SHILOH, TENN. (04/05/2012)(readMedia)-- "April 6th, [1862] began with a bright, beautiful morning. The trees were budding, the birds were singing, but none of us dreamed what a dark and bloody ending the day would have," wrote Maj. Thaddeus H. Capron, 55th Illinois Volunteer Infantry from Winnebago County.

Up and down the encampment, sleepy Illinois Soldiers stumbled out of tents cursing. Utensils from mess kits tossed in the air co-mingled and clinked against one another. The lucky ones who had already reassembled their rifles after cleaning grabbed the weapon and searched for officers, while others struggled to assemble their only hope of personal protection. Surprised and rattled officers struggled to get their men in formation. For the Union, the Battle of Shiloh began in mass chaos.

In the pre-dawn hour, Confederates ambushed the Illinoisans, while they prepared for inspection and the stereotypical day that lay ahead. The battle of Shiloh lasted two days. The Union victory claimed 23,746 casualties for both sides. Thirty-six Illinois units were engaged in the bloody battle.

Just days before, the boys enjoyed employing April Fools jokes on one another. Glad to be off the cramped steamboats where they spent weeks traveling to Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., content Soldiers wrote home praising the camp for its beauty. Within a few days time their letters and diary entries turned very dark.

"There is no time to lament for the enemy is right on us, pouring volley after volley into our lines. We return the fire with deadly effect but are forced back inch by inch, leaving our dead and wounded upon the field. Every foot of ground is stubbornly and closely contested. Many of the wounded lay on the field during the rainy, cold night," stated Charles F. Hubert, Adjutant General of the 50th Illinois Infantry Volunteers from Beverly in Adams County in his official report.

Pvt. Will Crummer of Pleasant Valley in Jo Daviess county served in the 45th Illinois Volunteers. He spoke of Soldiers using ramrods to prop themselves up while hobbling through the lines.

"Twice during the night I awoke and could hear the groans and cries of the wounded laying out there in that bloody field. Some cried for water, others for someone to come and help them...God heard them, for the heavens were opened and rain came," he wrote in his memoirs.

Previously under the jurisdiction of the United States War Department, the battlefields were transferred to the park service in 1933. Many Illinois monuments dot the site. In preparation of the 150th anniversary of the battle, the park will host several events including a grand illumination April 7 with 23,746 luminaries that will be placed on the battlefield; one for each casualty.

Closer to home, the Illinois State Military Museum will host an event April 21, 2 to 3 p.m. Betty Carlson Kay will give a 40-minute presentation of the three female characters from the Civil War, including Julia Dent Grant, Albert D.J. Cashier (Jennie Hodgers) and Mother Bickerdyke. Mother Bickerdyke of Galena, served as a nurse for the Army of the Tennessee.

In addition, the museum will have Shiloh artifacts on display, among them a forage cap worn by 2nd Lt. James Ballow of White Hall, with Company E, 61st Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He died of wounds received during the battle. Also on display, is a cartridge box that belonged to 1st Sgt. John Porter Wright of Morgan County, with Company H, 32nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry.

The Illinois State Military Museum is located at 1300 N. MacArthur Blvd in Springfield. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday 1 to 4:30 p.m. Questions regarding the artifacts may be directed to 217-761-3910.

In support of Churches United's Emergency Fund

Friday, June 1st

Doors open 6:00 pm - Trivia begins at 7:00 pm

at St. John Vianney Church, 4907 18th Street, Bettendorf

Baby Boomers! Wear your best 60's & 70's clothes but there will be questions for all generations!

Food available to purchase thanks to the generous support of "The Blue Iguana"
(Tacos, Salsa & Chips, beverages etc.)

$10/person, $80/table

SILENT AUCTION!

Before the vacations begin, COME and support those less fortunate!

NO Alcoholic Beverages please.

For more information or to sign up, please call Churches United 563-332-5002.

Thanks for your support!

