Coassement de la Grenouille
Journal of the Milice de Ste. Famille
Volume 15, No. 5, November 2003
Once again, here I sit at the eleventh house frantically writing the Captain’s letter. I have been Captain for more than 4 years. You’d think I would have figured this out by now. (I am still looking for a ghost writer).
It seems like only twelve months ago I was writing a letter for the December newsletter. Where does the time go??
2003 was a great year, but 2004 is shaping up to be a very exciting year. Besides the usual events, July 4th weekend is the beginning of many 250th anniversary battles.
Our unit name has been turned in to the Fort Necessity site. I need to know how many plan to attend. Since this is on Federal ground, there are many rules and regulations. Check the National Park Service website for the details. It will be a hassle, but most of us won’t be around for the 300th.
And now, behind door #2 is Grand Encampment #2. This is the next weekend, July 9,10, and 11. This year it is being held at Stoney Creek Park in Michigan. Back to back events – good and bad. It is hard to do both unless you stay on the road. Registration starts in January. Let me know if you plan to attend.
Lastly, the ‘Congele Derrier’ is the first weekend in January. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Maybe this year it will live up to its name. (Before you as, 12th Night Ball is January 10th.) Saturday evening meal will be potluck with the Milice supplying the main course. Let me know if you are coming, so we can get enough to eat. Something different this year – everyone is requested to bring a 10 minute talk on something relative to the hobby. We discussed this at the last meeting, and thought it would be an interesting way to learn something new. So, pack up your New Year’s hangover and start the year right with Milice at Fort de Chartres.
Don’t forget the December meeting is election of officers and gift exchange.
See you there
Votre serviteur
Jean Baptiste Tavernier, Capt.
Sunday, December 7th meeting will be at Houlihan’s in Fair Heights at 1 pm. Their menu has a lot of variety and is reasonably priced. The $15 gift exchange will be held for those who want to participate.
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Dear Lyle and all of the Frenchies,
Wow! Thanks so much to the Milice for the generous gift of "flowers." I appreciate so much all of the kindness - the e-mails, and phone check-ups. I really felt pretty rotten for a couple of weeks, and then as I began to get better, some frustration for not being able to do more and for ruining the rest of vacation! But I consider myself very lucky - it could have been much worse - and I have given much thanks to the good Lord that I have been so healthy.
Hope to see everyone this fall.
Sincerely,
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Barbara (Duffy)
Mona Hubbartt’s father passed away on Oct 5th of liver cancer. Cards may be sent to Family of Raymond Coldewe, 3502 Post Valley Road, O’Fallon, MO 63366. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked people to send money to SSM Hospice at Lake St. Louis MO.
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Melody Connor’s dad, Bob was treated for cancer of the tonsils this month, and is doing well
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Frog Talk 16, April 24-25, 2004
Program Schedule
Saturday
9am – Flag raising and opening ceremony
10 am – TLC of a musket (Ray), and Hands on doll making (Lynn)
11am – the 42nd (Kevin St. John)
12 pm – Lunch
1pm – Main Speaker
? pm – auction will follow the main speaker. The exact time to be announced. When you receive a donation for Frog Talk from outside the Milice, please get the donor’s name and address and the ID of their item. I will make sure that they receive a letter of thank you. I feel that this is very important, Thanks, FT16 chair, Jim Chestney
5pm – Flag lowering
6pm – Supper, Potluck - the Milice will furnish the entrée (Russell)
8pm – Tavern – the Milice will furnish refreshments (Russell)
Sunday
9am – Flag raising
9:20 am – Fellowship service
10 am – Round table discussion
11am – Shooting until 12pm
12pm – Lunch
1pm – Religion of the Time (Earl Biffle)
2pm – Closing ceremony
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No one may drive their vehicle into the camping area until after closing ceremony!
THE POST
The team assembled per the orders of the Captain. We were confident in the ability of our leadership, and all knew that the results of what we were about to do would be all together different than those of the previous year. We took our positions on the line and using our best game faces stared at the post. Confidence was oozing from all our pores, or maybe it was the sweat but this is my story. Each team had its own tactics developed to insure victory but only one team would walk away the victor. As our turn came our Capt confidently told us to “aim for the strap mark” boys. I over heard a member of the team mutter, “what strap mark I can hardly see the post”. This of course went unheard by the Capt. Our first volley was one that would have made any 18th century line sergeant proud. As the smoke cleared we saw what appeared to be four holes in the post. They were however not close to the strap mark, our Capt make note of this. The team on our immediate right made some discouraging comments regarding our individual lineage but this did not detour us from our focus or task at hand. After their team fired their first volley the previous comments were retracted. This type of heckling and non-brother hood action was well below us, in a gentlemen’s way we provided constructive criticism for each of our competitors to use in their skill development.
