"Nancy's Kindness to be remembered..." Two Days on the Kentucky with my wife Part 2 The Woods

 Friday morning it rained. We had spent a good portion of the day Thursday in preparation and as the dark clouds loomed overhead, we loaded the car and made the journey south towards Can-tuck-ee. 

    We arrived and began to pack our provisions, Eileen with her two blankets and wallet suspended from a leather tumpline, my provisions packed up in a buffalo robe and suspended from a woven tumpline. I definitely wished we'd had a packhorse. The buffalo robe really wasn't conducive for a long trek in the woods, and thankfully we weren't going that far, but I knew that the buffalo robe was needed if we were to have a chance at a semi comfortable sleep during the night. 

    After we got in our clothes and had our packs on, we were ready to step off into the woods and on to our adventure. We headed down the hill and made our way to the camp, the same spot that our hunting party camped nearly a year ago for our Immersion event. We decided to build a lean-to shelter, mostly as a wind break and in the event of rain, we could throw one of our blankets up over it and proved a little relief. I cut a pole and lashed it between two trees, lined up poles off the back and then covered it with green growth from around the area. Eileen set about gathering firewood and soon we had a shelter built a large pile of sticks. 

    We sat in our newly constructed house and talked about the plans for the rest of the day and the day after. The woods were quiet except for the sounds of birds and the occasional rustle of a squirrel just beyond our sight. With the looming clouds, we agreed that today we would simply tend camp and get ready for the night. Eileen got a fire going and we set about gathering even more fuel. I pulled out my journal and jotted down a few thoughts. 

    Theres something truly wonderful about unplugging for a bit, and spending good quality time together. We talked and laughed and just basked in each others presence. Then hunger began to set in, and we munched on some parched corn as dinner preparations began. I had decided to bring some soup fixings because of the cold weather, I thought it would help us to have something good and hot before turning in for the night. Bean and Barley soup was prepared in our trade kettle. I didn't love the results, but it was warm. We had some sourdough bread and that helped offset my distaste for the beans. 

   

    After supper, we settled in for what would end up being a long night. The cold from the ground was just too much with the rain that had proceeded it and no matter what we did, it felt like there was always a draft. The buffalo robe did its best, but we really needed more insulation underneath of us. I stayed up most of the night stoking the fire as big as I could get it, closing my eyes for a few minutes and then back to stoking. We didn't get to sleep until about five the next morning. Eileen suffered the most but she persevered. I gave her all three blankets, and sat near the fire with my blanket coat. 

    As the morning light sifted through the trees and fell upon our brush abode, we took courage. We had survived a miserable night and the new day offered warmth and a new set of adventures. I began to prepare breakfast in my frying pan. Potatoes, onions and salt pork fried in bear grease. It was a fine meal and an excellent way to get us energized for the day. 

    After we ate breakfast, we prepared for our hike to the river. We planned to try to catch some fish. We hiked down the hill and crossed the road following the trail that leads down to the river. It's a beautiful walk down there, especially of a morning. We saw some ducks along the way in the small lake that sits beside the river. 

    We arrived the bank of the river and found a spot that was close to the water. I began to make up a fishing line and prepare my pole. I haven't really done any 18th century angling, and so I wasn't sure how it was gonna work out. I saw a lot of fish activity, heard them splash, but I was ultimately unsuccessful. This is a skill that I really want to develop more in the future, so I'll be doing some deep dives. Eileen sat on the bank and did some sketching. 

    We eventually gave up on the fishing and began to make our way back up the hill towards camp. As we left the area, we heard a racket coming from the lake. We walked towards the bank and across the way we saw two dark figures that from the back, I mistook as beaver, but then suddenly one of them turned to the side and revealed it was in fact a pair of otters. They quickly ran towards the water and disappeared. With our sighting we were all smiles as we continued along the way, only to hear more of their sounds far on the other side of the water. We could make out their movements as the sun glistened on their fur and the water parted in their wake. They inched closer and closer back toward us, but we could only see one of them. Suddenly they moved up on to the bank and I said "Where is the other one?" Eileen said, "Umm, that is both of them. I think we interrupted something earlier." Sure enough, spring was definitely in the air. It was quite a thing to see. 

