MOUNT VERNON – The Chautauqua Series will present Valerie Hamill as Major Pauline Cushman, Spy of the Cumberland, on Thursday April 28 in Mount Vernon.
Cushman served as a spy and scout for Sunbury, Ohio native Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans in 1863. She was the first known female veteran of the United States Army.
The program will be at the Grand Hotel (12 Public Square in downtown Mount Vernon) at 7 p.m. The cost of admission is a donation with all monies collected going to the performers. The Chautauqua Series is brought to you with the help of a grant provided by the Ariel Foundation.
For those unfamiliar with the Chautauqua format, these programs present historical figures in first person portrayals, dressed in the clothing of the era.
Valerie will dress in uniform. She will give her presentation then take questions from the audience. These programs are intended for families, students and all who wish to know more about history in a family friendly, entertaining manner.
The 30-year-old professional actress (and mother of two young children) donned men’s clothing and went deep into enemy territory, by horse and on foot. She was shot at, stabbed, captured, declared a spy and sentenced to death by hanging.
Hamill, of Galena, Ohio, presents a first-person narrative of Cushman’s brave and hair-raising heroics during the War Between the States as well as Cushman’s fascinating yet heart-wrenching life story.
Hamill has been a reenactor for nearly 20 years and is a member of The 1st Ohio/Battery A Unit (Ohio Statehouse), the 5th Kentucky Unit, a past member of the Rosecrans Command Headquarters Civil War reenacting Unit and is also known as the “Civil War Herb Lady of Ohio”. She has served as chair of the Ladies Aid Society and was a dedicated volunteer to the fundraising efforts for the Rosecrans statue that now has a place of honor on the Sunbury Square.
There will be no opening act for this Chautauqua so please come early to see full presentation.
NOTE: Masks are optional. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available.
Upcoming programs include:
May 26 – Susan Kahrl portraying Erma Bombeck.
June 30 – Mark Jordan with more local murder mysteries.
July 28 – Jim & Amy. K. Stoner as Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.
Aug. 25 – Tammy Souhrada as Shirley Temple Black.
Sept. 29 – Chris Petee discusses women spies of World War II.
Oct. 27 – Benjamin Frayser as President James Garfield.
Nov. 17 – Raylene Hlavaty as Jane Austen.
For more information about these programs, visit www.elixirpresents.com. If you would like to receive a “Gentle Reminder” on the Sunday before each program, contact The Chautauqua Series at elixir_petee@hotmail.com.
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