USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Duxbury > Historic Duxbury in Plymouth county, Massachusetts, 3rd ed. > Part 8
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" O clam, how humble is thy state, In mind, and form, and soul so low ; What thought on thee may we bestow, And what of eminence relate ? To sustain a gormand's palate ! And all thy excellences sure, Simply to please an epicure ! Can we of thee no more relate ? Tales of yard-arms in combat crossed, Of Duxbury's ancient fame, Shall ne'er be mingled with thy name ;
Nor valiant ships in cyclones lost. But thine a greater glory yet : A mighty nation to beget."
129
DUXBURY IN THE WARS OF THE REPUBLIC.
XVII.
DUXBURY IN THE WARS OF THE REPUBLIC.
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
"THEY fired the shots heard round the world."
IT was the writer's intention to give a full list of the names of those from the town who served their country in this war, but it was found impossible to obtain them .* He has, however, in his possession the muster-roll of the minutemen, formed in the fall of 1774, which is hereby furnished verbatim:
"The muster-roll of a minute company under the command of Capt. George Partridge in Col. Cotton's regiment, which marched in consequence of the alarm the 19th of April, 1775.
"George Partridge, Capt.,
Abraham Peterson,
Andrew Sampson, Ist Lieut.,
Joseph Peterson,
Judah Alden, 2d Beriah Sampson,
Samuel Loring, Sergt.,
Thomas Chandler,
Joseph Wadsworth,“
Besbe Chandler,
Benj. Alden, 66
Levi Dingley,
John Hanks,
Thomas Simmons,
Benj. Freeman, Corp.,
Joseph Darling,
Peter Bradford, 66
Prince Thomas,
Nath1. Alden,
William Thomas,
Saml. Chandler,
Carpies Thomas,
Ichabod Sampson,
Thomas Winslow,
Suraiah Glass,
Jonathan Peterson,
John Oldham,
Sylvanus Drew,
Pelig Gullifer,
John Drew,
Perez Howland,
John Sprague,
Abel Sampson,
Nath'1 Delano,
* At the State House, Department of Archives, where a list is being made of the soldiers of the Revolution, it is impossible to tell from what particular section they came.
1 30
HISTORIC DUXBURY.
William Coomer,
John Glass,
Carpus White,
Benj. Smith,
Oliver Sandford,
Oliver Winslow,
Thomas Sprague,
Edward Southworth,
John Southworth,
Consider Drew,
Zeriah Delano,
Ezra Howard,
Amherst Alden,
Sam'l Bradford,
Elijah Sampson,
Elisha Sampson,
John Chandler,
Mica Weston,
Joseph Prior Drum'r,
Wate Wadsworth,
Charles Thomas, Fifer,
John Winslow,
Thaddius Ripley, 66
Ephraim Chandler,
Campell Ripley,
Luther Delano,
Nath'l Delano, Jr.,
Constant Soule,
Jonathan Soule,
Asa Soule,
John
Lot Hunt."
It must not be supposed that these men served no longer in the war; a number are known to have done so. It is believed that the greater part of them helped to make up the town's quota in the Continental Army, as it is estimated that the town kept about sixty men in the army and navy throughout the war, besides the militia .*
The town was renowned for its loyalty, and not a single Tory was said to have been within its limits, nor was it ever obliged to march one of its inhabitants to the Liberty Pole to sign a recanta- tion of his opinions, as was the drastic treatment in those days for those who expressed sentiments not in sympathy with the Colonists. The Liberty Pole was somewhere on the hill west of Tremont Street, opposite the head of Harrison Street, and probably on its summit.
During the operation of the Boston Port Bill the town sub- scribed money and supplies to the oppressed people there, and
* When the first pension bill was passed soon after the IS12 war there were twenty-two Revolutionary veterans from Duxbury.
I3I
DUXBURY IN THE WARS OF THE REPUBLIC.
the town was constantly doing all in its power to promote the success of the war, at one time paying twenty hard dollars a month to its soldiers, and running up a debt to something over sixty thousand dollars. Money was then worth between two and three times more than it is today, and the town's real prosperity had not then begun.
