Brueggeman lives history in Pea Ridge
Posted on Sunday, September 2, 2007
BENTONVILLE - Kim Brueggeman and her dog, Winnie, sought shelter from the hot September sun Saturday morning at the Pea Ridge Military Park.
Brueggeman is one of the few allowed to stay at the park, and will all weekend, telling stories as a living historian to share what it was like to be a survivor of the Civil War.
Pea Ridge National Military Park is hosting a program on civilians in the Ozarks during the Civil War. All weekend, Brueggeman will be at the Elkhorn Tavern, portraying the life of a civilian fleeing the war. Brueggeman will also tell about the trials and tribulations that were everyday life for those who lived in the Ozarks during the war.
Brueggeman is there to offer insight on the tough life of living in the Ozarks, made even tougher by the war.
"My home has been destroyed; I'm trying to catch up with my husband," Brueggeman said.
She, just as many others during the Civil War, tried to flee danger. Homeowners were in danger of being ransacked by soldiers who took everything they owned.
"If you were a Southern sympathizer, they'd shoot you on the spot," Brueggeman said.
Women would often hide contraband in their petticoats, serving as spies during the war. Survivors foraged for food any way they could, and made their own clothing and houses with the materials they could find.
"No matter who you were, you were affected by the war," she said.
Brueggeman will be at the park through Monday, sharing tales of what it was like to live in the area during the war. For more information on the program, call (479 ) 451-8122.
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