One after the other the teams moved to the line and fired at their post. Hits all around were achieved, most likely from our inputs to the teams. But the posts did not falter or fall. We all gritted our teeth, as the Capt again pointed out the strap mark on the post. I heard one of our team members mutter something about what he thought the Capt could do with the strap mark but lost the remaining as another team, who had disregarded our inputs, fired a ragged volley. Volley after volley was fired at the posts, but they did not falter or fall. We now moved into the second hour of the shoot. The metal ramrods proved to be a strong deterrent to seat the stubborn ball when accompanied by hammering using a tomahawk One after the other the teams moved to the line and fired at their post. Hits all around were achieved. But the posts did not falter or fall. Tactics were now being discussed openly and individual comments were being heard as to what was thought of the tactics. Our team devoted to the preaching of our Capt, remember the strap mark, held our thoughts to our selves. Then the Capt made a command decision and in a bold and confident voice said, “shoot the knot about 1/16 of an inch below the strap mark guys”. I will not address the muttering overheard regarding the obvious tactical change in our team focus. However we were strong in our ability to overcome even the toughest of problems and aimed in the general direction of the post. Then in a move that caught even the strongest off guard the “post shoot director” commanded that each team move up three paces in order to expedite the demise of the post or at least finish before all light failed. One after the other the teams moved to the line took three additional steps and fired at their post. Hits all around were achieved, but the posts did not falter or fall. Our Capt called us together to discuss another change in tactics. Three would aim for the knot and two would aim for the top of the post. He however did not identify who would shoot at what; being the democratic fellow he is and left that to us to decide. We immediately elected the two shooters who were discussing something regarding how much ammunition each had remaining to shoot at the top as one of them had been complaining that we should shoot at the top anyway and we felt he might be able to see the top.
We moved to the line, took additional three steps and fired. Hits were achieved, but the post did not falter or fall, but it shook.
Our Capt now was jumping up and down yelling something to the effect, “concentrated fire power is good” or something to that effect. Some poetic license here…
As we move into Chapter 23 of our story we find our heroes discussing the possibility that our post was being held up by a steel rod on the backside. But alas this was not the case. It was at this time due to some coaching from our Capt that the “post shoot director” commanded that each team move up three additional paces. We were now close enough that one of our team members remarked “ well Ill be there is a strap mark on the post”. One after the other the teams moved to the line and fired at their post. Hits all around were achieved. But the posts did not falter or fall. It was now that the Fort Marines used a new and improved tactic, threw down their smoking muskets and charged the post with loud abandon and chopped it down. Alas they were disqualified. Seeing this obvious behavior just heightened our teams resolve to win and as we were now close enough to see the strap mark, and ALSO THE KNOT, we tasted victory or maybe it was the “non alcohol” product, which appeared out of thin air. Confidence was still strong as I reached into my shooting box to find one remaining round of the fifteen I had brought. We moved to the line and fired the post shook and leaned, we had it now or so we thought. Did I mention that I was now out of ammo, and oh by the way so was Kroener. But, Klein came through and found some extra deer loads long ago forgotten in his pouch. The other teams now fearful of our obvious victory tried all things imaginable and unmentionable here to stop our victory. We move to the line and fired. Our post snapped off at the strap line 1/16 of an inch above the knot and flew almost over the levy. Never before in the written history of post shoots was a post so skillfully and precisely cut off at its base. We were the winners and humbly announced it to the other teams.
Humbly submitted with some latitude as the author to take certain liberties with the details, Russell Wyatt
Team members, and their relative roles:
Capt (aim tight guys) - Jim Chestney
(What Strap line?) - Jim Klein
(What Knot?) - Richard Kroener
(Shoot the top) -Tom Connor
(Man I know I hit it) - Lyle Cubberly
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(Did he say a 1/16 of an inch?) - Russell Wyatt
Salem Woods Walk
Congratulations are in order for the Milice woods walk team of Dog, Lyle, and Russell. They were the wieners, er, make that the winners, handily beating the other teams at a woods walk near Salem IL that was put on by Jerry Nix et al. Rumor has it that the scenario was that the team members were three deserters from the fort who had escaped with only their muskets and ammunition, there was a dead-or-alive bounty on their heads, and they were being chased by everyone of every ethnic background in New France. Sounds like another fund day at the office. Sorry that I couldn’t make it. Congrats!
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Ned
Heritage Day in Godfrey
This annual event was held September 27-28. The weather was near perfect, and it was a great weekend to be out doors. Members and friends that were seen are: Earl Biffle, Jim Chestney, Tom Connor, Lyle and Barb Cubberly, Steve and Judy Gerlach, Rich Kroener, Dave Kuehnel, Dennis Lybarger, John and Lynn Mefford, John Murphy, Dave Wiederhold, Steve, Flo, Matt, Stephie, Dave, Mary Wilton , Sonny and Roseann Henderson.
Lynn Mefford did not plan to attend this year, but she had to make an emergency trip to see John. No, it was not a medical emergency. Our leader made his sweet wife stop her busy day and drive all the way to the event, but no, that was not enough, he did not meet her in the parking lot. John made her walk all the way through the event to his tent. He had locked his keys in his van. Oh, but it gets better. It seems that Lynn locked her keys in her car about a week before. Lynn called John for help. She was waiting for him standing in the rain in the parking lot. John, the love of her life, and our leader, drove by with the windows up. He pushed the button on the key chain and drove off. Hmmmmmm
Jim Chestney
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Changes to Roster
Joyce Matson – 410 Garden Blvd., Belleville IL 62220, 618-235-7268, frog90@peaknet.net
Jim Chestney – 62063
Gary Driver – gdriver@hbecorp.com
Dan Gaston – 16231 Co. Rd. , Rolla MO – 573-364-2692
Marie Heck – 8100 Acorn St., St. Louis MO 63123, 314-752-6988
If you have other changes or corrections to be made to the roster, please send to Lynn Cornelius.
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Upcoming Events
2003
Dec 7 – Christmas meeting – TBA – see details in this newsletter
Dec 31 – La Guiannee – Fort de Chartres
2004
Jan 2-4 – Congele Derriere see detail in this newsletter
Jan 3 – 12th night
Feb 7 – Milice meeting – 4pm – Capt’s tent
Feb 7-8 – F&I – Fort de Chartres
Feb 7 – King’s Ball in Historical Ste. Genevieve
Feb 8 – Open house at the Felix Valle House Entertainment and refreshments – St. Genevieve
Feb 14-15 – Fort Toulouse tactical
Feb 14-15 – Old Mines
Feb 21 – Fete in Cahokia
Feb 21-22 – Fort Sackville 225th anniversary, Vincennes, IN
Feb 21-22 – Arkansas Post
Feb 21-22 - Bullseye
Mar 6 – Milice meeting – 10 am – Cahokia Courthouse
Mar 7 – Mardi Gras Pierre Menard Home
Mar 13-14 – Basic Training – Fort Massac
Mar 27-28 – “Cabin Fever” Spring Rendezvous – Wood River IL
Apr 3 – Milice meeting – 4pm Capts Tent
Apr 3-4 – Trade Faire – Fort de Chartres
Apr 17-18 – Cannon School – Fort de Chartres
Apr 24-25 – “Frog Talk” – Fort de Chartres – see details in this newsletter
May 1 – Milice meeting – 10 am Cahokia Courthouse
May 1-2 – Mansker’s Station
May 14-23 – Heritage Days – St. Charles
May 22-23 – Kankakaee Marsh Spring Drill NW Indiana
May 29-30 – F&I Fort Massac
May 29-30 – Grand Encampment – Vincennes, IN
June 5 – Milice meeting – after closing colors – Fort de Chartres
June 5-6 – Rendezvous – Fort de Chartres
June 10-13 – Stone Creek MI
June 24-27 – Fort Ticonderoga NY
July 1-4 – Fort Necessity 250th Anniversary
July 10-11 Grand Encampment #2 – Stony Creek Park, MI
July 16-18 – Gathering on the Theatiki (Bourbonnais, IL)
July 22-25 – Fort Niagara 250th
Aug 19-22 – Fort Meigs, OH
Sept 4-5 – Fair at New Boston
Sept 11-12 – Hodge Park Fete
Sept 17-19 – Koh-Koh-Mah – Russiaville, IN
Sept 18 – Milice meeting – 10 am – Cahokia Courthouse – drill practice
Sept 18-19 – Belle Fontaine Historic Encampment
Sept 25-26 – Heritage Days – Godfrey IL
Oct 2 – Milice meeting – 4pm Capts tent
Oct 2-3 – Feast of the Hunter’s Moon – Lafayette IN
Oct 2-3 – F&I – Fort de Chartres
Oct 9-10 – Kampsville
Oct 16-17 – Grand Encampment – Fort Massac
Oct 16-17 – Gathering of the Eagles – Grafton IL
Oct 29-31 0 Fort de la Buse – Bellevillle OH
Nov 6 – Milice meeting – 4pm – Capts tent
Nov 6-7 – Fall Rendezvous – Fort de Chartres
Dec 5 – Milice meeting – 1pm - TBA
2005
June – The Bougainville Voyage, Contact: Victor Suthren, 2581 Flannery Dr., Ottawa, ON, Canada K1V 8M4, Tel: 613-730-3243, Fax 613-730-2224, e-mail suthren@magma.ca
If you know of any other events for 2004, please send them to me, and I will add them to the calendar – Lynn