A fort was built at the Gurnet in 1777, mounting three twelve- pounders, two nine-pounders and one six-pounder, manned by men from Plymouth, Kingston and Duxbury, nearly half of them coming from the latter place. It was somewhat feared that the fleet of the enemy would attack this locality. Sentinels were posted to alarm the people in case of danger, materials being kept on Captain's Hill, Monk's Hill in Kingston, and the high lands in Plymouth to start bonfires to summon the people from the adjacent towns. Once the famous Captain Manly brought a number of prizes into the Bay, and the sentinels at first supposing them to be the British, the alarm was given at Saquish, taken up by Captain's Hill, Monk's Hill and at Plymouth. All the militia responded from the towns around, assembling at Captain's Hill, but finding their mistake, returned to their homes.
The operations of the navy were, of course, very limited, few vessels being built or owned by the Colonists. A number of Duxbury men, however, helped to man what there were of these vessels. There was a small armed vessel built in the Bay, called the "Shaving Mill," built and equipped in Kingston in 1781, to cruise along the coast watching for opportunities to capture or destroy British stores. She was long and narrow, rigged with three lateen sails and fourteen oars.
132
HISTORIC DUXBURY.
At times the harvesting was done by the women, who met at the different farms and gathered the crops, the able-bodied men being away; for it should be remembered, that besides the men in the army regularly, others belonged to the militia, who were called out for short terms, when there was an especial exigency.
The high service given by the town in a civil capacity is shown in the account of Mr. Partridge on pages 154-156.
THE 1812 WAR .*
In the first quarter of this century the town was in the most prosperous part of its history. Nearly all the people procured their living, in one way or another, from the shipping industry, but the 1812 war came as a blight on all their business.
The battle cry on our side was that the impressment of Ameri- can seamen by British armed vessels required that we should go to war to stop it. That these outrages by the English were com- mitted cannot be denied; but that a sea-going people should be so strongly opposed to the war as was the coast population of the New England states proved it could not have been of frequent occurrence. Besides, many of our citizens then were Revolu- tionary veterans, and they, almost to a man, were against fighting England on what they considered insufficient grounds. They remembered too well the sacrifices made, and hardships endured for our independence, to hazard our liberties by a war. Their knowledge told them our antagonist was much better prepared than ourselves; and future events proved the correctness of their judgment.
* Copied from an article published in the "Old Colony Memorial," by the writer, in September, 1897.
133
DUXBURY IN THE WARS OF THE REPUBLIC.
The Embargo Act, passed by Congress in 1808, practically took from the townspeople their employment, as it forbade our vessels from leaving their ports, thus stopping not only the trade with foreign ports, but suspending the building of vessels, which formed the chief industry of the town. A petition was sent to President Jefferson by a committee of the town, which set forth the state of the people, - that the land being too poor for agri- culture, they were deprived of their only occupation; that all their property was in the shipping interests, and that they could not change it over to manufacturing enterprises, and for want of skill could not enter other vocations. . The only export trade was a traffic in fish with the West Indies, which continued notwith- standing the Embargo Act, small schooners managing to get out in thick and foggy weather, although the Government kept an armed sloop off the Gurnet. The Embargo became so unpopular that it was raised in 1809, and is only mentioned because it was one of the acts that led up to the 1812 war.
When the war came the Government re-established the fort at the Gurnet, armed with six or eight guns, some of them forty-two- pounders, which were large pieces at that time. This fort was manned by state troops. Alarm boats, called the "row-guard," plied between the Gurnet and Plymouth beach, one boat being furnished by Plymouth and one by Duxbury. The row-guard were to fire a gun in case of an alarm, which was to be answered by our batteries on shore, a tar barrel on Captain's Hill and similar answering signals in Plymouth and Kingston. A com- mittee of safety, on the part of the town, was chosen to devise ways and means of defence, who made application to the Board
134
HISTORIC DUXBURY.
of War for cannon and ammunition, which was granted. Cannon were also purchased by subscriptions contributed by the towns- people. A fort was built back of where the post-office now is, south of Fort Street, and a water battery on the point of land at the south side of the mouth of Bluefish River, the remains of which were in sight only a few years ago. The upper fort had three six-pounders, and the lower one two twelve-pounders; and there were also guns stationed at other points along the shore where it was thought the enemy might attempt to land. These batteries were manned by a company of Sea Fencibles, so called, of sixty-two men, of which the writer has the original muster-roll, it being a force made up from the townspeople, and regularly commissioned by the state. There was also a company of militia quartered here, of some ninety men recruited from this and neigh- boring towns, commanded by Capt. John Alden.
