Contributed by Lani Bartelt

Daniel Perkins was born in Chittenden, Co. VT. in 1815. He married in 1831 to a woman named Margaret (maiden name unknown) and they would have five children. At this date I only know of their son, Hugh Perkins. Daniel and Margaret came to WI about 1836 with their family.

I have found this marriage record that may be their marriage record

PERKINS: Daniel C.

to: Margaret Corbit

m: June 9, 1842

Source: Milwaukee Marriage records pg 61-doc 305

When the Civil War broke out   his obituary says that Daniel served   in the 3rd Battery enlisting in 1861 and being discharged because of illness in 1865. It was also said that he never fully recovered his health after the Civil War. His grave records also list him as having served in Co B of the 25th WI Inf. so I am listing both records of those companies service.

His obituary also says he had been living in Clark Co. WI for about seven years prior to his death.

Being an early pioneer of Clark Co, WI the township of what is now Sherwood, Clark Co. WI was originally named Perkins after Daniel Chapman Perkins and his son, Hugh, at a meeting of the county board held in April 1874 after a order by the county board on 8 January 1874.  (More about the name change later.)

Daniel Chapman Perkins son, Hugh is listed on the 1875 Clark Co. State Census

Daniel Chapman Perkins died on or about 6 June 1880 and he is buried at Sherwood

Cemetery, Sherwood Township, Clark Co, WI.

A memorial stone is also at this cemetery for Hugh Perkins but he is buried at a GAR

Cemetery in Florida (More on that later)

Daniel Chapman Perkins death is a sad story. He was on his way from his home to a GAR reunion of the  (Grand Army of the Republic, an organization similar to the VFW of today, for veterans of the Civil War). He started from his home on June 5th intending to walk to the nearest G.B.M.R. railroad station at Scranton and catch a train to Milwaukee for the reunion. Finding high waters with the bridges gone he turned towards home and again was stopped by rising flood water so he laid down on the ground of a high ridge and using his satchel for a pillow laid down to rest.

He was never to awaken from that rest and was found laying in that exact positions several days later when a rescue party came searching for him after realizing he had never made it to the reunion.

Daniel C Perkins

Regiment 3rd Indpt Battery,WI Light Artillary

Rank In   PVT

Rank Out PVT  

3rd Independent Battery, Wisconsin Light Artillery
Organized at Racine, Wis., and mustered in October 10, 1861. Ordered to Louisville, Ky., January 23, 1862, and duty there till March 10. Attached to Artillery, 5th Division, Army of the Ohio, to September, 1862. Artillery, 5th Division, 2nd Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November, 1862. Artillery, 3rd Division, Left Wing 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to January, 1863. Artillery, 3rd Division, 21st Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to October, 1863. 2nd Division, Artillery Reserve, Dept. of the Cumberland, to March, 1864. Garrison Artillery, Chattanooga, Tenn., Dept. of the Cumberland, to April, 1865. Garrison Artillery, Murfreesboro, Tenn., Dept. of the Cumberland, to July, 1865.
SERVICE.-Ordered to Nashville, Tenn., March 10, 1862; thence march to Savannah, Tenn., March 29-April 9. Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30. Pursuit to Booneville May 31-June 12. Buell's operations on line of Memphis & Charleston Railroad in North Alabama and Middle Tennessee June to August. March to Louisville, Ky., in pursuit of Bragg August 21-September 26. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1-20. Battle of Perryville , Ky., October 8 (Reserve). Pittman's Cross Roads October 18. March to Nashville, Tenn., October 22-November 7. Lebanon November 9. Rural Hill November 18. At Nashville, Tenn., till December 26. Advance on Murfreesboro, Tenn., December 26-30. Battle of Stone¿s River , December 30-31, 1862, and January 1-3, 1863. Duty at Murfreesboro till July 5. Moved to McMinnville July 5, and duty there till September. Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign September. Chickamauga September 13. Battle of Chickamauga, September 19-20. Siege of Chattanooga September 24-November 23. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27. Garrison duty in the Defences of Chattanooga; also duty by Detachments on transports on the Tennessee River till April, 1865. Moved to Murfreesboro and garrison duty there till July. Mustered out July 20, 1865.
 

Battery lost during service 6 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 21 Enlisted men by disease. Total 27.

Daniel C Perkins

Regiment 35th WI INF

CO B

Rank In PVT

Rank Out PVT

35th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry

Organized at Milwaukee, Wis., and mustered in February 27, 1864. Ordered to Alexandria, La., April 18. Moved to Benton Barracks, Mo., thence to New Orleans, La., April 26. Ordered to report to Gen. Williams at Port Hudson, La., arriving there May 7. Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 19th Army Corps, Dept. of the Gulf, to December, 1864. 4th Brigade, Reserve Corps, Military Division West Mississippi, to February, 1865. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Reserve Corps, Military Division West Mississippi, February, 1865. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 13th Army Corps (New), Milltary Division West Mississippi, to July, 1865. Dept. of Texas to March, 1866.

