Prehistoric reenacting

[coondogs]

Greetings and thanks to the message board team for letting me on. I have been out of reenacting for quite awhile -say about 22 years-and wondered whatever happened to the old organization I belonged in. Normally this would not be a problem except for the fact that all my friends that I kept in contact with from the unit up and died on me. I am either a horrible friend or not a very good luck charm. Anyways, I used to belong to Thomas' Mudsills and we would fight against Clebourne's or Breckinridges at events such as Perryville Ky. etc. When I left there was a rift of some sort(politics-always bloody politics)that was about revamping into the 5th Ky. Since I noticed on the Hard Head Mess site a picture captioned as such I thought I would go straight to the horse's mouth so to speak and ask you guys. By the ways, you all look like some of the best I've seen since I was doing it. Hardcore is always nice. Thanks for any time spent answering.

[John Wedeward]

Dear coondogs.
A lot of the "older members" of the 33d Wisconsin are all ex-Mudsills. I'm sure our paths (you and myself) have crossed many times and we probably "drank from the same canteen" together. To answer your question, a couple things brought about the general demise of The Mudsills. First, the politics caused a number of members to drop out, the same as you (myself included). Second, "father time" eventually caught up, basically most of the members got to old to do hardcore reenacting and there was very little "youg blood" joing. We did have a GREAT RUN will it lasted. There will NEVER be anything like the 5th Kentucky Volunteers in reenacting again. A GROUP that had at it's height had over 300 members in 37 states. The things we accomplished is incredable. Presidential inaugural parades, living history on AMOST every National Battlefield in the country (in fact the first group allowed on these battlefields since 1963). Living history at some of the best historic sites in the country, such as Ft Niagra, Ft Wayne, Ft. Meigs, Jefferson Barracks. What other GROUP could ever put 3 comanies of 60-70 men in a company, made up of ONLY members of that particular unit as we did at the 125th Gettysburg reenactment, then stay for a week and put the BEST company on the actual battlefield at Gettysburg, which was the first time "reenactors" had been allowed on the battlefield since July 1963. We were the first unit to be alowed on Antietan, Stones River, Chickamauga,Picket's Mill and numerous others, just to name a few as there are to many to memtion. The AOP (Army of the Pacific) draws the numbers, but they are made up of numerious individual groups. NOT a cohesive unit. There will NEVER be antother George Durenbubger or unit like the 5th Kentucky, yet the Mudsills do live on thru the smaller units like the 33d Wisconsin, the Rock brothers and some other ex members are doing Confederate now. But time marches on.... I hope this answers some of your questions.

ex.. private, corporal, sgt, 1st sgt and 1st Lt. of the 5th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry (The Louisville Legion) John M. Wedeward, 33d Wisconsin.

[John Wedeward]

Also, hearing from you, what unit other than The Mudsills ever used ORIGINAL colors!

Yes ,whatn ever did happen to the Bob Willies, the Charlie Combites, the Russ McClellans, the Mark Uptons, just to name a few?

[Robert Braun]

John is quite right... having "lived" the Mudsill experience first-hand.

Mark Reitz and I got drawn into the Mudsill vortex in the mid-1980s. We met John there, and coaxing the formidable John Wedeward from the 5th Kentucky to consider doing the Thirty-third Wisconsin as well was one of our prouder achievements!

Along with the issues cited by John, which are perfectly correct, I can only add that the Mudsills generally, and a core group specifically, maintained a certain "elan" which put some people off... even within the unit. While I don't think it was the Mudsill's fate to be "destroyed by faction," the clear factionization of the group did not help the whole.

In a larger sense, one capital contributing factor was their "elan," which gave way to arrogance when it was sensed, then articulated, that the unit had gone as far as it needed to go, because it was "decided" that there was nothing more NEW to learn regarding ACW history and the material and military culture of 1861-5.

In fact, the ferreting out new history, and re-examining material culture items long regarded by farbs and mainstreamers as "thought through" were skills for which Thomas' Mudsills had a real genius. It was this genius, and the fact they were very good friends that thought along similar lines, that made the group the powerhouse reenactors that they were.

In the end, the Mudsills seemed to turn their backs on the very things that MADE them the Mudsills... progressive continuous research, and solid personal interrelationships-- which I will define as "whatever the 'them,' there's always us." They lost that... and as a result suffered an inexorable decline that only a few in the group saw, and even fewer apparently held the power to stop.

In many ways, the 'Sills stood as a preeminant example of how to "do it right." Their sad decline also stands as a preeminant example of what happens when you think you "know it all" and you turn your backs on the very souls upon whom you depended to reach the pinnacle in the first place.

Every reenactment group can profit from this example.

Regards, Bob.

[coondogs]

Dear Mr. Wedeward and Braun, I thank you for taking the time to write about the inglorious end to a glorious unit. I believe, Mr. Wedeward, you were just becoming known for your sack coats when I left the Mudsills. The leader of our group, the 95th Ill., in fact spoke very highly of them. You may or may not have met him, Kevin Cavinagh, a rather controversial and politicking member of the Mudsills. If I remember right, he and the Rock bros. were frequently at odds about one thing or the other. Kevin died, incidentally, around 12 or 13 years ago. I never could keep the arguments, or debates if you prefer, straight, being only in my late teens- early 20's at the time. Sometime in the future I would like to catch the 33d at a local event. I'll keep an eye on your events schedule. Again, thanks a million.

[John Wedeward]

TEXT
Yes, I do remember Kevin (an incident at Naperville, IL Spring Muster meeting stands out). I am sorry to here the sad news about Kevin. I do have a pretty good idea who you are now thu. I hope we meet again in the future.

JMW

[ddddyyyy]

I agree with coondogs








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