Veterans Day Parade, Detroit

Some of the boys from the 21st... with some other units from the state. A Sergeant from the real Army... and front and center, His Honor, the Mayor of Detroit, Ken Cockrel.

"Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees..."

... after we whoop them Rebs, of course!

This great picture provided with the courtesy and kindness of Gracie Ackerman of the 4th Michigan.

Skirmish Wolcott Mill

These great images are through the courtesy of Kristina Scarcelli... the great great granddaughter of Abner Austin who served in the Civil War and was wounded at Gettysburg... Thank you!

This event, north of Detroit, MI... was the Last Final Measure for the Civil War reenacting season. And it was a terrific end to an especially wondrous year!

Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center Civil War Event (Fremont, OH)

Angola, Indiana Reenactment...

John J. Clark

My wife's great great grandfather, John J. Clark... seated on the right... while the QMSgt. with the 6th Illinois Cavalry, during the Civil War.

Pierce Creek Civil War Reenactment

More Pet Pics

More Civil War Cousins...

Broome County Civil War Monument, Binghamton, NY

I can remember seeing this monument, in front of the courthouse downtown, frequently, when I was growing up. I would well imagine that it helped make me a Civil War Nut (and reenactor)!

James M. Warner

Recently I became a member of the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW). James M. Warner, my great great grandfather, had served in the war and I joined the SUVCW through him. I've found some interesting stuff about the guy, mostly from his CW pension applications. I'll post some of that at a later date...

My cousin, Scott Payne (also a Civil War reenactor and genealogy buff) took these pictures (which I've sort of stolen from him from the "find a grave" website).

If you want to find my grave, I will be (hopefully no time soon) be buried immediately behind him - Jim Warner, not Cousin Scott).

"Oh, Lord, this is the Jackson event - I beseech Thee... no rain this year, 'kay?"

Maybe I should have prayed for cooler weather along with the request for drier weather. Historically, it always rains at the Jackson (MI) Civil War Muster - one of the biggest of the year in this part of the Mid-West. "If it's raining, it must be Jackson!"

It was dry for the most part (it rained a bit during the nighttime). But Saturday had to have been the hottest day of the year (and humid like you wouldn't believe)!

A True Son of a Union Veteran of the Civil War

A goodly number of Civil War reenactors are genealogy nuts as well... and of them quite a few are members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW)... by proof of lineage. In fact I am proudly joining the Austin Blair Camp (No. 7) of Jackson, MI in a little more than a week, at the Jackson Civil War Muster - through my great great grandfather, James M. Warner (a private and articifer in the 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, Co. A).

After the War, Union Veterans formed the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) - and was the literal forebearers of the SUVCW.

Here however, is a picture of a true son of a Union Civil War veteran. Taken recently at a Civil War reenactment at Charlton Park in Hastings, MI. The fellow on the right, a reenactor and good guy, Keith Harrison, only looks like he should himself be a veteran of the War.

But the father of the gentleman on the right (and I need to find his name - mea culpa) actually fought in the Civil War. Quite a few years later, he, late in life, fathered this sharp and remarkable gentleman. He recalls as a small boy sitting on his father's lap on the porch hearing firsthand stories about the War. There are few true sons of a Union Veterans. I believe the Austin Blair Camp had one who passed away a few years ago. And the number grows smaller every day.

Interestingly, there are yet a number surviving - living - widows of Civil War veterans!

The last Civil War veteran, Albert Woolson, died in 1956 at the ripe old age of 109 years!

Senator Howard

Fellow living historian, Dave Tennies, portrays Civil War era US Senator Jacob ("Honest Jake") Howard of Michigan. Howard is credited with working closely with Abraham Lincoln in drafting and passing the US Constitution's Thirteenth Amendment which abolished slavery.

Dave does a wonderful presentation of Senator Howard. His love of Civil War (indeed American) history is well evident, as is his deep study of the good Senator.

Note that no politician today are called "Honest"... hmmmm...

Dueling Cousins

I really, really like this picture of cousin Scott Payne and I hamming it up for the camera.

And even more so sepia-toned.

A quick story about another cousin, Glenn Payne, that has no place in this post... but it really deserves being told.

He went to the drug store recently and told the pharmacist that he was there to get a prescription for Payne.

The pharmacist said, "Alright. Name?"

Glenn reminded him it was for Payne.

"I realize that... but who is it for?"

