BACKGROUND

Sailors Creek, Prelude to Invasion, Warlike Along the Rapidan, Silent Machines, Hell-Spot at Port Republic, 1st Minnesota at Gettysburg, I Hear the Distant Thunder, Petersburg, We Soon Got Proud, and now, PICKET POST. The Liberty Rifles will be hosting this full regimental scale, hyper authentic, *OPPOSED* immersive event in Virginia. We'll be portraying Company K, 2nd United States Cavalry on the vidette line in the face of Confederate infantry in July 1863. As always, we will be recreating the units to scale, obsessing over the details, taking no shortcuts, and making no excuses. The details and immersive setting will be the focus of the event, in an effort to recreate the scene as it was in the final days of the Gettysburg Campaign.

This event is BY INVITATION ONLY and will adhere to strict authenticity standards to include kit, age, and weight. If you went to any of the Liberty Rifles' immersive regimental events you already know what to expect. If you missed those events, this is your chance to get in on a real authentic Civil War experience!

Rations: Food for both horse and man matching exactly what was provided to the unit being portrayed will be issued. All participants must arrive with an empty haversack.

Registration: Fee will be $45 for all participants. You must register and send payment as instructed on the registration page above.

UNIT HISTORY

The 2nd United States Dragoons had been established in 1836 with members recruited from across the country. At the start of the Civil War the various companies were scattered across the frontier and took months to arrive at the seat of war in piecemeal fashion. Company K arrived at Washington from Fort Leavenworth in time to participate in the battle at Bull Run as part of a conglomerate battalion of U.S. Dragoon companies. Shortly after the battle, the company’s captain, Frank Armstrong, chose to switch sides and resigned his commission to join the Confederacy. Redesignated a cavalry regiment later in 1861, the 2nd U.S. Cavalry would be assigned to the Provost Guard of the Army of the Potomac. While participating in the great campaigns of 1862, the regiment saw little action.

In early 1863 the regiment would be reassigned to the Reserve or “Regular” Brigade of the Cavalry Corps. Its ranks filled with new recruits, the regiment participated in Stoneman’s Raid and soon thereafter was heavily engaged at Brandy Station where it suffered many casualties. During the following six weeks the 2nd U.S. Cavalry would be in the saddle nearly every day and skirmished at Aldie, Upperville, Gettysburg, Williamsport, Boonsboro, Funkstown, and Falling Waters.

Reduced to a skeleton of its former self, the 2nd U.S. Cavalry would find itself commanded by a captain, G. A. Gordon, in mid-July, with most companies commanded by 1st or 2nd Lieutenants. The Regular Brigade, under the command of General Wesley Merritt, recently promoted from the 2nd, crossed back into Virginia and was detached to take and hold the gaps in the Blue Ridge. The 1st U.S. Cavalry discovered a force of Confederate infantry and captured about 20 members of the 17th Virginia. The 1st, 2nd, and 5th U.S. Cavalry skirmished with Confederate infantry throughout the day, with the 2nd suffering three casualties. Believing the infantry in their front to be supported by a much greater force, the Regular Brigade assumed a defensive posture and awaited the arrival of the Third Corps. The 2nd U.S. Cavalry put out videttes to watch their front.

Members of the Regular Brigade photographed in June 1863.

Members of the Regular Brigade photographed in February 1864.

IMPRESSION GUIDELINES

GENERAL

For much of the equine side of Civil War living history, one simply having a horse has been an excuse to let subpar uniforms, equipment, and decorum slide. This is not the case with the Liberty Rifles and 1st Section, and will not be the case at Picket Post. All participants MUST conform to the following requirements and guidelines, and all uniforms and equipment must be made with period patterns, materials, and construction.

Participants must be of an age and weight to reasonably appear like a Civil War soldier. Horses must be appropriate representations of Civil War cavalry mounts and not require special treatment to include pads, non-standard bits, and anything beyond being thrown on the picket line with an armful of hay in front of them.

Leather should, ideally, be blacked on one side only, uniforms and equipment should be exact copies of extant originals, and all items worn, carried, or stowed in your gear MUST be original or a high quality reproductions. Mediocre, mainstream, or reenactor grade reproductions are entirely unacceptable.

