Apple River Fort, May 4-5

[Robert Braun]

The OLRHS will participate in the mustering of Captain Clack Stone's Company, 27th Illinois Volunteer Regiment, at Apple River Fort State Historic Site, Elizabeth, IL May 4-5, 2002.

OLRHS costumed participants will be expected to adhere to the society guidelines for clothing accouterment and equipage.

Amenities include wood, water, some straw, and five meals. Costumed participants should expect to provide their own cartidges or gunpowder, mess furniture (cup, plate, spoon, etc.) and bring lead and moulds for "running bullets," and flint and steel for firemaking demonstrations.

This event weekend also coincides with the Mineral Point Historical Society program and Fort Jackson plaque dedication, scheduled for the late afternoon and evening of Saturday May 4. We hope that the majority of OLRHS participants will be able to do BOTH events.

FYI.. the distance between Elizabeth and Mineral Point is approximately 60 miles, or about 1.5 hours one way.

More details on the Mineral Point  dedication as they become available.

Bob Braun
secretary, OLRHS

[Gene]

It was a pleasure to meet everyone at the Apple River Fort event, I found the experience to be very worthwhile, I'm looking forward to seeing evryone at the Fort Atkinson event.
          Gene

[Robert Braun]

The OLRHS was both pleased an proud to respond to the invitations of Dean Connors, Cliff Krainik, and the Mineral Point Historical Society and send a contingent of members for the unveiling of a Wisconsin historical marker in downtown Mineral Point. This marker commemorated the presumptive site of Fort Jackson, an important strongpoint in the then-Michigan Territory.

Our delegation consisted of Betsy Urven, Mary Braun, treasurer, and Bob Braun, secretary. In the audiance were numerous distinguished guests, including Bob Dodsworth of Mazomanie, and Dave Gjestson, whose personal work in preserving the Wisconsin Heights Battlefield has just won national acclaim, in naming the site on the National Historic Register.

The event was chaired by Dean Connors, owner of Foundry Books and president of the Mineral Point Historical Society, and Cliff Krainik, BHW collector, researcher and historian in his own right. Honorable  William d**e  - judge and former mayor of Madison, Wisconsin presided over the ceremony and gave the keynote address, summarizing the importance of the site to the early settlers of Mineral Point. Mr. Krainik also spoke, as did others like Mr. Gjestson at the invitation of the marker committee.

Dean Connors unveiled the marker, to the applause of some 60 participants. For those of you unaquainted with Dean, he is an affable, cordial, and personable gentleman-- and extremely knowledgeable on local history and the Black Hawk War in particular. That being said, he avoids the spotlight and self-promotion. I for one was very gratified that Mr. Krainik noted these selfless traits of Dean's and even more pleased to see Dean, himself, do the honors!

The marker may be seen today at the northwest corner of Fountain and Commerce Street

From this ceremony, the OLRHS was invited to view Cliff Krainik's excellent display of Black Hawk War relics, artifacts, and memorabilia at Orchard Lawn-- the newly restored home of the MPHS. We had the honor of being guided through the exhibition my none other than Cliff's lovely wife. From there, we enjoyed an excellent talk offered by Cliff on the BHW, its causes and outcomes, and his passion for collecting the conflict's memorabilia.

It was an outstanding tribute on this, the 170th anniversary of the BHW. We of the OLRHS were pleased to be a part of these observances, through our modest contribution to the monument fund and (hopefully) our presence and support at the event. We were treated like royalty by the fine people of Mineral Point.

Finally, our thanks to Cliff, himself a member of the OLRHS, who despite a busy late afternoon schedule, still had time to offer Betsy, her son, and Bob and Mary's daughter Rachel a ride to Orchard Lawn!

[Robert Braun]

Thanks to the personal energy of Susan and Christopher Gordy, the excellent staff at Apple Rover Fort State Historic Site, and the outstanding contributions of the folks from Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site, the annual militia muster went off without a hitch!

Muster-in, drill, musket demonstrations, guard duty, "running" bullets, and an unexpected Indian attack (yes! Indians! And outstanding reenactors in their own right) at 2:30 p.m. kept the event lively both days. JIm Patton from LNS did and excellent jon portraying Captain Clack Stone, while Don "Shorty" Ferricks served as the punishing Orderly Sergeant of the company---forcing on us a brutal guard schedule (we even got to eat lunch at our posts) and a crushing drill schedule (did it even last 10 minutes?) Seriously, the time flew by, and we enjoyed lots of spectators visiting the fort.

Astoundingly, it appears that the ARF "weather jinx" has been broken! It did NOT rain for the first time since this writier has been participating in this event! I was pleased to note that Captain Clack relieved my anxiety by tossing a partial pan of water at me while on guard duty on Sunday! Ahhhh! Damp again at Apple River Fort! Jes' like ol' times!

[Rusty Ayers]

Hey Bob --

Did Capt. Stone happen to drop off my gun for you to keep? I'm feeling lonely without my gun...

[Robert Braun]

Hello, Rusty.

By a strange twist of fate, I seem to find myself in possession of a half-stock percussion fowler, courtesy of one Captain Clack Stone, of the Apple River Setlement. Y'all tole me t' pick it up, so I done it!

You'll probably want to pick it up at the Fort Atkinson event, correct?

I'll have the gun, and a fine bottle of port waiting!  

[[e-mail]]

I just wanted to add my hazas on the Apple River Fort event.  Not only was the weather perfect but the hospitality was exceptional.  The battle reenactment was a great deal of fun and allowed us to pull in the public as well.  Young master Andrew Braun did an exceptional job of proctecting the women and younguns of the fort.  On to Ft. Atkinson to repeat our success!