A milestone in our Unit’s history has just taken the physical form of a new, enclosed trailer.



(A better photo to be published, soon.)

1st Sgt. David Lamb purchased a 5' x 8' x 6' tall trailer, which will be used to transport all the 49th's gear to events both here in the State and to all our out-of-state venues and events. (Gettysburg Remembrance Day)

Our Top Shirt paid for this $1800 trailer entirely with his own funds; he did not borrow a Farthing from the coffers of the 49th, which are earmarked for preservation and restoration.

So,

Please mail your pledges and make them payable to:

David M. Lamb
1305 Locust St. #7
Des Moines, IA 50309

Thank you, in advance, for your prompt attention.



Posted by Corporal Stahr
on the request of
1st Sgt. Lamb

How Can You Tell When it’s Fair Time in Iowa?

Photo: Dana Peterson

Well…if half of your cities and towns across the state are under water, it might be Fair Time.
If the streets that aren’t under water, are under construction, that’s a good clue that it is Fair Time.
If the temperature outside is hot enough that you hair begins to smoke even BEFORE you don your wool “bummer”, then it’s a pretty good bet that it is probably State Fair time.
When all three of those scenarios merge, it is absolutely certain that it is time for the 2010 Iowa State Fair. And for us, that means Parades……with the heat indices surpassing 108 degrees.
Against all common sense, or reason, members of The Governor’s Own Iowa Rifles of Company “A” 49th Regiment, Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry volunteered to take part in not just one, but two parade events this year in conjunction with the State Fair. But, showing at least a modicum of intelligence in the matter, we elected to “do” one of the parades on something other than burning shoe-leather and rode the three-mile-long course of the official State Fair Parade on the flatbed trailer that Corporal Denny Williams uses to haul his 12 pound Napoleon cannon to and from events when his latent artillerist tendencies get the better of him.
And mightily glad we were for the use of it, I must say.



Photo: Dana Peterson



Photo: David Lamb

RCS Krock, CS Thompson, Corporal Rittel, and myself were joined by the ever lovely countenances of Mrs. Rittel and Mrs. Williams, who rode in the back of Corporal Williams’ pick-up truck turned event float, while the Riflemen were joined by the newest member of the Regiment, Corporal Zachery Halter (Regimental Mascot). Corporal Halter is a precocious eight-year old who encountered CS’s Krock, Thompson and myself at a Downtown Farmer’s Market event in the Summer of 2009 and made his mother (Karen Halter) promise that if she ever saw us at Farmer’s Market again, that she would come home and get him and bring him down to meet us. That came to pass a couple of weeks ago when we did a “Meet and Greet” at Iowa’s largest outdoor Saturday market event.
In the intervening year, Zach had carefully arranged to have a “Civil War costume” made by a neighbor lady that consisted of a dark blue velveteen shirt with Union eagle buttons and some red chevrons (Heaven forbid, another budding cannon-cocker!). To Zach’s delight, Mom sprang for a Kepi at the Lamoni re-enactment last year, and a pair of winter snow boots become his “issue” footgear along with his favorite blue jeans. Thus attired, Zach “reported for duty” to me at the Farmer’s Market and spent about two hours with our detachment that day, delighting us with his considerable knowledge of the Civil war; and his myriad questions about just about everything related to the “recent unpleasantries”.



Photo: David Lamb

Over the course of the day, Zach made it plain that he would relish the opportunity to “join the regiment”, and said that he would, “be deeply honored” to be allowed to accompany us on the parade route for the State Fair Parade. After checking with Mom (something I have had to do with other Corporals over the years), we extended the invitation for him to ride along, and he jumped on that faster than a Border Patrol Cap can clean out a Wal-Mart checkout line!
Today was Zach’s day in the sun…both literally and figuratively.



