Civil War Encampment draws history buffs, newcomers, to Graue Mill

There are always some people who are caught off guard.

As they head out for a late summer stroll around Graue Mill and Museum in Oak Brook, a part of the DuPage County Forest Preserve District, they'll hear musket fire, smell women cooking sauerbraten and cornbread, and spy soldiers camped in 19th-century tents.

As the annual Civil War Encampment returns to Graue Mill Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 4-5, historic actor Bob Winter of Lombard said he always looks forward to the surprise visitors.

"We have a following, definitely, but there are always some people who just stumble upon it and it's amazing," he said. "I love sharing the knowledge I have and helping the public understand what those men did years ago to save our country."

Winter and a group of about 25 Civil War re-enactors will spend the weekend portraying Union soldiers of the 10th Illinois Regiment in 1863.

That means spending the weekend literally camped at the historic Oak Brook site, which was once used by slaves as a stop along the Underground Railroad.

The actors - all history enthusiasts who own their own vintage equipment - will don authentic clothing, use weapons and tools from the era, perform black powder firing demonstrations and drills, and demonstrate their cooking and crafting skills.

The Civil War encampment has been popular for decades, and Winter said he hopes it generates new interest in Graue Mill each year. Because even when the actors are gone, the mill is home to a museum that displays Civil War artifacts such as ammunition, an artillery shell and the drum used by early settler Morrell Fuller when he played for troops in battle.

"I think it piques interest and that's important, because this is such a historic place," Winter said. "It's good for the community."