CR Camp of Instruction 2001:
Cold, Snowy, and Successful
 

by Kevin O'Beirne
ODESSA, N.Y. - The Columbia Rifles' 2001 Camp of Instruction was held March 30 through April 1, at a snowy campsite just outside of Odessa, New York, in the southern Finger Lakes region. This event report was compiled from accounts by the event's participants.
 

J.E. Tobey: About a week before the COI, I was informed that the straw we intended to use for the event was unusable and unavailable. I had to scramble to find an alternate straw supplier, which I finally did. I stashed the straw in my garage in Elmira.

J. Henion: I took Thursday afternoon off from work and drove to Elmira, where I met up with John Tobey and together we drove the twenty miles or so to the planned event site-a beautiful, 1,400-acre tract with woods and meadows, located on a hilltop. We had "put dibbs" on the site last summer. The place is owned by Mr. Carl States, who was extremely helpful and courteous to us. The event wouldn't have happened without Carl's help and generous assistance.

J.E. Tobey: After some troubles coordinating with the firewood guy, my wife and Jeff and I finally got the firewood delivered to the site on Thursday evening. The site was in great shape, with just a few small patches of snow.

J. Henion: At 8:00 a.m. Friday morning, John and I went back to the site. Overnight things sure had changed! A localized but very nasty snowstorm had parked over the event site overnight and dumped eighteen inches of snow. It was still blowing hard when we arrived and made for near-blizzard conditions. We attempted to get into the site, but managed only to get John's four wheel drive pickup truck stuck in the snow. It took us more than an hour to free it and drive back down the hill. By now it was going on 10:00 a.m. and we were without an event site, and our entire firewood supply was inaccessible. I wondered if the vague illness I was feeling was real or due to nerves.

J.E. Tobey: We visited Carl States in his office and he offered us a great solution-an alternative site that he owns was available more-or-less across the street from his office. The new site still had about eight inches of snow, but it was accessible and, very important, it was located along the route our members were taking to get to the original site. The new site had a relatively clear, hard road, potable water supply, a privy, and a nearby picnic pavilion that we could use for the lectures if the weather was bad.

C. Heath: Once the decision was made to "make [the event] happen" at the new site-and there really was no other choice-firewood was borrowed from the landowner. Mr. States allowed us to use his own firewood supply with our promise, once the snow melted, to replace what we used from his wood pile with wood from "our pile" up at the original site. Bales of wheat straw were soon on hand to serve as bedding that insulated the men from the snow.

"Amos" Reynolds: What made the weekend so successful was the hard work by Jeff Henion and John Tobey. When Site "A" was snowed under, they made everything happen for Site "B". My hat's off to them!

K. O'Beirne: Mike Peterson and I arrived on-site about 1:00 p.m., and things were a bit grim-looking-an all-new site, gray skies, a light rain, and temperatures in the 30s. Friday was a bit hectic as we quickly re-tooled for the new site. To boot, when we arrived, we found that my A-tent was missing a pole, so John and I climbed into his truck and drove twenty miles to an Elmira lumberyard. We bought a new pole and a 4-foot by 8-foot piece of plywood and a can of spray paint. We drove twenty miles back to the site and, in short order, a huge new "billboard" was directing the event participants to the new site.

P. Irish: After eight hours on the icy roads from Boston to central New York State, I wasn't too heartened to find the Valley Forge scene that greeted us at the campsite on Friday night. However, the local guys busted their humps to get an amble supply of wood and straw distributed to the troops, which made for a livable situation. The weather during the rest of the weekend cooperated and it all turned out fine. The drizzle on Friday afternoon ended by 5:00 p.m., and the rest of the weekend was relatively precipitation-free. At night it got down to 25 degrees, but we were all prepared for that.