Photo: Dana Peterson

We have begun the process of equipping him a bit better to do an Infantry impression by having a Field Forage Cap of appropriate design made for him (though one he will have to grow into a bit…but he will); and, I converted an old British style cartridge box for the Snider-Enfield into a reasonable facsimile of a pint-sized cartridge box for him. The addition of an I.D. disc identifying him as a member of this Regiment nearly completed the transformation.
Although, the erstwhile Corporal still expresses a desire to ,”learn to be a ‘Powder Monkey’ (we may have to give him over to CS Thompson at some point, because he seems to have the same strange desire) maybe it will pass once he finds out about having to clean one of those big, heavy, smelly, things.
At any rate, there it is. State Fair Parade 2010 has come about; been executed smartly by the Regiment, and passed into the history books. Next week, it is on to our second Iowa State Fair related event; Veterans Day at the Fair on Monday, August 16th.

Postscript:
Following the Parade, the Regiment learned that their "float" had actually won an award for being "Best Non-Commercial Entry" in the parade. We are all eagerly anticipating the all-expenses paid trip to anywhere in the world that surely must accompany such an accolade. We'll send in a postcard to let you know how that turned out for us.

1/Sgt. David M. lamb
Commanding
Company “A” 49th Regiment
Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry
The Governor’s Own Iowa Rifles

Field Notes V

Items of potential interest to members of The Governor’s Own Forty-Ninth Iowa.

A Report in serial form from Honor the Colors, The Iowa Battle Flags Project
By
David M. Lamb
Volunteer Conservator

The progress on the flag of the 4th Iowa Infantry has been slow to say the least. After about ten weeks of spending our efforts on the re-consolidation of the unit identifier ribbon we ultimately reached a point where the paint fragments were too small to be able to piece them back into the area, and we had to finally call a halt to those efforts. I am reasonably comfortable with what we have done in this regard; and, you can now clearly discern that this is the 4th Iowa’s Regimental (although most of the word “Infantry” was either too far gone, or had been “souvenired” away by person or persons unknown at some earlier date).
On the days when I was not in the lab, Project Conservator Sheila Hanke continued her efforts on this flag to re-consolidate the shatter from the central Eagle Device in the center of the flag, and that process is nearly completed as well.




Once that happens, we will then begin a final “shifting” of the field of cloth and then begin the process of cutting and placing the over and under-layment layers of Stabiltex that will ultimately encase this old gal into her new resting place until abler-hands at some future time can once again take their turn at preserving her further into the future.
In the accompanying photo, Sheila can be seen using a “Beva-bandaid” to cement portions of the stripes on the Eagle’s shield together, while laying prone on the “rib-cracker” positioned about the conservation table.



I will submit photos of these final stages in the process at a future point in time, but for the immediate moment would like to direct your attention a new “star” that is slowly on the ascendant in the lab…that being the flag of the 9th Iowa Veteran Volunteers (Infantry Regiment).
David Thompson had recently finished the exhausting cleaning process on a “contract flag” for another museum and was looking for a new project to begin. He chose the flag of the 9th Iowa to receive his next efforts that will carry us well into the Fall; along with continuing work on the flag of the 29th; finishing the final touches on the 7th Iowa Cavalry (when Sarah Carlson returns from her Summer Studies in Great Britain; and, as I said, the closing efforts on the flag of the 4th Iowa.
Last week, David began the process of documentation on the flag by taking detailed overall measurements, photographing of the flag as it appears upon initial placement onto the conservation table, and giving a written description of his initial examination of the flag. He then began the laborious process of “lift and snip” on the twelve to fifteen thousand machine and hand-stitches that are holding the (presumed) 1908 conservation cloth “sandwich” to the flag.
Due to prior commitments, David was not able to be in the lab this week, but on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week (August 3rd and 4th) Volunteer Conservator Richard Fast (who has been volunteering with the project form it’s very beginnings) and I decided to assist David in his work, by continuing the march as it were and seeing if we couldn’t get at least one side of the conservation cloth off of the flag, and also do the “sampling” (taking snippets of all cloth, threads, paints, etc. from the body of the flag itself, and preserving then by using Picolite to affix the samples to slides for future microscopic examination and analysis). In the execution of this process, we also collect any extraneous materials that we might find along the way such as dirt, seeds, grass, plant materials, blood, hairs, fibers, and so forth (*more on this later) in hopes that they might give us additional insights into the histories of these flags.
We were particularly anxious to remove the conservation covering on this particular flag because we could tell that this old gal was very special, as she bore an embroidered central Eagle Device on her blue silk field! Her REGIMENTAL IDENTIFIER appeared to be almost entirely intact, but above the eagle device was an area that had once been painted, but was now approximately 95 to 98% missing, except for what appear to be the distal tips of painted “rays of glory” emanating from whatever used to be there. From the scant fragments that we have been able to see thus far it may have been a bank of roiling clouds with something probably painted thereon (perhaps a “Battle Honor”, like “Sugar Creek”, “Pea Ridge”, “Chickasaw Bayou”, “Vicksburg”, “Jackson” “Jonesboro”, “Resaca” or another of the many actions this regiment saw? Any conjecture would be just that; conjectural, but something was once there that is no longer there, and the “Rays of Glory” would indicate that it was something that the Regiment took great pride in.
The REGIMENTAL IDENTIFIER ribbon is also interesting, in that it clearly identifies the regiment as being “Veteran Volunteers”. From this, it can reasonably be surmised that the flag was not one that was made until sometime in late 1862 or later.



