Naper Settlement's Civil War Days strives for authenticity
While a typical American Civil War battle would have been waged on stretches of land larger than Naper Settlement's grounds, the museum site's size actually may serve as an advantage at Civil War Days this weekend.
"It doesn't have the full scope of a battlefield, but it's still a good representation. People can see the soldiers up close, smell the powder and feel the concussion of the guns," Larry Werline said.
Werline is a veteran of many Civil War re-enactments, including several at the settlement, which hosts re-creations of encampments and battles each spring.
This weekend, during Civil War Days on May 21 and 22, Werline will portray General Ulysses S. Grant, who led the Union army to victory before he was elected the 18th president of the United States.
Beginning at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in Century Memorial Chapel, settlement visitors can hear Werline, as Grant, talk about his life and why he fought for the Union, while Confederate generals will tell their personal stories in a program titled "The Rise of the Generals."
"We all thought it was going to be a short, fast war and it turned out to be long and bloody," said Werline, adopting his Grant persona.
Werline said he and his fellow "generals" will talk about why soldiers enlisted and the political and social forces at work during the 1860s.
A former Chicago-area resident who lives in Springfield, Werline said he has portrayed Grant hundreds of times since 1997. Since he recently retired from a career as a software consultant, he's been even more involved in historical presentations.
"I do a lot of programs at the Old State Capitol. It's a professional thing for me," he said. "I was always interested in history. American history had a particular fascination for me."
Most re-enactors are volunteer participants, he said.
Re-enactors strive for historical authenticity. Many of the roughly 300 re-enactors who participate in Civil War Days spend the weekend at the settlement camping out.
Participants will explain the details of life in the 19th century wartime era. There will be presentations about field hospital medicine, infantry drills and camp cooking, said Donna DeFalco, the settlement's public relations and social media coordinator.
An actor portraying President Lincoln will deliver the Gettysburg Address at 1:30 p.m. both days. There also will be presentations by actors playing abolitionist Harriet Tubman, first lady Mary Todd Lincoln, and authors Louisa May Alcott and Susie Baker King Taylor.
After remarks from Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico and descendants of the Naper family that founded the city, re-enactors will demonstrate a battle, which begins at 2:30 p.m. both days. A Civil War fashion show follows at 3:15 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Throughout the weekend, the Battlefield Balladeers will perform near the Log House, merchant re-enactors will sell 1860s-era-style goods on Sutler's Row and Naper Settlement's own Weed Ladies will offer their handmade floral arrangements for sale.
The Fox Valley Genealogical Society will be on hand to shed light on family connections to ancestors who lived during the war.
Activities for children include stilt walking, rolling hoops, hobby horses and other 19th-century games.
If you go
What: Civil War Days
Where: Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and 22
Tickets: In advance, $12 for adults, $8 for youth ages 4-12, available at www.napersettlement.org through May 20; Day of, $15 for adults, $10 for youth ages 4-12
Info: (630) 420-6010 and www.napersettlement.org