Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Bentonville 145th - Morris Farm

The fight for the Morris Farm on the first day of the battle of Bentonville marked the high tide of the Confederate effort to destroy Slocum's wing of Sherman's army. The remnants of the Army of Tennessee, supported by Taliaferro's division of Hardee's corps, drove a wedge into the Federal center and broke against determined Federal infantry supported by several batteries. See a map of the assault here (requires Adobe PDF Reader).

The Reenactment:

The Federals marched onto the field, stacked rifles, and began to entrench. They made quick work of the soft, sandy Carolina soil and soon completed an imposing earthwork. The front rank sheltered within the entrenchment, while the rear rank crouche just behind, still gaining some protection from the mound of earth facing the oncoming rebels. Federal artillery, posted to the rear, opened on the advancing enemy.

The rebels, emerging from the tree line opposite the Federal works, advanced cautiously. Cavalry probed for an opening on the left, finding none. The rebels attempted to close, but the steady volleys from the boys in blue kept them at bay.

The engagement ended in an uneasy stalemate, both sides aware that more fighting would need to be done tomorrow.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Park Day 2010 at Monocacy National Battlefield

From Monocacy

While I am sorting out pictures from Bentonville at my glacial pace, I thought I would post about CWPT's annual Park Day activities at Monocacy National Battlefield. This was my first year at Monocacy. As close as this battlefield is, I don't visit as often as I would like.

Well over 100 people participated, including 70 students from a local high school. CWPT members were joined by volunteers organized to cleanup the Potomac Watershed. I met two other CWPT members and shared a few stories while removing trash from the banks of the Monocacy River. It's amazing how much a large group can accomplish in just 3 hours. It's also amazing what rivers carry and deposit along their banks when at flood stage, but that is a different story.

Park Day is a chance to serve the parks that gice so much enjoyment to battlefield enthusiasts lilke myself, and a chance to meet other, like-minded people. I highly recommend participating. It only takes a half day, which leaves the rest of the day for touring the field (even if you may be a bit tired from a good day's work).