BLACK HAT BATTALION THE BATTALION BROADSIDE VOLUME I ISSUE I JULY-SEPTEMBER, 2014 THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE BLACK HAT BATTALION A CALL TO THE MEMBERS OF THE BLACK HAT BATTALION This is an introduction and call to arms! My name isn’t important, it is Jim Dumke, but I have agreed to produce a quarterly newsletter for the Black Hat Battalion as a part of an effort to preserve a noble and beloved institution. In the following articles there will be an effort to explain what is being considered, who is involved, and the goal of these people. This story begins with a letter from Col. Craig DeCrane to the members of the old Black Hats. The letter appears below and is self-explanatory. Dear leaders and friends of the Black Hat Battalion, This is going to be a difficult message to write and probably to hear. I knew it was coming, but I have been putting it off. Given the present state of affairs, I believe it is time to retire the Black Hat Battalion. The reasons are numerous – lack of a commander, low numbers in some units, difficulties with communication, the cost of travel, numerous options for affiliation, and whatever else. My suggestion to the member units is to explore other umbrella groups. The 2nd Wisconsin Association has been forging a good relationship with Bob Minton of Ohio. The 7th MI has elected to join the Great Lakes Battalion. The Cumberland Guard is still an excellent option. There is also the new Army of the Wabash in Indiana. I hold no ill will with anyone, actually, just the opposite. I have many great friendships that were made possible by this battalion. This just happened. Times change. It was a beautiful run with a ton of great memories. Ask anyone in the hobby, they knew the Black Hats and what a fine unit it was. Anyone who wants to re-establish the unit is welcome to start it up again. I still have the Black Hat Battalion flag. It is hard to let go, but I knew it was time. I wish everyone well and hope to continue to see you in the reenacting community. The Black Hat Battalion has a well respected place in the history of reenacting. No one can change that. Take care and I hope to see you around the campfire, Craig DeCrane The dispatch stirred a reaction by some to save the old organization and that it was worth the effort to revive the moribund group. As you will see below, this is not an effort to change, reform, or alter the Black Hats. There are those who think the group is good as it is structured and worthwhile to preserve for future events and activities. A THANK YOU TO COLONEL CRAIG DeCRANE There is one item of business that needs to be addressed before getting into the minutia of the needs of the Black Hats and what steps are necessary to revive the effectiveness of these noble fellas. It would be unforgivable to not extend the gratitude of the members of the Black Hats for the intrepid and dedicated leadership of Col. Craig DeCrane on behalf of all its members. Over the years the Black Hats were an excellent unit on the field, especially at national events. This is partly due to the leadership of the military officers who served the men in the Black Hat Battalion. But as all of us know, there is so much more to leading a unit than the command of troops on the field. There are numerous duties such as getting the group registered for events, getting individuals registered, communicating with a diverse group of members, and organizing drills and events. The man responsible for these and other duties that no one ever sees, but benefit from, was Col. DeCrane. It is true that when someone steps up to a leadership position there is a tendency to step back and let the person assume the burdens of leadership and as long as things work to allow those responsibilities fall on that person. The above letter was not the first from the Colonel indicating he would like to step back and enjoy a well deserved rest. This is the first time that someone has been willing to step up and assume the mantle of leadership. We all owe a great debt of gratitude to Colonel DeCrane for the years he has dedicated to the Black Hats. He is one of the reasons that some of us think the organization is worth saving! Thank you Colonel. We also look forward to seeing you around that campfire in the future! Three cheers from your comrades—Hip, Hip, Huzzah! Hip, Hip Huzzah! Hip, Hip Huzzah! WHERE DO WE STAND! The following communication was shared with the members of the Second Wisconsin Regiment in their newsletter, The Fugelman. The author of the article is Lt. Col. Pete Seielstad. He is, if you will, the driving force among the members of the Second Wisconsin. When Col. DeCrane’s letter appeared in the Fugelman there were three initial members of the Second who contacted the Colonel with offers to lend a hand if it would help preserve the unit. Pete is giving direction to those efforts and using the volunteers as their talents and interests dictate. This is what he had to say to the members of the Second