After Actions Reports

After Action Reports

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Official Report - Fort Macon

April 21-23, 2017

Gentlemen and Ladies of Co. D, 27th NC Troops,

I have the honor to present the following report for the occupation and defense of coastal Fort Macon. The first troops of the company began to arrive at the fort before noon on Friday. Pvt. Simmons and Engineer Gowen began to set up sleeping quarters in one of the casemates, and soon after, several other members arrived to join them. Being in garrison for the weekend, most everyone was able to enjoy beds and not have to sleep on the ground.

The weather was mild and clear, although a little warm for April. After an early breakfast on Saturday at a local tavern, several more troops made their appearance at the fort, and gathered outside the fort for formation. The troops, along with some local civilian volunteers, marched up to the main fort gate, to demand surrender of the fort. Sgt. Alexander was stubborn and feisty at first, but eventually turned the fort over to the troops. He was allowed to watch the North Carolinians march in, and go through some firing and marching drill. Sgt. Alexander was also forced to learn about Confederate uniforms, as Corporal Hodges was brought forward to exhibit his kit.

The flag was lowered, and a military salute given, and the troops completed their initial drill. Several guards were then posted at the front gate, and various activities began inside the fort. A great visitor turnout was on hand, to see flag talks, fashion shows, and the children of the area were shown basic soldier drill. An artillery demonstration was provided, and everyone had the chance to see a mortar round fired over the walls of the fort.

One of our ladies made the trek to Fort Macon, to bring supplies for the men. Her basket full of sweets and cold, wet rags were appreciated by all. Another of our ladies was able to bring her two children into the fort, to visit the troops. A rather large snake kept making an appearance in the casemate, and created much excitement. (The day before, Sgt. Smith had been scared at the sight of the snake slithering toward him, and jumped rather high as he yelled out a few choice words)

On Saturday, the troops were called to the kitchen for lunch shortly after noon, and were treated with fried chicken, bread, and beans.

Federal troops began to probe the fort at 1:30 p.m., and found themselves trapped in the moat, after entering the main fort entrance. Confederate troops successfully wiped out the invaders, much to the delight of the locals. Other military displays ended the day at 4 p.m., and the troops plotted their advance on The Crab Shack for the evening meal. Pvt. Whitaker went on a foraging mission to locate some beeswax candles, and almost wiped out 3 months worth of his wages! But all ended well, when Pack Mule was able to trade in the candles to get his money back.

Saturday evening was beautiful, with much cooler temperatures. Many soldiers spent their free time on top of the fort, enjoying conversation and the view of the ocean - while others turned in early, after a day of marching and fighting.

Light rain began to fall before sunrise on Sunday, but the troops managed to scrounge for food in town. As the skies cleared, a drill was executed in the fort at 10 a.m. Beautiful, cool weather was the order of the day for Sunday. The troops were issued fried pork chops, bread, and more beans for lunch. And again, as was the case the day before, some Federal troops advanced on the fort from the beach, and began to take shots at the fort. The Confederates kept the enemy at bay, before several bluecoats tried to flank the defenders. We had been told to "disregard the area to our right" by Capt. Greiner - but our defenders were too smart to ignore their flank. And as feared, we had to reposition troops to fight off that attack. We quickly formed up in the moat, and fought off the advancing Yankees. We were ordered into the fort's main gate, to allow the enemy to pass. Once that happened, we had the Yankees trapped between our rifles and those in the counter-fire room. The Yankees had no chance, although a Federal drummer tried his best to knock out one Confederate sniper by beating him over the head with his drumsticks!

During the skirmish, we lost "Pack Mule" to a Yankee bullet. He was struck down quickly, and probably didn't suffer at all.

Shortly after the Sunday attack, members of Company D began to pack up their gear for the trip home. They had had enough action for one weekend. Corporal Hodges had a long journey ahead of him - needing to reach the town of Boone before dark.