We surmise this because the Regiment was first mustered in Dubuque, Iowa on September 24, 1861, and thence reported to Benton Barracks, St. Louis in October; some 1007 strong including officers and men. They remained there over the terrible measles-ridden winter of ’61-’62 until late February when they joined Vandever’s Brigade of Carr’s Division of the Army of the Southwest (just in time, I might add, to withstand a terrible mauling at the Battle of Pea Ridge where the regiment sustained the greatest percentage of casualties, 218 killed, wounded, or injured of 560 who were engaged, but held the line).
As a general rule, a Regiment could not term itself to be “Veteran Volunteers” until such time as it had served for a period of one-year. If this may be assumed, this flag would likely date from the fall of 1862 or later. It would also, in my opinion, tend to support the idea that the missing section of the flag above the Eagle device once held some sort of battle honor. On many Regimentals of this design, there is a double row of stars arced above the central device, but this flag has 13 painted (stenciled) stars that are clearly visible on the shield that covers the chest of the embroidered eagle, so I would believe it unlikely that the missing section held additional stars. Unless we should happen to find some bit of written evidence telling us what this flag once looked like, your guess is as good as anyone else’s!
What is not conjectural at all is the sheer beauty of this flag!



I can only describe this flag as “breathtaking”.
When Richard and I cut those final stitches and carefully lifted off the conservation cloth, we became the first living people on the planet to view the magnificence of this flag! What an honor! For those of us who spend a great deal of our time with one foot firmly planted in the past there are few things that could be a great deal more rewarding than this.
The accompanying photographs cannot begin to do justice to the beauty of this embroidered Eagle! She is just simply magnificent! And I wanted to share her with you as soon as possible, so please enjoy, as we did, the beauty of this old masterpiece. Think of the time, effort, energy, and probably considerable amount of money, which went into rendering every stitch on this magnificent bird. On the bound-edge of the hoist, you can see the remnant of one of the original cloth ties that would have held this flag to it’s pole. One of the accompanying photos shows this remnant.
Look at the brilliant colors, and the sheen of the light playing off ot the various colors of embroidery thread in that Eagle!
AND….take a very close look at that eye!



Those are cut-glass beads!
From my days as a “Buckskinner” many long years ago, and from having dug up thousands of these as “trade beads” at archaeological sites out West (hint: you can find them near old villages and trading posts on the mounds that the prairie dogs dig up when making their burrows, but watch out for the Rattlesnakes that hunt those same Prairie Dogs; and, who like to spend the hottest part of the days on the Great Plains in an abandoned burrow).
Experience would tell me that these white, brown, and black beads are probably of Austrian manufacture, but again, just my opinion. Further examination may tell us more.
Earlier on (1st paragraph of page 2) I talked about collecting the miscellaneous detritus that we find in and on these flags. So far, we have found pieces of fabric used as ties, small tacks, fragments of what appears to be blades of grass (remember that the “Old Boys” of the G.A.R. actually used to take these old flags to encampments like the 50th National at Gettysburg in 1913!), and what may possible be fabric from the “drop” on an old campaign or membership ribbon badge, and some small fragments of printed pages (newspaper?) tangled up in the fringe of this old lady. And, we have only just begun.
So, another adventure begins as we commence work on the flag of the 9th Iowa Veteran Volunteers. And I know more mysteries await us as we begin to unravel what we can about this grand old flag. I’ll keep you posted on the progress as she continues her journey. Until next time,

