SYCAMORE – When the Civil War Memorial in front of the DeKalb County Courthouse, 133 W. State St., was dedicated in 1897, more than 6,000 people attended the event.

About 200 people came to the memorial’s re-dedication ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 15.

In attendance were the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War E. F. Dutton Camp 49 out of Sycamore and John A. Logan Camp out of Rockford, Sycamore Mayor Ken Mundy, DeKalb County Board Chairman Mark Pietrowski, DeKalb County Judge Robin Stuckert, the Sycamore High School Band, musical performers from Hampshire High School, VFW Post 5768 and Univets of Sycamore, American Legion Post 337 of Genoa and American Legion Post 99 and Sons of the American Legion Post 99 of Sycamore.

“People are starting to forget about the Civil War,” said Dennis Maher, historian for the SUVCW E.F. Dutton Camp 49. “But I had several ancestors that fought in the war. One of my relatives died at the POW camp in Andersonville, Georgia. The war is still very relevant and important. It shouldn’t be forgotten.”

The Civil War Memorial was erected to honor the 2,391 veterans from DeKalb County that enlisted in 14 units during the Civil War. Over time, the soldiers’ copper weapons on the monument were stolen. After multiple replacement weapons were also stolen, the SUVCW took leadership of the project and raised $10,000 to repair the statues.

“The sword was stolen and the gun was made out of wood,” said James Locke Lyon, department commander of the Illinois SUVCW. “We knew something had to be done to fix the statues. Recreating the weapons cost $10,000, and we used the memorial’s original design. It’s now back to the way it was originally.”

Historic sculptor and artist Michael Kraus of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall of Pittsburg was commissioned to recast the soldiers’ weapons. It took six hours to solder and screw the weapons into the statues, prohibiting future theft and returning the memorial to its former glory.

“We just passed the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War,” Maher said. “It’s important to keep the memory of all the soldiers alive. Abraham Lincoln said in the Gettysburg Address, ‘Never forget what they did here.’ By fixing and rededicating the memorial, we aren’t forgetting. We’re remembering the sacrifices they made.”