These forts or batteries, near the mouth of Bluefish River, were well placed; for an attack, if made, would be by men-of-wars- men's barges, with the object of destroying the shipping that had been hauled up the river for safety, where the pond now is, above Bluefish River bridge. This fleet consisted of two ships, one brig and six schooners, constituting the most vulnerable property of the town. These barges would have probably come in the night from the English frigates that were cruising in Massachusetts Bay. There was considerable danger of this, as such attacks had been made in Scituate and Wareham; yet looking at it for a moment from the English side, it would have been a very haz- ardous undertaking, and would almost surely have ended in disaster. They would have needed a large force to have secured
135
DUXBURY IN THE WARS OF THE REPUBLIC.
a landing, assuming that they had been able to pass the Gurnet fort. Our ancestors being men of thought, and used to dangerous enterprises, probably had no fear of an attack. It happened one night, my grandmother said, that the alarm was given, and the batteries manned, and patrols sent along the shore, but no enemy could be found. It was afterwards learned that some one had started the scare to see how quick the Sea Fencibles would turn out.
Finally peace was proclaimed, and the material that was kept for bonfires of alarm was used for those of joy, on the hilltops bordering the bay.
NOTES.
The site of the upper fort, back of the post-office near Fort Street, can be very nearly located by a statement made to the writer, some years ago, by Miss Delano, an aged lady who lived in the square, old-fashioned house to the east of this site of the fort. She said that as a child she remembered the men working on the fort, and that they boarded at her house, and she particularly remembered one of them saying that if an attacking party came up the bay, the guns of the fort would have to fire directly through the house.
A copy of the muster-roll of the Sea Fencibles is here added, as per- haps of interest to the children, or grandchildren, of the original members.
DUXBURY SEA FENCIBLES.
Gershom Bradford, Capt., Gun No. 1 : Charles Drew,
Thomas Winsor, Ist Lieut.,
Thomas Herick, 2d
Samuel Hunt,
Sylvanous Smith, Sergt.,
Percy I1. Sampson,
Bradford Sampson,
Jacob Smith,
Phineous Sprague,
Isaac Winsor,
George P. Richardson, “
Limber-piece men : Melzer Brewster, Nathaniel Peterson, Reuben Drew, Jr.
Martin Winsor,
Frederick Peterson,
Noah Simmons.
136
HISTORIC DUXBURY.
Gun No. 2:
Drag Rope Men No. 1 :
Samuel Delano,
William V. Hunt,
John Brown,
Levi Sampson,
Daniel Hull,
Alfred Sampson,
Benj. Smith, Jr.,
Alden Winsor,
George Peterson,
Bradford Holmes,
Samuel Hunt, Jr.,
John Winsor, Jr.,
Briggs Alden,
Consider Burgess,
Nathaniel Glass,
Joseph Winsor.
David Turner.
Gun No. 3:
Drag Rope Men No. 2: Henry R. Packard, John Frazer,
Edward D. Baker,
Charles Soule,
Consider Glass,
Seth Sprague, Jr.,
George Winsor, Jr.,
Lewis Winsor,
William Reed,
David Goodspeed,
George Fuller,
Solomon Washburn.
Gaius Sampson.
Gun No. 4:
Drag Rope Men No. 3 :
Jonathan Smith,
Otis Baker,
William Delano,
Nathaniel Thomas,
Otis Soule,
Elijah Baker,
Amos Ames,
Samuel A. Frazer,
Benjamin Bates,
Reuben Drew,
Josiah Morton,
Nathaniel Winsor, Jr.,
Charles Hunt, Drummer.
Ezra Weston, Jr.
THE CIVIL WAR.
As the greatest of the country's wars, and as it occurred quite recently, a full list can now be obtained of the names of those who served, in the army or navy, between 1861 and 1865, and the writer would, while the records are at hand, save these names from oblivion. The information has been got from the town records, and from two pamphlets published soon after the war, by which several sources he has been able to correct mistakes, and make what he hopes will prove an accurate register. The town furnished during the rebellion two hundred and thirty-nine
137
DUXBURY IN THE WARS OF THE REPUBLIC.
men. Of these, two hundred and fourteen were in the army, and twenty-five in the navy. There were seventeen reinlistments not counted twice in the above number, but their names appear in the enumeration of their regiments below.
