Joshes and Chubs - Arkansas Toothpick

Joshes and Chubs
The Newsletter of the 1st Arkansas Infantry Company D, C.S.A. November 2008
www.arkansastoothpick.com
“So, as you go into battle, remember your ancestors and remember your descendants”
Rush To Put Out Newsletter Causes Publisher To Grow Hair!
I do hope that everyone understands that I have had a miserable
month so far and that each of you will accept this revised edition of
the Joshes and Chubs. Hopefully things will get back to normal and I
can get a better one out for December.
There are still a lot of things we need to get together on this month not
to mention the planning that needs to go on so we can get next year’s
agenda on-line.
Mike and Ellie’s wedding went off without a hitch or so I am told, my
son came down to visit or so I am told and many other things
happened that we will mention later.
Right now I want each and every one of us to put on the front of our
prayer lists Connie Norris. If you have not heard by now she has been
diagnosed with Mesothelioma and has not been given a very good
prognosis. Connie as you know is the wife of our own Rex Norris,
and has been an inspiration to all of us in times past. Please make
every effort to pray for Connie and her family during this time. Give
them your thoughts and phone calls. See if they need anything and
more especially just be there when they need it the most.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the 1st Arkansas, Greetings.
I would like to start by thanking everyone who made this past weekend a success at White Sulphur Springs.
Although our reenactor numbers were down for various reasons, we still had a great time and put on a good
show for the visitors. We had several from the Jefferson Guard out for the weekend, picked up a new
drummer from Redfield who did a great job, and had a couple of new recruits join us from Reed's Bridge.
The wedding was great, if not a bit strange. I'm just glad that Fred had a part in it. (not so sure Ellen's
daughters would agree)
This weekend we will be attending the LAST Lake DeGray event. Let's make it a good one. It has been a
favorite for many in the 1st Arkansas for a long time. Then on November 9, we will be the Color / Honor
Guard for the Sherwood Veterans Day Service. We did this last year and they loved us. I believe the service
starts at 2:00pm, but we need to be there by noon to place the guns and walk through our part of the service.
We need everyone at these two events.
One last thing: Please keep Connie Norris, as well as Rex and the rest of the family, in your thoughts and
prayers. Connie has been diagnosed with Mesothelioma and is currently undergoing chemotherapy at
Baptist in Little Rock.
See you in the field,
Capt K
Joshes and Chubs November 2008
Let me start by extending a heartfelt Thank You to everyone involved in
making Miss Ellie and my wedding a great success.
First Sgt Mike Lewis
This month’s installment will deal with the wearing of our Accouterments.
I’ve notice from looking at some reenactor pictures we seem to have our
own ideas and opinions of what is correct.
I did several searches of period photographs and spent several hours at various libraries both personal and
public. I must have looked at over 300 photographs and found approximately 50 of Confederates that
showed their accouterments. Here are the results:
1) Bottom of object above belt
2) Top of object above belt, bottom
of item below belt
3) Top of item even with top of belt
4) Top of object even with bottom
of belt
5) Top of item slightly below bottom
of belt
6) Top of item way below bottom of
belt
TOTALS
CARTRIDGE BOX CANTEEN HAVERSACK
0
3
0
5
2
4
2
2
0
14
7
3
13
4
0
3
37
5
25
0
5
What does all this prove? Even our ancestors were not uniform in how to wear their accouterments.
The Soapbox, Dispatches From Cyberspace
By Ron Kelly
Greetings from the proverbial cyberspace Soapbox. The past month has been witness of great many new
prospects on the website. The number of website hits has gone through the roof and our e-mail database is
growing daily. Just this past weekend, we have attained dozens of e-mail addresses alone.
So what does this mean for our historical preservation efforts? Our living histories? I have been advised by
Compatriot Luke Mattheson that there exists a new site template that will catapult our very existence as a
group to whole new heights. I mean this quiet literally. The new template will host built-in features such as
automatic e-mails sent to history buffs and living historians every time the site is updated. The new site will
also host full multimedia features on the site such as MP3's, fully functioning video, and other media.
The template will be available in November. It may take a few weeks to make minor adjustments, but the
site will be well-worth the wait. The website will not be down during this time, however, and will add a
whole new dimension to our existence in cyberspace.
Joshes and Chubs November 2008
The Chaplain’s Corner
Andy Taylor
This is an excellent analogy. You may have seen
before; however, this is worth a reminder. God and
the Geese
There was once a man who didn't believe in God,
and he didn't hesitate to let others know how he felt
about religion and religious holidays. His wife,
however, did believe, and she raised their children
to also have faith in God and Jesus, despite his
disparaging comments. One snowy Eve, his wife
was taking their children to service in the farm
community in which they lived. They were to talk
about Jesus' birth. She asked him to come, but he
refused. "That story is nonsense!" he said. "Why
would God lower Himself to come to Earth as a
man? That's ridiculous!"
