DEATH VISITS OUR HOME

I hung the Black Crepe this morning at 5:30 a.m. with the death of Margaret's step father.

April 08 Monthly Meeting Report

The monthly meeting began about 8:00 p.m. at O'Doud's in Zona Rosa. There was a good turnout of 24 MIBS wives and children.

It was decided that at future events quiet time will begin at 10:00 p.m. just as in Missouri State Parks. Drinking will also be curtailed.

Col Crofutt reported that the MIB is the largest unit registered for the Battle of Westport. Let's hit 100 men. We can do it with your help. You'll kick yourself for years if you don't attend the Battle of Westport. Four divisions of Federals have registered so far. I can hardly wait to see my AOH buddies in the 69th and 88th NY I met at the Social Studies National Convention the MIB helped with two years ago.

Online registration for WESTPORT stops on May 1. Plan to get to the event early on Friday and unload and set-up as all cars and trucks will be bared beginning early Friday evening until late Sunday afternoon. Parking will either be at Richards Gaubar AFB or at Bannister Mall with shuttles provided. If you get there late you'll need to carry everything in. Then walk back to your car, Go park and return again and walk in when its dark. Tacticals begin at 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning.

Lance Garnish reported on the Lions Club Benefit scheduled for September 13 headlined by Bob Reeder and The Kelihans. The MIB will provided the Col0r Guard for this event.

The MIB has been asked to appear at several Irish related events this coming fall, several in September alone. The John Wornall House Museum wants us back for another Ghostg Tour in September as well and some living history programs in October.

Bumper and his field piece will be joining the unit

Congrats to the Medical Staff for their 100% attendance at this months' meeting.

Congrats also go to the new members of the unit who have recently joined. It's good to see the new members fully participating and attending the monthly meetings.

We have a full time Bugler now. One has transfered over from ''TATER MESS''.

Plans and programs are progressing on schedule for the IRISH FEST.

Finally, the unit has been seen and reported on in several local newsmedia outlets this past week as well on the Celtic Crossing Radio Show.

ON TO WESTPORT MEN and LADIES

Mahaffie Civil War Days April 18-19-20 2008

Great event! It started out sloppy and muddy. Really muddy on Friday nite at set up from the soaking rains of Thursday. It rain softly off and on all Friday nite. It started gloomy on Saturday morning but brightened up as the day progressed.

Lots of spectators, good battles. Great medical demos. Amputations of two lower arms, open bowel wounds and dental extractions. Even inspections of the "SOLID DOVES" with the help of four beautuful young college gilrs from the BULL PUPS!

It was nice to have RITA and Toby present. THe newest additions to the medical staff.

A Significant Day in the History of the 7th Missouri Infantry

On this day during the siege of Vicksburg, The men of the 7th Missouri
boarded barges to run the Vicksburg guns.

One barge was sunk.

A moment of silence is in order for our fallen comrades in arms.

Capt. Powers - Surgeon 7th Missouri Infantry

Haunted Ground Thank You

Men,

Your efforts during the event at the John Wornall Home and Museum did not go unnoticed. The Staff of the Home is absolutely taken with our group. Many, many words of praise were voiced by the attendees concerning our groups presence, camp, displays and stories and your willingness to answer questions etc...

After the event was over Candice came out and heaped praise on the group for our efforts.

Most couldn't believe we actually stayed overnight as cold, windy and as foul as it was last weekend. They were most impressed. It was especially gratifying to me to see such a great turnout of MIB men and family members.

Here are the stories that were told:

Lincoln's Funeral Train
Phillips House Children
The Lady in Black,
White Rose of Texas
George Washington at Gettyburg
Andersonville Raiders
Antetitum Christmas Carols
Reenactors fool ghost on set of Glory
Lexington, Anderson House Lady and
An Irish Tale by Sean

Story tellers were Sean, Jim Allister, Kace, Tic Tac, Steve, Bullit and myself as well as many visitors to Camp who, after hearing our ghostly tales related stories or event from their own life.

Even the neighborhood accepted the encampment as many drove by stopped and visited the camp. Busses even stopped and came to see and talk. Coffee from the Roastrerrie Coffee House by the gallon was brought to us by a passerby.. It was unbelievable.

Prospective recruits came by in the afternoon and then came back in the cold of the nite to talk.

