COI Review

I believe I have fully recovered from the Camp of Destruction...oops I mean Instruction. This week will be spent reviewing what you missed at the COI.

We had a good turnout of a little over a hundred participants. For the first time this included the Cavalry command. Another first was our camping in Camp Hillsman, our hand picked home for future events on the site.

The event ushered in the first Ladies Seminar, giving the ladies a chance to expand their camp impressions. About a dozen ladies attended and enjoyed a lecture by Belinda Womack, a noted speaker on the time period and civilian impressions.

Since most of the members present this year were infantry the schedule of events centered around drill, field impressions, staff duties and logistics during the war.



The evenings are often legendary at the COI and this year was no different. The 5th Virginia opened "The Stinky Pickle" pub outside camp with the enticement of beer all night in your tin cup for $10. Part of the proceeds are to go to the Corps Treasury.


Strange happenings at the Stinky Pickle

After a later wake up call on Sunday the day began with parade and a little drill. Afterwards we held the ever popular Longstreet Olympics with the load and fire competition for the men and a frying pan toss for the ladies. After that we broke into the famous Officers vs. Enlisted tactical. Word was the third element had to be dealt with as the Cav and the Sgt. Major played high power bushwhackers with their fancy repeating rifles.