I wanted to  first start off by stating my appreciation for the kindness and hospitality of the men and women of the 2nd North Carolina Regiment. These kind folks showed much patience for us newbies as we stumbled through our inevitable rookie mistakes as well as my own character flaws. Thanks especially to Patrick O’Kelly, who graciously invited us to the event and provided everything we needed. You sir are truly a Gentleman.

Now on to our first evening at the Hook…

2nd North Carolina Tents at Warner Hall

After 11 hours on the road, Wesley and I arrived at Warner Hall, home to Washington’s great great grandfather. We immediately reported to Patrick O’Kelly, the energetic the commander of the 2nd Carolina Regiment.

Patrick was busy this weekend. Not only was he outfitting both Wesley and I, he also managed to outfit around 12-15 ROTC students he brought by bus (aka ‘cabbage killer’).

With so many new people out for the event, we were immediately assigned the name of “That guy” (me) and “The other guy” (Wesley). These titles stuck, and we took this good piece of humor in stride as we did our best to stay out of the way.

Here we go.

Wesley and I were outfitted in the Continental blues. The jacket was a bit tight around the chest, but fortunately I did not need to button it. However the pants clung a bit too tight around the calves and I ended up creating a tiny rip above the knee as I adjusted things. The rip would grow as the weekend progressed, but no one seemed to mind as it seemed to give me more authentic ragged Continental look.

It was a clear evening at Warner Hall, and tired from the long drive, we retired to our tent after taking  protective measures to stave off straw loving spiders. The sound of a flute lofted over the muffled conversations of those in the British camp across the road. The night almost had a medieval feel to it.  The morning would soon arrive, and with it a quick training session before the Battle of the Hook.

Up next, Return to the Hook Part 2: Formations and Firelocks.