It is noteworthy to mention that we saw civilians Bill Potts and Ole King Cole (quite the Dandy) during the weekend. Be wary of Ole King Cole's walking cane, when he gets near you!

Our thanks go out to the host unit, the 1st/11th NC, for inviting us to attend. It's always nice to see our fellow members in the battalion, including the 18th NC/9th New Jersey, as well as some of our cavalry troops (minus the horses) this time. A good time was had by all.

Fort Macon Muster

Bryan Craddock, 1st LT

Kendall Smith, 1st Sgt.

Reid Hodges, Corporal

Jeff Gowen, Engineer

Pvt. James Britt

Pvt. Bruce Simmons

Pvt. Trent Howell

Pvt. Zack Hodges

Pvt. Andrew Boldt

Pvt. Jacob Whitaker (Pack Mule)

Recruits:

Pvt. Jonathan Vaughan

Pvt. "Chase"

Civilians:

Cindy Thompson (food supplier)

Jennifer Tripp

Guinevere Tripp

William Tripp

Billy Whitaker

Respectfully submitted

1st LT Craddock, D27NCT

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Official Report - Battles for New Berne, N.C.

March 10-12, 2017

Gentlemen of Co. D, 27th N.C. Troops,

I have the honor of presenting the official report for the 3-day excursion into eastern North Carolina, related to the past weekend. Elements of the company arrived early to set up heavy tents near the sutler area. By Friday afternoon, those two members were ready for action. Lt. Craddock and Cpl. Hodges arrived by 3 p.m., and located the camp of the 1st N.C. Battalion. Needing to wait for Pvt. Howell to bring several tents in his supply wagon, the company street was marked off - and soon, Cpl. Turner showed up with father, David. Their tent was quickly placed at the end of the company street, and Pvt. Boldt placed his tent on the opposite side. The remainder of the unit straggled in, and located our camp - setting up their tents and getting squared away.

The first of many trips to sutler row was made, and soon after, a campfire was made. The last elements of the company, Pvt. Hodges and Pvt. Ward, arrived after dark - and needed assistance from at least five soldiers to help erect their common tent. It was a strange task, considering the tent was homemade, and many didn't recognize the shape of the canvas. A beautiful night greeted everyone, with a bright moon providing light across the battlefield. Our earthworks were clearly visible, even in the dark. Knowing that we would be positioned there the following day, made it a bitter-sweet moment for most. As the company relaxed around the fire, it was noticed that a flame of some sort had flared up in a tent, burning the face of one of our battalion staff members.

Reveille came at 7 a.m., and several men quickly cooked breakfast prior to dress parade. Civilian Thompson started her sausage, pepper & onion rolls, but the aroma of Pvt. Howell's steak, from the night before, hung in the air. The brisk winds played havoc with most of the tents in camp - ripping the main tent fly, and splintering both wooden uprights. But due to the ingenuity of David Turner, his idea of using extra corner ropes won the day, and the fly remained functional all weekend. We were glad to see Cpl. K. Smith and Pvt. J. Whitaker (a.k.a. "Packmule") arrive in time to fall in. They must have walked all night to reach the camp.

After dress parade and a memorial service on Saturday morning, the company went into a short drill. After reforming the battalion, Sgt. Maj. Weltner reviewed how to form the company and battalion. The troops were released, and given some much needed down time.

Just before 2 p.m. on Saturday, Federal troops began approaching the defensive works that had been constructed south of New Berne. The battalion formed quickly, and Co. D, 27th NC was designated Color Company. We took our position behind the earthworks, stacked arms, and had time to relax a bit before the assault came. Cpl. Turner gave a nice oration of the actions of the original D27NCT, explaining how they were deployed near Fort Thompson, on the Neuse River, in March of 1862. It was hard to imagine their ranks being so thin, that they were stretched out in one rank.

