Windsor Historical Society offers October 29 Civil War Ghost Walk in Palisado Cemetery

       As shadows lengthen, join Windsor Historical Society and the Windsor Jesters on Saturday, October 29, from 4:30 - 6 p.m. as they bring Civil War history to life on a “ghost walk” in Windsor’s historic Palisado Cemetery.   You will meet six fascinating Civil War era residents of Windsor, tour the cemetery and learn about evolving New England gravestone styles in a slide presentation given by Society Director Christine Ermenc while feasting on home-made gingerbread with whipped cream and New England apple cider.  The tour will begin and end at the Windsor Historical Society complex at 96 Palisado Avenue.

      At the ghostwalk, Windsor Town Historian Daniel Howard (played by Barry True) will set the stage, drawing a portrait of what Windsor was like on the eve of the Civil War.  Actor Neal Brundage will portray Lieutenant Colonel Elsworth Newberry Phelps, a Union supporter, who talks about patriotic duty but indicates his sentiments were not universally felt in Windsor. 

What was the Civil War like for the women left behind?  Actress Dorothy Simon will portray Mrs. Jonas P. Safford, reading a letter from her doctor husband who was serving near Middleton Virginia during the summer of 1862.  This letter is now in the collections of the Windsor Historical Society.  Mary C. Barber (portrayed by Linda Lydon) will read a poem she delivered at a reunion of the Twenty-Second Regiment held in Windsor in 1887.  The poem, titled “I Know Not Where He Sleeps” was written to commemorate the death of her son Charles.  War widow Mrs. Joseph Jones (portrayed by Annie Phillips), whose husband died in Andersonville prison and whose life is commemorated on a stone in Windsor’s Riverside Cemetery, will talk about what she has learned about the prison and her husband’s last days there. 

Actor Carroll Toal plays Ulysses S. Grant, whose ancestors Windsor founders Matthew and Priscilla Grant settled Windsor in 1635.   He will draw the Jester’s portion of the program to a close, talking about his life, his Civil War experiences, his evolution as a leader, and his respect and admiration for the men who served in the war.

                  Cost for the ghost walk is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and students and $8 for  Windsor Historical Society members.  Please call 688-3813 to reserve your space by October 28th.  Receipt of your check confirms your reservation.   The tour starts at Windsor Historical Society, 96 Palisado Avenue (Route 159).  Parking is available around Palisado Green and in the Windsor Discovery Center Parking lot.