Remembering Veterans - One

This week we celebrate Veterans Day, so I thought I would suggest a couple walks that feature people who served their country through service in the military.  I know that technically Veterans Day is supposed to honor those who died while in military service, but I am not making that distinction with the people included here; all simply served with distinction. I struggle sometimes in trying to decide how to include service men and women in walks, since there are so many of them, and since military history is not my special area of knowledge.  That said, I don't want to ignore veterans.

All the folks featured in this walk, and the next one I will share, are featured in the book Memory Walks in Oak Hill, written in 2008 by local historian Maurice Montgomery.  Monty was an enthusiastic researcher, and wrote about each person in detail.  I only provide highlights here, so I recommend that you read his book if you want more.  In addition, you can visit Find a Grave, for additional information and some photographs.

As always, dress for the weather, and bring along your map (or get one from the cemetery office).

1.  George Morton Randall (block 20) George Randall's headstone is up the hill behind the chapel.  George was born in Ohio in 1841, and was about twenty when his family moved to Janesville. At the beginning of the Civil War he enlisted in the 4th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry as a private, and served with honor, advancing to lieutenant at the battle of Antietam. He stayed in the army and participated in the Indian wars after the Civil War, participating in military expeditions against the Indians at Big Horn, Powder River and Yellowstone. Eventually he was put in command of Fort Reno in the Oklahoma Territory. During the Spanish-American War he was stationed in Cuba, and later in 1900 he was sent by President McKinley to the Alaskan Territory, to help keep order during the gold rush. In 1903 he was sent to the Philippines to work on the pacification of the native people there.  He retired in 1905, and in 1918, he died in Colorado. 

2.  William H. Sargent (block 63) Look for a narrow stone tablet with an eagle and shield. Sargent was born in England in 1840, and emigrated with his father and siblings to this area about 1855. He served as a carrier for the Janesville Gazette, and volunteered for the local Water Witch Engine Company - the fire department.  In 1860 he married Clara F. Spencer, daughter of the local fire chief, and a year later the Civil War broke out.  Sargent became a member of Company G, 8th Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers. He saw much action in St. Louis, Cairo, Corinth, Vicksburg, and Nashville.  William Sargent was killed in the second day of fighting at Nashville, the Battle of Fort Negley, shot through the heart.

3.  Justus Perry Wheeler (block 81) You are looking for a gray obelisk; the section with Justus Wheeler's name has been damaged, though it is readable. Wheeler was born in 1782 in Massachusetts. He studied law, and while a young man served with honor in the War of 1812. After the war he moved to New York where he married Lucy Culver and raised a family of ten children. By 1840 they had moved to Rock County and owned a substantial farm in the town of La Prairie. In 1851 he was one of the organizers of the first Rock County fair, which showcased and promoted local agriculture.  Justus Wheeler died in 1872.

4.  George Bentley (block 91) At the crest of the hill there is a marble block with a slightly inclined top, a Union soldier's cap, drawn sword and shield. This is the monument to George Bentley, who died in battle Oct. 8, 1862.  He was born in Connecticut in 1831, so he was only 31 when he was killed at Perryville, Kentucky. He was a member of Company H, 21st Infantry Regiment of Wisconsin. According to the local newspaper, his funeral was large and elaborate, including a military escort, a band, clergy, representative of the railroad where he worked prior to the war, and many friends.

5.  James E. Croft: (block 99) Find the small gray granite headstone for James Croft very near the G.A.R. memorial section.  Croft was from Yorkshire, England, and came to Janesville as a young man. In 1862 he enlisted in the 12th Wisconsin Battery, Light Artillery, and was in many battles, especially in Tennessee and Georgia. He was awarded the Medal of Honor while serving at the rank of private for his bravery in action on October 5, 1864 at Allatoona, Georgia. His citation reads "Took the place of a gunner who had been shot down and inspired his comrades by his bravery and effective gunnery, which contributed largely to the defeat of the enemy."

6.  G.A.R. Memorial (block 99) The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization for Union soldiers, designed to benefit veterans in both political and social spheres - much as organizations such as the VFW and American Legion do today.  It encouraged "Decoration Day" events to remember fallen soldiers, established retirement homes and hospitals and their wives, cared for indigent soldiers and more.  Members had military style uniforms with badges, medals and ribbons.  There was a women's auxiliary group called the Woman's Relief Corp.  These woman are not buried here, bu many have distinctive flag holders near their headstones.

The local GAR post, called the W. H. Sargent Post 20, was established in 1881. Soon after organizing, the post bought 4 lots in block 99 at Oak Hill as a military burial park for Civil War soldiers.  If you look at burial dates, those that indicate death prior to 1883 are cenotaphs, that is there is no body. The stone is simply a memorial.  Burials after 1883 are traditional.  This area has been kept up nicely by volunteers, including the local D.A.R. It is interesting to note that the boundaries of the area are marked by posted created from cannon muzzles and balls. Be aware that this area only contains a small number of Civil War burials; other are scattered throughout the cemetery.

7.  Dr. Henry Palmer (block 51) Henry Palmer's headstone is on the side of the hill along the main road. You can see the Palmer monument from the road. Henry Palmer was one of the most respected and influential men in Janesville during his life. Born in New York in 1827 in a farming family, for a time he taught public school to earn money for his own medical school.  He became a skilled physician and surgeon, opening offices first in New York state, and later here in Janesville, where he joined Dr. Robert Treat. He enlisted as regiment surgeon for the 7th Wisconsin Infantry, the "Iron Brigade" when the Civil War broke out. Later he was posted to York Military hospital in Pennsylvania, where he instituted improvements in cleanliness, nutrition, and treatment that greatly reduced patient mortality.  At one point when the hospital was attacked by Confederate troops, Palmer hid the sickest and armed those able to fight to repel the attack.  He was captured, but escaped and returned to his duties at the hospital. After the war he was in charge of Camp Douglas in Chicago for a time, but finally returned to medical practice in Janesville.  He also served as mayor of the city.