Hear the rattle of musketry, feel the ground shake from the volley of cannon fire, watch the sun gleaming off thousands of muskets, see the air thick with the smoke from black powder, listen to sergeants as they try to keep the men together and officers frantic to get their men into position. The orders may be to double quick to the front and throw out a skirmish line while the main body comes up behind. We may execute a flank march and pour a deadly volley into the Union flank. We might advance with the main body and stand our ground in a deadly firefight with the Union army. We may be held in reserve; ready to move at a moments notice to where ever we are needed. We may provide covering fire for the main body as our army is forced to retreat. This is reenacting with the Stonewall Brigade.
At the 125th of First Manassas we portrayed the 33rd Virginia and charged Rickett's and Griffin's batteries. At Sharpsburg we were the first into the cornfield for a pre dawn engagement and later executed a flank attack against Federals assaulting the sunken road. At the Wilderness we fortified by digging trenches and building breastworks. At Cedar Creek remnants of the brigade made a stand and provided covering fire for our routed and retreating army. At Sayler's Creek we fought a rear guard action against the Union army that was quickly surrounding the remnant of the Army of Northern Virginia.
At the 125th of the Appomattox surrender we were the first infantry brigade to march into the village. The brigade participated in most of the 125th and 130th anniversary reenactments. We have participated in reenactments, living history programs and parades in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania since 1980. The brigade has done programs for the National Park Service at Gettysburg, Antietam, Harper's Ferry, Monacacy, Manassas and Appomattox. We have participated in Maryland Park programs at Ft. Frederick and Gathland. We have been to Sky Meadow and Leesylvania in the Virginia state park system. Twice each year we go to Capon Bridge West Virginia where we have our winter quarters built. Here we concentrate on our military instruction from the balance step to battalion maneuvers; learning in much the same way as the original soldiers were taught.
Individuals interested in joining one of the Stonewall brigade units can look elsewhere on this website for recruiting information. Companies interested in the Stonewall Brigade must take a unit designation from one of the original units.
The Stonewall brigade was formed in 1980 by the 4th Virginia Company A and the 33rd Virginia Company E. Since 1980 the 2nd Virginia Co. A, 2nd Virginia Co. E, 5th Virginia Co. A, 27th Virginia Co. C, 27th Virginia Co. D, 33rd Virginia Co. A, and 33rd Virginia Co. H have joined the brigade. We all have several things in common, a love of Civil War history and a desire to do things right. But most importantly we enjoy coming together 6 or 7 times each year being with our friends and putting on the best infantry impression that contemporary research and resources will allow.
