Thanks from the Chief-of-Staff

Alas, your Chief-of-Staff is still alive and kicking. I shall endeavor to be in more constant contact with you, concerning our Corps and its business.

Bentonville was quite an event. Ask anyone who was there, and you will get, probably, both of the following comments. Everyone had to haul their gear into camp from quite a distance, and Longstreet's Corps burned alot of powder. All with whom I spoke, said they endured the aggravation of not having a road into camp, with a grim sort of resolve. A steady stream of our men, women and children were in motion all weekend, moving the flotsam and jetsam of an army, reminding me of what September, 1939 must have looked like to Poland.

Wood, water, straw and hay for the camps, were not well-martialed by event organizers. Neither were water and ice properly provided during battle. My first thank-you, goes out to the soldiers who dealt with such hardships on the field, as well as to the dependents they left behind in camp. My next thank-yous, though I am sure I will leave out someone, go to Corps Quartermaster, Captain Les Switzer, Coordinator of Vivandieres, Laura Brandt, and to Surgeon Major Ransom Autry and his staff.

Without these folks, the simple fact is, we would all have had a worse time than we did. Captain Switzer pushed , prodded and labored to get needed supplies of all necessary items, even by going straight to the top. Vivandiere Laura Brandt tirelessly worked in the field, to make sure all troops were properly cared for, in terms of water, scarcity of ice and a general eye for our welfare. Major Autry and his staff dealt with medical exigencies, for real and potentially real medical emergencies.

I cannot begin to convey the depth of my gratitude, to all of these folks, for their dedication to duty. When you get the chance, be sure to thank themselves. Without comrades like them, we cannot succeed at what we do.

Next time: "Trigger Time"