    We hiked up the hill and finally made it back to our lean-to, but not before an unfortunate injury occurred. Eileen stepped on a very sharp rock she didn't see which brought her full weight on it and took her to her knees and causing her to hit her hand hard on the other rocks. She was in a lot of pain and when we got her back to the shelter, her foot had already started to swell and show signs of bruising. After assessing her injury, we prepared to make lunch. I used a cornmeal/masa mixture and fried them up in bear grease in the frying pan. They turned out great and I ate my fill of them. The recipe that I used is : 

50/50 Cornmeal and Masa - 2 cups 

Salt 

A cup of water 

Bear Grease in the pan 

 I used my tin cup to measure out the cups, so whichever size you have should work. I made them in to small pancakes and fried them until darkened on either side.

    After lunch we decided to take a nap in the lean-to and catch up on some sleep we didn't get the night before. There's not much better than an afternoon nap in the woods. The sound of the breeze rustling the tree tops is a great sound to fall to sleep to. 

    After that we shot my smoothbore and then decided it was time to head back home. We packed up fairly quickly and slowly made our way back up the hill and out of the woods into the 21st century. 

    Some things I learned : 

-A Buffalo robe is only as good as the insulation underneath it. If the ground is wet and the temperatures drop, you'll still be cold. 

-I need to up my fishing game 

    I hope you enjoyed reading about this trip. Next up for us is the immersion event in a few weeks. Until then...

“ Nancy's kindness to be remembered...." : Two days on the Kentucky with my wife - Part 1 : Preparations

     It is MONDAY March 23rd as I begin to write this and so ends about a week of what can be described as nonstop inconveniences from power outages to unexpected expenditures. It's been a lot and I finally feel like I can breathe a little. As I was experiencing all of this upheaval, I dreamt of the woods. Funny, being that our counterparts in the 18th century did not view the woods with the same romantic notion of "getting away from it all" that we do in our modern lives, but that's just an aspect that I embrace. I love being able to get out in the woods and experience a taste of what the 18th century traveller might have experienced. To that end, for some time now, I have been dreaming up a trek with my wife and we've decided that this upcoming weekend is the time to do it. We both feel stretched thin and a nice getaway into nature sounds like the perfect antidote to all our recent woes. 

    As I've been preparing for this, I've been once again diving into Cresswell's incredible narrative. In August of 1775, he finds himself in the Ohio Country traveling between native towns and at one point is given a squaw to accompany him on his journeys. He calls her Nancy, and it is this little moment of Cresswells journey that I've zeroed in on as inspiration for our outing this coming weekend. 

    Quickly, before I begin, I must brag on my wife. When I first met her, she was a tent camping, cot sleeping gal. She told me that she'd NEVER sleep on the ground or outside a tent. Well, she has done both of those things now and I'm a proud husband. She even agreed to be a captive and slept in a cave with a bunch of natives. 

Eileen as a captive, In Pursuit of the Captives, 2023

Cresswell writes just before taking up with Nancy that he is advised not to wear a hunting shirt in this part of the country. 

Monday, August 21st, 1775. "Mr. Anderson informs me that the Indians are not well pleased at anyone going into their Country dressed in a Hunting shirt. Got a Calico shirt made in the Indian fashion, trimmed up with Silver Brooches and Armplates so that I scarcely know myself."

 With this in mind, I have decided to habituate myself in a similar manner. A simple kit of shirt, breechcloth, leggings and moccasins. I'll bring along my jacket as well, a blanket coat for warmth in the evening. I also have decided to wear my small round hat. 

