In Sycamore cemetery, Civil War veterans lay memorialized

SYCAMORE – Nestled into the quiet grounds of Elmwood Cemetery in Sycamore, one can find pieces of DeKalb County history dating back to the American Civil War.

Multiple DeKalb County residents are among those buried who served the Union 162 years ago. The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War E. F. Dutton Camp No. 49 has been committed to ensuring those names aren’t forgotten.

The group is a fraternal organization dedicated to preserving the memory of Union soldiers who served in the Civil War. Formed in 1881 and chartered by Congress in 1964, it’s the oldest veterans organization in the country. The organization has more than 6,000 members nationwide.

On a chilly October Sunday morning, a crowd gathered at the cemetery, 901 S. Cross St., to hear some of those Union soldiers’ stories as part of the DeKalb County History Center’s annual Heritage Walk “Etched in Stone.”

Dennis Maher, commander of Camp No. 49, said Sycamore’s death rate in the Civil War was 3.6%, higher than the national average. Sycamore’s population in 1860 was about 1,261. That number of deaths would be as if Sycamore lost 700 people today.

A memorial in front of the DeKalb County Courthouse built in 1896 also pays homage to local Civil War veterans.

“There’s no doubt that the Civil War redefined us as a nation. We were not the same nation that we were before the war. The numbers and the tragedy of the war are with the men that died,” Maher said.

Maher said 144 Union soldiers are buried in Elmwood Cemetery: 58 members of the Grand Army of the Republic, three generals, two colonels, five majors, seven captains, six lieutenants, 15 sergeants, 10 corporals and 74 privates.

In total, DeKalb County saw 2,381 residents serve in the Union. The youngest was 16 when he enlisted. Another suffered as a prisoner of war at Andersonville Confederacy prison in Georgia. One later became mayor of Sycamore and another a Sycamore school principal.

“There’s no doubt that the Civil War redefined us as a nation. We were not the same nation that we were before the war. The numbers and the tragedy of the war are with the men that died.”

—  Dennis Maher

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While community members look on, John Boies (left) gives information on his family, including descendant Henry Boies, who lived from 1830 to 1887 and was the Sycamore True Republican's editor, author and community leader. John Boies, president of the Elmwood Cemetery Company, spoke at the DeKalb County History Center’s annual Etched in Stone Cemetery Walk at Elmwood Cemetery, 901 S. Cross St., Sycamore on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Kelsey Rettke)

Local Sons of Union Veterans members presented on the lives of area Civil War veterans who are laid to rest in Solider’s Row at Elmwood Cemetery:

Peter Butts (born 1846, died 1918): Pvt. Co. Co 98th Illinois Infantry

Butts’ most notable battle was Chickamauga, which was fought from Sept. 18 to Sept. 20, 1863, in Tennessee and Georgia.

Enoch Marchant (born, 1826, died 1892): Corpl. Co. F. 156th Illinois Infantry

Marchant also served as a railroad post-duty.

Benjamin Snow (born 1823, died 1904): Prvt Co. A. 52nd Infantry

“These guys were often sitting ducks, as you can imagine,” presenter Stephen Haight said.

Snow lived in Sycamore Township. His wife, Abigail, was a dressmaker.

Martin Hare (born 1837, died 1911), Pvt. Co. I, 9th Illinois Cavalry

Born in New York, Hare made his home in Kingston, Belvidere and then ended up in Sycamore.

“Calvary were kind of the elite soldiers in the Civil War,” presenter Lars Jacobson said.

The majority of calvary were infantry foot soldiers. Jacobson displayed a sword that was used by calvary soldiers.

Chicago’s Camp Douglas served as a basic training site for the enlisted. The 9th Illinois Calvary was formed as an Illinois volunteer unit.

Hare fought in Missouri, and then fought at the Battle of Franklin on Nov. 30, 1864, in Franklin, Tennessee. The battle is considered a significant loss for the Confederate State Army.

A message printed in the now defunct Sycamore True Republican newspaper on July 10, 1911, conveyed words of thanks for Hare’s memorial after he died.

Sven Peterson (Died 1924): Pvt. Co. H-K 1st Illinois light artillery

Peterson worked as a tax collector in Sycamore. He suffered from Bright’s disease, an inflammatory disease of the kidneys, Jacobson said.

Peterson’s family came to America from Sweden in 1854. He enlisted in the first Illinois light artillery unit, which used canons on wheels.

The light artillery unit was formed in Chicago and then ordered to St. Louis, Missouri, where they were equipped with parrot guns. The unit also fought at the Battle of Shiloh on April 6 and April 7, 1862, in Tennessee.

“You didn’t want to be around when this stuff went off,” Jacobson said, as he displayed an artifact of a shell uncovered on Kennesaw Mountain in Georgia.

John Petrie (1836 to 1923): Pvt. Co. F. 65th Illinois Infantry

Petrie was 26 when he mustered his way into the Union on April 26, 1862. He served in what was known as the Scotch regiment, presenter Wayne Mansfield said.

One of the first battles Petrie fought in was at the Battle of Harper’s Ferry in Maryland from Sept. 12 to Sept. 15, 1862. It was there that Petrie was taken by Confederate soldiers as a prisoner of war, Mansfield said.

In total, 12,419 Union soldiers were captured by the Confederacy at Harper’s Ferry. It was the largest surrender of forces until World War II, Mansfield said.

Petrie also fought in the Siege of Atlanta, Sherman’s March to the Sea. Another brother, Joseph Petrie, was killed in action.

“They fought together in the same battles but different units,” Mansfield said. “Did they know they were together? Did they try to find each other afterwards?”