Guilford Courthouse

March 15th of this year marks the 225th anniversary of the battle of Guilford Courthouse. This past weekend, a few members of the 23rd went to Guilford Courthouse (modern day Greensboro, NC) to recreate the battle.

The battle was tactically a loss to the Americans, as the British under Lord Cornwallis held the field after the fighting was over. In the larger picture of the war, Nathanael Greene was able to stop the British tramp through the South and directly led to Cornwallis getting trapped at Yorktown half a year later.

From what I have heard, the reenactment went off pretty well and everyone had a good time. Here are a few pictures.




There are also some pretty neat looking 360 degree virtual views from the reenactment.

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Reagan Library Event

The Annual Revolutionary War Weekend is coming soon to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. On April 1st and 2nd, reenactors from around Southern California will make the war and the time period come alive with a series of displays and battles.

If you are interested, please come on out and take a look. There will be a ton of stuff going on from period dancing to battle demonstrations. It should be a lot of fun.

I think the description on the Reagan website sums it all up:

Discover how the American Revolution comes alive with a Revolutionary War encampment and battle reenactments in one of the most authentic living history events on the West Coast! It’s the Reagan Library’s fifth annual Revolutionary War Weekend from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, April 1st – 2nd. All events related to the reenactments are free; regular admission applies to enter the Museum. For more information, call 800-410-8354.

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The Opposition

I have not mentioned yet who the 23rd fights when we go into battle. Here in Southern California, there is a unit that depicts a company in the Delaware Light Infantry. You can read all about the rebels here.

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Toy Soldier Show

Last Sunday was the West Coast Toy Soldier show in Irvine. The show began with some re-enactor groups marching through the show. The Delawares were there as well as a few guys from the 23rd. Some Zouaves were also strutting their stuff.

Pretty much after the march to kick off the show, we did nothing but setup a table and try to get recruits. Almost everyone that walked by was told about the big event coming in April to the Reagan Library and I am hoping that we get a good turnout there. A lot of the kids coming through the toy soldier show were impressed with our uniforms and our muskets. In fact, a few kids even asked if they could buy our stuff.

Those of you interested, there are a few toy soldiers out there that look like Fusiliers. W. Britains makes a set that is three soldiers from the 23rd Grenadier Company as well as some 23rd officers. They look pretty good and at some point I will be picking them up.

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Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant

Happy Saint David's Day everyone! Every March 1st, Wales celebrates St. David's Day. Think of it as the Welsh version of St. Patrick Day. Instead of wearing green, it is traditional to wear either a daffodil or a leek on this day. The daffodil is the generic Welch symbol while the leek is the symbol of St. David. The story goes that while leading some Welch troops to fight the Saxons, St. David had his soldiers pin some leeks on their helmets to identify themselves. OF course no one knows if this actually happened, but it is a nice story.

Here is some more information about St. David and St. David's Day.

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