Civil War Days in Naperville brings the past to life
NAPERVILLE, Ill., May 11, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hundreds of Civil War reenactors create a living history encampment during Naperville's Civil War Days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 16 to 17 at Naper Settlement, a history museum located at 523 S. Webster St. A battle reenactment is held each day at 2:30 p.m. Visitors can experience infantry and artillery drills, first-person historical interpretations, period music, sutlers and medical and cooking demonstrations. Meet famous people of the past such as President and Mrs. Lincoln, Clara Barton and the generals. Tickets are $15 adults and $10 youth ages 4 to 12. Save $5 on advance tickets online at www.napersettlement.org/civilwardays. Call (630) 420-6010.
Naper Settlement is partnering with Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans (MSHV), a not-for-profit organization based in Wheaton, Ill., which offers transitional and affordable housing programs and supportive services to U.S. veterans of any era. Visitors are encouraged to donate items from the MSHV wish list, which can be found at www.napersettlement.org/civilwardays.
During this last year of the Civil War Sesquicentennial, Larry Werline who portrays General Ulysses S. Grant, Paul Wood as General Robert E. Lee, and other top Civil War generals, will offer their reflections about the year 1865.
"Appomattox was important, but what people don't realize, it wasn't the whole story," Werline said. "It took a little more effort on Lee's part and Grant's part to really end the war."
Based on an actual Illinois unit deployed during the Civil War, the reenactors of Chicago Light Artillery, Battery A will demonstrate the cannon's fire power. William Kummerow, commander of the unit, said, "We do our best to research the history and portray it as accurately as we can."
On a softer note, music was an important part of camp life. David Corbett of The Battlefield Balladeers said the music of the era included field music with bugles, fifes and drums regulating soldiers' lives from morning to night. Soldiers played popular music from composer Stephen Foster and sang sentimental songs like "Annie Laurie."
Ernie Klapmeier, a museum educator at Naper Settlement and a longtime reenactor, said he thinks the continued fascination with the Civil War is because it was the only war that was fought exclusively on American soil.
"The American Civil War has left a mark on the consciousness of the people that goes beyond that time period," he said.
SOURCE Naper Settlement
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