Those in the army served in the following regiments:
Fifty-six in the 18th, three years' enlistment. Thirty-six in the 38th, three years' enlistment. Fifty-one in the 4th, nine months' enlistment. Twenty-one in the 24th, one year's enlistment. Sixty-seven in other regiments.
Of these thirty-six died in service, viz .:
Eleven in the 18th Regiment.
Eleven in the 38th Regiment. Eleven in the 4th Regiment. Three in other regiments.
Names of those from Duxbury in Company E, 18th Regiment :
John Alden,
Henry Alden,
Herbert A. Baker,
Edward Bishop,
Jacob S. Burgess,
John S. Butler,
Howland S. Bonney,
James H. Bowen,
George Bryant,
Hiram D. Cox,
Edwin J. Chandler,
Chas. G. Cox,
Herbert A. Chandler,
Nathan C. Dorr,
David F. Church,
Otis Delano,
Geo. H. Davidson,
Leander R. Gardner,
John Glover,
Henry Jones,
Lebbeus Harris,
Jairus W. Leavitt,
Washington King,
Ed. M. Magoune,
Alex. Mcdonald,
David C. Mechant,
John McIntire, Samuel T. Mears,
James Mulligan,
Adner K. Paris,
Martin Mullen,
Henry B. Paulding,
Calvin B. Paine,
Geo. F. Ryder,
Geo. P. Peterson,
Daniel Rix,
138
HISTORIC DUXBURY.
William A. Raymond,
Oscar H. Soule,
Joseph E. Simmons,
Aaron H. Snell,
Horace E. Sampson,
Aurelius Soule,
Sylvanus Shedd,
Walter Southworth,
Joseph A. Soule,
Jabez P. Weston,
John Southworth,
Hiram Weston,
Hamilton Wadsworth,
James H. Weston,
Walter Weston,
James H. Winsor,
Henry Weston,
Adolphus E. Winsor,
Geo. H. Winsor,
William Woodard.
Total, 56.
This regiment was mustered into the service August 24, 1861, and left the state August 28. It was mustered out September 2, 1864, having been in service three years and nine days, during which time it took part in the following engagements:
Battle on the Peninsula,
Second Bull Run,
Sheppardstown,
Fredericksburg,
Chancellorsville, Gettysburg,
.Rappahannock,
Wilderness,
Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor,
Petersburg, Weldon Railroad.
In this regiment eighty were killed, thirty-two died of wounds, seventy-eight died of disease, and forty-seven died in rebel prisons, making the total number of deaths two hundred and thirty-seven.
Deaths in Company E, 18th Regiment :
James H. Bowen, June, 1864. Edward Bishop, at Alex. Hospital, Va., Nov. 10, 1862.
George Bryant at Salisbury Prison, Oct. 1, 1864.
David F. Church was killed at the battle of Bull Run, Aug. 30, 1862. Henry B. Paulding at Sharpsburg, Va., Oct. 10, 1862. Daniel Rix killed at the battle of Bull Run, Aug. 30, 1862.
Aaron H. Snell killed at Bethesda.Church, Jan. 3, 1864. Aurelius Soule at Beverly Ford, Va., Feb. 28, 1864. John Southworth in rebel prison in 1864.
I39
DUXBURY IN THE WARS OF THE REPUBLIC.
Joseph E. Simmons killed at the battle of Bull Run, Aug. 30, 1862. He received a commission as First Lieutenant in the 38th Regiment Aug. 14, but had not joined that regiment.
Walter Weston killed at Fredericksburg, Va., Dec. 14, 1862.
Total, II.
Names of those from Duxbury in Company G, 38th Regiment :
Louis M. Bailey, Jr.,
William Bailey,
Joseph P. Bosworth, Jr.,
Geo. F. Chandler,
James A. Bowen,
Chas. J. Chandler,
Alonzo Chandler,
Francis B. Dorr,
John H. Crocker,
Ezra J. Ford,
Jas. Denney,
Seth Glass, Jonathan Glass, Jr.,
Enoch Freeman,
Samuel D. Hurrinan,
Eugene Glass,
Issachar Josselyn,
John H. Haversock,
Henry H. Lewis,
John E. Josselyn,
Edgar F. Loring,
John J. Lewis,
Leander B. Pierce,
John McNaught,
Josiah D. Randall, Jr.,
Jason H. Randall,
Nahum Sampson,
Isaac L. Sampson,
Bradford Sampson,
Eden Sampson, 2d,
Frederick P. Sherman,
Abram P. Simmons,
Wilber F. Simmons,
William Soule,
Corindo Winsor.
