Charleston Reunion
On May 11, a large contingency of Northerners from the West Point Class of ‘64 invaded the southern stronghold of Charleston, South Carolina where Southern classmates, led by General Ann Muir, had prepared an active defense against the invading forces.
General Muir’s defensive plan was to lure the invaders into a local watering hole on the evening of the invasion where they were greeted by southern belles and classmates who plied them with alcoholic spirits and stories of "the Corps has." The plan worked. Desires to conquer disappeared and feelings of camaraderie that always unite the Class of ’64 rose to take their place.
On the following morning, a number of classmates and their wives from both the North and the South paraded through the streets of Charleston in horse-drawn carriages. The sun was shining, the colors were waving: it was a grand affair.
That evening, we gathered at a grand feast where spies from both sides worked their counterpart diplomats to evoke stories and secrets. The more the liquor flowed, the more the stories were revealed. A major coup in intelligence was scored when locals discovered that several out-of-town visitors were slaves to their GPSs. In spite of visual cues, while attempting to enter the parking lot of their hotel, erstwhile drivers slavishly executed "make a legal U-turn" commands only to be diverted back across the largest bridge in Charleston that they had just crossed. One enterprising Northerner was a creative problem-solver. After executing the requested U-turn, his copilot told him of the error. He corrected his mistake by backing up against traffic amidst cries of "damn Yankee."
On Friday morning classmates were invited on an exclusive tour of the Nathaniel Russell house. With two floors build to original specs, the third floor seemed to be a constant victim whenever a hurricane passes through, so it is not restored. Mr. Russeil was a merchant who started out being a social outcast, but got even by becoming one of the richest men in town, sort of a Charlestown version of Donald Trump.
Friday night we gathered on a boat to cruise the Charleston harbor past Fort Sumter. While feasting and drinking, classmates argued over who started the Civil War.
During the entire event, skirmishes were held on the field of friendly strife where Field Marshall George Cromartie organized golf matches. Results from the field remain unreported.
In sum, the event was well executed. General Muir and her staff are to be commended.