The 49th Indiana, Company F is Indiana’s oldest and largest nonprofit organization devoted to portraying life during the American Civil War. Since 1974, we have represented Indiana’s civil war heritage in movies and documentaries, for newspapers and TV, and at schools, museums, libraries and reenactments across the US. For more information, please contact Ian Fulford at recruiter@49thindiana.com or at 317 979-7559 or visit our website at http://www.49thindiana.com. The Rank & File is the membership magazine of the 49th Indiana Company F.

Captain's Column By Ian Fulford

Well, here we are about a week out from Hastings, hope you all are ready to fight off the hordes of Mosquito’s and have extra blood packaged and ready to go if they happen to suck you dry. Looking forward to Hastings this year, as at this event we’re going to try to have a period issue of rations for the group. Appreciate Logan organizing this, and give him a shout on the book of faces if you think you might be coming out to Hastings and would be interested in being involved. As of now, we are planning to be able to issue rations for 15. Other things to look forward to is there is a rumor that the Cumberland Guard swim team might make an appearance and could be looking for future members.

Nappanee ended up being a pretty good time, appreciate Will Behrman for taking charge for the weekend, since it was an AOW Max effort event and our brave Orderly Sgt. Scott Lawalin was overall in charge. Really enjoyed being a private in the ranks, just shooting a rifle and trying not to be the one messing up drill. While there was no karaoke this time, still had a wonderful time around the camp fire. Nice job to Reed Herrick for stepping up and being 1st Sgt for the weekend as well. Felt like the company did quite well with the mix of Indiana troops all together.

Perryville, I’ve registered the people who have given me money for registration. You are still able to register individually or you can give me your fee and I can register you for the event. Again, there are no walk on’s, and the fee is only $10, so please pre-register to again see the one, the only Scott Lawalin lead the army to glory at Perryville!

Our upcoming schedule is as following, we’ll have Hale Farm (OH) – Aug 12-14th, Bridgeton, IN (near Rockville) Aug 26-28th and then we move into September and October where we have a ton of events. We’ll keep chatting about the fact that we have 3 in a row from Lebanon, Hartford City, and Perryville and set realistic expectations of attendance and the events in that time frame. Look forward to seeing all who can make it out to Hastings, see y’all round the camp fire soon.

Regards,

Ian Fulford

• 1 lb. of Goex Powder : $15 per pound
  
• 1 Tin of 100 caps : $10 per tin

See the Captain For Purchase.

All right!

Stop whatcha doin'

'cause I'm about to ruin

the image and the style that ya used to.

I look funny,

but yo I'm makin' money, see

so yo worazld I hope you're ready for me.

I'm the new fool and more

and my sound's laid down by the First Corps.

I drink up all the Moonshine ya got on ya shelf

so just let me introduce myself

My name is Hoody, pronounced with a woody.

Yo ladies, oh how I like to flank thee.

And all the generals in the top ten-please allow me to bump thee.

I'm steppin' tall, y'all,

and just like Harper’s Ferry

you're gonna fall when the stereos pump me.

I like to rhyme,

I like my beats boldly,

I'm spunky. I like my corn meal moldy.

I'm sick wit dis, straight gangsta mack

but sometimes I get ridiculous

I'll eat up all your hardtack and your licorice

hey yo fat girl, c'mere-are ya ticklish?

Yeah, I called ya fat.

Look at me, I'm skinny

It never stopped me from gettin' busy

I'm a freak

I like the girls with the boom

I once got busy in a Fredricksburg bathroom

They say I'm ugly but it just don't faze me.

I only need one-legged pants

and I even got my own dance

[Chorus:]

The Hoody Dance is your chance to do the Hood

Do the Hoody Hood, come on and do the Hoody Hood

Do the Hoody Hood, just watch me do the Hoody Hood

Do ya know what I'm doin', doin' the Hoody Hood

Do the Hoody Hood, do the Hoody Hood

People say "Yo, Hoody, you're really funny lookin'"

that's all right 'cause I get things cookin'

Ya stare, ya glare, ya roll rocks down on me

but ya can't get near me

I give 'em more, see, and on the floor, see

all the girls they adore me

My beard is big, uh-uh I'm not ashamed

Big like a badger, I'm still gettin' paid

I win all the battles, ya know I'm in charge,

both how I'm livin' and my beard is large

Also told ya that I like to bite

Well, yeah, I guess it's obvious, we shoulda gone to the right.

