Civilians

Civilian contact:  Sheree Watson 

​

 All civilian involvement will center around the goal of allowing visitors to see, touch, hear, smell, learn about and understand the experience of civilians in the Civil War.

      To that end, our blueprint: 

1. We welcome U.S. Sanitary Commission and U.S. Christian Commission impressions and will provide space between the visitor arrival area and the Union camps for those activities. We could, if there is interest, establish a sanitary fair selling items that would raise money, in this case, not for support of the soldiery but for support of the Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm. Again, first-class impressions involved in direct contact with the modern public are the desired presentation.

2. We have use of the Quiet Valley barn for a hospital.  Civilian help with demonstrations during the day is appropriate; civilians entering combat zones after the shooting stops, to help treat and remove the wounded, would be appropriate as well. 

4. Everyone is expected to be prepared to talk to the public not just about the specific activity they are engaged in, but about civilian life in the 1860s in general, ranging from the changes brought by the war to clearing up those annoying, longstanding misperceptions like "everyone was dirty and smelled" to “they bit bullets during amputations because they had no anesthesia”. Pick your pet peeve of misinformation and replace it with history.

5. Site layout: We will have guard posts during spectator hours for the military camp. Period civilians will be issued passes at registration to allow entrance to the military camp.