1st Regiment Illinois Light Artillery
De Gress’ Battery
Next Meeting
March 9th, 2007
7:30 PM
Whitehall Court, Buffalo Grove
The next scheduled meeting will be on March 9th at the Home of Adjutant Brown. Please mark your calendars. To be discussed is the upcoming schedule of events.
Cannon on the Disable List – up date
As you know the battery transported the cannon tube to Southbend where the old liner will be removed and a new one installed. We hope that this will be done prior to the Long-range Match that is scheduled to be held in Grayling Michigan, sponsored by Loom’s Battery. As of this time the work has not been started.
While the battery waits for this part to be completed the cannon needs further work to replace rotting wood and repainting of the wood and metal. Work parties will be needed in the near future. The trailer also needs to be updated. After ten years of service one can expect things to rust or wear out. The Cannon committee members will contact you for your help as needed. Do not be upset if you are not called. There are some jobs that need only a few people to do.
The cost to complete the needed work is unknown. One option is to create a new trailer that fits our needs while the other is to update the old one.
2006 Long range Match
Even though the Battery did not bring the cannon up to compete in the 2006 Long Range Historic Artillery Matches on July 22 and 23rd, Jerry transported his Coehorn mortar to participate in the 300 yard match. Bob Brown went and helped Jerry fire his mortar as team representing Battery H. They came in fourth out of eleven with a total of 300 feet one inch.
In addition to the final results of all the events, the Battery received information regarding the 2007 matches. They will be held one week later than normal, on July 28-29 on range 35. This year the matches will be held on the same weekend as the Grayling canoe marathon race. This may increase the public visitor count but it will also make motels harder to get. So if you plan on going, and will not be camping, make reservations as early as possible.
Snow Ball Warm up Skirmish
The 114th was going to hold a Snow Ball Skirmish on February 24 and 25 just south of Springfield but the weather did not participate. They now are hoping to reschedule it for March 24 and 25th. Few of the Battery members said they could make this shoot. If you are still interested, please contact Commander John. For more details, please check out the Western Region Web page for all the details that include a chili cook off.
Brown Report
The Battery is glad to report the release of Bob Brown from the hospital. Bob was admitted for medical reasons, not mental, and has since been cleared to leave. He is under some new dietary restrictions that will limit his consumption of Spam. Because of his recent transition, the club party was moved to the home of Dick Koch.
Lincoln Party 2007
The Battery would like to offer Dick Koch a tremendous thank you for allowing them to use his home at the last minute to host the annual Lincoln Party. Our 16th president would have been 39 again. For those of who could not make it, there was a good selection of food. There was Italian Beef, raisin baked ham, maple baked beans, broccoli-bacon salad, and a baked pasta dish. This was followed by a store bought strawberry cake that was surprisingly good. The speeches were short and we had a good look at the newer Civil War game offered by the History Channel. You can either wear Blue or Gray and take part in several of the major battles that occurred during the war. You can use a sharps rifle, pistol, a musket or a sword. The details were pleasingly realistic.
Frank V Matuszek Memorial Skirmish
On June 23 and 24 the Battery will be sponsoring the 4th annual memorial skirmish. Being that the Battery is on the low side of members, the plan is to keep it as simple and as interesting as possible. The battery is presently planning on only three team events, Smoothbore, Carbine and Musket. The traditional stake event will be replaced with a new version of X’s and O’s. This was an event that brought many in the past to curse the creator in the past. A new revamped tile event is also in the planning to help get rid of some of the odd shaped tile the Battery has in stock. If you have any other ideas to make this skirmish more memorable please let them be known.
2007 Events
March 9th Membership meeting
March 18th Kane County gun show
March 24 –25 Springfield shoot 114th Ill
April 14 –15 Deep South Skirmish - Tupelo Miss. Battery invited
April 15th Bristol practice
April 15th Kane County gun show
April 28-29th Sandyford 46th
May 13th Kane County gun show
May 17 -20 Spring Nationals
May 26th Work party at John T in prep for Skirmish
June 2nd LaGrange Pet parade
June 23-24 Sandyford Battery H
July 28-29 Long-Range Grayling Match
Aug 18-19 Springfield 114th
Sept 15-16 Bristol 6th
Oct 4 - 7 Fall Nationals
Oct 14th Kane County gun show
Dec 9th Kane County gun show
It was last reported that the Rumor Mill had generated that the Battery will be asked to help run a National in the year 2008. This has not been confirmed. It was suggested that we try for the last task we had last time, which was latrine duty. The Battery has the experience and it did a very good job
At the last meeting in January, Jack Hubbell presented a check to the Battery from his daughters for $125. This donation is to help the Battery continue with carrying on the traditions and deeds of valor of the original member of Battery H. I warm hart felt thanks to them all.
