Fort at No. 4
Revolutionary War Encampment
May 30-June 1, 2003

Nancy and I arrived at #4 a little after 4 in the afternoon Friday May 30th. Dave Shaw and Mac had already arrived, and Dave had his wall tent already erected.

When we had started on our trek earlier in the day, the weather had been absolutely gorgeous, but as we got closer to our destination the clouds started thickening. We decided not to waste any time before setting up our wedge. We had just erected our tent as the first rains fell. Shortly after that, Wade, Chauncey, and Jim Hayes arrived. It rained just long enough for the ground to get reasonably wet, and then it stopped.

We got up a few more wedge tents and the kitchen wedge, as Bill Filkins, his wife Hanna, and their daughter Rachel arrived from their long trek. As the Filkins were setting up their wall tent it started raining again, but now with all the tents up we were not uncomfortable.

It was not long after he showed up that we started to refer to Wade as "Martha McGyver" ("Martha" for Martha Stewart and "McGyver" after the TV character) because it seemed there was not a piece of camp equipment or ranger gear that he did not have in the back of his rig and he had a solution for everything! Except for the fact that HE was supposed to have the kitchen fly and forgot it, he did an amazing job with every other challenge. I have to suppose there wasn't enough room for the kitchen fly anyway, considering all the other equipment he DID have with him! Bill Filkins had a fly, though, which worked perfectly at the kitchen and as far as shelter went, we were in great shape.

Craig showed up at some point Friday, but I am not sure as to when, he just seemed to appear. Just like a ranger to sneak into a camp!

As suppertime came around, Nancy, our kitchen Commissary, had prepared ham and beans and bread, while Craig brought some unbelievable cheeses. I especially liked the porter beer and the mustard cheeses. I had been pestering Nancy the previous week for more traditional military/camp food, and it seemed everyone else was pleased with the food for the whole weekend. That night we sat around under the kitchen fly drinking, telling stories, or working on our kit, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Of course, the hot apple cider and rum were quite popular that night.

This is Wallace McMillan, one of our new recruits. Mac is filling his mug with some of Craig Villeneuve's home-brewed ale, which he keeps inside his tent. Notice Mac's new hat and feather, which he put together at Newtown earlier this year.	Hannah Filkins (L) and Nancy Bartley (R), keeping warm after the sun set.

The next morning thanks to Nancy and Wade, we had a feast of a breakfast, with eggs, oatmeal, and Wade's home-made venison sausage, which was out of this world. Around this time Jay, Mad Dog, and Jack slipped into camp. During the morning, we had blue skies, which was rather amazing given what we expected.

It was now time to go down to Sutler's Row, and see if they could relieve me of a few shillings. We did not have as many sutlers as I had hoped for, but they lightened my purse none the less. I got myself a hat blank to make a King's Ranger slouch hat for Monmouth, and Nancy got herself a silk scarf. I think we escaped their clutches in fine shape.

Our camp. Aside from a few Rebels on the other side of the fort, towards the river, and four or five other British tents, this was it for the British encampment! The redcoats (of which there were few) stayed inside the fort.	One of the sutler's tents with Fort 4 in the background. This picture, taken early in the moring, shows the smoke from the many cooking hearts within the fort's houses.

The lovely and talented Rachel Filkins, daughter of Hannah and Bill Filkins, at the Fort at No. 4. She got hooked on playing hoops and really had fun.

Next it was time for inspection, and we all fell in. There were a just handful of other units present, and my sense of it was that we were probably outnumbered only 2 to 1. I thought that to be pretty good odds! Anyway, we decided that some marching and drill was in order, so our acting commander Jim Hayes had one of our more experienced rangers, Dave Shaw, lead us in drill. From were I stood, they both did a fine job of it too.

Nancy made us a hearty lunch of sausage, army biscuit, the wonderful cheese, and the chicken that Chauncey had brought in from a foraging expedition. After noon the weather became overcast, but I thought quite comfortable. At 2 in the afternoon, the battle commenced, with we Rangers making the first move to draw the rebels out of their hiding place. Although it was touch and go for awhile, I think they (the rebel dogs) may have gotten the best of us. But as they had the protection of the fort and the high ground, they had the advantage. With differences on the field resolved for the moment, we all paraded into the fort for a brief ceremony (I love fife and drums) and parading the flags, and then back to camp to be dismissed.

Bill's daughter Rachel had made friends with two other young lasses in camp nearby, and the three of them ran around playing with their wooden dolls and toys, including hoops (using two sticks crossed together to toss a small be-ribboned hoop at a partner who catches it on her two sticks). It was not long before these girls were inseperable.

When we arrived back in camp Nancy had already started the evening meal for all her "boys", a fine stew. Late in the afternoon, she and a Ranger private, a red-headed lad by the name of McMillan, wandered off towards the river, where they were captured by some Indian/Pirates!!?? These desperate heathens came into our camp trying to ransom their captives but we told them we refused to deal with their kind so they left with only an apple! They then came back, trying to negotiate for some firewater (our supply of the King's ale), and so we finally made a settlement. We got back our campmates, and everyone seemed happy with the results.

Jim Hayes, our commander pro tempore.	The extent of the British encampment at Fort 4, and our kitchen to the right. Only three tents in the back and far left do not belong to us.

As evening came upon us, we received word that the weather was about to turn very sour, with almost a Nor'easter in the offing. Many others broke camp and left, such that only a handful of us were left, so we sort of took a vote as to whether we should stay or go...we all decided as Rangers, we'd stick it out. The only other unit camping in the field (all the redcoats were in the fort) was packing up because of the weather and they invited us to share the leftovers of their crablegs. Only Wade and I jumped on that. Everyone had a good time watching us pick the legs apart. I ate mine as I pulled it out, but Wade used a claw to pull out the pieces and dump them into a redware bowl with some butter that he placed near the fire to stay warm, and when he had finished cleaning out the crablegs, he had a warm bowl of crab bits. I had already finished mine.

Bill Bartley, eating the crablegs donated to us by someone fleeing the camp because of impending rain.	Wade Stoner removing the crabmeat with the claw of one leg, and warming the meat bits with butter in a redware bowl by the fire.

We had a cozy evening again in our camp, with more discussions, stories, lies, rum (me again), and beer. At around 11 we all turned in, and in a short time the rain fell with some conviction. At one point, the rain came down with quite some force and it woke me up. I started thinking about with our wedges touching each other at the base, where DOES all that water go??? Well, I found out in the morning as I was a little wet, but I didn't realize it until I got up, so it wasn't too bad. We had another one of Nancy's great breakfasts, and started to break camp. We all got our gear packed up and said our goodbyes.

I think a good time was had by all in spite of the weather, for we are Rangers!