Battle of Shiloh's Benjamin Prentiss is 'General of the Month' at
Old State Capitol
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[May 11, 2012]
SPRINGFIELD
-- Maj. Gen. Benjamin M. Prentiss, famous for his actions at
the Civil War Battle of Shiloh, is the "General of the Month" for
May at the Old State Capitol State Historic Site in downtown
Springfield.
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Prentiss, a lawyer and Mexican War veteran, gained notoriety for
commanding Union troops at the "Hornets Nest" during the Battle of
Shiloh on April 6, 1862. Prentiss and more than 2,000 of his men
were surrounded and captured during the battle, and his military
career never recovered from that black mark.
The "General of the Month" exhibit is part of the Old State
Capitol's ongoing commemoration of the Civil War 150th anniversary.
Artifacts from Illinois' Civil War generals are included, from the
well-known to the obscure, with a different general featured each
month. Some of the well-known Civil War generals from Illinois are
Ulysses S. Grant, John A. Logan and John A. McClernand, but some
lesser-known individuals such as Thomas E.G. Ransom, William Gamble
and Lewis Baldwin Parsons will also be featured.
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During the 1840s and 1850s, the Old State Capitol was the scene of
debate over issues that led the nation to war in 1861. During the
Civil War, the Statehouse, as the seat of government, was the center
of the state's efforts at wartime mobilization. The Capitol also
provided space for local events aiding the needs of local residents,
as well as soldier relief efforts.
The
Old State Capitol State Historic Site, administered by the
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
seven days per week. The "General of the Month" exhibit is located
near the adjutant general's office in the rotunda.
[Text from file received from
the Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency] |