"Payne!"

They went back and forth a bit more before both Glenn and the pharmacist realized they were doing a modern variation of "Who's on first".

A '57 MG in a '59 MG

During the aforementioned trip to Upstate New York, one thing I really wanted to do... photographically, that is... was to get a picture of me in my Uncle Neil Payne's classic MG-A.

It is two years younger than I am... but it runs better and the body is in better shape.

When his brother, my Uncle Warner, died almost ten years ago, he was in the middle of restoring it. Both he and Warner have had several MGs over the years... and so Uncle Neil happily and deftly picked up where Warner had left off.

The bottom photograph... is of me in the spring of 1960 with another MG-A (Uncle Warner's). I am still a 1957 model. But can only guess (and would likely be wrong) what year this MG is. But as I recall, it was blue as well.

Scott Payne, my Rebel cousin from earlier blogs, is Warner's youngest son.

It was Neil's son - and my cousin - Glenn, took me for a wonderful ride in it on the winding roads and rolling hills of rural Broome County. It took little or no arm twisting.

Not a CD-ROM, but a CdV

This is one of my favorite likenesses. Even if it is one of my ugly mug. Almost looks like a CdV. During the Civil War, photographs were printed and pasted to cards about the size of a credit card. "Cartes de Visites"... calling cards with images. Inexpensive and easy to mail or keep in an album... carry around in your haversack. Very popular.

Unless, of course, you had one with my ugly mug on it. Then you put it in the barn to scare away rats.

More "Family Reunion" Activies...

Great Scott! What a Payne!

Cousin Scott Payne (and fellow reenactor - albeit in Confederate gray) and I hamming it up further for the camera at the Pierce Creek Civil War reenacting event in Binghamton, NY, this past weekend. Scott portrays the Gray Ghost - Col. John Singleton Mosby.

"My cousin? Not in THAT uniform, you're not!"

This past weekend I went to my old hometown in Upstate New York. Mostly to see family. But not without coincidence, there was a Civil War reenactment event there too. I will be posting more pics later, but this is one of my favorites.

I hadn't seen many of my family for quite a few years - sadly, not since the last couple of funerals. But I had heard, through the grapevine, that my cousin, Scott Payne was a Civil War reenactor as well - and would likely be at this event. I hadn't seen Scott for almost 25 years.

On Saturday, I was looking at the sutler's wares, when I was tapped on the shoulder by a Confederate officer.

"Are you from Michigan?," he asked. I assured him that yes, I was.

And so then, this Rebel says, "I am your cousin... Scott!"

Without missing a beat, I replied, "Not in that uniform, you're not!"

And so we spend the rest of the day having a family reunion - replete with such photographs as the above.

But like I said, more later!

Port Hope at the Tip of the Thumb of Michigan

A few weeks ago, I went to a terrific, terrific Civil War Reenacting event at one of the lighthouses on the shores of Lake Huron... specifically Pt. Aux Barques, near Port Hope, Michigan. I will try to post more pictures as time goes by... along with the Upstate New York event... but wanted quickly to post these few.

The "hat club" grows! These "smoking caps" (or "lounging caps") are quite the fashion statement for the elegant and discerning Civil War soldier. Photographic evidence proves of their existence at that time... and now even more so! Usually when our kepis, forage caps or slouch hates are doffed once back in camp, out comes the smoking caps (if nothing else, then to try to tame a tangled mess of sweating battle-head)... although on Sunday, several of us (posed here) fought the Confederates so topped. We won! Coincidence? I think not.

You will notice that some of Yankees here look like they also have on their red jammies. Those are the dapper Zouaves. For more info (so I don't have to type more than I have to) check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zouave

While technically, their fezzes are not smoking caps, we all were in agreement that because of their bravery - and individuality - in their choice of uniform styles, they should be de facto members of the hat club. The Confederates... ever the rebels... had but only one of their large number who had the sense and decency to own/wear a smoking cap. I invited him to join us for the picture... but couldn't be found when the time came. Later I found him and so I include him here separately. But know he is our brother. The hat club transcends the Mason-Dixon line.

The bottom picture is just some of us hamming it for the camera... Civil War reenactors tend to be far from camera shy - if not out and out hams. And we do so have a good time.

Detroit, Michigan

A couple random and random pictures of the Motor City.

The city skyline was taken from Windsor, Canada... and yes, it really is south of Detroit.