Military string band performance to precede August 26 Flag Lowering Ceremony at Lincoln Tomb

SPRINGFIELD - The final 2008 summer flag lowering and retreat ceremony scheduled for August 26 at Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site will feature the music of the Civil War played on authentic instruments.

The 97th Regimental String Band will perform starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, August 26 at Lincoln Tomb. The flag lowering and retreat ceremony, held every Tuesday night during the summer, will follow from 7 to 7:25 p.m., and the Tomb will remain open for visitors until 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The 97th Regimental String Band re-creates an actual string band of the Civil War era, singing a variety of traditional American songs in an authentic "living history" style.

Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site, administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is located in Springfield's Oak Ridge Cemetery.