"The whole shebang"

A common fixture in Civil War encampments, both Union and Confederate, was an awning made of poles and foliage called a "shebang" or "she-bang".  Easy to erect from materials nearby, the shebang offered cool respite from the hot sun.

So simple and straightforward is the concept and construction that it's still 

found on the battlefields of today

I decided to make a 55mm shebang for use with my soldiers.

First I needed a base to mount it upon.

I salvaged a sheet of thin plywood from an old file cabinet that I once had. At the band saw I cut a piece roughly 6"x6".

Then it was to the belt sander to bevel the edges.

This late October day was wonderfully, and unseasonably warm as I made my way out to the lilacs with a small pruner.  I harvested all of the sticks I'd need for the

uprights and crossmembers.

Four holes were drilled in the base to receive the upright poles.

Using hot glue the framework was assembled.

A thick layer of paint went on the base and a handful of sawdust was applied for texture.

Winslow Homer is my favorite Civil War artist, and here, in "Home Sweet Home" a shebang can be seen in the background.

With lichen applied as the boughs, the finished product finds the corporal of the guard reading the morning orders.

"The Sutler's Tent" by Winslow Homer

And that's the whole shebang.

Soldier on!

Mannie