CHICK BEER: NOT YOUR BOYFRIEND'S BEER

Chick Beer, a new beer created by a woman, exclusively for women, is now available in Iowa stores and restaurants, and bars. The superior light lager with a big beer taste weighs in at only 97 calories and 3.5 carbs. And make no mistake about it - this isn't your boyfriend's (or any man's) beer. Chick Beer was created for fun-loving, smart, independent women who embrace life with a passion.

Chick Beer is no gimmick. Brewed in Wisconsin, Chick Beer is actually crafted for the feminine palate. Its flavor emphasizes soft malt over bitter hops. Many women prefer a less bitter flavor. In fact, some scientists claim that women are genetically predisposed to avoid bitter flavors, a vestige from the time when women were "gatherers." Bitter flavors warned of potential poisons, so women quickly learned to avoid them. Additionally, Chick Beer is lightly carbonated, a feature that women also embrace.

Iowa joins a select number of states in the country where Chick Beer is available. It debuted in Maryland (home of its founder) in August 2011, and has since taken off like a rocket. One liquor store manager in Indiana recently said, "Women love this beer! They buy their first six-pack because it's different and fun, but they come back to buy a case because they are, frankly, really surprised at how good it tastes. Chick Beer is going to be hot!"

Shazz Lewis, founder of Chick Beer, tells how the idea was, well, hatched. "For many years, my husband owned a wine and spirits store in Maryland. One day, I was looking at the beer cooler, which had more than 400 different beers in it, and I had an 'aha' moment: Why wasn't there a beer that shouted out to me? I'm a woman who enjoys drinking beer. I'm a wife, daughter, sister and mother of five daughters. Why wasn't there a beer that celebrates, or even acknowledges my, well, 'chickness'?"

I couldn't let go of that idea, and so began doing some research. I found that women consume 25 percent of all the beer in the United States - that's 700 million cases a year - but no one has ever addressed this segment of the market. Until now."

Although the name of the beer came to Lewis in a dream, in retrospect its moniker is obvious. "For years," Lewis chuckles, "men have dismissed lighter beers as chick beers that are so not what 'real men' drink. But since when is chick a bad thing? I decided to turn the pejorative 'chick' upside down and use the word as a celebration of the strength and power of women. I also decided that Chick Beer packaging would be anything but subtle. There's no mistaking the bright pink logo against the silhouette of a little black dress and an over-the-top feminine font. No one will mistake Chick Beer for a dude's beer."

Chick Beer is being distributed in Iowa by Johnson Brothers, who sold out of their initial shipment within days of receiving it. The distributor is reloading and working hard to get Chick Beer to all the Iowans who are asking for it. If you don't see Chick Beer on your stores' shelves or at your favorite watering holes, get uppity! Tell the proprietor you want Chick Beer now. Retailers can call Johnson Brothers at 515.262.1199.

Consumers looking for places that are selling Chick Beer can visit www.chickbeer.com and click on the Chick Finder map. Chicks are hatching in Iowa at a fast and furious pace. The map is regularly updated, so please keep checking back.

Chick Beer is more than just another beer on the shelf. Lewis has pledged to donate 5 percent of its net profits to charities that empower women, primarily in the communities where the beer is sold. "I don't believe that there is another beer company in the U.S. that has made this kind of commitment to women," she says.

"I've been fortunate all my life in that I've had a loving, supportive family, educational opportunities, and jobs that have been professionally and personally rewarding. I'm now at a time in my life when I can fulfill a long-held dream of mine - to give back some of my good fortune to other women who haven't been as lucky."

The Chick Cares initiative, which contributes both to national charities that empower women and to local organizations in the states where Chick Beer is sold, has recently announced its charitable giving plans for 2012. Details are available at www.chickbeer.com

If you want to be among the first in the country to taste Chick Beer, you'd better hurry. Its Facebook page has nearly 6,000 "likes" from all over the globe. Women are asking for it in all fifty states, and around the world.

###