SERVICE.-Duty at Port Hudson, La., till June 27, 1864. Moved to Morganza, La., June 27, and duty there till July 24. Moved to St. Charles, Ark., July 24, and duty there till August 6.  
Return to Morganza August 6-12. Expedition to Simsport October 1-10. Moved to Devall's Bluff, Ark., October 11-18. To Brownsville November 9, and guard Memphis & Little Rock Railroad till December 12. Moved to Devall's Bluff December 12, and duty there till February 7, 1865. Moved to Algiers, La., February 7, thence to Mobile Point, Ala., February 22. Campaign against Mobile and its defences March 17-April 12. Siege of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely March 26-April 8. Assault on and capture of Fort Blakely , April 9. Occupation of Mobile April 12. March to McIntosh Bluff April 13-26. Moved to Mobile May 9, and duty there till June 1. Moved to Brazos Santiago, Texas, June 1-8, thence to Clarksville June 20, and to Brownsville August 2. Duty at Brownsville till March, 1866. Mustered out March 15, 1866.

Regiment lost during service 2 Enlisted men killed and 3 Officers and 271 Enlisted men by disease. Total 276
 

HUGH CHAPMAN PERKINS

Hugh Perkins, according to his grave record was born 27 July 1844. He too served in the Civil War and his records are as follows:

Hugh Perkins

Regiment 7th WI Inf

Co I

Rank In   PVT

Rank Out PVT

Alternate Name Hugh C/Perkins

7th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry

Organized at Madison, Wis., and mustered in September 2, 1861. Left State for Washington, D. C., September 21. Attached to King's Brigade, McDowell's Division, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to April, 1862. 3rd Brigade, King's Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock, to June, 1862. 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of Virginia, to September, 1862. 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps Army of the Potomac, to June, 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps, to March, 1864. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, 5th Army Corps, to August, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, to September, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, to July, 1865.

SERVICE.-Duty in the Defences of Washington, D. C., till March, 1862. Advance on Manassas, Va., March 10-16. Advance to Falmouth, Va., April 9-19. Duty at Falmouth and Fredericksburg till August. McDowell's advance on Richmond May 25-29. Operations against Jackson June 2-11. Reconnoissance to Orange Court House July 24-27. Expedition to Frederick's Hall Station and Spottsylvania Court House August 5-8. Thornburg's Mills or Massaponax Church August 5-6. Battle of Cedar Mountain August 9. Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia August 16-September 2. Fords of the Rappahannock August 21-23. Catlett's Station August 22. Gainesville August 28. Battles of Groveton August 29; Bull Run August 30; Chantilly September 1 (Reserve). Maryland Campaign September 6-22. Battles of South Mountain September 14; Antietam September 16-17. At Sharpsburg, Md., to October 30. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 30-November 22. Battle of Fredericksburg , Va., December 12-15. "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863. At Belle Plain till April 27. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Operations at Pollock's Mill Creek April 29-Mny 2. Fitzhugh's Crossing April 29-30. Battle of Chancellorsville May 2-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va., July 5-24. Duty on line of the Rappahannock and Rapidan till October. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Haymarket October 19. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River May 4-June 15, 1864. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Laurel Hill May 8; Spottsylvania May 8-12 Spottsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient, "Bloody Angle," May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. Jericho Ford May 23. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Bethesda Church June 1-3. Before Petersburg June 16-18. Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Weldon Railroad August 18-21, 1864. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run, February 5-7, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Lewis Farm, near Gravelly Run, March 28. Boydton and White Oak Roads March 30-31. Five Forks April 1. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Appomattox Courthouse April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Moved to Washington, D. C., May. Grand Review May 23. Moved to Louisville, Ky., June 16 and mustered out July 2, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 10 Officers and 271 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 143 Enlisted men by disease. Total 424.

Hugh Perkins must have married after the Civil War because I found this census record for him and his family, including his mother.

