Tenting Tonight on the Old Quagmire.
Saturday, I went over to the annual Lake Villa, Illinois, Civil War encampment at the Lehman Mansion to man the Sons of Confederate Veterans table. I figured there would be problems as it rained all day Friday and was continuing. We set records for rainfall in the Chicagoland this past weekend.
Upon arrival at the grounds, I saw a sign saying "Closed to the Public" and a cop also told me it was closed, but he let me proceed when I told him I was with the SCV. After parking in a gravel area (believe me, you wouldn't want to in the grass, you'd never get out) I walked along the paved driveway through the treed area back to the mansion.
The first thing I saw was a group of Confederates breaking camp and putting some dripping rolled up rugs into a van. Then, I saw Custer trying to extricate his boots from a wet area. Next, a group of Union soldiers were pushing a cannon through "the mud and the blood and the beer." Even Abe was heading off the grounds in a Ford Explorer (you'd think he'd at least be driving a Lincoln).
I never was able to find the SCV tent even though I walked, excuse me, slogged, over a lot of the area. The patch by the sutlers was particularly wet. Not much was sold that day. I saw one food vendor eating an ear of corn and remarked to him that he was eating his profits. he said it was the last one and shrugged.
I'm not sure about Sunday, but it was probably canceled as well since it continued to rain the whole time.
Certainly Not a Good Day for man Nor Beast. --B-R
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
