FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2011
Civil War Heroes “Come Alive” at Forest Hill Cemetery
(MADISON) — Five influential people from Civil War times will be featured during the Wisconsin Veterans Museum’s thirteenth annual Talking Spirits: Forest Hill Cemetery Tour. This award-winning living history program illuminates the lives of many prominent—and lesser known—figures in Wisconsin history. Focusing on the contributions of Wisconsin’s soldiers and citizens during the Civil War, local actors don period dress, giving viewers the unique experience of meeting those “characters” on the cemetery grounds. Tour guides will lead informative discussions of the cemetery’s rich history. Public tours of the cemetery are scheduled for Sunday, October 9, 2011. The guided tours will leave every 15 minutes, beginning at Noon and ending no later than 4 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for children, and can be purchased the day of the tour.
This year’s tour will highlight:
Edward Bridgman, who was a veteran of the 37th Massachusetts Infantry; fought with John Brown against pro-slavery forces in “Bleeding Kansas”.
Governor Louis and Cordelia Harvey, Wisconsin’s second wartime governor, and woman that founded soldiers’ hospitals and orphans’ homes.
Hugh Lewis, who was an Iron Brigade veteran and doortender at the House of Representatives for 40 years.
Mark “Pegleg” Smith, who lost his leg at the Battle of Wilderness, later served as Old Abe’s caretaker in the State Capitol.
In addition to Sunday’s public tour, Tuesday, Oct. 4, Wednesday, Oct. 5, Thursday, Oct. 6, and Friday, Oct. 7, are reserved for school and other organized groups. To make a reservation, contact Jennifer Kollath at 608-264-7663. The cost is $50/group of 30 (or less).
More than 2,000 people participate in the tour each year, and discover the rich history found at Forest Hill. Local playwright John Sable creates the scripts for the event. The Wisconsin Veterans Museum is a free public educational activity of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs and is located at 30 W. Mifflin St., across the street from the State Capitol. For more information contact Jennifer Carlson at 608-264-6086, or jennifer.carlson@dva.state.wi.us, or go to https://wisvetsmuseum.com.
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201 West Washington Avenue | Madison, Wisconsin 53707
1-800-WIS-VETS | WisVets@dva.wisconsin.gov | WisVets.com