Great Bend — Barton County Historical Society in Great Bend will host “Women Soldiers of the Civil War,” a presentation and discussion by Diane Eickhoff at 7:30 p.m. on June 26, at the Barton County Historical Society Museum and Village, 85 US Hwy 281, just across the Arkansas River Bridge, south of Great Bend. Members of the community are invited to attend the free program. Contact the Historical Society at 620-793-5125 for more information. The program is made possible by the Kansas Humanities Council.
During the Civil War, hundreds of women cut their hair and donned men’s clothing to report for duty to Union and Confederate Army recruiters. Others served as scouts and spies or rode with their husbands and brothers in service. The presentation will explore how and why a fascinating group of women defied cultural norms to become soldiers, especially during a time when there was great emphasis on women’s and men’s separate roles in society.
Diane Eickhoff is an independent historian, writer, and editor of education materials. Her most recent historical biography, Clarina Nichols: Frontier Crusader for Women’s Rights, is published by Quindaro Press.
“This program evolved out of a single slide that often brought an earlier Speakers Bureau talk of mine to a standstill,” said Eickhoff. “People are as fascinated as I was to learn how so many women were able to disguise themselves as men — and to learn about their different motives for entering the battlefield.”
“Women Soldiers of the Civil War” is part of the Kansas Humanities Council’s Kansas Stories Speakers Bureau, featuring presentations and discussions that examine our shared human experience—our innovations, culture, heritage, and conflicts.
The Kansas Humanities Council conducts and supports community-based programs, serves as a financial resource through an active grant-making program, and encourages Kansans to engage in the civic and cultural life of their communities. For more information about KHC programs contact the Kansas Humanities Council at 785/357-0359 or visit online at www.kansashumanities.org.
For more information about “Women Soldiers of the Civil War” in Great Bend contact the Historical Society at 620-793-5125.