Civil War Days 
Sat., May 15; 10 am-5 pm
Sun., May 16; 11 am-5 pm
Free with general admission
One weekend only, Conner Prairie transforms into a Civil War battleground. Watch eyes grow wide when horses charge and cannons roar as reenactors from across the country bring an 1860’s battle to life again. Young and old can learn firsthand what the Civil War was about from Union and Confederate soldiers. Create a memory sure to last a lifetime when you experience the Civil War for yourself at Conner Prairie.
Schedule
Watch this page for details of the days' events!
Civil War slang and phrases:
Greenbacks—Money
Breadbasket—Stomach
Bully—Yeah! Hurrah!
Fit to be tied—Angry
Goobers—Peanuts
Grab a Root—Shouted in a crowd if someone tripped to point out their clumsiness. It also means to have dinner.
Indiana and the Civil War
| Number of... |
Total |
Indiana |
| Enlisted Men |
In 1861: 16,000 Union
By 1865: Over 1.5 million Union |
Nearly 200,000 (74% of Indiana's eligible men) |
| Casualties |
624,000 Union and Confederate |
7,000 from battle wounds
19,000 from other causes, primarily disease
Overall, 1 in 8 men did not come home |
| Enlisted African Americans |
By 1865: 180,000 Union |
By 1865: about 1,500 |
| Regiments (infantry, artillery and cavalry) |
Over 2,000 Union |
195 |
Women and the War
Women served in a variety of non-military roles during the Civil War, including as nurses and aid workers. Not allowed to join as soldiers, women sometimes disguised their gender to serve their country in that capacity. If discovered, though, they were immediately discharged. But what if they weren't?
Jennie Hodgers, aka Albert D. Cashier, served as a man in an Illinois Infantry regiment, a disguise that went undiscovered throughout the war and beyond. It wasn't until she was hit by a car around 1910 and treated at a hospital that her deception was realized. Upon hearing that her government pension would be revoked for the ruse, her fellow soldiers came to her defense and successfully argued on her behalf.
Unlike the military of 150 years ago, today's forces rely on the expertise of women in all areas. Women like Jennie Hodgers were ahead of their time!