K. O'Beirne: Soon, men were shoveling snow from where the tents would be pitched, tents were going up, walkways between tents were shoveled, and two flys were pitched together as a "central meeting area". Nate Albert was a shoveling demon. By sundown on Friday, the tents were up and order was brought out of what had initially looked like confusion. We had about 50 men registered for the event and, unfortunately, the poor weather kept many who had long drives from attending. Overall, despite the lousy weather, the COI was attended by 30 men who's desire to learn was stronger than their desire to remain warm.

C. Heath: By the time darkness fell, a nifty little camp had emerged along the wooded drive, complete with shoveled walkways to the assembly area, and mounds of firewood.

K. O'Beirne: We had a brief meeting of all participants on Friday evening, at which we told everyone what we were trying to accomplish with the COI. I got carried away and got into some fire and brimstone over why the Army of the Potomac deserved a better portrayal than most reenactors were able to give it, but everyone was patient and I wasn't booed. When it was over, most of the pards turned in for the night by about 10:30 p.m.

C. Heath: Upon my late night arrival in the snowy metro Odessa region, I was greeted by several well-made signs to the COI, including a really big one with reflective letters stating, "New Site." Hmmm, I backed up, pulled into the long driveway, and spotted some familiar vehicles. Not far down the dirt drive, tents and little fires were spotted in a scene not unlike Valley Forge. After a few moments, it dawned on me as to what a strange sight this was-I was seeing familiar faces of progressive reenactors amongst common ("A") tents, and the trappings of a far heavier encampment than I was accustomed to seeing.

D. Grieves: It was an experience for me to sleep in a common tent for the first time. I actually wished the tent was smaller, so it would have retained a little body heat. In our tent, we could have used a couple more "spoons" too...

C. Heath: We had been asked to bring extra blankets to this event, and I'm glad I did, as it allowed my road weary body the luxury of a good snooze that first night. Seeing how I arrived late, I just bivouacked with Amos and Steve Tyler at the campfire. We awoke on Saturday morning to find a light dusting of snow atop the blankets. This was a relief, because the night sky looked as if it would send a drizzling rain on us at any time. It was cold, but not unbearably cold. It was "enjoyably cold", if there is such a thing.

K. O'Beirne: Saturday morning I awoke, as I often do at events, to "Amos" Reynolds and Charlie Heath conversing at the campfire. Around 6:00 a.m., "Amos" rousted out our fourth sergeant and designated bugler, Garr Gast, who blew a good rendition of "reveille". Tent flaps were thrown back and the men trudged to the parade for roll call. After Friday's near-confusion, things were now locked in place and running smoothly. Overall, the event schedule, which was pretty ambitious, worked like a charm, and we covered pretty much everything we planned to. After roll call, "Quartermaster Corporal 'Sparky'" Henion supervised the issuance of rations to the men.

C. Heath: The ration issue of coffee beans, sugar, slab bacon, and hard crackers went well, and this activity has become so common that it is almost second nature. Participants were requested to have minimal foodstuffs in their haversacks, and the rations fit just fine. In a few minutes, cooking and breakfasting commenced with vigor. The bacon was exceptional. My small Baker/Zaharias coffeepot was a nice addition to our mess, and it did not stay idle for long.

K. O'Beirne: Many thanks go out to the guys who made the ration issue a reality: Sparky brought 75 lbs. of slab bacon; Josey brought nearly 20 lbs. of coffee and equal amount of sugar; and Andy "Zack" Metheny brought 500 pieces of hardtack from the G.H. Bent Company in Massachusetts. During the weekend we had nearly eight hours of drill, including some intense School of the Soldier, plus a good part of School of the Company and skirmish drill. To avoid getting the men's feet unnecessarily cold and wet, drills were held in Carl States's snow-free gravel parking lot, about 300 yards from the camp.

