Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-06-01
Cbc nain spn d0mesr, Gbursoap nlomng, aune l. 1871.

| ded much to the interest and enthusiasm of the
meeting The hall had been beautifully decorated
and the military aspect of the place the stirring
| appeals of the fathers of the town 70 the Patii-
otism of our Young men, urging them TO give thelr
eerices 10 t6eir country were such as resulted in
the enrolment of several more On ulat SVehinB wo
were afterwards connected WIN 70, 7 ~ ths iotn
regiment Before the close OF the meeting ~ was
| voted that the seectmen be instructed to issue
their warrant for legal town-meeting to be holden
at The earliest practicable day. The meeting then
! sdionrned IL being now late on Saturday evening,
! . Warrant for a town meeting could not be drawn
! and posted till Monday mornings the warrant for
interest pertaining to the war was dated and
posted Monday, April 22d, 1861, and that meeting
was held at the earliest day at which legal meet
ing could be convened viz: on Monday, April 18th.
After the close of the meeting Saturday evening,
April goth, many Of our citizens, including quite a
number of ladies' rode to West Brookfeld to see
the military companies as they passed through on
their way to the seat of war, and it was past one
O'Clock in the night before we reached nome. Du-
ring Sunday, April q, large number of batteries
with their horses and all the paraphernalia of
war passed over the railroad, going on to
the front, and our churches were very thin on
that day for train Of cars a quarter o; Of
their new and gay uniforms, horses in their snowy
trappings, and cannon bright as gold gstening in
interesting to young and old than the inside OF a
church; consequently few turned their steps TO the
latter while multtudes ocked to the railroad depot
to see the former. find these facts oil carefully
and infinitely noted in ladys diary which 1t has
been nv privilege to examine. At our first legal
town meeting to act matters relating to the war
held April 90, 1861 Mr.. Augustus Smith was chosen
moderator and our esteemed fellow citizen, Hiram
Knight, Esq, was then, as now, our most efficient
and accomplished town clerk. The action OF that
meeting was as follows, viz:
"First. Voted that the treasurer of the town be
authorized to borrow an amount Of money on the
credit of the town. not exceeding $4,000, to be ap-
propriated for the benefit OF those VINO may enlist in
the government service.
Second Voted that the town from this sum make
up the pay of each non-commissioned officer and
private to twenty dollars per month, such pay to
commence and leave off with government pay.
Third, Voted that the town pay each volunteer
belonging to this town fty cents per d dn while
ter of the government or under their own officers,
and that the pay to soldiers in actual service Of the
government be made to the wives or families of
such soldiers once month.
Fourth. Voted to choose a committee of five to
draft plan of action for the town to take, and re-
port the same at an adjourned meeting. The follow
ing gentlemen were chosen as that committee; Hon.
Freeman Walker, j. Z. Green, Esq, VIM. Adams,
Charles II. Stoddard, John Hill. Voted to adjourn
this meeting till seven O'Clock this evening"
The adjourned meeting in the evening was very
lengthy one, and much important business was
transacted, all with reference to making provision
for the soldiers and their families and to which 1t
would be interesting to refer did time permit. Meet
ings were subsequently held nearly every week till
late In June, every page of the record Of which Is
important, and must be intensely inter
esting to those by whom it will be read
long after all the actors of those anxious
days and stirring scenes shall have passed
away On the 22d of June of the same year, z. X.
Howe and S. II. Bigelow, assessors of the town.
furnished the town clerk with list of the names OF
every man in town who was liable to be called into
the service of the government, and these two hun
dred and sixysix in number are all recorded in the
records of the town.
In gathering the materials for this little sketch of
"North BTookfed in the earliest days of the rebel
lion, have been happily surprised to find that
large part of the records of those days were saved
from the great fire in which our town house was
eftY.,od ON na nf nptOhnr md
by which nearly all the archives of the town were
entirely lost-this record was saved in very much
damaged condition-the corners and edges of the
leaves being burnt far in, and the parts not burnt
being discolOTed and blackened with smoke, but the
patient and careful labors of clerk in copying
them have restored them in perfectly legble and
almost entire FORM and to these must refer you for
full and faithful account of all the magnanimous
action of the town, and her noble patriotism as
manifested in her large appropriations and liberal
provisions for the comfort and protection OF her
brave soldier boys and also her thoughtful and gem
erous kindness in doing everything in her power to
render their families comfortable and happy, and last
but not least her very liberal and most cheerful
ton in appr0priating the large amount of money
necessary for the erection of that beautiful monu
ment, upon our village green, to the memory Of her
dear sons and our comrades, whose graves we have
to-day strewn with sweet and beautiful flowers and
whom we shall ever love and honor.
After the eloquent and intensely interesting ora
ton of Gen Walker, whom we are so proud to claim
as one of North Brookfeld's most talented and ac-
cOmplished sons and brayest soldiers, and whom we
all so much delight to honor, l say, after having
heard and read that oration so rich and full of his
torc facts and thrilling incidents delivered at the
dedication of our soldiers monumeutl, little need
be said in regard to the different regiments in the
field in which North Brookield was represented, or
of the general good conduct of her soldiers and
their gallant bravery and unainching courage in
action.
BY reference to the "record of the Mass. vols.
find that our town was represented in less than
thirty-three regiments and batteries by about two
hundred and twenty men. / cannot give positively
- FnaNN afA
eral names credited to other towns which have
always supposed belonged TO this town, and should
have been credited to us, and still think But
although, as have said we had representatives in
thrty-three regiments and batteries, a large pro-
porton.of all who were in the service from this
town, and residing here were embraced in eight
VIZ 70 bad