Civil War Saturdays at Old State Capitol continue with Civil War Camping and Cooking Day

[October 17, 2012]  SPRINGFIELD -- Visitors are invited to sample the sights and smells of an authentic Union camp Saturday during Civil War Camping and Cooking Day, the next living history program in the Civil War Saturdays series at the Old State Capitol State Historic Site in downtown Springfield. The event is free and open to the public. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Civil War re-enactors will be present on the lawn of the historic site, demonstrating military camp life by setting up tents, displaying camping equipment and personal items the soldiers would have carried, and cooking authentic meals on a campfire. The menu will include dishes called skillygalee, Washington pies, scouse, Army pancakes, sloosh, and hasty pudding, among others. These recipes will include the authentic types of rations issued to Civil War soldiers, such as hardtack, bacon, salt pork and beef, as well as food that would have been acquired by foraging, such as fruit and vegetables.

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]