    Eileen is basing her kit on native dress from period images and written accounts. Cresswell writes of the women : 

"The women wear the same sort of shirts as the men and a sort of short petticoat that comes no lower than the knee, leggings and Mockeysons, the same as the men. Wear their hair long, curled down the back in silver plates, if they can afford it, if not tied in a club with red gartering. No rings in the nose but plenty in the ears. Both men and women paint with Vermillion and other colours mixed with Bear's Oil and adorn themselves with any tawdry thing they think pretty."

As we begin our preparations we are trying to decide on what kind of shelter we will attempt to make. We'll likely go with some kind of blanket tent, but if we can swing it, maybe a brush wickiup of some kind. We will have with us several blankets and a buffalo hide. Likely we won't do something as elaborate as the below photo because we won't have a tent cloth, but maybe a smaller version of this can be achieved with one of our blankets.

For provisions we are weighing our options. The canoe scout with Jim Jacobs really helped me get a sense of what one could need on extended journeys in the woods. For Cresswell and Nancy, they seem to have eaten what they could forage or procure day to day as they travelled between the towns. Here is what he mentions: 

Indian Country--Tuesday, August 22nd, 1775. A very heavy fog this morning. We had got two bottles of Rum, two loaves of Bread, and a Bacon Ham along with us.

Wednesday, August 23rd, 1775. Nothing to eat but berries such as we found in the woods.

Thursday, August 24th, 1775 Got plenty of Red plums and wild Cherries which is our only food.

Friday, August 25th, 1775 Breakfasted, dined and supped on Plums and Wild Cherries.

Saturday, August 26th, 1775 Killed a Rattlesnake. Just as the Sun went down we stopped to get our Supper on some Dewberries (a small berry something like a Gooseberry)

It's the end of March, so we won't have much luck foraging for berries and such, so we are going to need to rely more on what we can bring along. We'll likely bring along some jerk, salt pork, 50/50 Cornmeal and masa to make bannock bread, and some parched corn. 

I plan to pack some of the provisions in the center of the buffalo robe and make a sort of flat bale out of it that I can then carry with my tumpline. I'll make a bedroll for Eileen. I wish we were making this trip on horseback, as Cresswell and Nancy did or at the very least that we had a packhorse. I am debating taking my knapsack with me. I don't think I will, simply because I think I can pack up all the food and extra gear inside the buffalo robe or the blanket rolls, using our two wallets as a way to contain everything. We'll bring a kettle along, or maybe the frying pan. It' all really up in the air until we get all the gear laid out and decide what works best. I'm going to stop for now, but I'll return tomorrow. Tonights project is to cut out a small leather pouch for Eileen's fire kit. 

TUESDAY morning has arrived and I am going to start working on this fire kit bag. I taught Eileen to build a flint and steel fire last year, so for this outing, I'm putting her in charge of the fire. A funny story. The first time we went camping together, I started to make a fire and she said "Oh, you know how to make a fire?" She says that the indignation was all over my face. One of my favorite things is having new experiences together and this weekend will certainly be a somewhat new experience. Eileen is a bit apprehensive about the woods and the discomforts it can pose, but lately I have noticed a keen interest to learn a bit more about woods knowledge and how to "survive" in those settings. I think this will be a great way for her to dip her toes into those waters. 

 Another project I have before the weekend is to repair an old shirt that I'm going to adorn with some brooches similar to Joseph Brant. I am using his kit as a sort of basis for mine during this excursion. Cresswell describes a very similar situation to what we see here in this painting. 

    Eileen needs a new pair of leggings so we'll be using some leftover green broadcloth from my waistcoat. Hoping to fit those to her tonight and begin the sewing process. 

    I am hoping that we can do a little fishing on the Kentucky river. We'll be camped just above it on a ridge overlooking the valley. I haven't really put that skill to the test, but we have a period fishing kit and Eileen and I both grew up fishing. We'll see if we can subsist a bit on that. In fact, Cresswell describes his party catching a catfish very near to where we will be on the Kentucky River. 

