HINDQUARTERS
GRAND ARMY OF THE CUSSEWAGO
For contact information see member section for Mike Brennan
April 24th, A.D. 2022
General Order No. 1.
1. Pursuant to the Warning Orders for the 2022 Spring Campaign, the Bristoe Station-Rappahannock Station-Mine Run Campaign of October and November 1863, you are directed to march to the sounds of the guns at Culpeper, VA on Thursday, the 21st day of July 2022. We are once again very privileged to have as our campaign co-directors, Rob Freis, Jim Ballou, and Ben Brockenbrough. They will be assisted by Denny Frasche, Hal Nelson, and other members of the Corps d’Elite who are steeped in the lore of the Civil War. This will be our twenty-fourth campaign as the GAC, the sixty-eighth campaign as the Army of the Cussewago-GAC, and the first campaign since 2019.
2. This year we will follow the actions of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia (ANV) and the Union Army of the Potomac (AoP) as they maneuvered and fought against each other in Northern VA during the last months of campaigning in 1863. Although none of the participants knew it at the time, this was the last major offensive campaign of the ANV. Although Marse Robert planned to repeat his successful left hook offensive that he had done at the 2nd Battle of Manassas in August of 1862, those plans did not work out. By late 1863, Lee lacked the key leaders and the offensive combat power that he needed. James Longstreet and his corps were away at Knoxville.
Perhaps as importantly, the ANV had lost thousands of good leaders and soldiers they could not replace at Antietam, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg and scores of other, smaller battles and skirmishes. Conversely, the AoP under George Meade was stronger, had better cavalry and better intelligence of the ANV’s movements, and was better able to fight successful rear-guard actions, retreat without panic, prevent being enveloped by the ANV, and then counterattack. Both sides used entrenchments more effectively than they had ever done before, foreshadowing the slaughter that would come in 1864 and 1865. Many good men on both sides fought, bled, and died. At the end of the campaign, George Meade had successfully driven back the ANV offensive and the campaign had been a draw. Meade had not lost. Lee had not won. Unfortunately for Meade’s future command status, however, he had also not won. A very frustrated President Lincoln decided to bring the victor of Vicksburg and Chattanooga, MG Ulysses S. Grant, back east to command the entire Union war effort.
3. The lieu de rassemblement will be the Best Western Culpeper Inn, 791 Madison Road, Culpeper VA 22701, telephone number 1-540-825-1253). We’ve reserved 30 double rooms. All rooms are non-smoking rooms. Each room will cost $89.00 plus tax and fees per night. The suspense date for making reservations is June 20th 2022. We will use a designated space as our seminar room on Thursday and Saturday nights. Due to scheduling conflicts, we will hold our traditional banquet on Friday night. The preferred uniform for the banquet is coat and tie, but anything your wife and/or lover would allow you to wear out in public will be acceptable. Technically, our members are supposed to use the Inn’s bar to order all drinks that will be used in the hospitality suite. Discretion and subterfuge are always indicated. We will not have a bartender on the night of the banquet.
4. Although the schedule is always subject to change based upon the weather, the interests of the campaigners, and the whimsies of the Campaign Directors and Commander, this is the tentative schedule of events:
On Thursday afternoon and evening, July 21st, the seminar room will be open for registration and seminar time. On Thursday evening at about 8 PM, we will have a campaign background and overview presentation by Rob Freis and Jim Ballou in the hospitality suite.
On Friday morning, July 22nd, we’ll assemble at 0745 hours for the traditional belt buckle inspection and introduction of guests. Just remember, it was Professor Jay Luvaas who set the time and we continue his tradition. Those of you who wish to complain about the start time can send your complaints to General Luvaas at his current Gettysburg address. After the introductions, Rob, Jim, and Ben will take over and direct the campaign. We anticipate starting the day at Janes City. We’ll finish the day with our Annual Banquet at the hotel’s hospitality suite. On Saturday we’ll continue the campaign to include a visit to Kelly’s Ford, review the combat at Rappahannock Station, and have an introduction to Mine Run. We’ll have our Annual Command Muster at lunch. We will likely finish the day at a local sutler’s emporium.
On Sunday we will finish Mine Run.
