President and Mrs. Lincoln, Civil War Re-enactors visit Trinity May 4

The Trinity College history department welcomes President and Mrs. Abraham Lincoln, as well as other Civil War re-enactors, to campus for an evening of interaction and demonstration on Monday, May 4, beginning at 6 pm. The event is free and open to the public.

From 6-7 pm, visitors can interact with members of the 1st Brigade, Illinois Volunteers, a group of Civil War reenactors who create visual demonstrations and present accurate historical information about the experiences of military life during the Civil War. There will be demonstrations by members of Union reenacting units including infantry, cavalry, artillery, medical, and signal corps.

Steve Fratt, professor and chair of the history department at Trinity, is also the commanding Colonel of the 1st Brigade, Illinois Volunteers, the Federal Army in Chicago.

"This is a great opportunity to interact with living history and to learn in a fresh and interesting way about this very important period in American history," Fratt said.

At 7 pm, there will be an artillery fire demonstration on the green outside of the Waybright Center. Members of the Village of Bannockburn government and police department will be on hand for the firing of the canon.

The featured event of the evening is a press conference at 7:30 pm with Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Lincoln, portrayed by Max and Donna Daniels. History department students will serve as journalists who conduct the press conference.

Max and Donna Daniels have an extensive background in community theatre and have been portraying Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln professionally since 1988. They have been featured in television specials, including the Investigating History series on the History Channel. They have performed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and at the dedication of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, IL.

The Daniels are popular attractions at Civil War Reenactments throughout the Midwest and make over 200 appearances each year for schools, libraries, and other organizations.

Following the press conference, there will be a time for Q & A from the audience, as well as a dessert reception.

Trinity International University is located at 2065 Half Day Road in Bannockburn.