So she and the children left, and he stayed home.
A while later, the winds grew stronger and the
snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out
the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm.
He sat down to relax before the fire for the
evening. Then he heard a loud thump. Something
had hit the window. He looked out, but couldn't
see more than a few feet. When the snow let up a
little, he ventured outside to see what could have
been beating on his window.
In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild
geese. Apparently they had been flying south for
the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm
and couldn't go on. They were lost and stranded on
his farm, with no food or shelter. They just flapped
their wings and flew around the field in low circles,
blindly and aimlessly. A couple of them had flown
into his window, it seemed.
The man tried to get their attention, but that just
seemed to scare them, and they moved further away.
He went into the house and came with some bread,
broke it up, and made a bread crumb trail leading to
the barn. They still didn't catch on. Now he was getting
frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them
toward the barn, but they only got more scared and
scattered in every direction except toward the barn.
Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn
where they would be warm and safe. "Why don't they
follow me?!" he exclaimed. "Can't they see this is the
only place where they can survive the storm?"
He thought for a moment and realized that they just
wouldn't follow a human. "If only I were a goose, then
I could save them," he said out loud. Then he had an
idea. He went into barn, got one of his own geese, and
carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the
flock of wild geese. He then released it. His goose
flew through the flock and straight into the barn and
one-by-one, the other geese followed it to safety. He
stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken
a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind: "If only I
were a goose, then I could save them!" Then he
thought about what he had said to his wife earlier.
"Why would God want to be like us? That's
ridiculous!" Suddenly it all made sense. That is what
God had done. We were like the geese--blind, lost,
perishing. God had His Son become like us so He
could show us the way and save us. As the winds and
blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and
pondered this wonderful thought. Suddenly he
understood why Christ had come. Years of doubt and
disbelief vanished with the passing storm. He fell to his
knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer: "Thank
You, God, for coming in human form to get me out of
the storm!"
The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help
them. The barn would be a great place for them to
stay, he thought. It's warm and safe; surely they
could spend the night and wait out the storm. So
he walked over to the barn and opened the doors
wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would
notice the open barn and go inside.
But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and
didn't seem to notice the barn or realize what it
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could mean for them.
Joshes and Chubs November 2008
events has been phenomenal throughout the year. I am
very proud of the efforts of each and every one of the
Company G United Kingdom
1st Arkansas members and their wives/girlfriends too!
A big thank you must go to Elaine Haskett – our camp
1st Sgt Tim Chance
cook extraordinaire whose amazing culinary skills
Hello fellow Arkies. Well the 2008 is basically have kept us replete at the events. A big thank you is
over. The last event of the 2008 season proper was also due to Keith Haskett for his services as Corporal,
held at Cliveden House 6/7th September – or rather and of course to all of you who’ve made the events
both fun and memorable.
it was supposed to have been held. Unfortunately
torrential rains which left large parts of the country For moments of fun, special mention must also be
flooded intervened. The event organizers were made of Tony Brunton, honorable bearer of the latrine
forced to stop entry to the site at 7.30pm on Friday shovel; and of course to Steve Osbourne, who provided
5th as the ground was becoming badly churned up. us with much mirth when he tried to load a deactivated
I arrived early on the Saturday morning – only to musket at the Dettling Military Odyssey. He even got
be told that I couldn’t enter the site as it was too as far as ramming the powder into the barrel!
wet – despite the fact that the sun was out! The
National Trust eventually opened up another field There is of course still one more event to come, and
for parking and we were allowed to walk our tents that is the Bath bash to be held on the weekend of
into the site. I would like to say a big thank you to 27/28th September. Although this is the last event this
all those who gave me a hand to carry mine in. Up year, it actually counts as the first event of 2009 (it’s
to then it had been announced that Saturday would all down to the totaling of Battle Points & awarding of
not be open to the public in the hopes that the medals etc). I hope to see as many of you as possible
ground would dry out. Unfortunately, having there.
finally got onto the site and set up the tent, the Notice is hereby given that on Saturday 27th we will
organizers then announced that the WHOLE event hold our company meeting after the powder return on
was cancelled. And furthermore we were not Saturday afternoon. The agenda will be:
allowed to bring our cars in to pack up the tents! Company Officer’s Report
We were effectively trapped on the site until the Treasurer’s Report
National Trust gave the go ahead for vehicle Election of Office Bearers (as there are no other
movement. With that we decided to make the best nominations it will be a vote of confidence for myself
of it and relax around the fire. Elaine Haskett had Tim Chance as Sergeant and for Keith Haskett as
already catered for the food, and what’s more it Corporal).
was Elaine Sly’s birthday. So we built up the fire, Any other business
got out the cans/bottles and had a brilliant evening.
