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Vol. XXVII, No 1 January/February 2014
ANNUAL BATTLE DAY : SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013A Photo Essay
Honoring December 6, 1846
Photographs courtesy of Michelle Wolf and Melvin Sweet
Participants shake hands after a re-enactment.
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President’s Message: by Tom VilicichSPBVA 2014
BOARD
MEMBERS
Shirley Buskirk
Cliff Clifford
Royce Clifford
Donald Coates
Tom Cook
Jake Enriquez
Randall Hamud
Darlene Hansen
Ron Hinrichs
Gisela Koestner
Richard Meyer
Leroy Ross, Jr.
Stan Smith
Ellen Sweet
Tom Vilicich
Bob Wohl
These officers are
acting until new
officers are elected
President:
Tom Vilicich
Vice-President:
Don Coates
President Emeri-
tus:
Leroy Ross, Jr.
Treasurer:
Gisela Koestner
Recording Sec’y:
Ellen Sweet
Corporate Sec’y:
Ron Hinrichs
BATTLELINES Jan/Feb 2014
We have another successful battle re-enactment under our belts. It tookplace December 1st this year on theThanksgiving weekend. You could nothave asked for nicer weather; it madefor a wonderful day. Along with themany returning participants, we had alarge number of new riders. A largegroup of these came to us from a groupof re-enactors known as the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. We had 20 plus riderson each side of the fight. I think thisyear’s fight odds were pretty equal—atleast I did not feel so out-numbered onthe battlefield. In the many years that Ihave been taking part in the re-enactment, this was the most riders Ihave seen. And with that number ofriders, you should have seen the dustcloud that we kicked up! Being in themiddle of the dust cloud may havemade it hard to see, but I think it addedto the excitement of the re-enactment.We also had some new mountain menand dismounted troops along with ourregulars shooting their rifles and mus-
kets. And, of course, we cannot forgetthe big noise on the field with our can-non crews. A job well done!
As with any army, those who were inthe fight get all the accolades for theiraction in battle, but we must givecredit to the unsung heroes of the rearechelons and logistics of the StateParks staff, the many volunteers of theSan Pasqual Battlefield Volunteer As-sociation, and others who volunteeredfor the day. These include the BoyScouts working in the parking lot, theJROTC from Kearny High School whodid the flag raising ceremony, the vol-unteers who manned the museum,those who took part in the programs inthe amphitheater, and the park staffand VIP volunteers who took charge ofthe many activities in the park on Bat-tle Day.
As most of you know, this is our big-gest yearly event at San Pasqual Bat-tlefield State Historic Park. It takesnot days or weeks to pan this event,but months. And with the passing of
each re-enactment, we are look-ing into how we can make thenext years even better. We havealready bounced around a fewideas.With 2014 upon us, we havemany events lined up already forthe new year. Our First Sundayliving history program eachmonth from October through Junebegins on Sunday, January 5.And the cannon will travel to FortRosecrans on Memorial Day andto Old Town San Diego StateHistoric Park for the Fourth ofJuly. Many military and schoolgroups will be coming out to thepark for one of our tours of theevents that took place there in1846. I hope to see you there.
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BATTLELINES Jan/Feb 2014
BATTLE DAY
2013
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BATTLELINES Jan/Feb 2014
Park Hours:
Saturday &
Sunday, 10 am
to 4 pm
(winter hours)
Park Phone
Number:
(760) 737-2201
weekends only or
(619) 220-5422
www.parks.ca.gov
www.spbva.org
SPBVA Info:
Tom Vilicich
(951) 674-0185 or
School & Adult
Tours Contact:
Darlene Hansen
(760) 480-6320
BATTLELINES
Contributions
Deadline :
February 28
Contact editor,
Ellen Sweet,
Ronilee Clark & Brian Arnold Cliff & Royce Clifford Donald Coates Jake Enriquez Family
Greg Hill Michael Pique Melvin & Ellen Sweet Thomas M. Vilicich
Dragoon Level Members ($100 or more this year)
Welcome New Members!
