Brien McWilliams, After-Action Report on the 2008 Commemoration

Friends of Fort Mims,

Congratulations to the many of you who came through and weathered the tempest in order to make the 195th Fort Mims event a success, even with threats of rain of Biblical proportions. It may have been only a one day event, but it was a darn good one! The large turnout (compared to what I was expecting) shows the interest level and dedication that reenactors and spectators alike have for this tiny outpost in time. I'd say you are easily the most dedicated bunch of reenactors that I know of. If you were there Friday and/or Saturday, thank you so much from myself and all the hardworking members of the Fort Mims Restoration Association. If you weren't there and missed what turned out to be a good one day event, I fully understand your reluctance to attend, considering the gloom and doom the weather channel was forecasting for the area. It didn't come to pass, although we had periods of light rain off and on during the day Saturday. Didn't dampen our spirits at all. Friday it was beautiful and you never would've known it might rain the next day.

Saturday morning we woke up to cooler weather and overcast skies. Realizing we were living on "borrowed time" (by what must have surely been Divine intervention), we decided to hold one battle that day. We passed up Burnt Corn and went right to the Fort Mims fight. While our numbers were not quite as large as last year, they were at least as many as we've had at some in the past three or four years. Indians were well represented as were the fort inhabitants. We all got a taste of what it was like to try to fire flintlocks in misty conditions. Once damp, they don't spark so well. As long as you wiped off the frizzen and the underside of the flint every two or three shots, they went off just fine. As usual, women and children screamed, muskets blazed, smoke shrouded the fort, the fight was fierce and bloody, and the Creeks carried the day.

Following the battle, the FMRA decided to feed us a good lunch instead of waiting for supper. After our meal, it was reasonably concluded that we had accomplished our objective. We called it a success and packed for home. The last of us were pulling out when steady rains began to fall around 3:30 p.m.

My thanks to Eli Chandler and his militiamen. Thanks to Steve Thomas, Bruce Adams, Curtis Makamson, R A Bryars, Sharon Blair, Claudia Campbell, my brother Brett, and all the members of my 6th Alabama Cavalry for their support. A big vote of thanks to the Fort Mims Restoration Association folks for their hard work in setting things up. To the rest of you who showed up, too numerous to name, a blanket thanks to all! My only real regrets were missing out on the dip in Majors Creek and the trade blanket. We'll do it next year with a vengeance!

As soon as Sharon's photos are posted on her site I'll send the link to all. If you still can't believe we actually got it in, well....seeing is believing.

Take care, one and all! See you next year, "the good Lord willin' an' the Creek don't rise!"

Brien

Brien R. McWilliams Reenactor Coordinator, Fort Mims Commemoration Board Member, Fort Mims Restoration Ass'n