 "Antietam Aftermath: Appeal for Assistance" will focus on the role
of the Soldiers' Aid Society, a dedicated group of women who met in
the Old State Capitol and collected supplies for Union soldiers.
There will be four stations for visitors to help produce supplies to
be sent to Union soldiers. Participants will be able to make and
roll bandages, roll cartridges, make lint, and make cleaning patches
for muskets. All ages are welcome to participate.The Old State
Capitol's Civil War Saturdays continues the popular History Comes
Alive program and features a different living history program nearly
every Saturday until the end of the year.
Throughout the war, the Soldiers' Aid Society knitted and sewed
for the Union war effort. They also appealed to the community for
food and clothing to be sent to sick and wounded soldiers
convalescing at hospitals such as the one at Springfield's Camp
Butler.
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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, as the seat of government, the Statehouse was the center
of the state's efforts at wartime mobilization. The building 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.
Tuesday through Saturday.
[Text from file received from
the Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency] |