Any personal items must be original or accurate reproductions of period items. “Old timey” jugs, Mason jars, or other items are prohibited. Cell phones, modern tobacco, lighters, modern underwear, modern socks, modern glasses, modern haircuts, or any other anachronistic items are wholly unacceptable

As a general rule, WEAR YOUR BEST STUFF. We would much rather see a proper fatigue blouse than a mainstream Mounted Services Jacket, and we would much rather somebody be the guy whose nose bag wore out and he fed his horse from his cap rather than him come with a poor reproduction nose bag.

GROUP BUY options will be available for most of the items in these guidelines at the link above.

As Company K had been in the saddle for weeks, most clothing and equipment should be worn and dirty. They were in such poor condition at the end of the campaign that they expected to (and just weeks later were ordered to) turn in their horses and much of their equipment for condemnation and report to Giesboro Point near Washington for replacements. As such, if there is a piece of equipment you are lacking a good reproduction of, it is better to simply not bring it and go without.

UNIFORM

“Alas! for the cherished ‘orange,’ it must give place to the gaudy yellow; ‘but the troops,’ so read the order, ‘will be permitted to wear out the clothing now on hand.” . . . the prodigious quantity of similar clothing ‘on hand’ in the ‘Second,’ enabled that regiment to postpone for more than two years the thorough execution of the order.” – Captain T.F. Rodenbough (Rodenbough commanded the regiment at various times in 1863 and 1864)

JACKET

  1. Cavalry Mounted Services jacket, Schuylkill Arsenal or contract make. Very few proper Mounted Services Jackets have been made, and if you do not have a high quality one, do not wear one. NO TEAL JACKETS, NO PURPLE JACKETS, NO EXCEPTIONS.

  2. Fatigue Blouse, lined or unlined, Schuylkill Arsenal or contract make. No altered blouses, no shortened blouses, no extra buttonholes, no reenactor grade homemade blouses with giant stitches in white thread, NO TEAL BLOUSES, NO PURPLE BLOUSES, NO EXCEPTIONS.

  3. Dragoon Mounted Services jacket, Schuylkill Arsenal make. Nobody should buy or make one for this event, but if you happen to already have a high end hand sewn orange-trimmed circa 1861-make Dragoon jacket, you may wear it. There should not be more than a couple of these in the company.

NCO CHEVRONS

  1. All NCOs are required to wear appropriate chevrons.

OVERCOAT

  1. None.

PANTS

  1. Sky blue kersey Mounted Pants, Schuylkill Arsenal or contract make. Mainstream mounted pants made of sub-par powder blue cloth or pants with unhemmed cuffs are unacceptable.

  2. One or two pairs of dark blue hand sewn Schuylkill Arsenal Mounted Pants are acceptable.

NCO PANTS STRIPES

  1. ALL NCOs are required to wear appropriate insignia on their pants. All corporals should have a ½” stripe on their pants and all sergeants should have a 1 ½” stripe on their pants. Musicians may apply narrow double stripes to their pants.

SHIRT

  1. A U.S. Army domet flannel or wool flannel issue shirt is REQUIRED. “Homespun” cotton shirts are still among the most overrepresented items in the hobby and may not be the only shirt you bring.

  2. Extra citizen’s wool flannel shirts, calico shirts, knit shirts, and undershirts, are all acceptable in addition to your U.S. Army shirt.

DRAWERS

  1. U.S. Army canton flannel issue drawers.

  2. Citizen’s drawers of wool or cotton flannel, knit, or muslin.

  3. None. Being seen with modern underwear is unacceptable.

HEADGEAR

  1. Forage cap, “Type 1” or “Type 2” or commercial caps in limited numbers. NO TEAL CAPS. Brass crossed saber insignia, 2s and Ks are acceptable in various configurations (see images above).

  2. Citizen’s hats, ideally black, are acceptable in limited numbers.

FOOTWEAR

  1. U.S. Army issue shoes.

  2. Citizen’s shoes or boots. Most troopers wore shoes anyway, but if you intend to wear boots, make sure they are top notch reproductions.

    *Most members of Company K wore spurs.

BAGGAGE

BLANKET

  1. Grey or brown U.S. Army sleeping blanket.

PONCHO

  1. Rubberized poncho.

  2. Rubber or painted gum blanket is acceptable if you do not have a poncho.

SHELTER HALF

  1. “Type 2A” shelter halves are encouraged. If you do not have a high quality reproduction, do not bring one. Heavy canvas sutler row shelter halves and later “Type 3” patterns are unacceptable. Do not bring pre-made issued poles.