The company was called to arms, and found protection behind solid earthworks. The Federals approached quickly, and drove in our skirmish line of about 25 men. Artillery fire opened up, but didn't slow the Federal attack. We opened up on the enemy at 200 yards, but must have missed, as we could not see any Yankee dead or wounded until they reached the breastworks. Our company volleys were outstanding, and were even noticed by Major Wright. After a little "contest," it was deemed that Co. D, 27th NC bested the other companies in the right wing! Very nice, indeed. I guess the extra rations of sausage, peppers, onions, and rolls had a lot to do with our aim. Thanks go out to our civilian, Cindy Thompson, for providing good eats for the entire stay in camp. It's hard to beat bacon crack, strawberries, banana cake, brownies, and pickled okra....... and an Irish coffee or two.

Several of the hard-boiled eggs on hand were used in a dramatic egg toss Saturday afternoon. Of course, other soldiers watching our game were surprised when they realized the eggs wouldn't crack. Several unit members cooked supper in camp, but most found grub on sutler row. Southern dishes, such as beans, collards, and cornbread were located at the fry bread cookery.

Spectator tours of the "Horrors of War," began at 6 p.m., and was soon followed by the Saturday night dance. The Huckleberry Brothers provided the music, and a large crowd assembled to dance until almost 10 p.m. Several members of the company went to the dance, and Pvt. S. Ward was seen dancing! This was after several ladies were spotted chasing him through camp. I guess it pays to chase a dance partner.

Another nice evening was had around the campfire on Saturday night, and the predicted snowfall didn't materialize until Sunday morning. A light snow fell, but thankfully, no rain. We had a brief formation, and then given the ok to load up if desired, to allow for a quick exit after the Sunday battle. Some tents gathered enough snow, that we were able to have a snowball fight in camp. Pvt. Ward was hit with a hard-boiled egg, in a delicate area, by D. Turner. We should be aware of that swap-out trick in the future.

Corporals Turner and Hodges stepped up nicely, to assume the roles of 1st Sgt. - each taking a day for the new duties. Filling out morning reports can be fun, right?

Having our ranks thinned by casualties on Saturday, and with the continuing snowfall, Co. D decided to vacate the camp by 11 a.m. A good time was had by all, and we tip our hat to the organizers of this event. They spent lots of effort on the battlefield, and it was great to see a nice sutler turnout.

Muster Roll for the Battles of New Bern:

1st Lt. Bryan Craddock

Cpl. Reid Hodges

Cpl. Kenny Smith

Cpl. Andrew Turner

Engineer Jeff Gowen

Pvt. Andrew Boldt

Pvt. Zack Hodges

Pvt. Trent Howell

Pvt. Sam Ward

Pvt. Jacob "Packmule" Whitaker

Civilans:

Bruce Simmons

Cindy Thompson

David Turner

Respectfully submitted,

Lt. B. Craddock

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Official Report: Fort Anderson, February 13-14, 2015

Gentlemen, I have the honor of submitting a report of the actions of Company D, 27th North Carolina Infantry during the 150th Anniversary commeration of the fall of Fort Anderson. We arrived to find cool, but comfortable weather on the afternoon of Friday, 13 February, a

foreboding date to be sure. It had been our intention, in deference to newly elected Corporal Kenneth Smith, to cook steaks in camp that evening. However, the prospect of cold weather and rapidly fading sunlight encouraged us to adopt our usual practice of heading into town

for dinner. As Corporal Smith’s well known disdain for even the aroma of seafood would have caused him to abandon any idea of joining

us had we journeyed to our usual restaurant of choice in Southport, The Cape Fear Restaurant and Lounge, a decision was made to let the Corporal choose our destination. Pizza was his choice and we all agreed that pizza provided a reasonable accommodation for us all.