Hugh & Matilda Perkins
 

I also found this GAR Record:

Civil War--GAR (Grand Union of the Republic)

1. G. Beatty, NY 50th Infantry,Co. G, Nevins, Sherwood
2. Matt Geisen, NY 28th,Co. D, Nevins, Sherwood
3. Joseph Alonzo Janes Wi 7th Infantry, Co E
4. Wilson McConnel,
5. George Messing, Sherwood
6.Hugh Perkins, Sherwood
7. Byron Potter Pickering, MI 11th Co . A, Nevins, Sherwood
8. David St. Germain Wi  31st, Co. E, Nevins, Sherwood
9. Cyrus Simeon Stockwell, Nevins, Sherwood
10. John Sullivan (1895 Sherwood Census, later Dewhurst), WI 5th Co. G, Dewhurst
11. Fred Ziemendorf,  WI 1st, Co H., Nevins WI

Also as said earlier in this biography the township of what is now Sherwood in Clark Co, WI would be named for Hugh and his father, early settlers of that are  - township 23 Range 1 East in the southeastern part of Clark Co, WI.

I have seen several versions of why the name of this town was changed first to Sherwood

Forest  and then eventually to just Sherwood which it has remained.

From Robert McBride’s 1919 History of Clark Co, WI comes this story:

In 1884 Hugh Perkins became involved in an altercation with one Isaac Meddaugh, a resident of the town, at the sawmill belonging to Perkins, the quarrel resulting in the death of Meddaugh. Perkins was arrested, charged with murder. In November, 1884, when confined in the Clark county jail (not the present one) he broke jail and made his escape.

Isaac and his mother are also buried at Sherwood Cemetery, Clark Co, WI. 

Nearly four years after  in October, 1888, he was re-captured at Windsor, Ontario, opposite Detroit, Michigan. He was tried in June, 1889, and was convicted of manslaughter in the first degree. This verdict was set aside by Judge Newman, and Perkins was again tried in December,

1889, the jury finding him guilty of manslaughter in the second degree. On appeal to the supreme court this last conviction was reversed, and a new trial ordered, but nothing further was done with the case. 

One version of the town name change is

Not wanting the town named for a convicted murderer, the name Sherwood Forest was suggested by Gov. C. C. Washburn, who had lands and logging interests in the town. It was an appropriate name, purely sentimental, but like its ancient namesake in Notthinghamshire, England, was suggestive of the tradition of Robin Hood, Little John, Friar Tuck, and Maid Marian. 

Another version said

A petition of town citizens to the county board requesting a name change from Perkins to Sherwood Forest was presented in 1876 and the board accepted it. The name Sherwood Forest was chosen by resident Elizabeth LaFlesh, wife of Capt. Thomas LaFlesh, as the area resembled her homeland in England and her literary interest

It was known as the town of Perkins for a little over two years, when the county board of supervisors changed its name from Perkins to Sherwood Forest, under which name is existed for nearly twenty years.

And the last version said

 In 1900 Sherwood Forest citizens asking to shorten the name to Sherwood presented another petition to the county board and their wish was granted

On the 12th of January, 1900, the county board, on the application of the chairman of the town, changed its name from Sherwood Forest to Forest.

Hugh Perkins is buried at  the GAR Cemetery at Mt Peace Cemetery ,Osceola County Florida

His grave information is as follows:

Perkins Hugh C   27 Jul 1844   27 Apr 1930  Co I 7th WI Inf/

This listing of Civil War Veterans buried in Mt. Peace Cemetery, Robert A. Fisk compiled St. Cloud, Florida in July 2000. He walked the entire cemetery, reading the headstones, searching the records of the Fisk Funeral Home (founded in 1915) and using the 1913 roster of the Lucius L. Mitchell, Post 32, Grand Army of the Republic.

Source: Neillsville Press (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) May 8, 1930

-------------Perkins, Hugh C. (? - 27 April 1930)

The following letter from James Campbell tells the death of Hugh Perkins formerly well-known here and a participant in one of the tragedies of the early history of this county.

St. Cloud, Fla. April 28, 1930

Gentlemen: ---

This is to let you know that Comrade Hugh C. Perkins died Sunday morning April 27, after a lingering illness. Some of your readers who knew him may be interested in this item of news. He was once a member of Chas. G. Bacon Post of your city and was quite an active member of the Post here up to the time of his last sickness.

Very truly yours, James Campbell

Lani note/April 2006 I am assuming at this time that Hugh C Perkins and family went to St Cloud, Florida after his last trial and perhaps his mother also went with the family as there is no burial record of her in Clark Co, WI and I am also assuming Hugh Perkins was a member of Lucius L Mitchell, Post 32,GAR in or around St Cloud, Florida. Upon further research of the GAR Burials at the Mt Peace Cemetery, Osceola County, Florida cemetery the following was found

Obit: Perkins, Hugh Chapman 1844-1930)

Hugh Chapman Perkins (27 Jul 1844-27 Apr 1930, aged 85), Co. I, 7th WI Inf.
Mount Peace Cemetery, Saint Cloud, Osceola County, Florida, USA, sec A-A 54