(The following story by Jane Ammeson appeared on The Journal Gazette website on October 12.)
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Billy Yank hailed from Henry County in Indiana, fought during the Civil War and is now buried in a local cemetery back home.
But Billy, whose real name was William H. Fentress, is also riding the Indiana History Train, a traveling exhibit titled “Faces of the Civil War,” which pulls into Fort Wayne on Thursday.
Aboard the three 65-foot refurbished Amtrak freight cars, the battle-weary Fentress, on leave from the Union Army, recounts the issues that were common to most Northern soldiers fighting in the war.
“These include camp life, battlefield experiences, army humor, food, equipment, music, weapons, uniforms and the home front,” writes Kevin Stonerock, who portrays Fentress, on his Web site, www.kevinstonerock.com.
“To me, historical accuracy is of prime importance,” says Stonerock, who lives in the same county that was Fentress’ home. “I once had a guy tell me ‘I have an outfit like that. I could dress up and do what you do.’ My answer was that the outfit will buy you about 20 seconds. After that, you had better have something to say, and you had better make it interesting. Although there is a time during each presentation where I discuss the items I am wearing or carrying, my programs are not primarily show and tell. The performances are conversational and in order to stimulate thought, I ask as many questions as I answer.”
The Indiana History Train starts in Indianapolis each fall, heading either north or south. This year the run takes it through Wabash, Valparaiso, Fort Wayne and Kokomo, making stops in each of these cities to teach Hoosiers about the history of their state during the Civil War years.
A truly interactive learning experience, tents are set up near the train featuring hands-on activities, including how to make regimental flags and how to pull information from visual records such as reading maps and studying photos.
“We also have a 26-minute film ‘Well Done, Indiana’ that has historical vignettes on it featuring famous Hoosiers during the Civil War, including Benjamin Harrison and Lew Wallace, who lived in Crawfordsville, was a major general and also wrote ‘Ben Hur,’ ” says Amy Lamb, media relations manager for the Indiana Historical Society, which with the Indiana Rail Road Co., hosts the train. “Our exhibits include stories on the U.S. Color Troops who came from Indiana and on Morgan’s Raid, one of the only Civil War battles in Indiana.”
Lamb notes that all but four of the items on exhibit come from the historical society’s collection.
“It’s a great but small taste of the millions of items we have at the Indiana History Center in Indianapolis,” she says.
The history train is the result of a five-year partnership between the Indiana Historical Society and The Indiana Rail Road Co. Since its first run in 2004, the train has made 14 stops across Indiana (and one in Louisville, Ky.) and hosted more than 30,000 visitors.
The train cars, bought and restored by the Indiana Rail Road Co. at a cost of $100,000, have another connection to the state’s history. Their numbers represent dates in the life of Abraham Lincoln, who not only was president during the Civil War but also spent his early years in southern Indiana’s Spencer County. Car 1809 is the year of his birth, 1816 is when the family moved to Indiana and 1865 is when he was assassinated.