Perhaps sensing that anything in the direction of Southport might have something on the menu resembling seafood, the Corporal led

us in the direction of the more distant Leland and away from the promise of pizza and grog at the coast. A likely looking, but near empty
restaurant was selected and we settled into our seats for the evening meal. The Corporal smiled broadly and happily as he ordered his usual adult beverage of choice, “I’ll have a Bud light” he said. Imagine the crestfallen look on his face when the waitress announced “We don’t serve beer!” Somehow, the corporal had selected the only sit down pizza restaurant in the world (other than perhaps a Chucky-Cheese) that did not serve beer. This was, of course, not a promising start to the evening for any of us. We made the best of it though, ate our pizza and returned to camp, full but somehow unsatisfied.

The rest of the evening was spent around the campfire until it was time to retire to our tents. On the last trip to wood pile, David Turner stumbled and fell. An event which did not seem serious at first, but turned out to have unfortunate consequences. The next morning we awakened to find cool, but not bone chilling temperatures. Coffee was made and it began to warm up. Everyone relaxed around the fire

but we noticed that neither of the Turner’s made an appearance. A quick glance inside their tent showed it to be empty and all their

equipment gone. We later learned that David’s fall had left him in considerable pain so he and Andrew had been forced to return home

during the night.

On Saturday, the weather quickly warmed and after a short morning parade we relaxed until time for the main event, a losing fight for Fort Anderson. Spectators abounded as we tried to defend the walls of the fort from an attack from three directions by overwhelming numbers

of Federal troops. Sadly, our efforts were in vain and everyone of us became a casualty, killed, wounded or captured. After the battle, we

returned to camp and were happy to see Cindy and Ben Thompson had made the trip to Fort Anderson to see how we were doing. Ben

looks great, even though he would look better in uniform. We relaxed in camp and began, as we often do, to ponder just what our promised evening meal would consist of. We soon discovered that the catering company that was to provide that staple of re-enactor gustatory delight, barbecue, had lost their license or truck, we never found out which, and instead we were going to be served chicken stew. The two

sergeants and I made a quick command decision and headed off to Southport for a fine dinner at the CFR&L. Upon our return we found the

fire smokey, the wind picking up and the temperatures falling. We made an early evening of it and headed for the tents. It was indeed cold

that night, but everyone survived and the next morning temperatures began to rise. In the early afternoon we were once again called upon

to die bravely in defense of the fort and once we had all been killed, wounded and captured, the event was over and we headed for home.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank those members of the 27th NCT that attended this event. The sesquicentennial events commemorating The Civil War in North Carolina are an important part of preserving the history of our state. They provide recognition and money to important Civil War sites in North Carolina. Those who took the time to participate in the commemoration of the fall of Fort Fisher

in January and Fort Anderson in February should be proud of yourselves. These were not the easiest of events in which to participate.
Both involved uncomfortable weather and both lacked the pageantry of the larger re-enactments. You can be proud that when your State,

your unit and the 4th Regiment needed you, you answered the call. I thank you for your efforts. You are a band of brothers.

Fort Anderson muster roll:

Captain Dean Harry

1st Lieutenant Bryan Craddock

1st Sergeant Kendall Smith

2nd Sergeant Todd Kornegay

Corporal Kenneth Smith

Corporal Andrew Turner

Private Chris James

Civilian David Turner

Visitors:

Cindy Thompson

Ben Thompson

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Official Report- Fort Fisher 2015

Company D, 27th North Carolina Troops

January

It is my honor to submit this report of the action at Fort
Fisher which took place on January 16-18, 2015. As you all know, this was the
first of four events between January and April this year commemorating the 150th
Anniversary of the series of 1865 events which helped to bring about the end of
the war and to restore of the Union.

A number of the members of the 27th NCT arrived at the Fort
on the afternoon of January 16th. January, as one of our members was later
reminded, the 1st month of the year. We deployed on a beautiful piece of ground,
protected by the walls of Shepard’s Battery and after a few of us headed to
Freddie’s Restaurant for a delicious meal, we returned to camp and settled in
for a pleasant evening of campfire watching. Judging from the increasing volume
of the chatter from a member or two, there might have been some over-consumption
of adult beverages. It was dark, so I can’t say for sure.

