4th Alabama Cavalry - Co. F

Confederate and Union Cavalry of the War Between the States. Late war impression The original unit designation was company A. Artillery. Colonel Duke chose Lt.

Our unit was the product of a friendly split with our parent company unit, 4th Alabama Cavalry, Company B (Dismounted) a founding member of the Alabama Division of Civil War Reenactors, inc. Our first company commanders were Gary Presley (Captain) and Michael Hutchison (1st Lieutenant). When Gary stepped down 2 years later, Mike took the helm as Captain and did an outstanding job. Two years later,

with a major move and job change, Captain Hutchison, who owns a 12 pounder mountain howitzer, settled next to Mobile Bay in south Alabama, forming a new group called 1st Alabama U.S. Temporary command was placed in the hands of private Don Lay, the company adjutant. At Pine Mountain, Alabama, the first meeting of the new unit members, most of whom resided thereby, near Springville, Alabama, held elections, confirming Don Lay as unit commander, Thomas Bowers was chosen as adjutant, Scott Elliott as 1st Sergeant and Shane Elliott as corporal. New commander, Don Lay asked that his rank be lowered to 2nd Lt. so he could stay close to the men but still be seen as an officer at Alabama Division and other meetings. This request was affirmed by all present. As no one in the unit had a personal connection to the original Company A, it was decided that the new letter designation would be changed to company "F" since Lt. Lay's great-great grandfather was a trooper in that unit. It has remained unchained since. Additionally, to further enhance our persona as cavalry troopers, dismounted, we were added to the roster of the 4th (Duke's) Cavalry Battalion, 1st Confederate Division, for fighting at National events such as Perryville, Gettysburg and Chickamauga. Our Alabama Division was a spearhead in formation of the first confederate Division, counterpart to the first Federal Division. The 1st Confederate Division was a conglomerate, if you will, of regionally known and accepted reenactor groups from the south. The 1st Federal division was assembled similarly. Colonel Kevin Duke of Memphis retired as 4th Cavalry Battalion Commander as the 140th anniversary year of reenacting approached. Don Lay to be his replacement for the 140th anniversary reenactment of the battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Captain Jim Casey of the 7th Tennessee Cavalry took command of the Battalion after the 140th Gettysburg. Since the formation of the original unit, Co. A, and on into life as Co. F, there have been several leadership changes as follows:
Captains: Gary Presley, Michael Hutchison, Don Lay, Randy smith and Johnny cooper
Lieutenant: Michael Hutchison, Don Lay, Thomas Bowers
1st Sgt.: Scott Elliott, Scott Trucks, Randy Smith, James (Hollywood) Henderson, Matthew Smith
Corporal: Andrew Warren

An Inspirational Award was established to recognized persons of an inspirational nature. Being a company member, Division member or Battalion member are NOT a REQUIREMENT to receive this award. Persons from any walk of life are considered. The first Inspirational Award winner was Sgt. Scott Trucks, who at age 22, faced cancer. Through much hard work, positive thinking and action, and with God's will, Scott became a survivor and an inspiration to the many persons who were family, friends or observers. The second Inspirational Award was presented by Scott as the Scott Trucks Inspirational Award. Scott was present to present the award to our second Company commander and longtime friend and inspiration, Michael Hutchison of Point clear, Alabama. Mike was faced with a life changing eye problem which forced him to rethink his life and who he was. As a father and husband, he had family considerations to make change with. Mike started a home based business, Baldwin County Instrument Exchange, which has thrived ever since due to his diligence, and that of his family, hard work and foresight. It is time to make another selection and so many inspirational persons are out there, it will be interesting to see who is next.

01/23/2026

01/21/2026

Funny how things change when it’s politically convenient. Back then, even Obama called out the government for not enforcing immigration laws — and now the same crowd acts like deportations are some kind of injustice. The truth is, securing the border and upholding the law used to be common ground. Now, if you say the same thing Obama once did, you get labeled “extreme.” Americans haven’t changed — the Democrat Party has. And we’re not buying the double standard anymore.

12/29/2025

I-80 in California and Nevada has been hammered by a powerful winter storm that has transformed the Sierra Nevada into a deep, wind-sculpted landscape of snow and ice, forcing long closures along one of the West’s most critical travel corridors. Heavy snowfall has fallen at an intense pace, rapidly burying lanes, shoulders, and exit ramps, while strong winds whip loose snow into whiteout conditions that make travel nearly impossible. The interstate, which normally carries a steady stream of trucks and holiday travelers, has gone eerily quiet as plows struggle to keep up with the relentless accumulation.

In the higher elevations near Donner Summit and across the Nevada state line, snow has piled up in towering drifts, swallowing guardrails and reducing visibility to just a few car lengths at times. Chain controls and full shutdowns have been necessary as crews work around the clock to clear crashes, remove stuck vehicles, and mitigate avalanche risk along steep mountain slopes. The storm has turned familiar mountain passes into scenes that feel more Arctic than Californian, with snow blowing sideways and temperatures well below freezing.

This powerful system is a stark reminder of how quickly conditions can deteriorate in the Sierra during major winter storms. Officials continue to urge drivers to avoid I-80 until the weather eases and crews can safely reopen the roadway. While the snow is a welcome boost for the mountain snowpack, its sheer intensity has brought travel to a standstill, underscoring the raw power of winter in the high mountains of California and Nevada.

12/26/2025

Hard to believe it’s been thirty years since “Give Me One Reason” landed. A song Tracy Chapman had been carrying since the mid-eighties became her biggest global hit, a Grammy winner and a modern classic.

12/26/2025

12/26/2025

These are the last lines of the last speech ever typed for President Kennedy, intended for remarks on November 22, 1963, at the Democratic State Committee in Austin:

“For this country is moving and it must not stop. It cannot stop. For this is a time for courage and a time for challenge. Neither conformity nor complacency will do. Neither the fanatics nor the faint-hearted are needed. And our duty as a party is not to our party alone, but to the Nation, and, indeed., to all mankind. Our duty is not merely the preservation of political power but the preservation of peace and freedom.

So let us not be petty when our cause is so great. Let us not quarrel amongst ourselves when our Nation’s future is at stake. Let us stand together with renewed confidence in our cause--united in our heritage of the past and our hopes for the future--and determined that this land we love shall lead all mankind into new frontiers of peace and abundance.”

12/26/2025

Happy birthday to Joseph Cornell (1903–1972)! 🎉 Born on this day in Nyack, New York, Cornell is best known for his groundbreaking assemblage work. From his home in Queens, he assembled an intriguing array of objects in glass-fronted wooden boxes, creating self-contained worlds filled with emblems of his fantasies, musings, yearnings, delights, and regrets.

🎁 Think outside the box with Joseph Cornell's "Untitled (Aviary with Yellow Birds)" (c. 1948) in "Revolutions," only at the Hirshhorn.

✨ Note: The Hirshhorn will be closed tomorrow, Dec. 25, and will reopen at 10AM on Fri, Dec. 26.

---
Image credit: Joseph Cornell, "Untitled (Aviary with Yellow Birds)," c. 1948. Wood, cork, paint, and cardboard in glass-fronted wood box. Gift in honor of James T. Demetrion, Director, HMSG (1984-2001), by Robert and Aimee Lehrman, 2013. Courtesy of Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Photo by Cathy Carver.

12/26/2025