Civil War Barbecue and Encampment

On Saturday after we returned home from our pet sitting gig, Jeff, Spike and I went over to the Norwalk Historical Society for the Civil War Barbecue and Encampment. For $12, we had all we could eat of burgers, hot dogs, pulled pork, side salads and dessert. The net proceeds will be used to fund the restoration of the Norwalk Riverside Civil War Statue

Volunteers from the 11th Regiment Connecticut Infantry Co. A conducted drills and firing demonstrations. We saw the kinds of tents and provisions the soldiers were given and a commanding officer's field desk. I was surprised to hear that at least on the Union side, clerks outnumbered soldiers eight to one. A volunteer explained that the clerks had to create three reports after each battle, accounting for every bullet used, etc. One set of reports was wrapped in red tape and hence the reason for that term. Note: this Wikipedia entry disagrees.

This is the third event we attended at the Norwalk Historical Society in the past year. I'm not sure if the group is more active or if we are just more aware of their offerings. But it's been fun to participate.