As we had by far the biggest turn out in the Tim Chance 1st Sergeant, Co. G, 1st Arkansas Infantry
Confederate army, we were joined by stragglers Regiment
from the 16th Tennessee, South Carolina
Sharpshooters and the 55th Virginia.
From Across The Pond
We eventually turned in at about 11pm, and then
had a leisurely breakfast on the Sunday morning.
We broke camp late morning and I eventually left
the site at noon. I did feel sorry for Alwyn and June
Price who drove for over 3 hours from Wales to be
there on the Sunday not knowing that the event had
been cancelled. I have sent Malcolm a list of all
who were present along with a request that the
battle points are awarded.
I would like to thank everyone for the fantastic 4
support we’ve enjoyed this year. The turnout to
So you’ll
remember
what we
look like!
Joshes and Chubs November 2008
Yes, Another Wedding!
Pvt. Robert Alan Hutcheson of the
1st Arkansas will exchange Wedding
Vows (that means they’ll be married
Guy) on Saturday, December 20th
2008 at 2:00 p.m. at Broadmoor
Missionary Baptist Church, 1205
Wisconsin, Pine Bluff Arkansas
(Corner
of
Wisconsin
and
Westgate.) Reception to follow in
Fellowship Hall.
Invitations will not be sent out but
family and friends are invited to
attend.
The couple is not registered
anywhere but a gift table will be
available.
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Joshes and Chubs November 2008
The 1st Arkansas Infantry, Co. D, “Clan McGregor”
is dedicated to the faithful and historically accurate
portrayal of units who fought in the War Between
The States from 1861 to 1865.
Joshes and Chubs was so named to reflect the
attitude of soldiers from Arkansas and Texas
towards each other as stated in “The Camp, The
Bivouac and the Battlefield” by W.L. Gammage and
is published on a once a month basis. Subscription
to Joshes and Chubs by non-members is free in email format only, and subscription requests,
inquiries and article submissions should be sent to
the editor at [email protected]
Captain
Executive Officer
Mark Kalkbrenner
Robert Hutcheson
2421 Meadowpond Trail
13100 Dollarway
White Hall AR 71602
White Hall AR. 71602
(870) 247-2394
(870) 247-2459
(870) 692-4421 (cell)
(870) 413-1178 (cell)
The 1st Arkansas Living Historians are always
looking for “a few good men and women” to
fill their ranks of civilian and military
positions. If you are interested in Civil War
Reenacting please call the Captain or
Executive Officer as listed above.
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Calendar of Events For 2008
November 9th , Color / Honor Guard for the Sherwood Veterans
Day Service.
*Dec 6th – 7th Prairie Grove Maximum Effort Battalion Event!
Hello from the Sandbox!
I'm sorry for the delay in my writing. I have not been
neglecting anyone. First off let me congratulate Miss (oops I
guess it's Mrs. now) Ellie and Mike on the nuptials. I'm sorry
that I was not there.
Well for me its been the same. We are still working our tails
off running missions but thank God that the weather has
finally cooled off (during the day its still hot but a million
times more bearable and at night its down right cold). I was
home on leave the middle of August and unfortunately I did
not get to spend as much time with any of you guys as I
wanted. Good news though as I type this we have 70 days
until we are home for good so I should be home for
Christmas. Right now I plan on making most of the events
next year. The only thing that will keep me from making
them is that I've been recommended to be a OWT (Operation
Warrior Trainer) instructor at Camp Shelby MS. I'm not sure
if I will get a position there or not but if I do its an
opportunity I cannot pass up. But I will still make as many
events as I can.
Now I will talk about how its going over here. The short and
easy answer is don't believe everything that you see on the
news. Yes it's still a war zone. People are trying to blow us
up and shoot at us. But we have targeted the problem and
have made the routes safer for Coalition soldiers and Iraq's.
Just keep everyone in your prayers.
Thank you for everything you have done so far and by the
Grace of God I will see all of you at Arkansas Post this
coming up year.
Your faithful servant Joshua Andrew Borchert
Joshes and Chubs
C/O 13100 Dollarway Road
E-mail is the preferred method to send your
articles, however, articles copied to thumb
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case basis, the Editor will re-type articles for
those without computers.
White Hall, AR. 71602
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