Reveille was late Saturday morning as no Confederate
“mugichians” were present, all having been galvanized Union for the event. No
company NCOs were present in time to prepare the morning report on Saturday, but
Private Frender did an admirable job in their absence and the report was timely
filed. Newly promoted Corporal Kenneth Smith arrived in time for the morning
parade, and was brevetted to 1st Sergeant. We were given the honor of carrying
the colors for morning parade, after which Brevet Sgt. Smith conducted a company
drill. From the battalion formation we moved across the road to participate in
the opening ceremonies which included short speeches from the Secretary of the
Department of Cultural Resources and Governor McCrory. Historian emeritus,
honorary Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide and national treasure, 91 year
old Ed Bearss delivered the keynote address. Musical accompaniment was provided
by the Marine Corps Band from Camp Lejeune.

For the afternoon formation and battle, we, along with the
11th NCT, were assigned position in support of artillery guarding the River
Road. The artillery barrage preceding the attack was tremendous. Our company
held the right of the line and was assisted by “Red Infantry” once the battery
had been overrun. We resisted stubbornly in spite of the tremendous odds against
us, until completely overrun by hundreds of Union soldiers who gained the top of
the parapet and drove the remainder of 4th Regiment from their defensive
positions there. Lusty “huzzahs!” from the victorious Union soldiers atop the
ramparts were greeted by equally lusty “Boos!” from the thousands of spectators
situated a few yard behind us. We might have been beaten, but a least we were
loved. The battle ended early, leaving plenty of down time to enjoy the
extremely pleasant temperatures and the 15,000 spectators that continuously
stooped to chat and have their pictures taken with us.

A delicious dinner was provided by the Friends of Fort Fisher
Foundation. It might not have been quite as good as the one they provided in
2010, but it was at least the 2nd best I have ever seen at a reenactment. Hats
off to the FoFF. The fried chicken, barbecue, pasta, green beans, scalloped
potatoes, biscuits and banana pudding were most delicious. Considering they fed
at least 600 reenactors, volunteers and State employees and no registration fee
was charged, they are to be congratulated. Even Kenny was happy.

We spent another pleasant evening around the campfire and
retired a bit earlier than the prior evening to the threat of heavy rain the
next morning. Rain came, but less than expected and caused little more than a
small delay in the next days activities. A short weapons inspection was held and
we went right into the closing battle which was essentially the same as the day
before. Unfortunately, by then our ranks had dwindled to two muskets and two
officers, no NCOs. With such a paltry showing, I was forced to have our men fall
in with the 11th NCT, so the 27th was not represented on the field. Despite the
embarrassment, Lt. Craddock and I swallowed our pride and took charge of the
left and right wings of the 11th under the direction of Lt. Greiner. After the
battle, which was once again witnessed by hundreds of spectators, we went
directly into the closing ceremony. The ceremony ended with a excellent speech
by author/ educator Rodd Gragg. Before being dismissed, the Friends of Fort
Fisher presented each soldier under arms that day with commemorative medal. I
was very happy to see that requests for extra medals for those in camp or
civilians were refused. If you didn’t fight on Sunday, you were not awarded one.
As soon as we were dismissed, we broke down camp and left. Shortly after 2:00 PM
we were on the road having completed a most memorable event.

I’d like to single out Lt. Craddock, Private Sam Frender and
Private Jaron Benson for special thanks. They are the only men in Company D,
27th NCT who stood by their Company Officers and colors for the entire weekend.
Lt. Craddock and I will not forget their support. This was a once in a lifetime
event and they took advantage of the opportunity. Special thanks also to Cindy
Thompson who made the long drive from Raleigh even though she was offered very
little opportunity to participate in the event. My thanks to everyone who came,
supported the Unit and made us proud. I realize that many of you have
obligations, both work and family, which interfere with participation in events.
Still, special events like this rarely occur. It makes me wonder what those that