A group of mentally challenged adults who were studying the CIVIL WAR stopped spoke with us. The classwas sponsored by UMKC and it so happenens that it was a class started by Candice of the Museum last year.

The editor of the Minor League Players Association Fact Book and Royals employee came back with his granddaughter and spent two hours talking around the fire.

Two new nurses joined. One was Rita, a ghost tour attendee and Candice the director of the museum. I'm sure we'll get an infantryman or two from the encampment. I handed out over 100 business cards to those who expressed an interest in the MIB.

Food on Saturday nite couldn't have been better. Hot Chili and hot dogs were provided by Steve and Thersea Sample.

We , the MIB, have a new found ally and friend in the JOHN WORNALL HOUSE and MUSEUM in the form of the Staff and director. You can rest assurred that whenever Candice goes to a meeting of her fellow directors the name of the Missouri Irish Brigade will be prominent when they discuss reenactors and period events.

My sincerest thanks to all who participated

I wish all of you could have come by and experienced this truely awesome event.

Haunted Ground Encampment Info

Men,

Here is the latest info on the Haunted Ground Encampment for next Friday and Saturday Night.
By the way if ou get a chance to be in a movie shoot drop everything and do it. Yesterday was a fun and interesting. I'm glad I went. IF YOU PASS GO COLLECT $200.00 from the MONOPLY MAN!!! (inside joke)

HAUNTED GROUND INFORMATION
The tours begin at 6:00 p.m. sharp each evening. Kace, Skip and I will be set up hopefully by 5:00 p.m. with the hospital fly and tents and have a fire up and burning.
We will have modern, heated bathrooms lads, WOW, actually inside running water bathrooms!!!!
As you come in bring your leathers and musket. If you are planning on staying the night, your tent. It will be interesting for the tour groups to see us set the camp. If you can't stay the night come anyway and bring a chair to sit on.
Tic and Steve will bring wood. I wil see if the Museum will get up four or five bales of straw.
We will sleep over on Friday night. Hopefuilly we will have an apparition appear to us in camp.
A TAPS FAMILY TEAM of GHOST HUNTERS will be investigating the HOUSE Friday and Satureday Night.
We will be telling ghost stories of the period to the tours before they enter the house. Kace and I have several books of ghost stories of the period.
I would hope that several of those, who will be joining us for one or two of the days, could meet with me this week and select the story you would like to tell. The only day I cannot be home in the evening will be Tuesday since I am presenting a program on GPS treasure hunting at William Christman High School that evening.
The stories are easy to learn.
If you can't stay the night join us anyway. Be sure to bring something to sit on.
Be in uniform. We will stack arms. It will add to the impression
NO DRINKING, CURSING or ROUGH TALK!! There will be many young children present. In years past, another unit did these things and they are no longer welcome at the Museum. PLEASE no beer etc...
THIS will be a fun filled two evenings.
It will be great publicity for our group. Lot's of pictures will be taken. Hopefully we will be pictured in the Kansas City Star.
The Wornall House Museum is really looking forward to a long relationship with the MIB. LET'S SHOW THEM WHAT A QUALITY CIVIL WAR REENACTOR UNIT IS ALL ABOUT!! WE CAN DO IT WITH YOUR FINE HELP AND ASSISTANCE MEN.
The address of the John Wornall House is 6115 Wornall road. That's just a few block south of the Country Club Plaza. Ue Google Maps to find your route.

Pony Express Movie Shoot

I never knew exactly what it would be like to be in a movie.
I got my chance to find out last Saturday. The Pony Express Museum in St. Joe is producing a new movie for the Museum to replace the film they now have which is over twenty years old.

I arrived at the shoot site west of Leavenworth Ks around 9:00 a.m. in my finest civilian frock and beaver hat. The cast were loaded into 4x4 trucks and transported to the reconstructed period town. It was authentic down to the mud steets and horse droppings.

There is a lot of standing around and watching as scenes were shot and reshot from different angles and perspectives.

There were Union soldiers from the Missouri Irish Brigade. Civilian townspeople, made up of mule skinners, dignitaries(yours truely) mountain men etc... and the principal actors.

I hope I am in three scenes. I'm sure I am in the Mayor's speech as I was standing next to him in that scene.

Noon came and the 4x4's reappeared and back to the staging area for lunch provided by the production company.. After lunch the indians arrived and the Union boys had their chance on the set.

I left at 3:30 p.m. with a new prospective on making of a movie.