Confederate Critter Show

The Confederate Critter Show was an early animatronic band created by Creative Engineering in 1977 commissioned by Jim Sidwell Sr. owner of Magic World Kids Park in Pigeon Forge TN. The band was a one-stage, three character show designed to look like the inside of a giant tree stump. The band consisted of three characters: Major Mosby Greyhound III (on piano) a cowardly orange Greyhound that was the butt of all the band’s jokes who still hasn’t fully recovered from the war more so than the rest. General Cornelius Bearpatch (on guitar) who was the leader of the band naturally as the General. He would make sure the show doesn’t run too out of hand, introduce characters, and break up fights. Last, Colonel Stonewall J. Fox (on banjo), he sings about hunting women, and tried to tempt greyhound into drinking moonshine, and starts arguments when he doesn’t want to. all these characters were dressed as Confederate soldiers who have grown old after the war, but have never forgotten.

Stonewall J. Fox, and Major Mosby were voiced by John Cederberg. It is not known who voiced Cornelius Bearpatch at the time, but it is speculated that Cederberg voiced repeat in the Hard luck Bears’ premier showtape.

The show was created when Jim Sidwell Sr. attended the 1976 IAAPA expo in Orlando Fl and saw Aaron’s company’s creations. Sidwell had asked Aaron if he could build a full bear character which became known as “friendly Freddy” who performed solo on stage at the park for one season before he was sent back to CEI to become retrofitted into “Cornelius Bearpatch”, and the other additional two characters were installed along with bearpatch the coming year.

The show featured a live cast member portraying a Union Officer named “Ulysses S. Smith” who would perform alongside the stage, often conversing, and being heckled by the band. Ulysses would bring around a bottle of moonshine for the audience to smell, during their number of “moonshine whiskey”, and Ulysses would begin sobbing during Mosby’s number about lost love.

The show in it’s entirety with the compressor was sold at auction with Magic World’s closure in 1996. The show was sold by Sonny Thrower (Magic World GM) to Charles Moore, the owner of a business named “Celebrity Golf” in Gatlinburg TN. The characters were put on display after being retrofitted into bears, but they were in such bad shape at that time that the show was destroyed indefinitely with Celebrity Golf’s closure in 1997 Which later on turned into what’s now Ripley’s Haunted Attractions. The show has been confirmed to be destroyed by a former Celebrity golf employee.

Some of the songs the band sang in their 11 minute extravaganza are:

“The south will rise again”

”Hunting Women”

”Moonshine whiskey”

”Mountain Dew”

Lining the walls outside of the show’s area in the park waved large Confederate flags, mounted on a wooden fence. Every 15 minutes over the park’s PA system park employees would say “Ladies and gentlemen, the Confederate Critter show will be starting in only five minutes. If you would like to see the Confederate Critter show please make your way to the oak tree stump at the top of the hill. Once again, that’s the Confederate Critter show starting in only FIVE MINUTES.”