Sergio & Erna Cortez, Temecula
Carl Harrison, Escondido
Returning member:
William Riddle, Oceanside
Renewing members:Shirley Buskirk, Escondido Carissa Lemon, CoronaJim & Hope Caldwell, Vista Michael Pique, San DiegoDon Coates Family, Escondido Karen Rice, BeaumontTom & Jackie Cook, San Diego Tom Richards, Virginia Bch, VAJake Enriquez Family, Escondido Leroy Ross, VistaRon Hinrichs, Escondido Janice Ryan, CarlsbadGisela Koestner, Poway Bob Snashall, Washington, D.C.
Kearny High School JROTC leads the flag raising.
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BATTLELINES Jan/Feb 2014
BATTLE DAY
2013
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BATTLELINES Jan/Feb 2014
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JOIN NOW! Our non-profit organization supports the activities of the San Pasqual Battlefield StateHistoric Park. All members receive BATTLELINES, a 10% discount on all bookstore items, specialprograms, field trips, history discussions, and opportunities to participate in our Living History Sundaysand in our annual December re-enactment of the Battle.
SAN PASQUAL BATTLEFIELD VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONP.O. Box 300816, Escondido, CA 92030-0816
(760) 737-2201
This is my/our membership application & dues for the following category:
____Student ($5) ____ Sustaining ($50) ____Dragoon ($100 or more)
____Individual ($15) ____Organization ($25) ____Benefactor ($1,000 or more)
____Family ($20) ____Corporate ($100) Please make checks payable to: SPBVA
NAME(S)_______________________________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS ______________________________________________________________________________________________
CITY _______________________________________________________ STATE _______________ZIP _________________
PHONE_____________________________________________ EMAIL________________________________________
OCCUPATION_________________________INTEREST/SKILLS_____________________________________________
BATTLELINES Jan/Feb 2014
Off the Shelf... by Shirley Buskirk
When San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Parkwas in the planning stages, people thought it shouldbe about more than the battle. After all, an Indianvillage was there when the battle occurred, and whatabout the people who settled in the valley whenCalifornia became part of the United States?
You’ll find that same three-fold emphasis at thepark. Displays in the visitor center begin with theSan Pasqual Indians who lived on the site─there arepictures of their houses and real grinding stones.The displays also tell about the Spanish missions,the Mexican ranchos, the battle, its participants, andthe American settlers who came afterwards.
The selections in the bookstore also reflect this di-versity. The books about the Native Americans areas wide-ranging as all of California and as specificas San Pasqual. Books about California’s historycover the Spanish settlements and missions, as wellas when it was a Mexican outpost.
Most of the books are about the war with Mexico,the battle at San Pasqual, and the treaty ending thewar. There are books about the US dragoons, theMormon Battalion, military men and people like Kit
Carson, who fought in the battle─and fell off hishorse. The war ended in California shortly after thisbattle, but it was almost two years later, after theAmericans had captured Mexico City, when the warreally ended. Mexico lost half its land and theUnited States stretched from the Atlantic to the Pa-cific. So there are books that tell the whole storyabout the war, too.
While most of thebooks are written foradults, many are forchildren and a few arein both English andSpanish. If you aren’tinterested in books,there are military re-ports, old newspapers,maps and drawings ofthe soldiers, postcards,medallions, miniaturecannons, and a DVD.Something for every-one!
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BATTLELINES Jan/Feb 2014
SAN PASQUAL BATTLEFIELDVOLUNTEER ASSOCIATIONP.O. Box 300816Escondido, CA 92030-0816
Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage
PAIDEscondido, CA 92025
Permit No. 414
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
CALENDAR
Sunday, January 5
Living History, Park
Tuesday, January 21
History Discussion, Escondido Library, 4:30 to 6:30 pm,
Boden Canyon led by Stan Smith
Friday, January 24
Board Meeting, 11 am-1 pm
Saturday, January 25, Mormon Battalion Day, Old
Town SDSHP, 10 am-3 pm
Sunday, February 2
Living History, Park
Tuesday, February 18
History Discussion, Escondido Library, 4:30 to 6:30 pm
Friday, February 28
Board Meeting, 11 am-1 pm
SPBVA’sHISTORY DISCUSSIONS:
Tues, January 21 4:30─6:30 pmBoden Canyon
led by Stan Smith
Tues, February 18 4:30—6:30 pmTo Be Announced
Please call Ron Hinrichs,760-746-8380 for information.
Escondido Public Library,239 S. Kalmia,
2nd floor conference room.,