Civil War Days adds portrayal of woman who improved hospitals

There's a new gal in town this weekend, and she's no delicate flower.

While the men of Naper Settlement's Civil War Days re-enact the violence and bloodshed that was the war, many women worked tirelessly behind the scenes, including Mary Ann 'Mother' Bickerdyke.

Bickerdyke, best known for cracking the whip on sanitation in military hospitals, is the newest persona brought to life by one of more than 300 actors who will appear at the 28th annual Civil War Days commemoration Saturday and Sunday, May 15 and 16, at the museum village in downtown Naperville.

"This year we have a number of focuses on women in the Civil War," said Donna Sack, director of visitor services. "Both men and women played a very significant role during this time period. We hope to portray all of those sides to the story."

The re-enactment, which includes living history actors and era-appropriate food and merchandise, is expected to draw more than 5,000 people.

At 2:30 p.m. both days, soldiers take their place on the battlefield and re-enact a battle.

Sack said she is careful with the wording she uses to characterize the event. Celebration just isn't the right word, she said.

"This is really a commemoration of that event rather than a celebration," she said. "This was really a rather dire time in our country's history. It was a crisis of sorts. The country came out of it much stronger than how we went in, certainly in respect to civil rights and unification, although that took some time."

Bickerdyke's storyline is making a first-time appearance at the festival, and she more than deserves the recognition, says living history actor Helen Milam, who plays Bickerdyke.

Often, women's roles in the war were overshadowed by the notion that women at that time were expected to be docile and submissive.

A simple and plain person, Bickerdyke, of Galesburg, Ill., was a botanical physician who turned into a champion for wounded soldiers, nursing and mothering them back to health and fighting for the appropriate supplies and living conditions for them.

"She shows how strong women were at the time, how passionate they were at the time," said Milam, of Lockport. "She supported the North. She did her part, and patriotism wasn't singled out to the men alone. Women did their part, whether it was making and rolling bandages or making ammunition to help fight the war. The history books don't mention all that we were involved in."

Bickerdyke joins other history-making women such as Clara Barton, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman and Louisa May Alcott, in addition to the many soldiers, generals and other famous faces such as President Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln.

The living history actors remain one of the festival favorites, Sack said, noting all the different aspects of the war for visitors to learn about.

"They can learn how cooking was done during the time period, even making pies and whole turkeys and hams," Sack said. "They can learn things as simple as ways to cook food and as extravagant as how they cared for the cannons."

Or they can learn more about the individuals who helped save lives and modernize concepts like sanitation, such as Bickerdyke.

"Mary Ann 'Mother' Bickerdyke is an unsung hero that you will not find in any history book," Milam said. "Naper Settlement is ahead of their time by stressing the importance of women, especially during the Civil War."

Beyond the actors, visitors can seek out food and go shopping on Sutler's Row for Civil War-era reproductions such as baskets or toys. Unique food items include homemade root beer, homemade potato chips and funnel cakes.

Civil War Days runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Admission is $12 for adults, $11 for senior citizens and $8 for ages 4 to 17. Naperville Heritage Society members and season pass holders receive free admission.

Early birds get $2 off advance ticket sales for adults and $1 off other tickets. Advance tickets are available at Naper Settlement, Oswald's Pharmacy, Anderson's Bookstore, Canterbury Shoppe, Country Curtains and Just Ducky.

For information, call (630) 420-6010 or visit napersettlement.org.

<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p>

<p class="News"><b>What:</b> Civil War Days</p>

<p class="News"><b>When:</b> 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 15 and 16</p>

<p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Naper Settlement, 523 S. Weber St., Naperville </p>

<p class="News"><b>Cost: </b>$12 for adults, $11 for seniors, $8 for ages 4 to 17</p>

<p class="News"><b>Info:</b> (630) 420-6010 or <a href="http://napersettlement.org" target="new">napersettlement.org</a></p>