Tuesday, May, 30th, 1775. This day Mr. Nourse, Mr. Taylor and Rice went to take a view of the Country. Mr. Johnston and I took a walk about 3 miles from the River, find the land pretty level, a blackish sandy soil. Timber chiefly Beech. In our absence those at the Camp caught a large Catfish which measured six inches between the eyes. We supposed it would weigh 40 pounds. Don't expect our company back tonight.

    Eileen is not a fan of fish, but maybe if we prepare it correctly, she'll give it a try. 

Well, I am off to work on projects...

WEDNESDAY morning I awake to my wife preparing to go to work. Last night she sent me a link to a Bushcraft 101 course she's interested in checking out. I have this tendency to get excited on behalf of others, maybe a little more excited than they actually are, so I tried not to give myself away, but I was happy. While modern bush craft isn't always my cup of tea, I do enjoy being out in the woods and testing skills. Building a fire, shelter etc are things I enjoy immensely. I really hope she can learn some things and gets something out of this weekends experience. 

    I sewed up part of the fire kit bag last night. More work to do on that today. Scraps of linen were provided by Eileen to repair my shirt. Leggings still need cut out. 

    I procured some salt pork yesterday and tonight is date night, so while we're out, I'll procure the rest of our food. Theres a local fancy grocery store here where I get a lot of my food supplies for occasions such as this. Just purchased a 1 day fishing license. 

    It's evening now and as it stands I finished the bag, sewed repairs on my shirt and have gathered together most of my kit for this weekend. I went through my shot pouch and made sure everything was in order. Tomorrow I'll fill my horn. Tomorrow we'll cut out Eileen's leggings and she plans to sew them on the way down Friday. She enjoys having a project to work on during the car ride. We'll also make a run to the store and finish our provisions. 

Shot pouch by Tony Bertolino 

Our excitement for this weekend has been building. It's something I'm grateful for, having a partner who is willing to come along on these adventures with me. I say "with me" as if she's just indulging me, as if this is entirely my project, but the great thing is that she finds a way to make it her own, and that's a great feeling. I always feel bad for the fellow who has to tip toe around his spouse to pursue the passions and dreams he has burning in his belly. I'm a lucky man to experience the mutual love and support that we have for each other. Alright, enough of that mushy stuff. 

    One of the things Eileen plans to bring along with her is her 18th century paint and sketch set. While not something a native woman would have been doing, we both think the results of her sketching our camp and our adventures will make for a long lasting and sentimental record of our trip together. 

    My kit as I lay it out this evening consists of the following : 

-White linen shirt 

-Linen jacket 

-Small brimmed round hat 

-3 handkerchiefs 

-Stroud breechclout 

-Leggings and woven garters

-2 pairs of moccasins 

-Stockings 

-Knit cap 

-Belt

-Journal and porta-crayon 

-fire kit pouch ( Contents: Flint & Steel, tow and cedar bark, charred cloth, tobacco and pipe)

-Smoothbore

-Shot pouch (Contents : Ball, tow, pick, gun tool, cuttoe knife, measure, extra flints) 

-Horn 

-Trade knife 

-Belt axe 

-Hoppus (tumpline) 

-Buffalo Robe and Wool Blanket 

    Tomorrow I will go over Eileen's kit. For now, I must take my leave for now. 

THURSDAY finds me awake and making porridge in the kitchen. Porridge has become a staple breakfast food for me in the last year. I'm writing this while it cooks on the stove. Eileen is snug in bed doing her morning routine of drinking coffee and reading books, her favorite pastime. 

    Today we need to get the rest of our food provisions as we didn't make it over to the grocery last night. Once that is done, we will basically be ready to go besides packing up our gear. I am going to do a few trial tests on Eileen's bedroll situation and see what method might work best for rolling up all of her belongings into it. 

