Among the patriotic dead at the cemetery are those who fought in the Civil War which ended 132 years ago, including one of their ancestors. These survivors of the conflict to preserve the union then came to Mitchell County between 1870 and 1890. As many as 1000 civil war veterans are believed to be buried in Elmwood.
On May 30, 1913 a statue of a union soldier was dedicated in Soldiers Square in Elmwood with the inscription “Erected in honor of defenders of the union 1861-1865 by the patriotic citizens of Beloit and the community.
The monument was erected during a surge of memorials throughout the former union sympathizing states of the era.