118th Pennsylvania Volunteers

150th Anniversary

Today marks the day that the American Civil War officially began, 150 years ago to the day.

The American Civil War begins when Confederates fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina.

The fort had been the source of tension between the Federal and Confederacy for several months. After South Carolina seceded on December 20, 1860, the state demanded the fort be turned over but Federal officials refused. A supply ship, the Star of the West, tried to reach Fort Sumter on January 9, but the shore batteries opened fire and drove it away. For both sides, Sumter was a symbol of sovereignty. The Federal could not allow it to fall to the Confederates, although throughout the Deep South other federal installations had been seized. For South Carolinians, secession meant little if the Yankees still held the stronghold. The issue hung in the air when Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office on March 4, stating in his inauguration address: You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors.

Lincoln did not try to send reinforcements but he did send in food. This way, Lincoln could characterize the operation as a humanitarian mission, bringing, in his words, food for hungry men. He sent word to the Confederates in Charleston of his intentions on April 6. The Confederate Congress at Montgomery, Alabama, had decided on February 15 that Sumter and other forts must be acquired either by negotiation or force. Negotiation, it seemed, had failed. The Confederates demanded surrender of the fort, but Major Robert Anderson, commander of Fort Sumter, refused.

At 4:30 a.m. on April 12, the Confederate guns opened fire. For thirty-three hours, the shore batteries lobbed 4,000 shells in the direction of the fort. Finally, the garrison inside the battered fort raised the white flag. No one on either side had been killed, although two Federal soldiers died when the departing soldiers fired a gun salute, and some cartridges exploded prematurely. It was a nearly bloodless beginning to Americas bloodiest war.

Tatton Warning Orders

FEDERAL BRIGADE TRAINING WEEKEND
WARNING ORDERS

DATE: 16th – 17th April 2011
PLACE: Tatton Old Hall, Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire
POST CODE: WA16 6QN

LOCATION SITE ACCESS: Authentic camps within the walled garden. Family camp, same place as last year. ARRIVAL TIME: Arrive anytime after 3.00pm on Friday.

MAIN GATE : closes Friday until 2200 hours
Sat '' 1900 hours

REGISTRATION FEE: £3

LIVING HISTORY : 12.00 midday until 5.00 pm both days.

ACTIVITY TIMES: To be arranged

BREAK CAMP: To be arranged.

EXTRA SPECIAL NOTICES: Flushing toilets in the walled garden. Wood supplied in the walled garden. There is a water tap on the outside of the walls. The Park is closed during the night, If there are any Emergencies you must go to Mick and not to the Lodge as there is a heavy fine for disturbing the Gate Keeper after hours. DO NOT CONTACT THE GATEKEEPER.

Please note that timings may be changed by the organisers.

US Visit

Myself and Kelvin have recently returned from our US Visit and photos (or at least some of the 1500+ that we took) will be uploaded to the gallery when I can. It was a really good trip and we managed to cram a lot into it:

Antietam
Gettysburg
Manassas 1 & 2
Chancellorsville
Spotsylvania
Sutherland Station
Five Forks
Fredericksburg
Jacksons Shrine
Museum of the Confederacy
Confederate Whitehouse
City Point (Grants HQ)
Siege of Peterburg
The Crater
Pamplin Park
Museum Of The Civil War Soldier
National Civil War Museum
Shepherdstown
View The Original Colors
Appomattox Court House
Cold Harbor
Gaines Mill

I think thats all.

I'm also going to put in the resources section an overview of each battlefield, how preserved, what there is to do, size, hidden gems, downloads for tours etc so that anyone else from the 118th who may be going to visit will know what to expect.

Timetable For Training Weekend

With the season almost upon us, the timetable for the training weekend at Tatton Park on the 17th and 18th April has been released. All members should read the following:

Friday
Arrive and set up camps, hellos etc, bedding down at 12 midnight.

Saturday ·
8:00 Reveille & breakfast.
9:00 Quick officers and nco’s meeting. (to let members know what the timetable is and what we need from the weekend)
9:20 Company drill to warm up with, checking on the new fish
9:40 Form Brigade, manual of arms, basic drill manoeuvres, basis formation of the brigade on the field
10:25 Return to camp coffee break.
11:00   Trade tests
12:30   Dinner
1:30   Form Brigade on to field Brigade drill and manoeuvres and firing going through firing by company, Firing by rank, firing by file, firing by Brigade
3:00 Return to camp living history etc.
3;15 Officers and nco’s meeting in Barn.
5:00 Camp stands down

Sunday.
8:00 Reveille & breakfast.
8;15 Morning roll call
9:00 Form Brigade rising of the colours
9: 30 Company, manual of arms
10:00 Morning parade (with musicians if we have any)
10:30 Company drill on field
11:00 Brigade drill
11:30 TBA
12:00 – 12:15 Return to camp, living history/ dinner
1:30 Company drill (also trade test for those who missed Sat)
2:00 Displays inc firing inside the walled area
2:30 Living history
3.30 Debrief from Brigade
4:00 Lower colours.
4:30 Home time.

2010 Events

With 2010 upon us the website has been updated with all the current confirmed events for the 2010 season, which, for the 118th kicks off with the Federal Training weekend at Tatton Park on the 17th and 18th April.

Heres looking forward to another cracking season.

Keep checking here for details of more events as and when they are released.

Years Anniversary

In one weeks time from today, the 118th Website in its current format will have been running for exactly one year. The year has seen a number of changes to the website, with the addition of lots of new stuff, eg quizzes, resources and reports.

We have had a number of guestbook entries from ancestors of soldiers who served in the real 118th regiment during the civil war, long may this continue. The longer the website runs, the more it helps to keep the memory of the 118th Pennsylvania alive.

My own aim when I started this website was to make this the central resource site for everything to do with the 118th, a kind of modern record. Although not quite there yet the website is getting close, there is certainly already more information in a single place on this website about the 118th than anywhere else on the internet. Theres still a lot of work to do but it will get there.

In the year that we have been running the site has attracted a total of 8158 visitors so far (probably around 8300 in a weeks time). We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the visitors to the website and in helping this website to become the success it certainly appears to have become.

So you think you know the Civil War ?

Calling all you civil war buffs, you think you know the Civil War, take a hop over to our brand new quiz section and test your knowledge against the record books. There's three quizzes in our collection so far, one easy general Civil War one, one much harder, and one all about the 118th PA.

Head on over to the quiz section which can be found right here. Go on, take the plunge and see how you get on.

Downloads Added

A selection of e-books in pdf format have now been added to the website in the downloads section. Various categories and subjects covering varying aspects of the civil war. More will be added as I get chance but for now, enjoy the ones available, head on over to the downloads section (found under the resources section of the menu).

New Content Available

All visitors will be pleased to hear that there is all new content now available on the website. On the menu under extras you will find Battle Reports.

This section contains:
Details of Battle Summaries of battles that involved the 118th.
Press reports and cuttings from Pennsylvania newspapers between 1861 and 1865.
General do*****ents and stories of interest regarding not just the 118th but the Civil War in general as well.

Head on over and have a read whan you get chance, you never know, you may learn something.

Calling All Members

This is a call for all members, if you have any photos of the 118th at any events, regardless of age or location, can you please send them to webadmin@118th.co.uk so that I can put them on the website.

The photo can be of anything, on the field, in camp, and at any event, not just ACWS events.

Many Thanks.