All ya had to do was give Hoody a chance

and now I'm gonna do my dance.

[Chorus]

Oh, yeah, that's the break, y'all

Let me hear a little bit of that banjo groove right here

Oh, yeah!

Now that I told ya a little bit about myself

let me tell ya a little bit about this dance

It's real easy to do--check it out

First I limp to the side like my leg was missin’

Shakin' and twitchin' kinda like I was kissin'

People say ya look like Jubal Early on crack, Hoody

That's all right 'cause my body's in motion

It's supposed to look like a fit or a concussion

Anyone can play this game

This is my dance, y'all, Hoody Hood's my name

No two people will do it the same

Ya got it down when ya appear to be in pain

and when the dude with a stump starts to point his wood

tell him step off, I'm doin' the Hood.

[Chorus]

[Music and fade]

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First Sergeant’s Report

By Scott Lawalin

Carrolton! This year was the first time, at least in my memory, that the unit attended this event. I’d probably give it a C for an overall grade. The place gets marks for being scenic, but demerits for the rather compact battlefield. Coming right after Vernon, a second straight battle where we can nothing but march straight ahead or back didn’t exactly get my blood racing. Taking place in a city park, it’s a bit too much like Vernon and Lebanon for my tastes. On the other hand, it’s fairly convenient to get to and within easy range of a majority of our members.

Nappanee! This was our second time there, and the organizers made a good effort to try to remedy some of last year’s hiccups. Luckily, I and the CSA commander were able to convince the hosts to move the battlefield to northern field, where we parked last year. This was a big improvement over last year. Parking was a negative, as they had us park at a new spot a considerable way from the Union camp. That was probably the biggest complaint I heard, and it was justified. Next year I’ve been assured we’ll be able to park in the eastern field (the old battlefield).

I’m happy to report that the attendance at Nappanee jumped, to literally twice as many US and Rebs as last year. On the US side, we had a company come down from Michigan, and we were able to form a small battalion to get some much-needed drill in. The increased numbers I attribute to good word-of-mouth, along with excellent weather.

The battles featured pretty even numbers on both sides. Saturday was a bit dull, due to some miscommunications. Those were ironed and Sunday’s battle was much better, featuring a flank attack by the Union initiated by bugle calls, thanks to the presence of Mr. Mark Heath, who was our bugler at Stones River.

On a side note, I learned from the CSA commander that the leadership at Billie Creek invited his organization there sometime next June for an encampment. We need to get more solid information about that – it’d be a great place to go next year with plenty of rebs to shoot at. The June date will create a conflict with Nappanee, but I’ve already informed the hosts that if forced to choose, we will go to BC. Hopefully Napp will move to a different month.

Next stop on our magical reenactment tour is our old friend Hastings, home of the excellent grounds and infamous mosquito hordes. Looks like we’ve got a good number coming, so I hope to see most of you there. Michigan came down to Napp, and now it’s time to return the favor.

Respectfully,

Scott Lawalin

Official 49th Indiana 2022 Events

• February

• 19-20 Winter Spring Mill

• 44th TN event

• March

• 18-20 Bardstown KY

• April

• 23-24 Vernon

• 44th TN event

• May

• 21-22 Carrolton KY

• 44th TN event

• 28-29 Spring Mill (Memorial Day weekend)

• 44th TN event

• June

• 11-12 Nappanee

• 44th TN event

• July

• 16-17 Hastings MI

• August

• 13-14 Hale Farm OH

• 27-28 Bridgeton, IN

• September

• 10-11 Munfordville

• 24-25 Lebanon IN

• 44th TN event

• 30-Oct2 Hartford City

• October

• 8-9 Perryville, KY (National)

• November

• December

Article from the following link:

http://web.archive.org/web/20091003221726/http:/www.southernguard.org/education/rss.html

Right Shoulder Shift: A Re-examination

While examining several images from the Grand Review, I was suddenly struck by position and angle of the muskets the veterans of 1861-1865 took when executing the position of Right Shoulder, Shift (Hereafter, R-S-S). Universally, the veterans executed this position of the manual at a pronounced angle rather than the vertical position favored by most reenactment groups. As a result, I pulled my period drill manuals off the shelf to try and find a quick answer to this obvious difference. My review did not support the vertical interpretation, but rather appeared to support the angled version illustrated in the images of Civil War soldiers.

