BEHIND THE SCENES

The following is the end of the year pep-talk that I posted for the members of the unit. Thought I'd share it here with YOU esteemed readers as well to give you a glimpse behind the scenes!

2018 has been a solid year for the unit!

The Acasta is a group that was created ON PURPOSE, there's not anyone in the group that shouldn't be here or who wasn't directly invited to be a part of it. If you're an Acasta it's because we thought you were AWESOME and grabbed on to you with both hands so someone else didn't snatch you away from us! I wouldn't want to be in any other group with any other people.

1.) MISSION STATEMENT, live it!

2.) Facebook reserach album, make one… 

3.) RSVP for events in advance and keep it updated. Anything else is very rude and makes my life difficult.

4.) HANDBOOK: READ IT, KNOW IT, LIVE IT.

5.) ATTENDANCE: Come to events! We want to see you at least once a year or your membership may be in jeopardy.

6.) DRESS CODE: It'll be enforced with inspections each morning. Undress on Friday/Saturday, Dress on Sunday, that goes for everyone.

7.) WEBSITE: HELP! I need your stuff! Seriously, otherwise it just won’t happen.

8.) FIRST PERSON: It's a thing we do at events. No jokey schtick. We can be funny, but it needs to be confined to (and appropriate for) the characters and period that we portray.

9.) DEMOS: Idleness in camp, not so much. Also, if you have any fun ideas of things to do at events, let us know!

10.) SERVICE: What are you going to do personally to service the unit and its goals? Give it some thought, we’ll talk about it in more detail later.

I want your best effort, in EVERYTHING. If you're an Acasta, then you were selected because I KNOW you are capable of that. AS ACASTAS WE WILL HOLD THE BAR UP FOR OURSELVES AND THEN EXERT WHATEVER EFFORT IS REQUIRED TO KEEP IT UP THERE. If you don't have the time or willingness to do that, you need to find a less demanding unit to go be a part of. I'm not interested in being like other units. I INTEND FOR PEOPLE TO EQUATE 'ACASTA' WITH 'QUALITY'.

I'm excited for the coming year and I hope that you are as well!

Apple’s Shiner

Misses Bonnie St. James

Once Apple comes back from liberty ashore with a bloody great shiner and when asked about it he says “do not trust to drink with that William Booth as he is bad to turn mean when he is deep in his cups”.

So later I run into Missus Bonnie what works for Booth and I asked her about Booth giving Apple such a whollop . “Oh” she says “That weren’t Mr. Booth, that was me what done that to that swag Apple”

“How so?” I asks. “Well”, she says ” I just come in the room and he smiles and starts such a song as should never be heard in public- much less in front of a lady! So I punched him a good’un so he would show some respect in the future”.

 I told Apple this later but he never did believe it. Booth also thought he had done the deed for the next time Apple had liberty I did also, and Booth swore eternal friendship and apologies for treating Apple so and they spent the night swapping songs and drinking all night long and cheered on by their mates.

This time they both come away undamaged.

-James Cullen. Remembrances of Eight years before the Mast, 1834.

Apple and Booth, Friends Again!

You can find Wm. Booth, Draper online HERE

Jacob Book

 

"When they pressed Jacob Booke the Boatswain turned out his pockets. He had three watches , four folding knives and a silk handkerchief embroidered "KM". He turned out to be a tolerable sailor, and if he ever actually stole anything I never heard about it, and aboard ship is a hard place to keep secrets. Sometimes he would pick a shipmates pocket for the amusement of his chums, but he always give it back afterward. I suppose he figured that if he got caught at it he had no place to run."

- James Cullen, Remembrances of Eight years before the Mast, 1834.

PERFECT ATTENDANCE

We are pleased to announce that our shipmate Tony Gerard has attended all nine Acasta events this year giving him PERFECT ATTENDANCE in 2018!

British Takeover of Fort Bowyer, Gulf Shores, Alabama, Feb 2018

Sail Training part I, South Haven, Michigan, April 2018

Sail Training part II, South Haven, Michigan, May 2018

The Prize Crew, South Haven, Michigan, June 2018

Battle of Craney Island, July 2018

Jane Austen Festival, Louisville, Kentucky, July 2018

1812 Grand Tactical, Old Fort Niagara, Youngstown NY, July 2018

The Fair at New Boston, Springfield, Ohio, Sept 2018

Colonial Night Watch, St. Augustine, Florida, December 2018

NIGHT WATCH

Over the weekend the combined crews of HMS FALCON, HMS BELLISARIUS & HMS ACASTA took over the Castillio de San Marcos with a full schedule of Naval inspection, dosing of the sailors what went ashore, singing, sewing and the firing of the gun from the wall of the Castillio itself at regular intervals.

That night, the crew of the FALCON lead the parade with torches while the BELLISARIUS & ACASTA crews brought up the rear and worked crowd control upon our arrival at the Plaza de la Constitución.

Acasta takes the Snapper

 Admiralty-Office, March 23, 1813.

Enclosed herewith, I beg leave to transmit a list of vessels captured and destroyed between the 16th September last and this date.

___________

A List of Ships and Vessels captured and detained by the Squadron under the Orders of Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren, Bart. and K. B. Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels on the American and West India Station, between the 16th of September 1812 and the 26th February 1813,

Schooner Snapper, from Philadelphia, bound on a cruize, captured by the Acasta, Maidstone, Æolus, and Childers, 3 Nov. 1812.

Source: Bulletins of the Campaign [compiled from the London Gazette]. pages 133 & 135

U.S. Privateer- Snapper
Class- Schr.
Guns- 11
Men-90
Commanded by- J. Green
Out of- Philadelphia
Enemy's
Ships- 0
Brigs- 0
Schrs- 0
Sloops &c.- 0
Cargo, and estimated value- 172 tons

During the War with Great Britain, from 1812 to 1815.
Captured by three British Frigates, Dec. 12, 1812, after being completely riddled by their shot.

Source:
George Foster Emmons, The navy of the United States, from the commencement, 1775 to 1853; with a brief history of each vessel’s service and fate ... Comp. by Lieut. George F. Emmons ... under the authority of the Navy Dept. To which is added a list of private armed vessels, fitted out under the American flag ... also a list of the revenue and coast survey vessels, and principal ocean steamers, belonging to citizens of the United States in 1850. ( Washington: Gideon & Co., 1853.) page 180, 181

October 1812 Capture

26 Oct 1812 The Two Brothers, Hayte, from Bristol to Baltimore, is detained by the Acasta frigate, and sent for Halifax.

U.S. Privateer- Two Brothers
Class- Schr.
Guns- 3
Men- 60
Commanded by- Capt. H. Ferlat, &c.
Out of- New Orleans
Enemy's
Ships- 0
Brigs- 0
Schrs- 0
Sloops &c.- 1
Cargo, and estimated value- R., S., &c.

During the War with Great Britain, from 1812 to 1815.
Burnt -- the Sloop Venus, of Jamaica.

Source:
George Foster Emmons, The navy of the United States, from the commencement, 1775 to 1853; with a brief history of each vessel’s service and fate ... Comp. by Lieut. George F. Emmons ... under the authority of the Navy Dept. To which is added a list of private armed vessels, fitted out under the American flag ... also a list of the revenue and coast survey vessels, and principal ocean steamers, belonging to citizens of the United States in 1850. ( Washington: Gideon & Co., 1853.) page 194, 195