HAVERSACK

  1. Painted haversack copied from any surviving original.

CANTEEN

  1. U.S. Army canteens of the “mid war” Philadelphia or New York styles. Corrugated Philadelphia canteens should have a stopper capped with a full tin cap and a string attachment, a cotton twill tape sling, and be covered in any of a variety of jeans or uniform cloth. “Smoothside” New York canteens should have a stopper capped with a domed tin washer and a chain attachment, a sewn cotton drill sling, and be covered in grey, brown, or blue jeans, or uniform cloth. If all you have is a “smoothside” canteen with a string attachment for the cork, you should endeavor to modify it to more closely approximate an 1862 Philadelphia canteen by replacing the cap on the cork with a small tin washer and making sure it has an appropriate sling.

WEAPONS

LONG ARM

  1. Sharps Carbine.

  2. Smith Carbine.

REVOLVER

  1. All members of the company were provided with revolvers. .44 caliber Colt Army models are preferred.

SABER

  1. All members of the company were provided with Light Cavalry Sabers and the majority had Sword Knots.

ACCOUTREMENTS

BELT

  1. Cavalry saber belt made of blackened buff, waxed, or bridle leather, ideally constructed without rivets. Participants are encouraged to removed the shoulder strap as photos show to have been common in the Regular Brigade.

CARBINE CARTRIDGE BOX

  1. Only about half of the members of the company had been provided with a carbine cartridge box and carrying them should be limited only to the people who have proper reproductions. If you don’t have a very high end reproduction of an earlier cartridge box (constructed without a rivet on the latch tab), certainly don’t bring one. Put a couple packs of ammunition in your pocket.

CARBINE SLING

  1. U.S. issue carbine sling in blackened buff, waxed, or bridle leather with an original or high quality reproduction hook.

PISTOL CARTRIDGE BOX

  1. Pistol cartridge box copied from an earlier version (constructed without a rivet on the latch tab).

CAP BOX

  1. Arsenal or contract made cap box.

HOLSTER

  1. U.S. Army issue holster, preferably of the earlier wartime type (constructed without rivets and straight stitching on the latch tab).

HORSE EQUIPMENT

SADDLE

  1. U.S. Army issue 1859 McClellan saddle, ideally constructed without rivets. Saddles should come complete with a blue wool surcingle, hooded wood stirrups, and ideally sweat leathers. If you have a high end crupper and/or saddle bags, you are encouraged to bring them. If you do not have them, or yours are not high quality reproductions, go without. Reworked 1904 saddles with their original (now stained) rawhide are unacceptable.

SADDLE BLANKET

  1. U.S. Army issue cavalry saddle blanket made of blue wool with orange perimeter stripes and an orange U.S. stitched in the center.

  2. None. If you’ve got an old crummy reproduction issue saddle blanket, we would prefer you use your issue sleeping blanket, an extra issue sleeping blanket, or even a citizen’s blanket.

HALTER

  1. U.S. Army issue cavalry halter with a leather hitching strap. The company had NO LINK STRAPS and they should be removed from your halters if you have one.

HEADSTALL

  1. U.S Army issue 3-buckle cavalry headstall with 1859 cavalry curb bit, chain, and ideally leather chain safe.

  2. Citizen’s or even Confederate headstalls are acceptable, especially if you do not have a good reproduction 3-buckle headstall, or just can’t make one fit your horse. Company K reported fewer bridles than men/horses on their Ordnance Return.

  3. Use a watering bridle with your halter. Company K had many watering bridles on their return.

  4. U.S. 6-buckle headstalls are acceptable if needed.

NOSE BAG

  1. All participants should bring or seek to acquire a high quality reproduction nose bag. If you do not have or cannot acquire one, go without and find another way to feed your horse at Stable Call.

LARIAT AND PICKET PIN

  1. NONE. Company K did not have them, so leave yours at home.

BRUSH AND COMB

  1. All participants should bring a quality reproduction horse brush and a period style curry comb if possible. If you do not have one or other, share with the man next to you at Stable Call. A period style forged hoof pick is encouraged.

A cavalry vidette.