Booming cannons welcome Civil War Days to Naper Settlement

Stroll through downtown Naperville this weekend and the boom of cannons may stop you in your tracks.

Not to worry: we're not being invaded.

The crack of gunfire is just part of a two-day event in which roughly 300 Civil War re-enactors will demonstrate everything from military formations to 19th-century etiquette and surgery techniques at Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St.

The annual Civil War Days observance is expected to draw 4,000 visitors over the weekend.

Organizers say they have to warn police that the sounds of all that gunfire and artillery are just part of staged battles scheduled for 2:30 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20.

"It literally shakes the building," said Lauren Visher, Naper Settlement's special events coordinator. "You can feel it in your bones as you're standing down by the battlefield."

Too noisy for kids? If so, they can take cover in a quiet playroom on the grounds. They also will receive autograph sheets to encourage them to approach re-enactors and learn about their characters' stories.

"Their passion is contagious," Visher said.

Last year, a team of medic re-enactors showed the crude processes from the time, demonstrating how an injured soldier would bite down on a bullet during a leg amputation delivered with a saw.

But maybe you're more in the mood for a little shopping. You know, hunting for the perfect hoop skirt.

Visher suggests heading to Sutler's Row - "sutler" was the period term for vendor - to check out all sorts of Civil War-related products from about a dozen vendors.

Or maybe you're in the mood for romance. Norm and Gina Camp, married during Civil War Days 10 years ago, will be renewing their vows Saturday afternoon in full costume.

A cooking demonstration, meanwhile, will result in a delicious stew with campfire flavor, Visher said. And kettle corn and root beer can quench a hungry stomach and thirsty throat on the grounds.

New this year is a presentation by Addison actress Annette Baldwin, who will portray Elizabeth Van Lew, a spy for the Union from her Richmond, Va., home.

Her research for the first-person presentation took her to Richmond, where she scoured books and letters at libraries and museums.

"I can't command it until I have the true facts," said Baldwin, a 20-year acting veteran.

Before scholars tackled Van Lew's life, Baldwin said she was known as "Crazy Bet." But that was too narrow a nickname, Baldwin discovered. There was more to the story.

"She was bold but cautionary," Baldwin said. "She was intelligent and self-willed."

And "far from crazy," Baldwin said.

Van Lew, a staunch opponent of slavery and the daughter of a successful Richmond businessman, established a small core of trustworthy accomplices that delivered strategic information to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's army, Baldwin said.

"The stories of the American past are just so rich with courage and vision that that's the place to go for inspiration," Baldwin said.

While she wanted to combine her background in community theater with her passion for research when she started performing historical heroes, Baldwin hopes her presentation motivates viewers to crack open a book and learn more.

"It's more important for me to tell stories that have impacted our American history and have changed our lives," she said.

Until Friday, advanced tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids ages 4 to 12. They are available at napersettlement.museum.

Tickets at the door are $15 for adults and $10 for kids ages 4 to 12.

Signing up for a new membership deal at Naper Settlement, Visher said, includes admission to the Naper Nights concert series as well as events like Civil War Days, Oktoberfest and All Hallows Eve.

An individual season pass - good for two people - is $50. Family memberships - good for four people - are $100.

For details, call (630) 420-6010.