Members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War perform a 21-gun salute. Connor Cummiskey photo
By Connor Cummiskey
Honoring and remembering history is how society prevents horrors from repeating themselves.
Horrors like brothers fighting brothers in a civil war.
One organization that serves to keep the lessons of the American Civil War alive is the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW).
The organization does this through ceremonies such as the rededication of the Nathan Strong Memorial in Berlin, which took place Saturday, Aug. 23.
The ceremony that honored the founder of the city, Nathan Strong.
“Nathan Strong is the person credited with founding our City around 1847,” Berlin Area Historical Society President Bobbie Erdmann said. “The park was originally known as ‘Park Place,± then ‘Town Square’ or ‘City Park’ then ‘East Side Park.’ When Nathan plotted out his town, he laid aside the one square block for a public place for the people of this town. The property was never offered for sale for building lots although Berlin’s first school building was located here for a time. When Berlin celebrated its Sesquicentennial, the park was renamed in Nathan’s honor. Nathan Strong died in 1852 so never saw his town build up. Two of his three adult sons enlisted in the war and were both killed in battle. One stayed home to take care of the family properties.”
The rededication was a collaboration between the Berlin Area Historical Society and the Old Abe Camp #8 of the SUVCW.
It was comprised of a 1917 Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Service of Dedication.
The grand army being the organization’s predecessor organization that handed off its duty to the SUVCW.
The Rev. Joanne Schoblaski offered the invocation and a brief history of the monument was given by Dan Freimark.
Then, during the rededication, Berlin Mayor Richard Schramer temporarily relinquished possession of the monument to Old Abe Camp #8.
These descendants of veterans carry out a three-pronged mission: honoring Union veterans, preserving and perpetuating the GAR and patriotic education, according to their website.
To honor veterans, the organization performs ceremonies like the rededication as well as fixing grave markings.
Memorial Day is a major holiday that the organization observes. The services during the holiday play a major role in honoring veterans.
To preserve the GAR, the organization is dedicated to maintaining documents pertaining to the GAR, primarily for research purposes.
Another way it performs this duty is by maintaining their signage along U.S. Route 6, also known as the GAR highway.
To accomplish the final piece of its mission, the SUVCW teaches true history of the United States.
It promotes patriotism by presenting at schools across the country. It often involves teaching the duties of citizenship as well as how to respect the flag.
Being a Civil War re-enactor is not required for membership. However, members who are often have a trove of tales that bring the conflict to life.
Some of them are fun like Old Abe, for whom the local camp is named. He was not the great emancipator, but an eagle that served as a mascot, according to SUVCW member James Schumann.
He would fly above battles, demoralizing the Wisconsin 8th Regiment’s enemies with his piercing cry. Or at least annoy them enough so they took shots at him.
Other aspects are darker.
Such as the terrible medical service for the soldiers.
It was a time when getting shot meant almost certain death from infection, or at least loss of limbs.
Knowledge about hygiene was so bad that often medics would re-use bandages; though this was probably partially due to their lack of supplies.
To find out what makes the Civil War interesting, instead of the often more boring aspects usually taught in school, Schumann has a simple suggestion.
“Read books. Read a lot of books,” Schumann said.
There are dozens of good books about the Civil War that can give readers an accurate perspective on events.
Two that Schumann suggests are books written by Winston Groom about Vicksburg and Shiloh.
The SUVCW is for male descendants of veterans only.
However, that does not mean women are left out. They can join the Auxiliary to the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (ASUVCW).
There usually is an auxiliary for each camp of the SUVCW and without them, very little could get done.
To learn more about the SUVCW, visit its website at suvcw-wi.org.
To stay up to date on the activities of the local camp, visit the Old Abe Camp #8 Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) Facebook page.
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