This article originally appeared in the Hancock County Journal-Pilot
By Kim Orth
The Nauvoo Tourism Office will be home to the traveling exhibit, “To Kill and To Heal: Weapons and Medicine of the Civil War” from June 1 through June 30.
Designed and constructed by staff at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, this exhibit is sponsored by the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition, in recognition of the shared heritage of the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area and the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War.
The exhibit will be open to the public Monday through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. with alternative hours available by appointment at the Nauvoo Tourism Office, 1295 Mulholland Street, Nauvoo.
In addition, the tourism office plans special presentations to enhance this exhibition, on June 1 and June 22 near the Way We Were Walking Tour commemorative park along Mulholland Street.
In case of inclement weather all activities will be held in Luther Hall at the Nauvoo Lutheran Church, 1110 Ripley Street, Nauvoo.
On Saturday, June 1, at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Rosemary Pollock, author of “A Friend to All: The Life and Contributions of Dr. John Fuller Weld (1808-1892)” will present a history of Civil War Medicine along with Dr. Weld’s contributions and women’s role in the Civil War.
Immediately following Ms. Pollock’s presentations, Lon Simpson, a Civil War Living Historian, is scheduled to provide presentations about the U.S. Sharpshooters. A camp typical of an infantry soldier in the field complete with a cooking fire used to prepare field rations will be the setting for Mr. Simpson’s presentations.
On Saturday, June 22 at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., Lon Simpson will present “A Soldiers Life” centering on what it was like to be an infantry soldier in the Civil War. Additionally, a musical group featuring six to eight musicians will provide musical entertainment at the presentation site continually throughout the day with a special performance immediately following Mr. Simpson’s presentations.
At 2 p.m., Illinois Humanities Council Road Scholar, Jon Austin, will present “Civil War Field Embalming: A Demonstration of Period Techniques,” portraying Dr. Benjamin F. Lyford, following the Battle of Gettysburg. This first-person presentation will be in the style of a 19th century medical school lecture for general audiences, using a re-enactor “corpse” as a visual aid.
These events are being produced in part by the Illinois Humanities Council’s Road Scholars Speakers Bureau. The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly through the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations