Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society will host a unique program about “Three Women in the Civil War,” presented Sunday, February 8, 2015, at the CGH Medical Center Ryberg Auditorium, 101 E. Miller Road, Sterling, IL. The program begins at 2:00 p.m.
It will feature Betty Carlson Kay, a retired Springfield, IL, teacher and author, who travels the Midwest with special programs to “bring history to life.” Kay is shown below in character and period dress at a “swearing-in ceremony,” as she spoke in Mount Pulaski, IL.
Conservative estimates claim between 400 and 750 women surreptitiously fought on both side of the four-year Civil War. Have a look at several of them, incognito and in historic womanly dress.
What provoked such atypical behavior? The same reasons that propelled men to join the war:
- to share the difficulties with a love one
- patriotism
- a search for adventure
- the desire for reliable wages.
Open to everyone and suitable for all ages, the program focuses on bold women. Bring a child or friend to hear this piece of Civil War history. There is no charge.
For further information contact the Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society at 815-622-6215.
