Coveralls for Cannonballs

A new adventure has begun at the Lincoln Home! I have officially become one of the "presenters." Each day at 2:00 in the Visitor Center, we have a special Bicentennial program done by one of the rangers. I volunteered to do a program about Illinois in the Civil War (I researched this topic while I was at BYU) if they ever needed a substitute, and my boss Mike loved the idea. I ended up even finding who from the Lincolns' neighborhood served in the Civil War--something that no one has researched before! A couple of the regular presenter rangers were gone this week, so my program, "Trading Coveralls for Cannonballs: Illinois in the Civil War," debuted on Monday afternoon. It was a big hit! Even the Superintendent came to the program and said he enjoyed it, so that made me feel good (and relieved). I did the program again today, and they are thinking to put me on the official calendar of events for August--so I would give the presentation every Monday afternoon. As I have done more research on the topic, I have found some really remarkable stories about different soldiers in the Civil War.

This is how I end the program:

Those Illinois farmers who traded their coveralls for cannonballs dedicated themselves wholly to the betterment of their country. Their toil fortified Illinois’s cornfields, and their bravery consecrated America’s battlefields.

In museums, movies, books, and reenactments, Civil War soldiers are remembered for participating in one of the most defining moments in American history. Though we can never truly understand the extent of their sacrifices, we can be inspired by their courage.

Working on this project has been a lot of fun. I am happy, however, to have a break from the Lincoln Home for a couple of days :-) Tomorrow Greg and I are heading to Kansas City to go to a Royals game and then attend Greg's 10 year high school reunion on Saturday. We are both really looking forward to a mini road trip!