Tag: CA

Copyright © 2012 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

I had the pleasure of spending Saturday afternoon at a Civil War Reenactment in Duncans Mills, CA. Follow me to the year 1863 where these wonderful reenactors bring  this period of  USA history to life.

“Soon after his defeat of the Federal Army of the Potomac at Chancellorsville in May 1863 General Robert E. Lee decided for the second time to invade the North with his Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. There were a number of reasons for his decision. Even though Lee had just won a brilliant victory, things were bad in the Confederacy and getting worse; Ulysses S. Grant was about to secure Vicksburg for the Union, inflation was running wild in the South, and badly needed European recognition had not come, the Confederate government was torn by partisan squabbles, the Union blockade along the Southern coast was growing steadily more effective, and antiwar sentiment was fading in the North. A major Confederate victory on enemy soil might ameliorate all those problems. Moreover, after their string of victories Lee and his men had begun to believe fatally, as it turned out- that they were virtually invincible.

General James Longstreet, Lee’s second in command since the death of Stonewall Jackson, objected to the invasion from the beginning. Longstreet entreated his commander to purse a defensive strategy in Virginia and send troops to reinforce Braxton Briggs in Tennessee.

Longstreet’s idea was sound, but Lee insisted on his invasion plan; his instincts invariably told him to take the offensive. Thus in early June 1863, The Army of Northern Virginia pulled away from Fredericksburg and headed for Pennsylvania with about 80,000 men.” – Chronicles of the Civil War by John Bowman, General Editor

Artillery

“Designed to fire at high angles, dropping low-velocity explosive shells behind the enemy’s cover, Howitzers exemplified the traditional artillery that predominated during the Civil War.” –Chronicles of the Civil War by John Bowman, General Editor

Confederate Sponge rammer loading the cannon-

“Artillery in the 1800’s fought side by side with infantry units because the range of the big guns limited them to visible targets. Like the infantry weapons, Civil War-era cannon were muzzle loaders and required a crew of eight men to aim, load, and fire the weapon.”~Thomas’Legion; The 69^th North Carolina Regiments, located at www.thomaslegion.net, written by Matthew D. Parker, was first published to the internet on August 27, 2005 and accessed on July 16, 2012.

Stepping away-

FIRE!

The infantrymen marched right into the face of a firing cannon. Many didn’t live to tell about it.

It was a fun afternoon and I have quite a few photos to go through. I hope to share more soon.

Nikon D700| Nikkor 80-200mm w/Tamron 1.4x extender