C. Heath: John Tobey and I swapped places on the roster, so he could gain more experience as a First Sergeant, and I could be the "reader of the drill manual" when needed. Jeff Sherry was the instructor, and Kevin O'Beirne served as company commander; sergeants included Paul Irish, Amos Reynolds, Garr Gast, and Chris Piering. Drill went well, and the biggest part of drill was knocking the cobwebs off a multitude of reenactorisms that most of us learned from our previous units. We spent some serious, quality time with the task of stacking arms. We all learned something-I know I did. The gravel parking lot was a good drill field, even if it was a bit on the "tight" side. There was a small house next to it, and I had a little contact with its occupants. Most of the fellows didn't realize that the house was a day-care center of sorts. While the boys were marching almost in their front yard, a half dozen little faces were glued against the house windows looking out at Civil War soldiers coming to life right before their eyes! They were fascinated.

K. O'Beirne: Hats off to Jeff Sherry for a fine job as drill instructor throughout the weekend. If I manage to not embarrass myself at McDowell, it will be because of Lieutenant Sherry's instruction at the COI-coupled with a few readings from the "good book" [Silas Casey's] by Charles Heath and Chris Piering.

Josey Albert: Did you guys realize that Kevin not once tripped and fell down?

K. O'Beirne: Well, there's a first time for everything...

C. Heath: We drilled for about three hours. On our return to camp, Jeff Henion gave a fabulous talk on how to properly make cartridges, and he also clued us in on sources of supply for the manufacture thereof. I'm still fascinated by the way he used an ink roller to match the original blue paper for (some) Williams cleaner rounds.

Josey Albert: No matter how much you think you know, you'll always learn something new to help progress your impression. And I thought I knew how to make ammunition, but Sparky taught me differently.

C. Heath: My brief talk on rations went well, and I suspect the "foraged items" that I pulled out of a hardtack box and literally tossed to the men were a genuine surprise to all. Lunch and supper were made far more interesting with these additions.

D. Grieves: The issued rations were first rate, especially after Charles handed out all the goodies he brought. My pard Garr was lucky enough to get a big piece of fresh cow, which cooked up right nice.

K. O'Beirne: Charlie's rations presentation was the hit of the event as the boys learned how to make some stuff they wouldn't normally have considered "food" into some very tasty, period-correct dishes. Beefheart stew, anyone? After lunch, funds were collected and the long awaited, much anticipated Columbia Rifles Research Compendium was distributed. We had 60 copies for sale and, despite the fact we had only thirty men at the event, 50 copies were sold! At the same time, sales of few other items-wool blankets offered by John Tobey, jean cloth canteen covers by Jay White, and even some Columbia Rifles baseball caps by yours truly-were taking place. We also handed out registration information for both McDowell and Burkittsville.

"Amos" Reynolds: The Compendium is awesome!

D. Grieves: One of the true highlights of the weekend, aside from seeing Chris Piering's socks start to burn while he was still wearing them, was picking up my copy of The Compendium. What a resource! I was very pleased to see how professionally produced it was-it is not a bunch of photocopies of other people's work. Hats off to John Tobey for his huge effort to make The Compendium a reality.

C. Heath: I thought the draft version of The Compendium that I saw at the February NCO training session was good, but the finished product is even better.

K. O'Beirne: The men were all protective of their copy of The Compendium and, after a few page-throughs, most trekked to the "wagon park" to stash them in their vehicle. After lunch, John Tobey and I gave a brief talk on the Columbia Rifles standards and The Compendium.

C. Heath: After the talk on the standards, it was time for more drill. In the afternoon we worked on some School of the Company stuff. By the time the boys got back to camp, they were pretty much ready to get warm again. Steve Tyler gave a very good class on guard mount and guard duty. By the time Steve finished up, we were more than ready to fix a hot supper.

K. O'Beirne: As the daylight faded, the boys cooked dinner around smoking fires and chatted about the day's work. Everyone seemed in good spirits and several men expressed to me how much they were learning.

R. Willis: I had a "moment" at the Camp of Instruction-and it was my first one ever, because this is my first season of reenacting. After getting up at 5:30 a.m. on Friday morning, working all day, driving through the night from Pittsburgh with Brian Roman, arriving on-site at 4:00 a.m. Saturday morning, and drilling hard all day, I was about as tired as I can ever remember. I went for a short walk up the road from the camp after the sun went down, and upon returning to camp, there it was, with just enough residual light reflecting off the snow. The little cluster of tents pitched near the dark, naked birch trees, the glowing fires with bundled-up soldiers huddled around them, making music and quiet conversation-the kind only really tired but satisfied men can make. I stopped, and my sleep-deprived brain computed the centuries incorrectly. I got goose bumps so hard it almost hurt, and it lasted for almost a whole minute.

C. Heath: One of the highlights of the weekend was music, and I don't mean the usual "in your face" fife and drum corps, either. The DeAngelis family provided excellent music during the weekend. "Young" Ben DeAngelis is a wonderful drummer and added quite a bit to the drills, and Mark DeAngelis, Ben's father, gave us some wonderful singing on Saturday evening. After eating, the Columbia Rifles' annual meeting went well, the new Board was elected, and a multitude of topics was discussed. It is hard to realize that this organization didn't exist a year ago when one considers the impact it's had on the hobby. I don't know about anyone else, but I had one of the best night's sleep I've ever had in the field that night.

K. O'Beirne: Sunday morning came sooner than we would have wanted, because of the start of Daylight Savings Time. The bugle blew at 6:30 a.m., the roll was called by Sergeant Tobey, and the men cooked breakfast. By 8:00 a.m., the company was formed and marched off for a few more hours of drill. We went over a few things from Saturday's drill sessions and then took a break. During the break, Mike Peterson got to practice for his role at McDowell as the battalion chaplain, and gave us a nice reading from the New Testament and a couple prayers. It was well done and served to remind us that it was Sunday and religion is not be neglected, even in the army. After the short service, drill was resumed with a bit over an hour of skirmish drill, by "Drill Sergeant" Reynolds.

J. White: I was glad that Amos didn't make us flop and drop in that muddy drill field!

C. Heath: After skirmish drill, we marched back to camp by about 11:00 a.m. Jay White gave a nice and brief talk on blanket rolls, and there the event ended. The camp came down a lot faster than it went up. There were a lot of long good-byes with comrades we won't see for at least a month, if not longer. Soon the vehicles were loaded and we all left for home.

J. White: It was an excellent weekend and I tip my cap to John Tobey and Jeff Henion for their organization of the COI. With Site "A" snowed out, their Plan "B" was more than adequate. I wish every event had such organization and a hard-working staff. I'd also like to tip my cap to the presenters-Jeff Henion's great ammunition making presentation, Charlie Heath's talk on how to authentically spice up camp rations, and Steve Tyler's excellent talk on guard mount and guard duties. I can't forget our instructors: Jeff Sherry, Kevin O'Beirne, and "Amos"-who taught a great skirmish drill.

K. O'Beirne: Jeff "Sparky" Henion and John Tobey deserve the credit for organizing the Camp of Instruction. They busted their butts to make it a good event.

P. Irish: In the eighteen years that I've been reenacting, I can't recall learning so much over a weekend. This learning will continue with The Compendium.

K. O'Beirne: I think that the most telling part of the weekend was the several men who, individually, approached me on Sunday and said versions of the following: "Thanks for this event. I learned more in the past 24 hours than I have in the past two years of reenacting." No higher compliment can be paid to the COI than this.

D. Grieves: The whole educational aspect to the event was well worth enduring the wintry conditions. Lots of lessons were learned, and we had some great drill practice that will sure help in the upcoming season.

Josey Albert: My hats off to Sparky and "Little John" for all their hard work, to the speakers for sharing their knowledge-who said progressives won't share?-and to all who came out and braved the frigid North to share camaraderie and show that, even if we are spread out across this great divide, we still have a special bond that only good comrades will like minds can share.

K. O'Beirne: And, by the way, we're thinking of having the 2002 Camp of Instruction in an historic fort. Go figure.
 

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Kevin O'Beirne is the President of the Colombia Rifles.