The square was transformed to bring the Living History of the Civil War Era as part of the year-long celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday next year.

Kristy Howell, a member of the Lincoln Bicentennial Committee of Washington said she was worried Saturday when storms ripped through Washington during the night Friday.

Rain continued to fall until early Saturday morning, and Howell said the committee was concerned they would have to move the event indoors to the gym in the Washington Park District building.

However, around 9 a.m. the rain stopped and the sun began to break through the clouds.

Howell said it was a good thing because she was not sure how they would handle moving the tents, especially the surgical hospital display, to the gym on short notice.

It took Ron Kirchgessner four to five hours to set up Friday night, she added.

Surgery
Kirchgessner portrayed Maj. Richard A. Conover, a surgeon with the 108th Illinois Infantry.

As part of his presentation on field surgery during the Civil War, Kirchgessner demonstrated the process of evaluating a soldier’s (portrayed by Bill Huber) injury before amputating the hand.

Conover, born in Morgan County Dec. 28, 1831, received his literary education in Eureka. In 1856, he began his medical studies under Dr. R.B.M. Wilson of Washington.

Conover went on to graduate from St. Louis Medical College in 1858. He taught one year in the preparatory department of Walnut Grove Academy and practiced medicine in Eureka from 1858 until the start of the Civil War.
Kirchgessner said medical practitioners at that time were only required to study medicine for two years.

During the war, they would start out as an assistant surgeon, often receiving a field promotion to full surgeon.

Dance
On the other side of the square, the Central Illinois Civil War Dancers strutted their stuff to dances from the 1800s.

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One member of the group explained to visitors how both men and women during that era would wear gloves when in public.

“Women and men were not allowed to touch,” she said, “even if they were married. It was not considered proper.”

Men, she added, were also never seen in public without a jacket unless they were wearing a vest, and even then, many would still wear the jacket.

Women were expected to be covered from the neck to the wrists, and her ankles were never seen.

However, ball gowns worn to formal dances in the evening could have short sleeves and a lower neckline. The lower the neckline, the more risqué the dress was, one dancer said.

Mary Todd Lincoln was often criticized for going against the norm, wearing lower necklines and participating in conversations traditionally limited to men, such as politics.

One story about Mrs. Lincoln is that she wore a dress with a low neckline and long train in the back.

According to the story, a gentleman made a comment that some of the fabric from the train could have been better used for the neckline of Lincoln’s gown.

The dancers performed several dances despite the increasing temperatures. Toward the end of their performance, they invited visitors to join in for the Patty Cake Polka.

Portraits
Later in the afternoon, many visitors to a bygone era walked to the Zinser House to hear “Portraits in Time Past.”

Narrated by Mark Swisher, several Washingtonians donned period costumes and presented insights into members of Washington’s history.

Sheila House portrayed Asenath Scott, wife of John Randolph Scott.
Scott told stories to her daughter, Emma Julia (portrayed by Andrea House) about John and his brother, James, and their escapades as “conductors” along the underground railroad in Washington.

John formed a county Anti-Slavery Society in the area.

In another portrait, Dr. Karl Taylor portrayed newspaperman Amos A. Crouch.

Crouch was the editor of the Investigator and kept residents abreast of events leading up to the Civil War, including the formation of a military company in Washington.

Following a presentation of headlines from 1858-61, audience members listened to the “Battle Cry of Freedom,” a song written by George R. Root after President Lincoln’s call for more troops in 1861.

During the song, a screen scrolled through the names of all the soldiers who enlisted from Washington Township.

The scene then shifted to a campground where Dan Zehr portrayed Samuel Clement Zinser at a campground with two fellow soldiers, portrayed by Washington Community High School students Eli Hosbrough and Stuart Mack.

Zehr and Anna Oxborrow read letters that Zinser exchanged with Elizabeth Means, whom he later married.

The letters shared events Zinser experienced while serving with the 47th Regiment.

The campground gave way to Helen Rosella Bogardus (WCHS student Riley Willoughby), Lizzie May Bogardus (WCHS student Kristen Dancer), Susan Amaranth Danforth (Joan Ruppman) and Mary Jane Fifer (Bev Riggins) sharing stories about William B Bogardus, a captain of the 86th Illinois Infantry.

Bogardus, a popular figure in Washington at the time, was among the more than 25 Washington sons who lost their lives as a result of the Civil War.

Portraits finished with the eulogy by the Rev. John Bourland (portrayed by the Rev. John Bates) of John Baitty, who died June 5, 1934.
Baitty, along with fellow members of Company I, 146th regiment, Illinois Infantry, acted as honor guard during the funeral and burial of President Lincoln.

All that was left after the Portraits and a second surgical demonstration was the cleanup.

Mayor Gary Manier said during Lemonade with Lincoln, he thought the day was a big success.

“Who would have thought we would have people camping on the square,” he said, adding it made the day all that more interesting.

Howell and Judy Gross both said they were happy with the turnout and the weather.

Alderman Jim Gee and Tazewell County Board member Mike Godar said it was nice to see the square used for such an event.

Committee members and city leaders were not the only ones who were impressed with the committee’s efforts.

Many visitors to the square voiced their approval. One woman said she rushed to Washington from a veterans’ breakfast to see the displays and presentations.

She added she was looking forward to lunch at Denhart’s, which she originally thought was just a bakery.