Armed with this observation, I set out, not to disprove the current vertical interpretation of this position, but to find the source of it. I decided to work backwards starting from the Civil War era manuals. I was comfortable with this methodology because new tactics manuals generally built on the preceding volume so if there was an earlier version of R-S-S that indicated a vertical orientation, I was confident I would find it in an earlier manual.

I went all the way back to The Manual Exercise, as ordered by His Majesty, in 1764 and found nothing to support the vertical interpretation. Along the way, I reviewed:

-Pickering- An Easy Plan of Discipline for a Militia, 1775

-Von Steuben- Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States- 1779, 1805

-Smyth- Regulations for the Field Exercise, Manoeuvres, and Conduct of the Infantry of the United States. 1812

-Duane- A Hand Book for Infantry Containing the First Principles of Military Discipline. 1813

-Nesmith- The Soldier’s Manual. 1824 (This was a militia manual that appears to have been popular in New England.)

Not only do these early manuals not support the vertical interpretation of R-S-S, they do not even include that position of the manual of arms. In fact, the first manual to describe a position called “right shoulder, shift” is Scott’s Tactics. The volume I had access to was published in 1835 and described the position thusly:

“To right shoulder, shift- ARMS. One time and one motion. 246. (Pl. IX, fig. 2.) Turn the piece with the left hand, the lock to the front, seize it at the same time with the right hand at the handle, place it on the right shoulder, the left hand not quitting the butt, the cock above and resting on the shoulder, the muzzle up; sustain the piece in this position by placing the right hand on the flat of the butt, so that the toe of the butt may be between the first two fingers, the other two on the butt plate; let fall the left hand by the side.”
(See Fig. 1.)

In his manual, Scott describes a position unlike the R-S-S we are familiar with from the Civil War period. While Scott’s version of R-S-S was used in Baxter’s Volunteer Manual (1861) and other state manuals, it was not the most common version.

In reviewing the descriptions of R-S-S in William J. Hardee’s Rifle and Infantry Tactics (1855 and 1862 versions); William Gilham’s Manual of Instruction for the Volunteers and Militia of the United States, (1861); and Silas Casey’s Infantry Tactics (1862), I was struck by the nearly identical language used to describe the second motion and the final position of the musket. Perhaps most importantly, all four manuals included (with very minor variations) the key phrase, “lock plate upwards.”

Hardee’s 1855: (Fig. 2)

Right shoulder shift--ARMS. One time and two motions.

210. (First motion.) Detach the piece perpendicularly from the shoulder with the right band, and seize it with the left between the lower band and guide-sight, raise the piece, the left hand at the height of the shoulder and four inches from it; place, at the same time, the right hand on the butt, the beak between the first two fingers, the other two fingers under the butt plate.

211. (Second motion.) Quit the piece with the left hand, raise and place the piece on the right shoulder with the right hand the lock plate upwards; let fall, at the same time, the left hand by the side.

Hardee’s 1862: (Fig. 3)

“Right shoulder shift- ARMS. One time and two motions.

210. (First motion.) Detach the piece perpendicularly from the shoulder with the right band, and seize it with the left between the lower band and guide-sight, raise the piece, the left hand at the height of the shoulder and four inches from it; place, at the same time, the right hand on the butt, the beak between the first two fingers, the other two fingers under the butt plate.

211. (Second motion.) Quit the piece with the left hand, raise and place the piece on the right shoulder with the right hand the lock plate upwards; let fall, at the same time, the left hand by the side.”

Gilham’s 1861: (Fig. 4)

“Right shoulder shift-- ARMS. One time and two motions."

176. First motion. Detach the piece perpendicularly from the shoulder with the right hand, and seize it with the left between the lower band and guide-sight, raise the piece, the left hand at the height of the shoulder and four inches from it; place, at the same time, the right hand on the butt, the beak between the first two fingers, the other two fingers under the butt plate.

Second motion. Quit the piece with the left hand, raise and place the piece on the right shoulder with the right hand, the lock plate upwards; let fall, at the same time, the left hand by the side.”

Casey’s 1862: (Fig. 5)

Right shoulder shift--ARMS. One time and two motions.