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Hi, guys, The 225th of the capture of Fort Sackville, Vincennes, IN, February 21/22, 2004 is on. I talked to Frank Doughman today, and we're going to kick this thing into high gear. Yeah, Yeah, I know, it's about time! Frank and I had a little misunderstanding, I.e., He thought I was going to call him, I thoughthe was going to call me, and nothing got done. Anyhoo, Elyon Davis, from Kellar's Co., has graciously agreed to work with Frank on the logistical nuts and bolts. The Park has no money (go figure), but we'll cross that hurdle when we need money. We are trying to find indooraccommodations for the troops, so nobody freezes. My part in this deal (for now) is to get the troops there. So, build a fire under your people's butts! Guys, take a look at the stuff below. These are some activities that Mark Redfern and I came up with. If you have suggestions, I'm all ears! Thanks, Greg Hudson Kellar's Comp'y Illin's Regim't, Virg'a State Line Saturday March from Clark's Landing to the Sugar camp The surrender of Fort Sackville to Henry Hamilton scenario Battlefield tour - Similar to the Sunday evening tour held at the rendezvous, but during the day. A Brit and a Continental as guides, with sentries from both sides at each stop. Arms and Equipment of the Armies display The usual camp displays. We've had success with laying out the camp in a hollow square at Locust Grove, and would like to do the same for this. Also sentries should be posted, and if a program is available to your visitors, we could have the passwords printed on it. Makes it kind of funfor them when they have to know the password to enter the camp. Saturday evening - Clark's Plan of Attack scenario, or "what you gonna do, George?" (sorry about that last bit, I just couldn't resist!) Vigo warns Clark, Clark calls a Council of War with his officers, and ends with reading from the Mason letter. Sunday March from Sugar Camp, to include the splitting of the column when it enters town Battlefield tour which concludes with the Surrender of Fort Sackville to GRC We need to think about where this would be conducted. It could be arranged in front of the Memorial near where thegate is believed to have been or it could be done at the reconstructed gate on the French Commons. A couple of other possible activities:Hamilton has the local French swear allegiance to the King Another possibility: the French turn over their cached powder supply to Clark. These would be great for anyone who doesn't want to walk. And again would help provide something for visitors to see. Mark has also mentioned trying to get Bill Hess to attend with his cannon, so that we could have a morning and evening gun.
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Things of Interest
For Sale – Wall Tent by Panther Primitives. 10’x12’ with 4’walls. 10 inch sod cloth, double doors. 10 oz., water resistant, milder-proofed, Sunforger canvas. 10x12 ground cloth. Poles and ropes. NO PEGS!! Instructions for set-up. $400 Contact: William H. Sorgman, 16 Arabelle Dr., Belleville, IL 62220, 618-233-3041
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The War for Empire Consortium website is at www.warforempire.org
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While on my way to Florida, I picked up the book “Salt, A World History” by Mark Kurlansky. What a great book! Until 1900, salt was the most important mineral in the world. People need salt for survival and sal was practically the only way to preserve meat. The book starts with the earliest references to salt in history and goes on up to modern times. It covers the history, chemistry, engineering, sociology, economic impact, culinary uses, cultural significance and much more. This is a well written page turner. You will not be disappointed.
Paper back ISBN: 0142001619
Hardback ISBN: 082713734
Price from Border’s online PB $10.50, HB $19.60
Ned
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Most of us have wigs from Madame Joan’s Wee Wiggies. Just recently she was in the hospital and her husband passed away. She is still making wigs, but she lost her e-mail and website. She can be reached at:
Joan Spratt
Box 47
8 Third Street
Lawrence, PA 15055
724-941-6583
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Journal of the Milice de Ste. Famille
1015 Genevieve Pl.
Cahokia IL 62206