History comes to life at Lincoln Days

PIKE COUNTY, Ill. (WGEM) - Crowds gathered on the shores of Lake Pittsfield Saturday to learn about what life was like during the Civil War era.

Held the first weekend in June, organizers said Lincoln Days captures the spirit of the president’s times.

Attendees enjoyed musical performances, a period morning church service, ladies fashion show and other games and activities. They also got to talk to historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and union general and future president Ulysses Grant.

Saturday’s festivities also included a battle reenactment complete with infantry, artillery and cavalry, complete with an announcer to guide viewers through the action and explain how the Civil War was fought.

Organizers said they don’t want the event to glorify the conflict, but it’s a chance for people to learn about one of the darkest and most consequential chapters of American history.

“We had to decide whether we were going to be a nation of free men or nation of slavery,” Abraham Lincoln reenactor Max Daniels said. “It cost us over 700,000 lives, but we made some decisions that are even having repercussions today, but because of the Civil War we are a more United States than we were before the Civil War.”

You can find a full list of the weekend’s event here.

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