At our recent event, Ft. 4, in New Hampshire, I was the sergeant for the weekend. And in thinking of the first drill period I was going to run through, I thought back on the past few drills we'd had, and thought there was some confusion regarding the movements involved in getting the piece from order to shoulder, and the other way round. It has always been my understanding that, if the NCO orders " shoulder your firelocks " you go from the order to the shoulder using the Von Steuben method. If the NCO orders " rest your firelocks " then " shoulder your firelocks " then that is the way you get to the shoulder. Simple !!! Things seem to have gotten a little fouled up in , for some reason, having to tell your troops " ranger-style " this or that, to indicate the method or type of drill to be used. The fact of the matter is : if the NCO gives an order, it should be followed.!!! regardless of whether it is correct or not. The job of the privates is to follow the order, and not have to think of whether or not it should be done in a certain way. There is only one way to carry out an order in the manual of arms, the correct way.

If the NCO gives a command, and it is in-appropriate for the situation, then that is the NCO's problem; NOT THE PRIVATES problem. As we all know, sometimes we give an order that is wrong and we either catch ourselves and say " belay that " and then give the correct order. Or we just have to give another order to straighten things out.

As it turned out, we were well received, and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Also to our surprise another class was added to our schedule. It was the 1st class of 3rd graders that showed the most enthusiasm. Sometimes the questions were asked so quickly it was difficult to keep up in answering and the children found it hard to keep in their seats. The elementary principal attended this demonstration and we utilized him in exhibiting some additional clothes and equipment we brought along as teaching aids. Unknown to us at the time, the principal is a retired National Guard officer. Carol and I ended each demonstration with several volleys from our muskets, after which one 3rd grade girl commented that the smell was like when her father cooks!!

What I'm trying to say is: when given an order, by the NCO ( in the manual of arms ), DO IT . If it is the wrong way for the occasion, well then it's the wrong way ; and that is the NCO's fault. The private is merely following the order, and no fault can be placed on him. It is the NCO's job to know the drill manual well enough to give the correct order. I fear I am repeating myself ! Any questions ? Later....

Chris

On the Sunday of our Hartwell Tavern event, in between one of our many demonstrations under the capable hands of Sergeant Nichols, Mr. Wigham poised this question to me: "Is what we do [as re-enactors] an art form?"

This question intrigued me. "Yes." I answered. "It is an art form."

Everyone in Peters' Corps takes great pride in our appearance, individual or group. In every detail, from clothing to tentage, we all strive to re-create 18th century life as accurately as possible. We also strive to familiarize ourselves with the military, political and social history of the Revolution in the colonies. This indeed is an art form.

But there is something else that makes what we do special: We educate.

You all know what I do for a living, (editor: Brian is an educator) and you all appreciate and respect my profession. But I must tell you how impressed I was throughout the weekend at Hartwell to watch all of you sharing your knowledge with our guests. I know we do this every time we have the attention of the general public, but what happened at Hartwell was different to me. We were accessible.

It was so wonderful to see our guests gathered around our various members. A question about the Brown Bess, a glance at 18th century sewing and weaving, an inquiry into who the loyalists were. . . This is what we are all about. This is what we do best. This is our weekend profession.

From one educator to another, I would like to say thank you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge freely with others, and thank you for doing it with enthusiasm and confidence.

I am very proud to part of this special group. The gift all of you give is priceless.

Pvt. Linseed

We had another very nice event at the Hartwell Tavern. The regiment set up the tents and sail in the front yard of the tavern. The two tables were put to use, one near the tents for eating our dinner and the other near the fire. The women did cooking and in their free time, were shown how to spin, both with the drop spindle and the spinning wheel. Nancy and I enjoyed it immensely and are hoping to learn more this fall at Webs. Diana was all tied up with her lap loom and learned a little more about weaving. We were very pleased that we had another women that joined us Saturday night. Lauren, Tom's girlfriend and son came to visit for the day. Diana loaned her an outfit so she could see what it feels like being in Peters' Corps. Lauren was right at home and even took over making us salad for our evening meal. The guys of course did their drill and Chris entertained us with his fiddle playing. Sunday the national park was demonstrating how to make flax, it was very interesting. Every time we go to Hartwell Tavern there is something new. This year it was chickens!!!

