PERRYVILLE, Ky. – Portrayals of two Civil War-era women – Mary Todd Lincoln and Emilie Todd Helm – will be presented during the Battle of Perryville reenactment on Oct. 6-7 at Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site.
The portrayals are part of the Kentucky Humanities Council Chautauqua program, which features actors giving historically accurate presentations of characters from Kentucky history. Angela Bartley of Louisville portrays Mary Todd Lincoln, the First Lady from Kentucky. Betsy B. Smith of Cynthiana portrays Emilie Todd Helm, who was the half sister of Mary Todd Lincoln, was married to a Confederate officer and lived in the White House after her husband died in battle.
The Mary Todd Lincoln presentation will be on Saturday, Oct. 6, at 3:30 p.m. The Emilie Todd Helm presentation will be on Sunday, Oct. 7, at noon.
Despite their different political views, the Helms and Lincolns were very close prior to the war. After Benjamin Helm was killed at Chickamauga, President Lincoln arranged safe passage for his wife to come to Washington. After the war, Emilie Helm settled in Elizabethtown and was appointed postmistress by three presidents.
Mary Todd Lincoln saw just one of her four sons reach adulthood and she never recovered from her husband’s assassination in 1865.
The presentations about these fascinating women are among several historical presentations at the 145th Anniversary of the Battle of Perryville.
The commemoration weekend will include a Civil War concert by the 2nd South Carolina String Band on Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. Another new feature this year is a chance to be drilled and marched like Civil War soldiers. The “In the Line of Battle” program will be offered to guests 13 and older at 10 a.m. on Sunday for $4 a person. Participants will become members of the Union Army on the battlefield and will be drilled, marched and treated as if they are soldiers.
Battle re-enactments will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Admission is $5 per car/minivan, $10 per cargo van and $25 per bus. Battlefield tours will be offered on both days for $4. There will historical presentations given throughout the weekend and food will be available. A film about the battle will be shown several times throughout the weekend. Guests can also visit the military camps.
Gates open to the public at 9 a.m. both days. The area is hilly and guests should be prepared to walk on hilly ground.
The 1862 battle was the largest Civil War conflict in Kentucky, leaving more than 7,600 casualties. The park includes a museum, gift shop, cemetery and markers that explain the battle and history of the area.
For information, call the park at 859-332-8631. Perryville Battlefield is 45 miles southwest of Lexington. Take U.S. 68 west to U.S. 150 west.
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The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 53 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Commerce Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges -- more than any other state. Each year, Kentucky parks draw 7 million visitors and contribute $317 million to the economy. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our Web site at http://www.parks.ky.gov