DARLINGTON - The Civil War, 150 years later, still holds fascination for history buffs as well as ordinary citizens. The Lafayette County Historical Society is hoping to explore this fascination with a student-led production, "Voices of the Civil War" on Saturday, May 7. The event is free and open to the public and follows the group's 1:30 p.m. quarterly meeting in the museum's lower level, 525 Main St.
The "Voices" are original letters from soldier James Scott, a private in Company B of the 23rd Wisconsin Volunteers to his teenage sister, Margaret Scott in the Lafayette County community of Wiota.
Darlington High School drama students will read a selection of the letters, with Jenna Hole as Margaret, R.J. Fisher as James, and Janette Tulachka as narrator and drummer.
James writes of his journey from Camp Randall in Madison, and his long marches through Kentucky and Tennessee. His company boards a steamboat in Memphis, bound to reinforce Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's siege of Vicksburg. James is engaged in battles at Hayne's Bluff, Tenn., and Arkansas Post.
Margaret writes homey news from the family farm while attending school, keeping house, helping with farm chores and knitting gloves and mittens for James and other soldiers.
James is surprised to see starving, homeless civilians in Kentucky, victims of Morgan's Raiders. The crack Confederate cavalry outfit drove off cattle and burned homes so food and shelter to Union soldiers would be denied.
In his last letter from Young's Point, La, near Vicksburg, James tells of his crippling illness. Three-fourths of the men there were stricken with virulent diseases because of adverse sanitary conditions, worsened by mosquito-infested swamps and bayous.
The readings and narration will be under the direction of Darlington High School drama and speech instructor Leona Havens. The readers will be using the grammar and spelling extant in these historic documents. Due to time consideration, they will not be read in their entirety; however, all of the letters - about 50 from Sept. 12, 1862 to March 4, 1863 - will be available after the program.
"Voices" will also feature a talk by James Hibbard, University of Wisconsin-Platteville archives curator of "The Civil War - A Local Perspective."
Union soldiers often sang songs while marching off to war. "Just Before the Battle, Mother," is one of these songs and will be sung by LCHS volunteer James Fitzpatrick, accompanied by Sarah Lange.
"These authentic readings are an experience that will bring the Civil War up close and personal," said LCHS president and curator Fran Fink. "Participants will journey to battlefronts, a voyage on the Mississippi and feel the anguish soldiers suffered when separated from their loving families."
Refreshments will be served following the presentation. For further information, contact the museum at (608) 776-8340.
The "Voices" are original letters from soldier James Scott, a private in Company B of the 23rd Wisconsin Volunteers to his teenage sister, Margaret Scott in the Lafayette County community of Wiota.
Darlington High School drama students will read a selection of the letters, with Jenna Hole as Margaret, R.J. Fisher as James, and Janette Tulachka as narrator and drummer.
James writes of his journey from Camp Randall in Madison, and his long marches through Kentucky and Tennessee. His company boards a steamboat in Memphis, bound to reinforce Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's siege of Vicksburg. James is engaged in battles at Hayne's Bluff, Tenn., and Arkansas Post.
Margaret writes homey news from the family farm while attending school, keeping house, helping with farm chores and knitting gloves and mittens for James and other soldiers.
James is surprised to see starving, homeless civilians in Kentucky, victims of Morgan's Raiders. The crack Confederate cavalry outfit drove off cattle and burned homes so food and shelter to Union soldiers would be denied.
In his last letter from Young's Point, La, near Vicksburg, James tells of his crippling illness. Three-fourths of the men there were stricken with virulent diseases because of adverse sanitary conditions, worsened by mosquito-infested swamps and bayous.
The readings and narration will be under the direction of Darlington High School drama and speech instructor Leona Havens. The readers will be using the grammar and spelling extant in these historic documents. Due to time consideration, they will not be read in their entirety; however, all of the letters - about 50 from Sept. 12, 1862 to March 4, 1863 - will be available after the program.
"Voices" will also feature a talk by James Hibbard, University of Wisconsin-Platteville archives curator of "The Civil War - A Local Perspective."
Union soldiers often sang songs while marching off to war. "Just Before the Battle, Mother," is one of these songs and will be sung by LCHS volunteer James Fitzpatrick, accompanied by Sarah Lange.
"These authentic readings are an experience that will bring the Civil War up close and personal," said LCHS president and curator Fran Fink. "Participants will journey to battlefronts, a voyage on the Mississippi and feel the anguish soldiers suffered when separated from their loving families."
Refreshments will be served following the presentation. For further information, contact the museum at (608) 776-8340.