Off to Pittsfield CW re-enactment

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Well, I am off with my Smith carbine to the Pittsfield, Illinois Lincoln Bi-centenial Civil War re-enactment this weekend.  I will be camped in my dog tent with the rest of the unit.  The trades for a Spencer did not go through, so I will have to settle for the Smith (though that's not a bad thing in itself).

Hey 12th Illinois, you going to be there?  I am getting in at about 7 AM tomorrow.

[El Tigre]

Well, I am off with my Smith carbine to the Pittsfield, Illinois Lincoln Bi-centenial Civil War re-enactment this weekend.  I will be camped in my dog tent with the rest of the unit.  The trades for a Spencer did not go through, so I will have to settle for the Smith (though that's not a bad thing in itself).

Hey 12th Illinois, you going to be there?  I am getting in at about 7 AM tomorrow.

That’s great.
20 Years ago I attend to several events like you are going to.
The biggest event was the German Council.
A friend of me take his canons to such events. Real big canons, copies of original ones.
One time he asked me to help him to re-build a Gattling machine gun. So he get the licence to build one, not for using bullets but for using 45-70 cases and Black Powder to get the realistic sound . (I think blank cartridge is the right word ??)

So we went to a museum, made some pictures and I started to develop the inside mechanisms of the Gattling to have the right timing of loading and firing the Gattling. It was a two days work to bring the steering curves on paper and one year later it was a pleasure for me to turn the crank and to listen to the tack, tack, tack…..
It was a great time.
Some of my friends died meanwhile others I lost the contact but I never forgot this period of time.
I which you a great time.

El Tigre

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Well Rick (12th Illinois) and I had a great time at the Pittsfield re-enactment.  He blazed away with his Spencer, and I blazed away (not nearly as fast as him ) with my Smith.  I shot about 60 to 80 rounds of carbine per battle, plus revolver.  In the first battle, I had a minor malfunction.... I kept trying to pull the dang trigger guard down on the Smith to open the action!  Hahaha!  After 12 years of using a Henry and five using a Spencer in CAS, and 4 years of both the above guns in CW re-enacting, muscle memory just kept over riding the brain, which was well aware I was shooting a Smith!  Granted, I used a Smith two years ago at a couple re-enactments, but had shot many Henry and Spencer rounds since then!  I did get the "Smith" rhythm down half way through the first day, though.

Great fun and great people. Rick is going to send Two Flints a picture of the dynamic duo to post!

Steel Eye Steve, you need to get down here and play with us sometime!  If you come to the Jerseyville re-enactment, you don't even have to camp.  I live two miles from the site and you can stay here! How's that for an offer you can't refuse!

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[12 th Illinois]

Had a good time fighting the rebs with you Bernie. Looking foreward to the next time. Hope I'm doing this right with the picture.

Tuolumne Lawman on the left w/ a Smith Carbine; 12th Illinois w/ a Spencer

                                      (Posted by Two Flints)

[Steel-eye Steve]

Steel Eye Steve, you need to get down here and play with us sometime!  If you come to the Jerseyville re-enactment, you don't even have to camp.  I live two miles from the site and you can stay here! How's that for an offer you can't refuse!

I was disappointed they canceled the Princeton event for this year. I understand there might be one the same weekend that Princeton falls on near the the Quad Cities. What weekend, and where, is the Jerseyville event?