May 6-8, 2011 – Beaver Creek State Park, East Liverpool, Ohio
Once again we returned to one of our favorite reenactment sites for the bi-annual event at Beaver Creek State Park. If you have not been to this location, you are missing a beautiful place to camp and fight. There was a concern at the end of last year that this event would disappear from the map as the organizers had left the hobby. I contacted several people who I thought may be interested in taking over and thanks to Mike “Stonewall Jackson” Lawson of the Stonewall Brigade, the event quickly came back to life. Normally, this event alternates with Argus Park in Canfield in July. With the 150th Manassas the same weekend, Mike and the State Park Service found an alternate date in May.
Arriving on site Friday evening, I went to the Federal Headquarters area in the pines and met up with My Old War Horse Major Penix and his wife Pam. HQ went up quickly and I started to look around. A lot of familiar faces from the 105th and 61st OVI. Mark and Kristi Gaynor from the 51st were there too. And I knew there were a group of guys coming from the 5th on Saturday… but that was it. Hmmmm.
To park the truck, I had to travel around the loop that is only one-way. As I drove through the Confederate camp, I came to the realization that there was a HELL OF A LOT OF REBS! As well as two guns!! No one has had these kinds of Confederate numbers at event here in Ohio for quite some time. Mike Lawson and the event CSA commander Jim Powell must have been shaking the trees.
At the officer/NCO meeting Friday night, I determined that we were going to have to use different tactics to fight this battle. We would have at the most, 30 rifles and officers. The official count from the Confederate command was 90 infantry, plus two guns and crews.
We couldn’t fight toe to toe on this one. Skirmish tactics would be the order of the day. Hit and run. Keep the Confederates moving. The battlefield at Beaver Creek is a rolling terrain with a mill pond, a small village and two narrow bridges that sit below high ground. Our tactics for the weekend were to use all of this to our advantage. With a larger force (many of whom have not worked together previously), it would take the Rebs longer to organize, move, and get on line. With the trees, buildings and terrain, they didn’t always have a clear shot at us.
The Saturday battle would see the Confederate infantry (supported by their guns) come into the village with our boys in the heights above. As soon as we saw them we opened up. Their un-mounted cavalry moved forward in a skirmish line to engage us while the rest of the infantry came out of the covered bridge and into the village. As the skirmishers tried to cross the small foot bridge (the only way to enter the rest of the field), the sharp aim of our infantry cut them down as they tried to cross. However, faced with overwhelming numbers, we pulled back to our next defensive position and formed another skirmish line running from the pond up hill to the other side of a small house. That pond was great to keep from being flanked and forcing the Confederates to run their battle line up a steep slope would slow their movement.
We continued to fight and withdraw until our backs were against the larger bridge at the other end of the mill pond. With the 2nd Company holding off the Confederate infantry (and now taking fire from a second gun), the 1st Company began a reverse “street fighting” maneuver across the bridge to slow the Confederate advance but they came on hard and we had to move across the bridge with haste to reform on the edge of the woods. We continued to fall back as the trees gave us cover. The scenario was at an end.
On Sunday, we fought the battle in reverse. This gave us the high ground on the bridge and we stacked the Rebs up and slowed them down. But numbers don’t lie and we eventually got pushed back into the village and retreated. As I said, there was no way to win against those numbers. I told Jim Powell, we don’t NEED to win. We just want to have a good fight! In reality, our force did what a lot of probing elements did back then. Cause the enemy to deploy. Count their numbers and make them use up ammunition and men. This was a way to get good information for the brass up the chain.
All in all, it was a great event. If I can have a good time with good friends, honor those who fought, and educate just one person, it is a winner in my book.
One thing I do want to make a comment on is our Union numbers. There could be several factors involved here. Gas prices. Mother’s Day. Or is it the fact that every little apple butter festival is trying to scoop up Civil War reenactors to put on a show. With the 150th now underway, I get at least two emails a week asking for Civil War reenactors to attend this and that. Most of these request have nothing to do with the Civil War. Local organizers have not suddenly become Civil War buffs or are trying to educate and honor. They are looking to make a buck for their event off of the hoopla over the 150th. Unfortunately, established reenactments are suffering. That is a crime. Ok. I’m off the soap box.
I want to thank all of the folks who put on Beaver Creek and especially Mike Lawson, Chris Jones and Jim Powell. It was a pleasure to fight against you guys and I have rarely seen a scenario (let alone TWO) go exactly as walked-through. Our hats are off to you and your boys. Thanks also to the Federal officers and men including Bob Penix. We have shown the Rebs how we fight even when outnumbered.
Submitted, May 12, 2011
Christopher L. Smith, Lieutenant Colonel
Commanding, 2d Battalion
Birney’s Division
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