I would like to thank Margie, who is an interpreter for the park, for all her help showing us about spinning and letting us try it ourselves. Much thanks to the Minuteman National Park for letting us spend the weekend at the Tavern. I hope they will extend an invitation to us for next year.

Marcia Kennick

Seeing as Hartwell Tavern was my first try at Sergeant de Jour, I thought I would share a few insights that I gained from this experience.

Sergeant de Jour is a great learning tool- an eye-opening experience for the individual. It allowed me to move from the ranks and deal firsthand with the organizational skills needed to control the entire unit. There is more here than meets the eye! A change of perspective was good in that it allowed me to learn some valuable lessons.

And what are these lessons? I'm glad you asked! I'll make a list:

The Sergeant is always right. Although a new Sergeant can from time to time ask for a suggestion from the ranks without undermining his authority.

The Sergeant should know his left from his right-something I will be working on in the weeks to come. Thinking left and commanding right just doesn't work.

The Sergeant should be familiar with commands and terms. Taking commands and giving them are two different worlds. Muskets with bayonets are "arms" not firelocks. "Erect" from the slope, not shoulder. Bring the Sergeant a gill of rum-no change in that.

When speaking to the public, make sure your men are at the rest. It is no fun standing for any length of time with a musket on your shoulder.

Keep the explanations to the public short and sweet. I found myself going on and on at one point. Keep the public involved-question them if possible-make them part of the experience.

If you are not sure of an answer, hand off to one of your people. They are quite knowledgeable. Yes they are!

Don't be afraid to drill the troops. Looking back, I should have drilled the company a little bit more. Drilling will only put a sharper edge on an already well sharpened unit.

Become more familiar with the commands. I found myself-after having done this for all these years-still drawing a blank at some points. Slope, Advance, Secure, the fifteen step Prime and Load sequence-step by step- are all very important terms one should know. Razzle! Dazzle! Oh yes, I forgot that one!

Again-Sergeant de Jour-excellent learning experience-I'm glad we do it. And I thank you for the opportunity and support.

Humbly,

C.Nichols

Despite the threat of severe weather in the area, Peters' Corps once again showed that their talents cannot be damped by inclement and humid weather. Members in attendance were Dan and Nancy Moraski, Bill and Diana Wigham, Mark and Carol Cafazzo, Chris and Marcia Kennick, Tom DeLucco, Cliff Nichols, Bruce Wallace, and Brian Zawodniak. Lauren Poper also dressed well for the occasion. Militia sergeant Moraski and Corporal Nichols made sure that all the men-at-arms were fulfilling their lawful duty.

Our role was a unique one. Portraying local militia in 1774 was not a stretch for our members. Everyone fell into the role with ease and intelligence. More importantly, we were able to educate the public to the history of this very volatile pre-Revolutionary time period.

We did this in two ways. First, we entertained all sorts of questions from the general public at our camp. From Brown Bess to the Port Act, our members showed their adeptness in answering a range of inquiries. Secondly, and most uniquely, we staged a morality play. Thanks in large part to Bruce Wallace and his co-author yours truly, this play made the plight of the different social classes during 1774 very apparent and easy to understand.

Everyone performed well. (I was impressed with Bruce's historical resources and writing talents. He is truly a wealth of vital information.)

What is so important about what we do is what we do without even realizing it. We educate. I came away with the feeling that those people we talked to left understanding more about 1774 and the Revolution than they did before they talked to us.

So I say "Huzzah!" to all of you for a unique and splendid event in West Springfield.

Private Zawodniak (Linseed)

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