Students bring Civil War history to life

 

[March 13, 2018]  LINCOLN - On Friday, March 9th, fifth grade students from Northwest, Washington-Monroe and Central schools took visitors on a walk back in time to the Civil War. These District 27 students participated in an annual historical learning activity “A Walk Through the 1860s” held at Lincoln College Campus’s Lincoln Heritage Museum.

For several weeks, the students have been studying the Civil War, researching and preparing brief presentations of their characters.

Students performed in both galleries of the museum in the role of characters from the Civil War era. Various roles included notable leaders, Union and Confederate soldiers, military generals. doctors, nurses, spies, and abolitionists.

On the first floor, President Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd greeted everyone and told what their lives were like during the Civil War.

As visitors moved through various stations, groups of students dressed in Civil War era replica clothing shared stories of battles and the horrors of war, and the roles they played on either the Confederate or Union side. Others said they were fighting to end slavery and spreading the truth about slavery. Some said they went in to enemy camps and gathered intelligence for their side.

In the gallery upstairs, groups of women strong in character included a female doctor and nurses who assisted soldiers, one who dressed up as a man and fought, and a couple who acted as spies. Abraham Lincoln also read his Gettysburg address and Frederick Douglas told of his experiences as a slave.

As each student took a turn telling their character’s story, the other students in their group would bow their heads or step back into a line with the other students and wait until their next turn to speak.

Several guests walked through the museum, with some looking for a specific student.

Washington Monroe Students included:

Mrs. Snow’s class

The Lincolns:
Gabe Smith as Abraham Lincoln
Kristen Meyers as Mary Todd Lincoln

Union Generals and Soldiers:
Shiyah Carter as General Ulysses S. Grant
Ethan Mullenbach as General John M. Corse
Cameron Robertson as a Ft. Sumter soldier
Aiden Frye as a Ft. Sumter soldier

Confederate generals and soldiers:
Miley Sampson as Robert E. Lee
Riley Allison as Soldier Edwin Francis Jemison
Isaiah Harris as a Confederate soldier
Rylee Carillo a Confederate soldier

Spies:
Gavin Parmenter as Thomas Jordan
Rose O’Neal Greenhow as Sydney Loeffler
Lily Thompson as Belle Boyd
Henry Thomas Harrison as Devin Bland

Nurses:
Reece Winebrinner as Clara Barton
Grace Tolliver as Louisa May Alcott
Destiny Shaffer as Phoebe Pember

Abolitionists:
Destiny Tungate as Harriet Tubman
Chelsie Pentecost as Sojourner Truth
Kobie Ivy as Frederick Douglass

Mrs. Ewing’s class

The cost of slavery:
Anaiya Willis as Harriet Tubman
Aliya Marcum as Dr. Mary Walker
Jewel McDonnell as Mary Todd Lincoln

Strong Women:
Aalyah Johnson as Elizabeth Van Lew
Alliyah Brand as Clara Barton
Myra Bowers as Rose O’Neil Greenhow
Jasmine Raymond as Jenny Hodges
Piper Graber as Harriet Beecher Stowe

Great Leaders:
Lucas Dea as President Abraham Lincoln
Kaylub Spence as Frederick Douglass
Madison Danley as Civil War photographer Matthew Brady

Civil War generals:
Micah Gitelson as General Ulysses S. Grant
Jordan Fulkerson as General William T. Sherman
Rielley Bernhardt as General Robert E. Lee
Cort Pentecost as General Stonewall Jackson

Battlefield medicine:
Tyson Treakle as Civil War doctor
Morgan Snyder as wounded Union soldier
Ryan Huskins as wounded Union soldier
Hayden Walters as wounded Confederate soldier

As the performances ended, the students gathered in the atrium and were videotaped saying Happy Birthday to the Looking for Lincoln organization, which is celebrating their 10th year.

Lincoln Heritage Museum Director Anne Moseley then asked the students to review and reflect on favorite facts they learned about the Civil War. Some of their favorite facts were their characters giving speeches, writing books, founding the Red Cross, and helping 15,000 soldiers.

The students performed well as they played their roles from a key point in American history. This experience brought history to life for both the students and the visitors.

[Angela Reiners]