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TO ARMS! TO ARMS!
ALL ABLE BODIED
MEN OF VIRGINIA
ARE CALLED UPON TO
ENLIST TODAY
IN THE
27TH VIRGINIA
INFANTRY!
COMPANY "D"
MONROE GUARD
THE
STONEWALL
BRIGADE
DEFEND YOUR HOMES,
FAMILY AND STATE
AGAINST THE FOREIGN
INVADER!!!!!!!!
50 DOLLARS
BOUNTY!!!
FOR THOSE ENLISTING FOR THE WAR
DO NOT DELAY
ENLIST NOW!!
Contact: jedmillet@hughes.net
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There are two types of requirements for membership in the company; one is financial and one is participation. The company is a organization that elects organizational officers and military officers at the yearly Brigade banquet. We have by-laws and standards for equipment and clothing. Our yearly dues stand at $40/year (2005) which covers the following for each member:
- A monthly newsletter containing our schedule, reports on events attended, period pictures, manual instructions, and first person excerpts.
- Blank ammunition for events
- Registration fees for all events if you pre-register
- Membership in the Brigade
- Unit liability insurance
When the scenario calls for a company cook, a nominal fee of $10 (2005) per event entitles you to five meals for that event. This is generally done at our winter events; Work Weekend, Winter Camp and Spring Drill, as well as some living histories. Members are encouraged to learn about the Civil War soldiers' rations and to at least try to subsist on only period foods for some field events. There is a very good article on the SWB page concerning "campaign" cooking equipment and it contains some food currently available that can be used as period rations.
All equipment and clothing is the responsibility of the individual and can range from $1000 - $2000 depending on the amount of gear you decide to have. Suggested sources or sutlers are listed on the SWB webpage. We recommend that you speak with the unit representative to the SWB Standards Committee prior to purchasing any uniforms or equipment.
The other requirement for membership is to have a good time. Re-enactors each have their own reason(s) for participating in this hobby. For some, it is to remember and honor their ancestors. For others, it is a desire to fully immerse themselves into the lives of the original men; eating, sleeping, and drilling in historically accurate ways. For others, it is an opportunity to get together with people who share common interests and have a good time. At some level, all re-enactors are teachers and want to pass on years of reading and research onto other interested people; be it public or fellow re-enactors. Whatever your reason for re-enacting, you will be required to learn certain skills; creating fires, cooking rations, safely firing your weapon, drill maneuvers, and military decorum among others.
Another thing you will need to be in company D is a sense of humor and a thick skin. Pranks and jokes are abundant around the company fire pit on a nightly basis and you could find yourself the target of some lighthearted jabs at one time or another. One thing that makes us unique in the re-enacting community is our status as "Millets". "Milletdom" cannot be defined, it can only be experienced. Once a millet, always a millet. We feel the original soldiers would have tried to fill the non-combative times during the war with lighthearted, mischievous deeds and pranks. It is at this type of activity that the Millets have unofficially accepted as their life's work.
The company will expect you to learn the Gilham's Manual of Arms for tactics and drill, the SAFE loading, firing and cleaning of the rifle musket, and you should be able to speak on an informal basis with the general public. The company non commissioned officers (NCOs) are responsible for teaching you these things and other privates will "volunteer" information whether you ask for it or not.