Wisconsin in the July Fugeman: Figure 1 LT. COL. SEIELSTAD As Craig explains the hobby is changing and the units that had formed the BHB have lost numbers and/or have affiliated with other umbrella units. He is correct that the Black Hat Battalion is not as large as it once was. Many re-enactors, if you will, have ‘aged-out’. But there will forever be a corps of people who will hunger for the knowledge learned by re-enacting the American Civil War. The schools will still host presentations; historical heritage sites will continue presenting the American civilian during the war years. Individuals will continue to don the uniform and equipment and head for the drill field and participate in an event in order to immerse them- selves in the culture of the time period. By the same token, there is a need for the Black Hats Battalion to continue. The BHB is an organization that mysteriously has no bylaws or dues. It is simply a collection of like-minded individuals who want a good time at an event with basic order and command structure. With the help of others, I will do what I can to extend a helping hand to the members of the BHB and any other units who will rally to the flag, seeking representation on the field at events. From our success at the 150th Gettysburg, where we brought 140 men and officers, we should build and press forward our advantage. Friendships are the core of the BHB and they should continue. Lt. Col. Seielstad wanted to make it clear to our fellas that this is not a Second Wisconsin thing. Anyone out there who wants to contribute ideas or participate in these efforts is welcome to do so. There may even be similar efforts by others that we are not aware of currently. THE BLACK HAT BATTALION & ITS FUTURE The following missive is from an article (again prepared by Pete Seiestd) for the Second Wisconsin folks. But it does set out the goals and introduce the people who have initiated this effort. Communication is important. It is also a two way street. We need your input and ideas to help make this effort a success. The Battalion Broadside is one avenue for communicating with our members. If you have suggestions, concerns, proposals or wish to be involved contact this editor at [email protected] and the information will be distributed and most likely appear in the pages of this newsletter. Kevin Hampton is undertaking an effort to create a Facebook page as another means of keeping the lines of communication open. This is another opportunity to share ideas and concerns by the Battalion members. Below is the article prepared by Lt. Col. Seielstad. In general, I believe the Black Hat Battalion [BHB] should continue as a viable unit on the field. By keeping lines of communication open, representing units in the central states, and attending national events with an officer corps that has the ability to come together and work for the benefit of the men in the ranks the Black Hats will endure. As I expressed in my Pass in Review article, I will offer my time and talents for the continuation of the Black Hat Battalion. In this commentary I will ask for support, assistance and guidance for the future of the Black Hat Battalion. First, I will never ask an element of the Black Hats to forfeit their unit identity. Secondly, I will ask every unit and individual to bring a unified battalion to the field at national events and to consider how we can accomplish such a task. Finally, it should be everyone’s goal to preserve & uphold the memory of the American Civil War soldier. My reply to Col Craig DeCrane’s preliminary announcement: Craig, As the dust settles, a question remains to be answered and that is the future of the Black Hat Battalion. The Overland Campaign at Spotsylvania has passed and other events of interest for the BHB are fast approaching and we should let our members know that the Black Hats will still be represented on the field. The main concern I have for the Black Hats is that we keep the line of communication open at all times. Utilizing communication and coordinating events among our respective units will offer all of us an opportunity to come together on the field and be a cohesive organization. The colonels position and others have often shifted when called to command at higher levels. If the BHB colonel is absent, it is my opinion he can shift command to those who are qualified, willing and present at Black Hat Battalion events. This could be decided on an event-by-event basis. Example: The Black Hats are at an event hosted by the 17th Michigan. Doug Nosbich would then command the collective members of the BHB and act as colonel or whatever level of command is appropriate. The same could be applied when attending an event hosted by 2nd Wisconsin. At a National event, those attending could vote upon the command position or be assigned by the Colonel. The designated commander of BHB events would then structure his staff from other BHB units and allow companies to be led by their respective officers. The primary concern