Village of Hainesville Annual Civil War Encampment & Battle
Saturday, October 17, 2026 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 18, 2026 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Relive history as knowledgeable re-enactors, both military and civilian in period costume, recreate an American Civil War Encampment and Battle in a rural setting in Hainesville, Illinois. Event highlights include: a narrated military battle between Union and Confederate uniformed military forces (the Battle of Belmont – November 7, 1861), military and civilian bivouacs and encampments, battlefield surgeries, undertakers and period medical displays. Visitor participation in the instruction of military drill is also available.
Historical presentations are provided by such luminaries as Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, General Sherman, Elijah Haines (village founder), and Thomas Morris Chester (the only black war reporter for a major Civil War daily newspaper, the Philadelphia Press). Vendors of food, soap, wool and period military souvenirs will also be available.
Admission and parking is FREE. Additional event information and re-enactor registration can be found on the Civil War Event Page.