Contributed to the Pierce County WIGenWeb Project by Nance Sampson nsampson@spacestar.net
@2000 by Nance Sampson

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DANIEL W. DUTCHER, farmer, P. O. Rock Elm, Pierce county, was born in New
Brunswick, Herkimer county, N. Y., May 13, 1831.  His grandfather, Simeon
Dutcher, Sr., was a native of France, and came to New York in 1770, from
Holland, joined the Continental forces and took part in the siege of Yorktown,
where two of his brothers were wounded.  He settled in Dutchess county, N. Y.,
was married three times and became the father of twenty-two children.  He 
died in 1856, aged 103 years.  One of his sons, Simeon, Jr., was born 
August 12, 1791, and married Lydia Schouten, who came of a "Mohawk Dutch"
family.  Their children were:  Phoebe (Mrs. R. Schouten), James, Mary A. 
Mrs. F. Jones), Benjamin, Daniel W., and Delilah (Mrs. A. Hyatt).  Simeon
Dutcher, Jr., died at Green, Mecosta county, Mich., in July, 1883.  All of
the family have been noted for longevity.  Mrs. Lydia Dutcher died April 5,
1864

Daniel W. attended the district school only fourteen months in his youth.  
His father owned a boat on the Erie Canal, N. Y., in  which the family lived.
In his eighth year Daniel began riding on the towpath.  Later he became an
expert steersman.  In 1847 he removed with his parents to Herman, Dodge 
county, Wis., where he worked on a farm for a time.  Meanwhile he kept up
a course of home study and became qualified as a teacher, which vocation he
followed for several winters.  He went overland to California in 1854, 
assisting to drive over a heard of cattle.  He prospected for gold at 
various points and rode an express from Shasta to Taylor's Bar on Salmon
River.  He visited every place on the Pacific coast from Victoria, B. C., to
Acapulco, Mex., and made two trips overland from Mazatlan, Mex., to Shasta,
Cal., with a single white companion, bringing droves of mules.  On these
trips they were in constant danger from hostile Indians as well as the
"greasers," whom they employed to assist them.  In 1858 he returned via the 
Isthmus and settled at Big Rapids, Mich.  He enlisted in 1862, in Company I,
Sixth Michigan cavalry, and took part in the battles of Fredericksburg, the
Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Winchester, Petersburg and numerous other 
engagements.  At Winchester, September 19, 1864, he captured a major of the
Sixtieth Virginia regiment, for which he was presented with the major's
saber.  June 11, 1863, he was taken prisoner at Seneca, Md., and sent to
Libby prison, where he remained until June 30, 1863, when he was paroled.
He was sent against the Indians under Gen. Connors in July, 1865.  He became
corporal and was discharged December 10, 1865.  In 1876 he came to Rock Elm
and engaged in farming.  January 22, 1850, Mr. Dutcher married Miss Sarah
White, who has borne him three daughters: Luella (Mrs. Jay L. Hawn), Uretta
Mrs. J. D. Bloor), and Myrtie.  Politically he is a republican, and has 
served for eight years as town clerk.  He is a member of the G. A. R., the
I. O. O. F. and P. of H.

--Taken from the "Historical and Biographical Album of the Chippewa Valley
Wisconsin Including A General Historical Sketch of the Chippewa Valley;
Ancestral Records fo Leading Families; Biographies of Representative Citizens,
Past and Present; and Portraits of Prominent Men.  Edited by George Forrester.
Published in Chicago, Illinois by A. Warner. Publisher. 1891-2. Pages 761-762