The General Miles Marching and Chowder Society, formed in 1979, is a group of military historians with a deep interest in the lives of the enlisted infantrymen of the regular army in the west, 1867-1890. Many members are affiliated with the National Park Service, state parks, or other government agencies. Others come from the ranks of re-enactors and living history enthusiasts. The group believes that in "learning by doing" we become better students of this important historic period.

Each member develops an individual historical impression of the period of interest. The impression must meet exacting standards of authenticity before the person is made a regular member of the group. At garrison events members participate in drills, fatigue work-details, bayonet exercises, signal practice, instruction for sentinels, evening guard duty, and occasionally, a baseball game.

In the field, they sleep on the ground in dog tents, eat field rations, and participate in day or overnight hikes with field gear. Target firing for score occurs each year, using the .45-70 or .50-70 "trapdoor" Springfield rifle, and is always a highlight of the encampment.

The society meets for one week each year, and encampments have taken place at National Park Service areas including Fort Larned, Fort Union, Fort Davis, Fort Laramie, Big Hole Battlefield, and Golden Spike national historic sites. Encampments have also been held at State managed sites such as Forts Hartsuff and Robinson, NE; Rosebud Battlefield, MT; and Fort Sissiton, SD. Other encampments have been held at BLM managed sites such as Big Dry Wash, AZ; and Mills Canyon, NM.

The GMMACS is administered by "The Benzene Board", assisted by the Company Clerk. The Board approves memberships, evaluates uniform and equipment, and approves expenditures. They are subject to an annual vote of confidence from regular members attending the yearly encampment. At the encampment the Society is under the direction of a senior NCO, assisted by other permanent or acting NCO’s. Currently the GMMACS has one sergeant and three corporals.

The annual encampments are planned to be as fully authentic as possible, with daily activities reflecting the routine of the 19^th Century Army. Sites for encampments are nominated by the members, and voted on at the annual meeting. The members participate in a full schedule of duties from before dawn until retreat, and can expect to pull KP and night guard shifts during the week of the encampment. In garrison the members have access to the Post Traders between retreat and tattoo, at the sergeant’s discretion. When the society is camped at a public site, a barracks orderly typically interprets activities and 19^th century barracks life, and a NCO or orderly interprets drill activities. The society also provides training to park staff or volunteers at the encampment site.

The society’s reputation for accurate historical interpretation is what allows it access to the wide selection of historical sites where the encampments have been held. It has also attracted members from such re-enactment organizations as The Army of the Pacific, Mudsills, and the Southern Guard.