FIRST CALL - 2d Battalion Drill!

A BIG reminder that the Birney’s Division 2d Battalion drill on April 16th is coming up fast and we need to get numbers ASAP.

All units participating should send me your numbers no later than this Wednesday. We need to know how many people we are having so we can plan for dinner Saturday evening after the training.

Again, here is a quick rundown of activities:

Friday, April 15th – Personnel who wish can arrive the night before. We will be bivouacked around the “1st Settlement” cabin close to the gate house. If you need to arrive earlier than 5 pm, please email me ahead of time.

Saturday, April 16th – Formation will begin promptly at 8 am. We will start off with School of the Soldier, then Company, then Battalion. For those units who wanted to have their own drill to work at the Company level. Don’t worry; you will be doing just that during this training. Hale Farm will be open to the public during the day and visitors will get a chance to see how we prepare for Civil War reenactment battles.

This year, our organization is honored to be asked to participate in the final evening of Hale Farm & Village’s nationally recognized program “A Fugitive's Path: Escape on the Underground Railroad”. Thousands of members of the public each year participate in a “first person” experience as they portray run-away slaves seeking freedom in the North during the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act. As Federal soldiers, we have been asked to participate in a couple of the scenarios. This is the first time Civil War reenactors have been included in this program.

Sunday, April 17 – For those who wish to stay Saturday evening, you are more than welcome to depart on Sunday and opt for some additional Company drill at your discretion.

If is IMPORTANT to participate in our annual training as there will be many events over the year that will require tactical proficiency as a larger unit in the field. This activity on the 16th will give us a chance to learn and instruct so that our performance in the field will be the envy of our fellow reenactors!

You can download the registration form HERE: http://media-techconsulting.com/Birneys/docs/CivilWarSpringMusterRegistration.pdf

If you cannot get this in on time, please bring it with you to the activity. Regardless, I still need a head count from each unit this week.

For those of you in 1st Battalion, There will be a drill this same weekend in Perryopolis, PA. Contact Lt Col Rohrbaugh at cpldlr160@comcast.net for more details.

Your Servant,
Christopher Smith, Lt Col
clsmith@5thohio.com