5. Due to the very limited ability to park at many of the sites we wish to visit, we will need to rent several 15- passenger vans. The cost of the vans will be added to the usual fees at the banquet. An accurate count of attendees is critical, to rent the appropriate number of vans, please let us know as soon as possible if you plan to attend.
6. You will notify the Adjutant, Major Nestlerode, of your intentions to attend or not to attend this year’s campaign. Howard‘s address address, e-mail and phone number can be found in the members section. His email address for the GAC is gactrompers@yahoo.com. If you would like to have a roommate and don’t know who else needs one, let Howard know and he will try to match up the strays. Notifying Howard is especially important this year so we will know how many 15-passenger vans to order.
7. Upon receipt of these orders, each member of the Grand Army who has received the award of the highly coveted CS belt buckle will remit a checqe for the still surprisingly low amount of $25.00 to the Adjutant, payable to the Grand Army of the Cussewago. This fee will assist the Grand Army in paying some of our expenses and will allow us to contribute to some worthwhile Civil War preservation projects in the future.
8. I have attached the reading list from 2020.
9. For this campaign Jim Ballou will provide modern walkie-talkie radios for each vehicle. When we are out tramping the fields, however, it is still advisable for every person, or at least every other person, to carry the Family Radio Service walkie-talkie radios. The preferred FRS radios have 14 channels, 38 privacy codes, and have a range of about 2 miles or more.
10. Since this will be an election year, the offices of Commander, Adjutant, Historian, Quartermaster, and Sergeant Major will be open for nominations and election. At the business meeting I will propose a list of nominees who have volunteered to serve. If anyone who is not an incumbent officer wishes to nominate himself or others for any of these positions, please notify me so that I can add their names to the list of nominees.
11. If this campaign will be your third and senior recruit campaign and you would like to receive the award of our coveted CS belt buckle at the banquet, please contact me as soon as you receive this order.
12. As all y’all are aware, the continued success of the GAC depends upon our members volunteering to be campaign directors. We have been very lucky to have some really fantastic campaign directors in the past including, Jim Ballou (thrice), Mark Bradley (twice), Ben Brockenbrough (twice), Rob Freis (seven times), Gar Fritts (twice), Denny Frasche (twice), Ron Gancas (twice), Hal Nelson (five times), Rick Caniglia once, and your obedient servant (twice). After 2022, however, we will need to have volunteers step up to direct future campaigns. At some point in the future, I am contemplating returning to NC for Sherman’s Carolinas’ Campaign of 1865, including the battles of Monroe’s Crossroads, Averasboro, and Bentonville, and the surrender of Joe Johnston’s Army at the Bennett Place.
If anyone has other proposals for other future campaigns, please contact me so that we can discuss it.
13. As usual, we will be doing a mix of walking and riding on this campaign. Please inform Howard or me if you think that you will require transport assistance. We will do our best to arrange transport for those who have difficulty walking. We want everyone to be able to participate in the readings and presentations.
14. Please notify Adjutant Nestlerode and me of any male guests that you would like to bring to this year’s campaign, especially younger guests, such as sons, sons-in-law, grandsons, or nephews.
15. Remember that the soldiers who fought here in October and November 1863 experienced rainy, cold, and wintry weather. As our old veteran campaigners know, the weather in July will be hotter, muggier, and probably equally rainy, so be prepared.
16. On this campaign you will again walk the ground and see terrain that few other groups have ever seen or studied in the detail that we will do this year. There will again be many “You are there” moments. We are deeply indebted to Rob, Jim, and Ben for all of their labors on our behalf. Although much of the planning for the campaign has already been done, please feel free to contact Rob if you would like to make a presentation during the campaign. Rob’s email address is rfreis@rev.net. His cell telephone number is: (540)-588-6099.
17. In closing, Gentlemen, let me once again invite you to this year’s campaign. When we did our recon in April, we were very impressed with what we could still see and enjoy in in this part of Northern VA. I know that I learned a tremendous amount about this very important, but not well understood campaign. After this Spring Campaign, I’m sure that you will feel the same way. I look forward to tramping these battlefields with each of you once again in July.
I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
Michael J. Brennan, M.D., Surgeon, AOC
Commanding
