Civil War Re-enactors present “Illinois Soldiers in the Civil War”

In 1861, volunteers answered President Lincoln’s call to arms. Civil War re-enactors Brian and Daniel Flora will offer a multi-media program about Illinois soldiers in the Civil War on Sunday, September 30 at 2 pm at Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake Street. This free program is in collaboration with the Oak Park River Forest Historical Society.

“One-third of all Illinois males (260,000) fought in that war; 35,000 died,” says Brian Flora, an Oak Park resident. “The significance of Illinois’ contribution to the Union victory has generally been under-appreciated.”

In their presentation, Captain Daniel Flora and Private Brian Flora of Company A, 20th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry, will portray Union veterans who have just fought at the 1862 Battle of Shiloh, the first truly horrific battle of the war.

“This presentation will showcase Illinois soldiers, not the details of the battles. We will focus on who they were, why they fought, what they wore, what they ate, where they went, and more. After all, it was the boys from Illinois (with a little help from their Midwestern friends) who won the war that preserved the Union,” says Brian Flora.

“The 20th Illinois was a typical regiment of Illinois volunteers who 151 years ago answered President Lincoln’s urgent call for volunteers,” says Brian Flora. “Shortly after the fall of Fort Sumter on April 13, 1861, the Illinois legislature authorized the raising of ten additional infantry regiments, one from each of the state’s nine congressional districts and one from volunteer companies assembled at Springfield. The 20th Illinois, initially 1,000 men strong, was one of these early regiments and fought hard throughout the war. In April 1862, it was in the thick of things at the bloody Battle of Shiloh, where it started the battle with 526 men and ended up with 390.”

Find more events happening at Oak Park Public Library at http://oppl.org/events/calendar.