Best regards,
David

R.A.G.B.R.A.I. 2010

Efforts in Support of the Dept. of Iowa SUVCW Sesquicentennial Committee

On Thursday and Friday. July 29th and 30th, elements of the Forty-Ninth Iowa deployed to the Hart Ridge Golf Course on the Western edge of Manchester, Iowa to take part in funds-raising efforts of the Dept. of Iowa’s Sesquicentennial Committee as we set up to greet the thousands of bicyclists that were nearing the Eastern terminus of their week-long ride.
Joining with members of the 3rd Iowa Independent Light Artillery and other area re-enactors, Guardsmen of the “Governor’s Own” set up our typical educational displays under canvas tents and flies, graciously provided by RCS Krock (who was dressed in 1860 Marine uniform); and CS Thompson, who keeps his artillerist tendencies close at hand for such events. Corporals J. Braden (Department Commander) and A. Braden arrived with the rains on Friday morning to assist throughout the day with meeting and greeting the hundred who visited us as they arrived wet and tired from their ride in the rains from their previous night’s stopover in Waterloo.
By around noon-time, the rains had blown through and the sun would shine on the rest of the events of the day; which included repeated opportunities for visitors to fire off the rifles, pistols and cannons, much to the delight of our cyclist friends.







We met and visited with people from at least fifteen states as well as Germany, Australia, Italy, Greece, Spain, the Netherlands, Great Britain, France, Austria, Japan, China, and New Zeeland to name but a few.
Early in the afternoon, Department Commander James Braden and RCS Krock (who pretty much orchestrated the entire event) presented the owner of Hart Ridge Golf Course, Mr Bill Gearhart, with a certificate of appreciation and a Sesquicentennial Tee-shirt as a small token of our thanks for hosting this event. Bill also took a turn at firing off everything that we brought that would “go boom” and looked as delighted as a schoolboy with that opportunity. He is talking about having another event next year…even if the bicycle riders don’t come.
That would absolutely delight many in the “re-enactor community” from that area who were bemoaning the recent collapse of several other events in that area over recent years.
I committed the Forty-Ninth to supporting any future events of this nature that we can attend in support of this worthwhile cause.
As to whether the “RAGBRAI’ers” enjoyed themselves, the accompanying photos pretty much tell the story.

1/Sgt. David M. Lamb
Commanding

Keep the 34th Infantry Division in your Hearts, Riflemen!

Here is the schedule of Iowa Guardsmen’s send-offs across the State of Iowa:

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=107742945947149

2,800 Iowa National Guard soldiers march out of their sendoff ceremonies, step onto buses, and head toward Afghanistan.

The Iowa National Guard has not seen this kind of deployment since WWII!

My wife and I attended the send-off party for SSgt Brent Parker July 24 at his home.
This is Brent’s 2nd deployment to the region; the first being a 22 month long Iraq deployment.
He will be in Afghanistan this time around. His wife and two daughters will keep his home while he is gone, yet again, for a year of service to our Nation.
And, this will be repeated 2800 times this month.

SSgt Parker has been a member of the military since he was seventeen!

Enough cannot be said for the unselfish service by these true citizen soldiers.

My Gawd! Such young men & women!!!!!!

God Speed, Red Bull, and Stay Safe!

Court Stahr, PDC

Iowa Battle Flag Project
July Report

Southern Belle Caught in a Yankee Uniform!

