Commemorate the Civil War Sesquicentennial at Civil War Days

NAPERVILLE, Ill., May 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Commemorate the Civil War Sesquicentennial during Civil War Days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 21-22 at Naper Settlement, Chicagoland’s Outdoor History Museum, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville, Ill. Experience the 1860s with generals, soldiers and famous figures of the past, including President Abraham Lincoln. Each day at 2:30 p.m., cannons roar and gunshots ring out as the Blue and Gray meet again in battle. Presentations highlight unsung heroes of the Civil War, such as abolitionist Maria Weston Chapman, teacher Susie Baker King Taylor and Mary Ann Bickerdyke, a nurse from Galesburg, Ill. Visitors will hear some lesser known facts about famous personages like Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Gen. Grant and his wife, Julia Dent Grant, are portrayed by Scott and Peggy Whitney. "We tell stories about our life together," Scott Whitney said. "There are certain things he wouldn't talk about, that she would." Although Grant never mentioned it in his two-volume memoir, he was an expert horseman and was considered the best equestrian in the Army.

Don Locke has been portraying Gen. Lee for over 18 years and is a member of the National Registry of Living Historians. Locke said he has done extensive research on Lee and has a deep commitment to share with others an accurate historical account of this outstanding man. "I could never in two lifetimes be the man that Robert E. Lee was, but by studying him and learning about his character, his belief in God, his devotion to family, his honor, and what he perceived as his duty, I feel that I can, in some small way, keep his important contribution to our history alive," Locke said.

Taylor was the first African American teacher to instruct freed African Americans and the only African American woman to publish a memoir of her wartime experiences. Educator and actress Ta-Tanisha Jordan, who will portray Taylor, said, "It's great that Naper Settlement wants to bring to light that minorities played a vital role in our nation's history. These are untold stories and unsung songs."  

Tickets are $12 adults; $8 youth 4-17. Children under 4 and members are free. Call (630) 420-6010 or visit www.napersettlement.museum. Sponsors are USG Foundation and Naperville Convention and Visitors Bureau.

SOURCE Naper Settlement