This page provides information about the elements that make
up the Potomac Legion. Here you will find contact information
and short biographies of the officers on the Legion's board of
directors, as well as member units.
| Board Officers |
 President:
Dave Myrick
Dave has been reenacting since 2000. Before joining 1st Maine Cavalry, he was active in the N-SSA. History heavy events and
the authentic use of cavalry are his forte.
dmyrick(a)mainecav.org |
 Vice-President:
James Owens
James has been involved in reenacting & living history since 1976 when he became a volunteer at colonial era Fort Frederick
in western Maryland. Joining the Civil War community in 1981, he has participated in events from Georgia to Minnesota,
In 1990 he helped found Company D, 1st Minnesota, one of the earliest of what are now called "campaign" units. He has also been
involved in the planning of a number of CW events in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. |
 Secretary/Treasurer:
Jim Blake
Jim has been in the Civil War hobby since roughly 1999, but considers himself more of an historian then an "enactor" given his
exposure to military history. He attributes this chiefly due to his father who was career Army and dragged him to many historical
sites as a child and his grandfather who fought and was wounded in WWI. He has been the Chairman of the 5th Reg't NH Vols. for
the past 6 years. Jim's real passion is Civil War Living History events and preservation, both locally and nationally. |
At Large Board Member:
Doug Oakes
Doug has been involved inthe hobby since 1975 when he joined a N-SSA unit and by 76 had moved on to re-enacting.
Besides C/W I have also done a little WW1, WWII, and Rev war. But the Civil war has always been my favorite. I organized a unit
in 1978 called Ward's Brigade, 86th NY Co E and organized an event in Elmira, NY on the site of the Elmira prison camp.
This event ran from 1982 thru 1987. At one time we had just under 400 participants registered for the event with about 350 attending.
For those days that was a big event turn out. Our new unit, The Living History Guild has been around since 1997. |
 At Large Board Member:
Garr Gast
Garr has had an interest in the Civil War as long has he can remember and started reenacting in 1986. He has been a member
of 41st Illinois and the Mudsills in the Midwest, Army of the Pacific and 81st Penn in the western US, and 122nd New York,
Columbia Rifles, 1st Minnesota, and 5th New Hampshire in the East. Garr's passion has been to accurately recreate and/or
preserve the memory of the Civil War so that he and others can learn about the war and honor the men who sacrificed their
lives for our country. |
 Webmaster:
Gerald Todd
note: Webmaster is not a Board position in the PL.
"Jerry" started reenacting with the 4th NC Infantry in 1975. He joined the 2nd Maine Cavalry late in 1976 and except for
2 years with the 2nd USSS, Company C (Berdan's Sharpshooters) he has been with 2nd Maine, now First Maine Cavalry, Inc - of which
he is the corporate president.
Besides the PL site, Jerry maintains several other living history related sites including
the 1st Maine's,
the 1st Minnesota's,
the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada,
CWCav.net,
the Civil War Cavalry forum,
and any number of temporary sites to support events.
sgttodd(a)mainecav.org |
Member Units |
The Columbia Rifles (CR)was formed in April, 2000 as a research-oriented campaigner Federal
infantry company. The CR presently includes approximately fifty members from ten states and two provinces of Canada. For complete
information on the CR, please see their website at http://www.columbiarifles.org. |
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The Columbia Rifles as the 2nd Florida Infantry at Genesee Country Village, July 2004
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Members of the Columbia Rifles in the Widow Tapp's Field during the Chancellorsville-Wilderness
NPS living history, 2004.
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The 122nd Regiment New York Volunteers, Inc. was formed in December, 1999 in an effort to provide
a more historically-based reenacting and living history experience for Central New Yorkers. The unit is very involved in Civil War
preservation activities, both in Syracuse and elsewhere. For more complete information on the 122nd NYVI, please see their website
at http://www.122ndnewyork.com. |
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Members of the 122nd New York portraying soldiers of the 140th PVI at Recon 2. Photo by Robert Szabo.
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The Living History Guild formed in 1997 and has members in NY and north
central PA. The LHG is a non-unit centric organization allowing its members to select military and civilian impressions of their
choosing. Emphasis is Eastern Federal and varies based upon the scenario. For more information contact:
oldsoldier51@yahoo.com |
Members of the Living History Guild posing in line at Camp Baldwin.
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Members of the Living History Guild gambling in camp at Camp Baldwin.
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The Nutmeg Mess was conceived in 1999 as an "ad hoc" unit in Connecticut.
This allowed members of a particular unit the freedom to attend events outside that unit's schedule and interests.
Running the gamut from living histories to larger events, members strive for a more accurate experience and portrayal of the
campaign soldier. The Nutmeg Mess impression is primarily Federal infantry, but is working to add an accurate Confederate
impression to offer an alternative in New England. For more information, visit their website at
http://www.nutmegmess.org |
1st Minnesota, Company D. The modern Company D, 1st Minnesota was
formed in 1990 by a group of Civil War buffs who felt there was a need for a better attempt to recreate life of the Civil War
soldier. By being faithful to how the Civil War soldier really lived, they endeavor to honor the men of the 1st Minnesota and
to educate the public about the 1st Minnesota's role in the war and life in general of the common Union soldier. For more
information visit their website at
http://www.1stminnd.org/ |
Members of the 1st Minnesota, Co. D at McDowell.
Photo by Robert Szabo.
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The 5th Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers was formed in 1981 and currently represents
between 40 to 50 members. High authenticity standards and good soldiering are the hallmarks of this northern New England company.
The Fighting Fifth has proudly been “campaigning” since before the word was coined. Consistently putting a quality
infantry company on the field is their goal. Participation in preservation causes both in New Hampshire and our nation's Civil
War battlefields are important to the rank and file. The members feel doing so is the best way to honor the memory of the Old Fifth
and all of the conflicts heroes. For more information on the 5th NH, visit their website:
http://www.fifthnhvol.org |
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Members of the Fifth Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers.
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13th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry has a Yahoo Group at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13thNJVI |
13th New Jersey, Gettysburg, 2007
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Spangler's Spring, Gettysburg, 2007
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1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, Battery F |
1st PA Artillery at Chatham Manor, 2006
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1st Maine Cavalry has been portraying Maine's cavalrymen with dignity and veracity since
1959. 1st Maine represents Eastern Federal Cavalry with a strong emphasis on history and a determination to "do it right."
The active core of the group lives and operates in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey, with further members in
New England. Contacts, history, information, instruction, and images galore can be found at:
http://mainecav.org |
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The 1st Maine Cavalry at McDowell ~ 2004.
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Members of the 1st Maine ride across Loudon County VA ~ 2006.
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