2nd US Infantry "Ramrods": Las Vegas Event 2008

I was under the impression that my soldier impressions were over for the year. Monday October 27 my wife called and asked me if I wanted to go to the Las Vegas reenactment? Of course, I did not have a choice. I told her I would make the sacrifice to go if she so wished. Our kids got out of school early on Thursday so we drove down to St. George, UT. Saturday morning we travelled to Red Rock Canyon, S.W. of Las Vegas. We must have travelled through some worm hole or time warp because we entered 1863. I found the Union Army camped in a field on Spring Mountain Ranch. I noticed some civilian children playing near by.

Click on map to enlarge.

I reported to the Commanders tent. I was ordered to join other nomad infantry. I found out that our company was made up of men back from hospital or leave. We became our own company, "Friedmann's Orphans. We named ourselves after an old veteran 1st Sarg. named A. Friedmann. He is a rough, cussing, and tempered old soldier. If he has survived this war this long, I planned to follow him closely.

The First Sarg. drilled our company until we were more than proficient. A few men had not learned about some Fire commands . So we practiced fire by rank, fire by company and my favorite fire by file. In the latter, being tall and tend to be rear rank I enjoy fire by file. Simply explained is when there is front and rear rows we do not fire by rows or the whole group, we fire by pairs. Being in the rear rank, I lower my rifle over the shoulder of the man in front of me and give the command to fire. Only the man in front of me and I will fire. The pair to our left will do like wise once we are finished firing. This continues down the line giving my front rank partner and I time to load and come to ready to fire. Then I command fire again. A good soldier should be able to fire every 20 seconds. Fire by company means all fire at same time. Fire by rank means either the command is given for front or rear rank to fire.

The first battle was short, at lease for us. It started with skirmishers (some sharp shooters that I recognized.) The cavalry joined the fight.

Cannons were brought up from the rear.

The first company entered the field and pressed the the Alabama boys back to their cannon lines. I have to admit those Mobile boys were the sharpest dressed and best drilled southern line I had ever seen.

The southern cannons fired canister shot and the whole company was decimated.

A second company was called forward and they experienced the same outcome.

Finally, our company was called forward. It made no sense. We were making a frontal assault on their cannon line. I was sure this would end in a massacre.

The Union Commander didn't have to worry about a fourth wave, because most of his men were dead. We formed up again for a salute.

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President Lincoln gave a moving address.

A second battle went much smoother. Our company was ordered to take the cannons. The First Sarg. marched us around in a wide arc to the southern flank of our foe.

The rest of our battalion engaged with the Mobil boys and we were able to take the cannons. "Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah for Friedmann's Orphans!"

The weather turned for the worst and it rained all night with great gusts of wind. I wore my kepi so it wouldn't blow away in the gusts.

For the third battle the Commanders decided to attack as one line.

The union artillery started with fury. Southern cannons returned with vengeance.

The Mobile boys fought back hard. Their artillery was more accurate. The Commander sent our company to strike at the big guns. The rest of the battalion fractured.

Ducking and weaving to avoid cannon fire we made our way to their southern flank again.

We eliminated their cannon crews and others surrendered

After all the senseless killing and death on this ranch, we decided to negotiate the a temporary cease fire. After talking to some of the boys from Mobile I found out they weren't land owners or slave holders. I asked one fella why he was fighting us since he wasn't a slave owner or land owner. His reply was, "Because you boys came to our land to fight.