Mount Vernon - She earned the title "Angel of the Battlefield" for her work during the American Civil War. She became the most decorated American woman in history and after the war she discovered that thousands of letters from distraught relatives to the War Department were going unanswered because the soldiers they were questioning about were buried in unmarked graves. Motivated to do more about the situation, she organized and ran the Office of Missing Soldiers after the war. The office's purpose was to find or identify soldiers killed or missing in action. She continued this task over the next four years, burying 20,000 more Union soldiers and marking their graves.
If all you know about Clara Barton is that she had something to do with the Red Cross, are you in for a surprise when you come to the next Chautauqua on Thursday July 27 and learn more about the real Clara Barton.
The Chautauqua Series in Knox County brings first person living history to our community on a donation basis. Organized by Elixir Presents, funded in part by The Ariel Foundation, these programs are fun, family oriented, educational and the only year round monthly Chautauqua Series in the United States.
Portraying Clara Barton will be Chris Petee and opening the performance with renditions of Civil War era music on period instruments will be Steve Ball.
The program will be presented at ThePlace@TheWoodward, a first floor theatre, located at 101 S. Main Street in downtown Mount Vernon. Doors open at 6 PM and music starts at 7 PM with Clara fielding questions from the audience immediately after her program.
For more information on this and upcoming programs in the series, visit www.elixirpresents.com, www.VisitKnoxOhio.org or call 740-392-6102. For a "Gentle Reminder" email on the Sunday before each program please contact Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com.