Pre-season Considerations from Spring Grove

This is an article written for the NWTA Courier, a newspaper for members of our parent organization. I wrote it as an inspirational piece for other units and ourselves to bring the 18th century to life again in the 21st.

This is a 150% biased opinion, but the Illinois regiment is one of the best looking military units in the NWTA, if not reenactors in general. But why is that? What separates the Illinois Regiment of Virginia from the rest?

Well, one thought is that we have our Graceland, and we visit twice a year. The NWTA holds most of its events in the former Northwest Territory, which was garrisoned by Clark’s “Little Army.” His final resting place at Locust Grove in Louisville Kentucky is the site of one such event called Market Faire. However, 26 years ago, our leadership stepped up to create an annual non-NWTA event where we dust off our regimentals and crack open the 1764 manual of arms, train new recruits and open the reenacting season with a memorial service for General George Rogers Clark.

On the weekend of April 21st and 22nd 2018, the staff at Locust Grove hosts the Illinois Regiment for a spring encampment and boot camp open to the public. This isn’t like most of our events where Brits and rebels duke it out twice a day for a crowd of 1-500 public. Instead, we tone down the action, and make sure we get it right. We practice tactical maneuvers and handling of weapons intimately so that we can make in impression in Vincennes a month later. And of course its always the same weekend as the Thunder Over Louisville, which includes an air show over the entire region and one of the largest fireworks displays in the country.

This year, Brian Cushing, program director at Locust Grove, led a battalion of volunteers to run one of the best “Spring Groves” in recent history. Of course the weather cooperated this year, but that is not to shy away from the fact that the volunteers this year went above and beyond to provide for us. At closing colors, the troops made sure to show their appreciation with a round of Huzzas, rivaling the intensity of the entire troop at a grand encampment. Wherever Brian went, there was someone pulling him aside to thank him for his and the other volunteers’ hard work.

Events besides drilling the manual of arms included guided tours of the house where George Rogers Clark spent his final days, demonstrations on brewing whiskey, leatherworking, creating linen cloth out of flax, cooking in a hearth kitchen, and of course recruiting new soldiers for the continental army. On both days, kids from age 2-14 enlisted and received $25 (reproduction historic paper money) for their three-year enlistments. On Sunday afternoon, the new recruits armed with wooden muskets, utilized Washington’s progressive training method where one officer trains the first recruits and those recruits train the next batch. After forming a company, and marching “20 miles”, they were attacked by what appeared to be traitors against the continental congress. At parlay, the commander elected a corporal to assist him in negotiating a truce. When they offered no quarter, and only death, the battle was on. The threat was neutralized within two volleys. Onlookers thoroughly enjoyed the show.

During Saturday’s tactical demonstration with the “real” troops, Captain Greg Hudson addressed the crowd and recited a bit of military history. As he explained how the continental army grew into the modern military, the US Air Force perfectly timed a flyover with 4 F-16s. It was an incredible moment reminding us how far we have come since 1776. And of course, no tactical is complete without the smell of burning black powder, a bayonet charge, and a salute to the audience.

All reenactors are treated to free coffee in the visitors center, as well as a smorgasbord of pot-luck style food cooked in the hearth kitchen by the women of Abraham Kellar’s company. The menu this year included rice pudding, corn bread, apple pie, beans, fire roasted pork tenderloin and smoked ham amongst at least a dozen other delicious period correct foods.

This is not as much of a braggadocio, as it is a challenge for our comrades in the NWTA. We simply want to pass on our tradition of excellence and make this hobby something we can all be proud of. You may not have a site that speaks to the history of your unit as Locust Grove does to the IRoV, but that doesn’t mean that your unit can’t host a small event where you can engage the public in an intimate setting, and work on that manual of arms. During the revolution, every regular, state troop, and militiamen drilled the manual of arms, and many of them could recite the entire thing. There is virtually no reason that our seasoned reenactors should not be able to do the same.

If hosting an event is not an option for you, then you are always welcome to attend Spring Grove and play with us. Furthermore, we would be happy to help your units out at any other event with the drills. We take looking good seriously in the Illinois Regiment. We think it shows and we want it to show in you as well.

Pvt. Walter Hast – Worthington’s Co. IRoV