Forgotten Montgomery, Illinois Civil War Veterans Honored
Originally published June 2017 · p. 34
MONTGOMERY, Ill.—The Philip H. Sheridan Camp #2, Illinois Department of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), in conjunction with the Montgomery Historic Preservation Commission and Riverside Cemetery, dedicated 17 new headstones on the previously unmarked graves of Civil War veterans buried in historic Riverside Cemetery in Montgomery, Ill. This was the capstone of a yearlong project undertaken jointly by the three organizations designed to rigorously identify and document all Civil War veterans buried in the cemetery, procure and install new grave markers on those graves needing them and straighten and clean markers on other Civil War veterans’s graves. Fifty-four Civil War veterans are buried in Riverside Cemetery. Many of those soldiers served in units that were raised in part in Kane County, Ill., including the 7th, 13th, 36th, 42nd, 58th, 89th, 105th, 124th, 141st and 156th Illinois Infantry Regiments and the 13th Illinois Cavalry. In addition men who served in regiments from Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and the United States Colored Troops are also buried in Riverside Cemetery. Many of them were active members of Aurora, Ill. GAR Post # 20. Materially aiding in the successful completion of the project were Alan Morrow from Boy Scout Troop #41 in Sugar Grove and Cole Butler and Justin Huberty from Aurora’s Troop #11. These three Eagle Scout candidates, as well as many other members and friends of their Troops, set 17 new markers and cleaned and reset 30 existing markers for Civil War veterans buried in the cemetery. Among those receiving new grave markers are: Guy C. Clark (13th and 23rd Ill. Inf.), Caleb B. Fisher (143rd Penn. Inf.), Daniel L. Foster (3rd Minn. Inf.), Silas Gray (42nd Ill. Inf. and 9th Ill. Cav.), Joseph M. Hilton (1st Maine Cav.), Walter S. Hunt (13th Ill. Inf.), Charles Lilley (58th Ill. Inf.), Elisha Lilley (4th Ill. Cav.), Chauncey Miller (75th Ill. Inf.), Henry Nickloy (7th Ill. Inf.), William Elias Reed (28th N.Y. Inf.), Lewis Sylvester (105th Ill. Inf.), Arunah A. Velie (136th N.Y. Inf.), George T. Ward (2nd Ill. Lt. Arty.), Silas Watson (60th U. S. Colored Inf.), Andrew Welch (147th Ill. Inf.) and Sylvester Wildrick (52nd and 141st Ill. Inf.). In addition to these and other Civil War veterans, the cemetery provides the last resting place for many of the village’s early pioneers, settlers and leaders. During the dedication ceremony, local historian Gene Michaels discussed Montgomery’s experience in the Civil War and the experiences of several other Civil War veterans buried in the cemetery. SUVCW National Chaplain
Philip H. Sheridan Camp # 2, IL SUVCW.
Jerome Kowalski provided the invocation and an inspirational message. Norma Fiedler of the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War (DUVCW) and Susan Ollis of the National Society Daughters of the Union 1861-1865 (NSDU) as well as local dignitaries reflected on the significance of the occasion. A rifle salute was given by the 10th Ill. Inf. and a period artillery salute by Mulligan’s Battery (IL SVR). Taps was played by Sheridan Camp Bugler Richard Stanczak. Colors were posted and recovered by Montgomery’s Memorial VFW Post # 7452. Keynote speaker Congressman Bill Foster spoke of his own ancestor’s experience during the war and the importance of remembering those heroes who served over a century ago during the most tumultuous period in our nation’s history. Command Sergeant Major Mark Bowman of the Illinois National Guard compared the experiences and sacrifices of Illinois’ Civil War soldiers with those from Illinois who recently have served overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. Anthony Vaughn from the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs emphasized the significance of always remembering the service of our veterans, including those from “old wars”. The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) is a volunteer, non-profit, charitable, fraternal, patriotic and educational organization composed of members who can trace their lineage to soldiers, sailors, or marines who were mustered into Federal service and served honorably in, were honorably discharged from, or died in the service of the Union Army or Navy during the Civil War. The SUVCW is officially recognized as the GAR’s legal successor, having received its Congressional Charter in 1954. Philip H. Sheridan Camp #2 serves the western and southern Chicago suburbs. This is the group’s 17th cemetery project in the area, accounting for over 200 new headstones placed on previously unmarked Civil War veteran graves. The 10th Illinois Infantry presents arms.
New marker for Sylvester Wildrick.
