| Daniel Chapman Perkins Dedication Page-2 (Sunday - May 20, 2001) |
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| Perkins was married in 1841, and he and his wife Margaret had five children. His health never recovered after his military service. The day he died, he was attempting to walk six miles to the nearest railroad. However, high water washed out the bridges, and he was unable to continue his journey or return home. When a search party discovered he did not reach the GAR reunion, they found Perkins body on a high ridge, using his satchel for a pillow. Scholtz also found records in her town from an annual meeting in 1910 which gave information that detailed the moving of Perkins body from the woods to Sherwood Cemetery. With their information, Freedlund was able to procure a gravestone from the Veterans Administration. At the same time they were researching information about Perkins, Scholts found a query on the Internet from descendants of Perkins, requesting information on him for their genealogy research. The family was excited on learning information about Perkins and agreed to come to Sherwood to place the gravestone on his unmarked grave, Scholtz said. Scholtz also asked the Sons of Union Veterans to have a memorial service for Perkins, as well as the American Legion in Pittsville. Members of the SUVCW dressed in Civil War apparel and held a ceremony Sunday traditionally performed by Civil War veterans in the 1800's. The Sons of Union Veterans are descendants of Civil War veterans. The group participates in Civil War reenactments, monument preservation, and genealogical research. Although the trip to Sherwood was out of their territory, Randy Novak, Commander of Old Abe Camp #8, based in Oshkosh, said he was impressed by the dedication of Freedlund and Scholtz went through to procure the gravestone. "The least we could do was give him a proper dedication ceremony," he said. During the ceremony, the soldiers laid wreaths, flowers, and a flag on the grave, all symbolizing Perkins work and service in battle. Descendants of Perkins from South Dakota and Nebraska observed the ceremony. The family knew Perkins was buried in Clark County, said Joe Katen, great-great grandson from Hemingford, Nebraska. Katen heard stories about his great grandfather Hugh, who was Perkins son, and felt this was a worthwhile memorial for a member of his family. Merle Frohman and his wife Mildred brought their grandson Jason, 13, from Hot Springs, S.D. Prior to the ceremony, he knew very little about Perkins. "It (the ceremony) was cool," said Jason, who is a fifth-generation grandson. The memorial was rewarding for Scholtz, but she didn't want to take credit for her efforts. Her goal was to "make the event memorable for the Perkins family," she said. "It will be nice to have a marker and he will be remembered, even though he had been forgotten for 100 years," she said. In Freedlunds speech at the memorial, he said seven Civil War soldiers were buried in the small Sherwood Cemetery. About 91,000 men from Wisconsin enlisted in the war, and 12,200 died. "It has been 100 years since your death, Daniel Chapman Perkins, but you have not been forgotten," Freedlunds speech concluded. |
