant that campaigning troops could not count on supplies reaching them: therefore, they carried with them what they needed to survive. We provide you with a list of what we recommend you bring (see list below) – it is a tried and true list of minimal items that will meet your basic needs.

The march terminates at a pictoresque private lake. Each unit will select its most advantageous site for bivouacking for the night. After an early breakfast, we will have everyone back at the main encampment in time for morning Officers’ Call.

I have personally walked this route.
You will find that this route requires approximately 70 minutes of unhurried, sustained walking. For the modern couch potato, this represents a challenge. The terrain is flat - it is the mowed border around a large corn field. The scenery is beautiful and you will be free from all signs of modern life. But be mindful that the march is considerably longer than the round trip to your mailbox. While you will need to keep moving, you will not need to hurry and you will rest along the way.

WHAT YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO DO:
• To fall in promptly at 6:30 PM (for a 7:00 PM departure) Friday, August 31st, 2007, and become a period soldier in thought, speech and attitude.
• To carry-out orders and perform your duties. You will be part of a team and your brothers-in-arms will be counting on you. .
• To prepare your rations for supper and breakfast. You will eat as a mess.
• To serve a shift on picket duty. Camps will be guarded until well after dark but not for all night.
• To remain in period until arriving back at the encampment on Saturday morning. This means you should be ready for anything of a period/military nature at all times as there will be enemy units operating in the same area.
• Be prepared for military engagements. This is not a heavy “battle” or “powder-burning” experience; still, you must be prepared to act in defense of your brothers while on picket duty or when otherwise ordered. For this purpose, bring a standard cartridge box issue of no-more-than 40 rounds, please. Tins preferred.
• Attempt to maintain “first person” at all times, but at least refrain from modern speech and subjects. Silence is period-authentic.
• Be in reasonably good physical condition. We HIGHLY recommend some training in advance: you are well advised to walk a couple miles in the footwear you intend to wear this night more than once during the weeks prior to this event. Doing this will season your feet, prevent blisters and assure a pleasant experience. Besides, it’s good for you.

WHAT EQUIPMENT WILL YOU NEED?
• A haversack to carry cooking & eating utensils (including a canteen half, tin plate or fry pan, a fork, a spoon, a knife, possibly a boiler/mucket), some cotton rags/hankies to wrap rations in, canteen (report with it full), wool blanket & possibly a ground cloth/oil cloth for protection from wet, and a Long weapon (any period long weapon that is clean and in firing condition is appropriate, including muskets, rifled muskets, shotguns, etc. Please, no revolvers.)
• We aren’t concerned so much about your clothing/footwear/hat. We would rather have you enjoy the experience, learn and have a good attitude. If you wear an indicator of rank on your regular uniform and have another one available without rank, please wear the unmarked one so we don’t look like a company of ‘Corporals.’ Know that whatever you choose to wear will be acceptible, however.
• These are the recommended bare essentials. You may bring other items, provided they are approved by the Federal or CS commander but any extra weight you add will feel heavier and heavier the longer you march. Think simple. Having less is period-authentic.
• Mosquitos are not a particular problem in Lamoni. However, since you will be camping near water, you are well advised to plan on applying modern bug repellents. If you choose not to use these modern repellents, however, be assured that mosquito bites are period-authentic.


WHAT EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED?
(1) physical conditioning, (2) basic reenactor training, and (3) an interest in experiencing campaigner life.
You should be conditioned well enough to participate in sustained physical activity to begin with. As a minimum, you need basic reenactor training – how to handle a weapon, for example – and a desire to learn more about the actual experience of a Civil War soldier.
For the novice campaigner, this is an opportunity to experience something new and learn; for the experienced campaigner, this is an opportunity to fall in with bully pards in a beautiful setting. We expect you will enjoy it so much you will recruit your friends for next year.

WANT TO JOIN IN?
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
Contact Doug Jones at doug@hdhunt.com (866) 600-7667, Jay Stevens (Confederate) at JDStevens@dstsystems.com (816) 729-8030, or Wes Keeler (Federal) at wkeeler@ix.netcom.com (515) 266-6718. Be sure to visit the Civil War Days event web site to see an aerial photo of our route and campsite at www.civilwardays.org/directions.html.