Battery members Wayne and John T. represented the battery at the Feb 11th Kane County Gun Show. They got there early and talked to several prospective members. The out come of this will be determined in the future. A special thanks goes out to Wayne and John T for their time and to John M for donating the table.
The Next show is March 18th and the recruiting officer is looking for several more volunteers to work the table. A consistent showing at this show may bring new members into the Battery.
There are several other opportunities for recruiting in the future. In the month of April there are several events that will make the month busy. On April 21 is the Wheaton County Civil War relic show. The Battery normally puts on an artillery display for free admission to the show. The following weekend is the first official skirmish of the year at Sandy Ford, put on by the 46th Ill Vol. Inf. More details will be given as they appear.
Practice Shoot and Muster.
Battery H will be holding a pre-skirmish tune up and practice at the Kenosha Conservation Club in Bristol Wis. at the primitive range. Those that need practice are welcome to participate. The Battery will also be inviting perspective members to come out and observe our members in action. They also may also be invited to try firing some of the period weapons. More details will be coming forth.
Spring Nationals
The Battery received the invite for the 115th National Skirmish. The dead line for registration is April 5th. The commander will bring the form to the next meeting so be prepared to state if you are going to attend and participate.
Battery H History 104 cont.
The Battery was mustered in at Camp Douglas, Chicago on Feb. 20th, 1862 as Battery H, First Illinois Light Artillery, commanded by Col. Joseph D. Webster. Early in March it was ordered to Benton Barracks, MO. Where the men were given three weeks’ drill and the battery was provided with four 20-pound Parrott guns. By boat they were then sent south to join the army of the Tennessee. The battery reached Pittsburg Landing on April 5th, the day before the battle. It was given a place in the center of a line of artillery protecting the landing and aided materially in beating back the last assaults of the rebels on the first day’s battle. Silfversarre here put his Swedish military training to excellent use and displayed great skill and bravery.
Silfversparre had, according to his own memoranda of the battle, most carefully prepared for the reception of the enemy, differing in respect, as we have seen, from most of the other Union officers in that fatal affray. At that time the Swedish artillery was in a point of equipment rather in advance of that of the Union army. Patterning after the Svea Artillery, Silfversparre had furnished his men with spades, picks, and axes, and having planted his cannon, he had them well protected by walls of earth and logs built up in front. (Note: this differs with other reports that bags of grains and feed were used.) To those who thought he needless pains he explained, “My battery is put to stay, not to run.” Another arrangement of his was to mount his gunners on the horses hitched to the guns so as to be instantly on hand, instead of following with the ammunition wagons. By putting handles on the sponge-heads he made it possible to reload without danger while the guns were still hot from the last discharge, thereby enabling his men to fire about five shots in the time otherwise required for one. While in St. Louis he had procured at his own expense fuses of varied length, and when in this battle the enemy closed in on his position he used the shortest lengths with the result that when General Chalmers’ column charged the battery, it was met by a blizzard of shrapnel which made further advance impossible and the enemy was forced back with great loss. Silfversparre was personally thanked by Grant and Shermen that day for his part in checking the advance of the enemy, but like most of the heroes of the day, received no mention in Grant’s report of the battle.
These arrangements are said to have rendered him many compliments in the press which in turn aroused the envy of the other artillery officers. Twice he was court-martialed on the trumped-up charge of cruelty to the horses and wasteful handling of the ordnance stores and material. He was acquitted both times and complimented upon his skillful tactics.
Mary Todd Cake
Adapted from “Lincoln’s Table,” by Donna D McCreary
This receipt is said to have been used by Mary Todd to please her husband. As they say. A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
6 egg whites
3 cups of flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter room temp.
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup blanched almonds, chopped in a food processor to resemble course flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup of confectioner’s sugar