Mid States Living History Association

Mid States to assist General Lew Wallace Museum and Study Youth Academy 2011

Mid States Living History Association Inc. will be assisting the Lew Wallace Museum and Study in Crawfordsville, Indiana with the Lew Wallace Museum and Study Youth Academy on July 9^th and 10^th, 2011.  This is the fourth year the Association has organized history presentations on the final day of the week long summer Academy for students in grades 5 through 8.  Mid States Living History Association will be joined by members of the Ohio Valley Civil War Association and the Indiana Civil War Surgeon’s Society to provide history vignettes in encampments around the Museum and Study grounds.  Students learn about technology, strategy, leadership and life in the days of the Civil War.  The rich Civil War history of Major General Lew Wallace provides a backdrop to help students learn important life lessons and develop a better appreciation for leadership so well exemplified by General Wallace.

The students will have an opportunity to visit several history encampment stops where they will be able to see original artifacts, as well as reproductions, that are used by living history presenters to better understand how equipment and other items were actually used.  In part, the effort is to help students better understand about the repair work currently underway on the Lew Wallace Study to preserve the study and the artifacts within its walls.  The finale of the history presentations is a visit with Major General Lew Wallace played by Mid States Living History board member Bernie O’Bryan.  Students will meet with the General in his headquarters tent to discuss what they have learned and ask him any questions. 

A graduation ceremony will take place in the early afternoon of Saturday July 9^th with full military honors provided by the history presenters.  The graduation, encampment, and presentations will be open to the public at 12:00pm on the 9^th.  The encampment will be open to the public until 9:00pm on Saturday the 9^th and from 1:00pm to 5:00pm on Sunday July 10^th.  There is no admission cost and the museum will be open.

Presentations for the weekend will include, but are not limited too:

· Major General Lew Wallace and Command staff with Tents

· Telegraph and Signal Corp Operation with tents (for more information, visit civilwarsignal.org/)

· Infantry Demonstrations with tents as backdrops

· Rifle and small arms technology presentations (tents for back drop)

· Field Hospital including Surgeons tents and hospital tent with field kitchen

· Camp life with Music Demonstrations and Civil War Period Cooking by the lovely Belle

· School of the Piece Artillery presentations including tent fly and Cannon demonstrations

For more information go to:  http://www.ben-hur.com or call Amanda Wesselmann at (765) 362-5769

Information:  Lew Wallace Study and Museum Blog