    Her bedroll consists of two wool blankets with her tumpline tied up and suspended across the upper chest supported by her shoulders. Her kit for the weekend goes as follows : 

-Chamise 

-Bed jacket 

-Wrap skirt 

-Leggings and beaded finger woven garters 

-Trade silver and beads, necklaces and ear bobs 

-Moccasins 

-Check linen shirt

-Market Wallet consisting of : 

        -Buckskin bag consisting of flint & steel, charred cloth, tow, fishing kit, ankle bells (for dancing), red ochre for paint 

        -Linen bag with mirror and toiletries 

        -Sketch kit and sketchbooks

        -Heavy wool stockings and silk stockings

-Trade kettle, wooden bowl and horn spoon

-Two wool blankets

    I ran to the store this afternoon and picked up the supplies. Some bread, cornmeal and masa mixed together for making bannock, dried apples and peaches, parched corn and jerky. Fingers crossed we'll catch some fish too! 

    That's all for now. Tomorrow we embark on the adventure. Part 2 will arrive next week. 

    

Wallets Work!

It's Winter so I have a beard. I shave for events. You should too. 

It's a cold day here in early March, and I have the immersion event on the brain. We're only a month and half out and so that wonderful question of what to take along for this event is the foremost thought in my mind. I may have said this previously, but preparing for an event is almost if not just as fun as going to the event itself. I love the entire process. Getting your gear all laid out, deciding what is important or specific to this particulate excursion. It's such a fun process. 

Recently, I saw a video that has me focused on wallets and their use in the backcountry. In the video, the wallet is presented as a good historical option, but then we're told that it doesn't actually work in the woods. Well, I couldn't let that slide. I've used wallets in the woods for years now, as have many of my backcountry colleagues and we've never had an issue using them. We've talked about the wallet somewhat on this blog when Matthew Fennewald wrote the "Wallet Well Stored" article, but I wanted to go even deeper. 

As a personal preference, I am very much a proponent of the knapsack. It doesn't get much more straightforward and easy than that. Basically a backpack, it's a great for carrying gear, it's evenly balanced across your shoulders and back and it provides a lot of room. You can easily tie a blanket roll to the top and you're ready to go. 

The wallet however is an item that gets a lot of hate from a particular set of the hobby that seems more interested in fantasies and using phrases like "personal preference" and "doing with what they had" as justification for not adopting actual documented methods of transporting gear. A haversack is the favored piece of gear despite the fact that haversacks just don't really show up in civilian and back country contexts enough to justify their widespread use amongst reenactors. Did they exist? Yes. Do we see them described being used by militia and backcountry explorers and hunters? Not really. So why would you choose to use that over a much more highly documented and common item? 

Some things you hear about carrying the wallet is that it slides off the shoulder easily, that it flops around. Well, I am going to prove that carrying a wallet is not only period correct, but also comfortable and practical. First of all, filling the wallet properly is the first step. I usually put food stuffs, consisting of parched corn, salt pork, jerky, bread and usually a bottle of port in one end and personal items such as an extra shirt, knit cap, moccasins, pipe and tobacco, and extra tender. I tie my tin cup to my bedroll, per period descriptions of doing so. I put my bag and horn on and then but the wallet over my left shoulder. Then I put my blanket roll on over the market wallet. The weight of the blanket will hold the back portion of the wallet down and the front portion is weighed down sufficiently by the food stuffs. I never have any issues with the wallet flopping around or shifting off of my shoulder. 

 To wrap things up, I really don't understand the prejudice against using the wallet by a certain set in the hobby, especially to do so in favor of something less commonly seen in the contexts they claim to portray. And often, the haversack, rather than being a linen haversack, are often some strangely designed waterproofed weirdness. As I've demonstrated in the article and the accompanying video, you really can't go wrong, and if you are wearing it correctly, the wallet won't let you down.