We next went to the living history encampments, stopping first to speak with the 2nd Rhode Island Volunteers. They told me a lot about how there Colonel (Slocum) was killed early in the battle and he later had a fort in Washington DC named for him during the war (Fort Slocum). They also said that a Private Elisha Hunt Rhodes fought here, and continued in all major battles until Appomatox (and he became a 23 Lt Colonel of the Regiment). They recommended his book "All For The Union" which has his letter and diary entries.
I moved along to the encampment of the 27th Virginia, Company G, "Shriver's Grays" of the Stonewall brigade. They showed me how the soldier would have lived in the field in their shelter tent, or the officer's in an A tent.
The 27th Virginia fellow took me on a walk to the big monument to General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. They were really nice to me and even held me for the photos. You'll see that about four of them are wearing a white cover to their hats. They called these "Havelock" and they were meant to protect them from the sun. Many soldiers at 1st Bull Run had these covers but they got rid of them soon because the created even more heat and sweat underneath.
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