...more breaking news to follow

25 July 2010
Dahl's on Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines

Some thing in life are just so rewarding that we want to do them all over again. Things like being a kid again and eating cotton-candy while watching fireworks; or, sleeping in on a Summer's morning with a cool breeze wafting through your room bringing the smell on Mom's bacon sizzling in the skillet downstairs in the kitchen...and you know that she is cooking it just for you.

Returning to visit our friends at the Des Moines area Dahl's stores is another of those things. And this we can do whenever our schedule allows thanks to the enormously supportive part that the grocery chain has played by provided us their whole-hearted support in our fund-raising efforts.





Photos: Dana Rochelle

On Sunday of this past week, five guardsmen and one lady of the 49th Iowa set up our display of historic artifacts at the entrance to the store at 35th and Ingersoll Avenue and spend just 4 hours meeting and greeting shoppers as they came and went. In that time we met hundreds of people, answered dozens of questions about everything from the wearing of wool in July, to the part played by George Custer at the Battle of Gettysburg. And at the end of the day the Monuments Restoration Project coffers grew by the amount of $172.00.

We also began our efforts this morning on photographing each individual member of the Regiment in-front-of our Regimental colors to post on this website in an up-coming biographical sketch that will be found in a sub-index called “Rank and File” that will soon be added to this website.


1st Sgt David M. Lamb
The Governor's Own Iowa Rifles

A Saturday in the City
24th July 2010

At 6:15am on a Saturday morning, while most are sound asleep, enjoying the respite from their workaday world, there are some who are already busily at work erecting tents and awnings. Firing up practically every imaginable form of outdoor cooking device, and hauling vegetables, canned goods, hundreds of bushels of apples, peaches, sweetcorn, and truckloads of cantelope and watermelon onto the streets of downtown Des Moines. Where, every Saturday morning from early May to mid-October a four-blocks long stretch of Court Avenue transforms itself into the “Downtown Farmer's Market”.

This past Saturday, amidst the wrought-iron lawn ornaments, Asian ladies cooking magnificent Indian, Thai, and Chinese dishes; and, sandwiched into a shady area on the lawn of the Old Des Moines Central Post Office (now a County office building), and next to the nurses from a Des Moines Hospital's Neurological Unit passing out information of the effects of strokes, five erstwhile Guardsmen and two of our ladies, from the The Governor's Own 49th Iowa set up a twelve-foot square fly and display tables to put on a “Meet and Greet” and promote awareness of the approaching Sesquicentennial of the Civil War.

Over the course of the next six hours, we would welcome several hundred visitors to our display of period weaponry, musical instrument, photographs and equipment while enduring the mid-80 degree day dressed in our “woolies”. A fickle little breeze that always seemed to be blowing about twenty feet away would sometimes make the wearing of wool seem less of an insane choice as we passed out new Sesquicentennial Pennies (bearing the “Union Shield” in-place-of the Lincoln Memorial on the Reverse) and posed for photograph with shoppers from such diverse locations as Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, Lithuania, Malaysia, Germany, Norway, and China!

Two visitors from Montana would ask if they might handle RCS Krock's beautiful field drum and fife, and promptly entertained all with renditions of “Golden Slippers”, “Dixie”, and the Battle Hymn of the Republic”. Turns out that these delightful gentlemen (brothers) were visiting from Montana and had spent the better parts of their lives playing in a 19th century family band headed by their father! Were they local, they'd have been recruited into the Regiment as musicians on the spot!

As it was, dozens of business cards, recruiting flyers, and Monuments Project brochures were given out to all and sundry passers-by before the noon hours brought the street back to vehicle traffic as the entire market folded up and disappeared into memory within about a ten minute period of time. It made one think of the 1930's motion-picture “Brigaddoon” where an entire Scottish Village in the Highlands comes to life for one-day only, once every one-hundred years and then disappears into the mists of time.

Within minutes, gone were the nurses, mimes, stump-preachers ringing out the Gospel mixed this fire and brimstone, the jugglers, musicians, tourists, sweetcorn vendors, lawn ornament artists, and refugees from the 1860's. Just another day at Farmer's Market.

Respectfully Submitted,

1/Sgt. David M. Lamb
The Governor 's Own