| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Pvt. Chauncey |
Posted - December 21 2003 : 5:00:14 PM
Greetings from the western frontier,
I would like to let you know that the report from the commander of the British forces at this year's Lake George Tactical has completed his report, and it is available here:
http://reenacting.net/lgt/
For those of you who have never been on the Lake George Tactical but who want really want to test themselves, you should consider joining us. There is nothing else like it.
YHOS,
Pvt. Chauncey |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| wlogwihlas |
Posted - January 28 2004 : 10:44:05 AM
yeah that dream had me pretty spooked. im glad we decided not continue that day. I've heard of that squirell story, close call. |
| alikws |
Posted - January 27 2004 : 4:59:36 PM
never heard the squirrel hunter story, but if i were a modern hunter,i'd probaly react the same... another story i heard involving modern hunters was when a black powder hunter dropped a deer, and a group of rangers heard the shot [billy smiths group, i think] and converged on the spot... they had the hunter circled before he noticed them as he was field dressing the deer, then they just faded back into the woods... he probaly heard the ghost stories, and thought he had seen another...
the dream mentioned by whogwihas was brought up during a sighting of a modern bow hunter... bow season was early this year, and it spooked us a bit... soon after a group of at least 20 of what looked like offshore racing boats came through... would have been a bad time to be on the water... from sunday on, modern boat traffic was almost non-existant..
just plain neat things - during the '02 lake, was during the 225'th saratoga, near cape ann, probaly 25 miles away... the saturday night cannon barrage could be seen and heard from the islands, it was not hard to imagine a french attack on wm henry...
this year, canoing south on a black night, mirror calm lake, singing and firing guns, listening to the echos off the moutains... then breaking into the moonlight as the moon rose - was like car headlights, almost blinding... then circling fork island, and homing in on the french [you could hear the snoring quite some distance out]... the lake was so clear and calm the canoes seemed to be hovering above the ground... was strange...
btw, 'boy butter' is a mix of bees wax, olive oil and spearmint candy flavoring, used as an anti-rust and patch lube on the muskets... |
| Seamus |
Posted - January 26 2004 : 6:47:55 PM
Aye, it is special, and I hope right along with you that it stays safe and special.....a good dose of common sense, liberally applied, goes a long way. While my days on the lake are gone now, I cherish the memories and often revisit them through my photos. T'is a much younger man's game! |
| wlogwihlas |
Posted - January 26 2004 : 6:17:49 PM
I agree with much of what you say. Safety first. Three blasts of a whistle is an old "help" message. And i have used it twice on the lake. A little bit of boy butter is always useful, to help with gun repairs, and to retain heat. I hope that nothing drastic happens to ruin this special, and time honored event. adio |
| Seamus |
Posted - January 26 2004 : 6:10:17 PM
"we are one accident away from losing this event"
Yup! Here's one you did not mention....
A few years ago, an ambush was sprung on a lone figure sneaking up a trail, crossed straps on his chest with bags suspended from each, carrying his 'firelock' at Port Arms. It was over in an instant, but the man was nearly sent into apoplexy when the fire erupted from both sides of the trail. He did, however, restrain himself from returning fire, which was very good because he was a squirrel hunter sneaking along searching for his quarry. He carried a 12 guage shotgun loaded to the hilt. He was madder than Hell, the ambushers were embarrassed and humiliated, and thank GOD no one was hurt.
I was 'doing the Lake' more than 20 years ago, and I have seen just about everything you have mentioned, alikws........and then some.
It's a matter of time............a matter of time.......... |
| alikws |
Posted - January 26 2004 : 5:41:45 PM
a couple other lake thoughts:
its interesting how reenactors take on the characteristics of who they emulate... and aspects of your party and whoever you encounter are brought out in ways no weekend event could ever do...
everyone comes for a different reason,
the french are on a social camping trip with some military patrols, exploring &c
the british, especialy groups like camerons company are out for a trek and to try to function as a military unit..
the french allied indians are out for some social camping, some military action and some religious activity...
a couple are out for some solitary night raids reminiscant of rambo type movies [i'd love to see documentation of this during the f&i war]...
everybody is out for personal enjoyment, no-one is actualy trying to protect the honour of their prince, so references of lazy &c end up coming across like tavington in the patriot 'these rustics are so in-ept - it nearly takes the honour out of victory - nearly' ... a bit insulting,enit?
if you find yourself suprised by a party of 7, take the hit, rather then getting nasty and yelling insults [thump]i stabbed you with my knife.... i saw your [censored]!
some are playing by the dead for 24 hour rule, some play by the dead for 20 minutes or the smoke clears,whatever happens first rule - this affects what situations you go into, and how you react...
we are one accident away from losing this event, in the '02 season we got too close, with a couple unprepared people pinned down by a storm and going hypothermic[the ones in the 'glowing tent']
this year with someone running into a musket hard enough to break a rammer, and in a later raid, a couple of the french literly getting stepped on in their bedrolls...
perhaps a return to the old 'calling card' system of a safe night kill, whis is personal, safe and specific to a person, rather then running your fingernails along a canvas saying 'who ever is in there is dead' is needed...
canoeing as a group is useful, swamping at night alone is more then scary... another canoe close by to tow and with dry fire kits &c is a life saver...
a cease fire/hold/call for pizza[for you divers]/mobilise for a rescue call is needed... 3 blasts on a whistle, 3 shots skyward repeating is known... [origin of sos - morse=...---...]
more later... |
| Kurt |
Posted - December 24 2003 : 11:36:07 AM
What a splendid report! Thank you very much Pvt. Chauncy! Oh to be less decrepit! |
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