The 2013 Fall Three-Day Excursion was centered on Wisconsin in the Civil War.

Mysteries were unraveled along the way. Like how did Confederate Soldiers end up in a Wisconsin Cemetery? How did Runaway Slaves enter and leave the state safely? What part did our state play in the Civil War? What was life like during that time?

Some of these questions were answered personally for the FWHS travelers by people deeply involved in the war like: President Lincoln (Fritz Klein), General Grant (Frank Beaman), and Wisconsin’s First Lady Cordelia Harvey (Mary Kabakik.)

At one of the dinners, Costume Designer, Bev Wassam, along with volunteers (including some of our FWHS Board members) put on an 1860’s Fashion Show.

As our Excursionists were visiting Wade House and our Union Camps, a skirmish broke out as the Confederate artillery opened fire. A rousing cavalry battle repelled the Rebel advance, but the 1863 Battle of Chickamauga had begun.

Later that afternoon, the battle began in earnest with an artillery duel between the Union and Rebel artillery pieces. Cannons blasted away at each other. A sudden infantry attack by a large army of Confederates from the woods lead to the death of all our Wisconsin Artillery Unit.

The cannon from the Wisconsin artillery unit was captured and all members of the ordinance crew were killed.  Charge after charge by the Rebels was repulsed, but eventually the Confederacy carried the day and drove the Boys in Blue from the field.

The Southern army had won the battle and stopped the Union campaign from moving into Georgia, and the Union, with the help of our staunchly brave soldiers from the Wisconsin Iron Brigade, would have a hard time ahead of them to defeat the South.