Who We Are and What We Do

A soldier from the Union Army will be on detached service to your school to tell the students about the Federal and Confederate Infantryman of 1861 - 1865. He will tell of the reasons so many left their homes and families to fight and also of their experiences in war.

The Program

With One Presenter

The presentation will begin with a description of the differences between the North and South prior to the War and the nature of the Armed Forces. The program will then turn to the uniforms and clothing, accoutrements, and weapons of the period interspersed with anecdotal stories, and facts from the war.

With Two Presenters

The presentation will be conducted in a first person format, as if it is actually 1865! The two presenters will be on detached duty, from their regiments, to the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. One presenter will be from the 75th Ohio Infantry and the other (if available) will be an African-American Soldier from the 34th United States Colored Troops. They will talk of their daily lives in camp and on the battlefield. They will also speak to the students about the impending end of the War and what they can expect to happen depending on their own allegiances specifically as it relates to freed slaves, refugees returning home, and the confiscation of Confederate property.

STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ASK QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION

Uniforms and Clothing

A large variety of uniforms and clothing, including headgear and shoes, will be displayed to show their purpose and difference in materials, styles, and colors. There will be frock coats, sack coats, 19th century trousers, slouch hats, straw hats, kepis, forage caps, bootees and brogans. Musical instruments, drum and bugle of the time, will be played to show the form of communication used in camps and on the battlefields. Some of the students may get the chance to wear a uniform for the North or South.

Accoutrements

Accoutrements helped the Soldier of the Civil War to survive long grueling marches and to fight when the time came. These items were vital to the soldier's survival; the haversack held his plate, eating utensils, and assorted personal comfort items such as letters, books, pictures, and tobacco, his canteen for his much needed water, and his blanket for the night chill. Other accoutrements held the instruments of War, such as the deadly bayonet and bowie knife, or the cartridge box with its supply of bullets and gunpowder.

Weapons

Various types of weapons will be displayed and their intended use will be discussed. During the program there will be an actual, blank firing of a musket and teachers will be invited to come up load and fire it. After the program, the students are welcome to come forward and study the displayed items and ask questions.

Presentation and Biographical Notes

Impressions of Yesterday is bringing to the students of Florida and Georgia a unique living history experience. Using original and authentic equipment the presenter can add substance to the ideas presented in history books. The living historians of Impressions of Yesterday have many years of experience in historical presentations and with the public. All of our valued presenters have a natural interest in history and the urge to share this with children and adults of all ages. The presenter that comes to your school will set the display up in an appropriate outdoor setting that should be away from any loud distractions such as the air conditioning units. In the case of bad weather please have an indoor venue available. Thank you for choosing Impressions of Yesterday.

More Programs Being Developed

The future plans of Impressions of Yesterday include bringing other programs to the schools, such as the Caribbean Pirates, Florida Cracker Farmer 1870 - 1890, Russian Immigrant of the 1890's, the Colonial Farmer 1770, and the African-American Soldier during the Civil War. Impressions of Yesterday have many programs lined up for future expansion and would like any input regarding programs you would like to see. We are developing more diversified programs to present the history of the United States to you as Living History in the classroom.

Presentation Information

Audience: Elementary, Middle, and High School Students
Audience Size: Maximum of 75 students per presentation (this is to be able to pass objects through the audience and for everyone to be able to hear the presenters)
Duration: 45 minutes per presentation up to 7 in a day (except time for lunch break)
Location: In the classroom indoors or in a camp setting pitched outdoors. In case of bad weather - inside in a classroom or gymnasium.
For presentation information use the Online Contact Form.