219. (First motion.) Detach the piece perpendicularly from the shoulder with the right hand, and seize it with the left between the lower band and guide-sight, raise the piece, the left hand at the height of the shoulder and four inches from it; place, at the same time, the right hand on the butt, the beak between the first two fingers, the other two fingers under the butt plate.

220. (Second motion.) Quit the piece with the left hand, raise and place the piece on the right shoulder with the right hand, the lock plate up ward; let fall at the same time, the left hand by the side.

I believe the phrase, “lock plate upward” to be the source of the misinterpretation of this position. Many modern hobbyists have apparently interpreted this to mean that the lock plate should be oriented front to rear along a vertical axis. I now believe the drill masters intended “lock plate upward” to mean the face of the lock plate. This simple but critical distinction creates two radically different positions.

In Figure 6, we see a comparison of the plates illustrating this position from four period manuals. Note the many similarities and the pronounced angle of the barrel. Figure 7 shows the same four illustrations with the angle of the musket overlaid in red. The angles (Hardee’s 1862 excepted) are very precise and it is clear that the original artists did not just pick the angles randomly. Gilham’s illustrates an angle of 60 degrees, Hardee’s 1855 an angle of 65 degrees, Hardee’s 1862 an angle of 62 degrees, and Casey’s an angle of 70 degrees.

In an attempt further clarify the position of the musket at R-S-S, I also examined the four manual plates for position of muzzle and bayonet tip along a vertical axis. By examining Figure 8, the diagonal orientation of the musket becomes even more apparent.

Up to this point, we have only discussed the R-S-S position in theory. In practice, the realities of military life often supercede the written regulations and plates in drill manuals do not always accurately demonstrate the positions (Casey’s illustration of “aim” is a particularly odd illustration) so to see how this position was actually executed, we must also look at images of troops in the field as they actually drilled and maneuvered.

In examining period images, I was careful to only choose images that clearly showed the position of R-S-S. I found many images that appeared to support the diagonal interpretation, but were they actual images of R-S-S or just soldiers with “arms at will?” The images presented here are some of the better examples I found during my survey.

Figure 9 shows Ellsworth’s United States Zouave Cadets at drill in New York in 1860. In this image, the upward orientation of the lock plate and the diagonal orientation of the barrel are both clearly evident. Since this is a unit famous for its prowess at drill, we can be comfortable with their execution of the position.

Figure 10 shows the 34th Massachusetss at drill in 1862. This is a very nice image of most, if not all, of the regiment at R-S-S while in column of companies. Again, the diagonal orientation is quite pronounced. Some have suggested that the diagonal interpretation developed in the field as the war progressed and soldiers sought ways to ease the fatigue of long marches. From this early image and the previous pre-war image, we can determine that was not the case and the diagonal interpretation was in use from the beginning of the war.

Figures 11 and 12 show an unknown unit of the Army of the Potomac and elements of the 20th Corps, respectively, on parade during the Grand Review. Here we see Federal soldiers of the two main field armies, east and west, executing the position in the same way. Some have suggested that the diagonal interpretation is a “western” phenomenon. From these two wonderful images, we can clearly see this is not the case.

Clearly, the diagonal interpretation of R-S-S is the correct one. By examining a variety of drill manuals, period illustrations and photographs, we can see that Federal infantry executed the diagonal interpretation of R-S-S all through the war and in every theater.

In the interest of presenting all the facts, whether they fit or not, I am including figure 13. This illustration is clearly contrary to all my findings and appears to support the vertical interpretation of R-S-S. This plate reportedly comes from an unidentified edition of Hardee’s. The version, date and place of publication, and other specifics are all unknown.

Thanks to Christopher Daley and Joseph Loehle for their generous assistance in this project.

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The 49th Indiana is seeking individuals who have an interest in the Civil War and a willingness to portray the life of a Union Soldier.

Meet The Members - Contact us by phone or email, or simply visit us at one of our upcoming events and let us know you're interested.

Acquiring Equipment - We do not expect new members to purchase all of their equipment at once. Start slowly, and ask other members for advice on where to purchase your basic uniform. We allow new members a year to fully equip themselves. Under some circumstances we can offer to loan gear to those wanting to test out the hobby before they spend too much money.

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Phone: 765.404.1603