for the Colonel of the Black Hat Battalion would then be to act as the center of communication for events, promote BHB events and coordinate a command structure to facilitate the objectives. An underlying responsibility for us as an organization would be to recruit other small units in the West that meet our criteria but are not represented by a larger organization like the Army of the Ohio or Cumberland Guard. From our success at Gettysburg, where we were brought 140 men and officers, we should build and press forward our advantage. Friendships are the core of the BHB and they should continue. Your obedient servant, Lt. Col. Pete Seielstad There is an interest with members of the 2nd Wisconsin to keep the framework of the BHB intact and functioning. I have 3 men, Kevin Hampton & Dave Grootenhuis and Jim Dumke, who have offered their support & services in the administrative side of the BHB. If you were present at the meeting in Gettysburg 2013, you will know the state of the BHB has been in a holding pattern. Also, there were many who fell in with the BHB at 150th Gettysburg who were from smaller companies from Iowa, Wisconsin & Minnesota. They liked the BHB structure and unit recognition at this large national event. These companies have expressed interest in attending large events under the support of other BHB units. If you recall this is the same reason the BHB originated in the first place. (An interesting side note of the BHB is there are no bylaws, dues or high egos. It is simply a collection of like-minded individuals who want a good time at an event with basic order and command structure.) While at Spotsylvania, Lance Dawson, who has fallen in with the BHB in the past, and Ben Cywana of Michigan as well as Bob Minton, understand that the hobby has changed. They wished to keep lines of communication open among units in order to focus on large events and come together in cooperation to offer a good working relationship with the officers and a great experience for the rank and file. I believe that the BHB may be in a state of flux but not totally inactive. The 2nd Wisconsin and others are in a position to fill an officer corps for the BHB. Our practice in the Black Hats is to offer the positions of Colonel, Lt. Colonel, Major, Sgt. Major & Adjutant from all of the units in the battalion and keep the company officers in command of their own unit. And as always, the Black Hats can offer a place in the ranks for the individual or in battle line for a company while at events. Friendship is the core of the Black Hats. Colonel DeCrane has offered his support as well as others. Let’s seek new alternatives; if there is an idea to be shared let’s hear it. With the end of the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War in 2015, there may well be a need for an organization like the Black Hat Battalion. Isn’t it much better to be prepared for it? Let’s begin by establishing that line of communication. Your obedient servant, Lt. Col. Pete Seielstad 2nd Wisconsin Vol. Inf. Association & Black Hat Battalion member WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? First and foremost, this initial step will spark some discussion of the future of the Black Hat Battalion. Ultimately, in order to maintain the old battalion there has to be a will to do so. Communication is a two way street and to be effective it will be invaluable to get your feedback on where we go from here. Hopefully you have read the dispatches above and have some idea what those currently working to maintain the old organization are considering. If you would like to become involved please feel free to do so. Although the men working on the project so far come from the Second Wisconsin this is, as Pete said above, not a Second Wisconsin movement. The editor would note that if you send along a comment or suggestion and you don’t want it disseminated please indicate that in your e-mails. It is proposed that the newsletter go out quarterly, and I have committed to doing so. If you have an event you would like to promote, a national event you want to support—(I am amazed that we are over half finished with this year’s calendared events—which means we will begin conducting annual meetings about the time this newsletter is next published in October) or any news that you would like to share with the group please do so. I would like to publish a quarterly schedule of events for each member unit if that is agreeable. If you have older pictures from Black Hat events that you would be willing to share that would be great. The approach I would like to take is that the newsletter would be sent to a unit contact who would then disseminate it to their membership, if that meets with your approval. It has been an effective way of communicating within the Second Wisconsin with their newsletter. There may well be another issue before October if it is justified. Otherwise we will continue to publish quarterly.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 02:10:20 +0000