"Cool History" continues with medical mysteries segment | Events

COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) - History can be cool, and the National Civil War Naval Museum is out to prove it.

The museum has a program this summer called "Cool History," and it continues July 7 with the "Medical Mysteries" segment.

The program presents the fascinating and little-told stories of Civil War medical staff: from nurses to ship’s doctors, to the Surgeon General who performed the autopsies of President Lincoln and his assassin Booth.

The day’s programming will consist of three components:

• Their Many Kindnesses (1:30 p.m.), a museum theatre performance bringing to life the stories of Dr. John T. Luck, who was at the assault of Ft. Wagner by the African American 54th Massachusetts Regiment, Miss Lila Howard, a volunteer nurse in Columbus, GA, and African American nurse Susie King Taylor of Savannah.

• Modern Weapons, Outdated Treatments (2:30 p.m.), a gallery tour and program exploring hospital ships, medical care at sea and the state of medical practice in general during the Civil War, with a close-up look at the July special exhibit aboard the replica USS Hartford and USS Monitor.

• CSI: Port Columbus (3:30 p.m.), a dramatization of the autopsy of President Lincoln’s assassin, Booth, as carried out at the Washington Naval Yard aboard the USS Montauk before over a dozen witnesses and performed by the Surgeon General and Asst. Surgeon General.

The museum is located at 1002 Victory Drive, and is open seven days a week.