by David Aspinall
When you heard about the secession of Texas and the
fall of Ft. Sumter, you, along with your neighbors and kinfolk, went down
to the local recruiting office and signed on to a unit designated as Company
A of the 12th Regiment of Texas Volunteer Infantry. You are now a soldier
fighting for the independence and freedom of your new country, The Confederate
States of America. Or perhaps you are in the army to maintain the liberties
your father won for Texas fighting Santa Anna's forces back in 1836. Whatever
your reason, you are now leaving your family and home to drive off an invading
enemy from the north.
You are issued a brand new musket (to replace the shotgun
you brought from home), as well as a cartridge box, belt, canteen and haversack.
You sleep in a tent, eat bacon, cornbread and beans, and march, march,
march! Soon you march off to Arkansas and prepare to meet the invading
enemy. Some of your friends have not been as fortunate, as they have been
stricken with measles, dysentery, or some other disease. But all the marching
has put you in the peak of health, and you are ready to beat back the foe.
Two years have passed, and now, as you and your pards
sit by the campfire, you contemplate the upcoming battle. You think back
on all the marching and drilling, the friends you have lost, the family
you have not seen since you waved good-bye to them way back in 1862. And
you cannot help but ponder as to whether you will ever see them again.
It is morning. The long roll of the drum is sounded.
You grab your musket and equipment and fall into line. The captain gives
the order to move, and you and your comrades march off to the tune of "Dixie".
Soon the captain orders a halt, and the company forms
a skirmish line to receive the first of the enemy's advances. You begin
to sweat, but it is still the cool part of the morning. Your friend to
your left says, "Yonder there. Ain't them bluecoats?"
You raise the musket, pull back the hammer, and ...
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live
and fight like a soldier of the War Between the States? Well, here is the
ideal opportunity. This is your chance to join Company A of the 12th Regiment
of Texas Volunteers. We are War Between the States reenactors, a rapidly
growing hobby in the United States. Being a reenactor of one of the most
important periods of this nation's history is rewarding in many ways. We
are called upon at times to present living history shows at local schools.
We are able to talk with the public about aspects of the war with which
they may not be familiar. We associate with hundreds of other people with
a shared interest in the war. And, most important, we are afforded a chance
to honor the soldiers, both Union and Confederate, who fought and died
for the causes they believed in.
The learning experience of being a reenactor is both
extensive and enlightening. You will learn how to march, dress, eat, sleep
and fight like a soldier of the period of 1861-65. You will be taught how
to handle a reproduction musket with safety and skill. And rest assured,
regardless of how many books on the War Between the States you may have
read, you will learn more about the war than you ever thought possible.
If all this sounds tempting, come join us today! You will be forever thankful
you did.
MEN OF TEXAS
TO ARMS! TO ARMS!
by Dwain Schoppe