Daniel J. Simmons,
Total, 36.
Deaths in Company G, 38th Regiment :
William Bailey at Baton Rouge, La., Mar. 29, 1863.
James A. Bowen, June, 1864.
Chas. J. Chandler at Carrollton, La., Feb. 17, 1863.
John HI. Crocker at Berwick City, La., Apr. 21, 1863. Francis B. Dorr, May, 1863. Seth Glass at New Orleans, La., May 13, 1863. Bradford Sampson at New York, Aug. 30, 1864.
Eden Sampson, 2d, at Baton Rouge, La., May 7, 1864. Wilber F. Simmons at Berwick City, La., Apr. 27, 1863. Daniel J. Simmons at Berwick City, La., May 10, 1863. William Soule at Memphis, Tenn., Aug. 31, 1863. Total, II.
1.40
HISTORIC DUXBURY.
This regiment was mustered into the service August 24, 1862, and left the state August 26, 1862. It was mustered out June 30, 1865, having been in service two years and ten months and six days, during which time it took part in the following engagements:
Cane River, Bisland,
Mansura, Port Hudson,
Opequon, Fisher's Hill,
Cedar Creek.
In this regiment twenty-seven were killed, forty died of wounds, one hundred and fifty-seven of disease, one in rebel prison, making the total number of deaths two hundred and twenty-five.
Names of those from Duxbury in Company I, 4th Regiment :
Charles E. Alden,
Geo. H. Bailey,
Walter Baker,
Granville Baker,
Henry Barstow,
Joshua T. Brewster,
Melzar Brewster, Jr.,
Edgar Chandler,
John W. Brewster,
Emmons A. Chandler,
Asa Chandler,
Hiram O. Chandler,
Iliram Chandler,
Noah J. Chandler,
Jerome Chandler,
Oscar Delano,
Augustine A. Delano,
Daniel W. Delano,
Hiram T. Delano,
Walter H. Freeman,
Edward F. Frost,
Geo. A. Graves,
Harrison T. Glass,
Bailey Gullifer,
Augustus A. Graves,
Geo. L. Higgins,
Le Baron Goodwin,
Wm. F. Hunt,
Elihu S. Harriman,
Wm. W. Jones,
Wadsworth Hunt,
Ilenry B. Maglathlin,
Geo. W. Lane,
Edwin G. Metcalf,
Thos. T. McNaught,
Andrew Northey,
Walter Peterson,
Geo. F. Ryder,
Francis J. Randall,
Geo. B. Sampson,
Geo. A. Simmons,
Edward D. Swift,
W'm. T. Swift,
Geo. H. Torrey,
Jonathan F. Turner,
Geo. S. Weston,
Augustus Weston, James H. Weston.
Wmn. Wadsworth, Total, 51.
Daniel Delano,
Stephen Clark, Jr.,
1.41
DUXBURY IN THE WARS OF THE REPUBLIC.
This regiment was mustered into the service September 23, 1862, and left the state December 27, 1862. It was mustered out August 28, 1863, having been in service eleven months and five days, dur- ing which time it took part in the following engagements:
First Battle of Port Hudson, Bisland,
Second Battle of Port Hudson.
When that place was captured, they were among those selected to enter and garrison it.
In this regiment nine were killed, six died of wounds, and one hundred and sixteen of disease, making the total number of deaths one hundred and thirty-one.
Deaths in Company 1, 4th Regiment :
Charles E. Alden at quarantine, Mississippi River, Mar. 9, 1863. Daniel W. Delano in New Orleans, La., Mar. 22, 1863.
James H. Weston in New Orleans, La., May 1, 1863. Geo. B. Sampson in New Orleans, La., July 11, 1863. Stephen Clark, Jr., in Algiers, La., July 16, 1863.
Wm. Wadsworth in Baton Rouge, La., July 22, 1863. Harrison T. Glass in Port Hudson, La., July 30, 1863.
Walter Peterson in Port Hudson, La., Aug. 3, 1863. Joshua T. Brewster in New Orleans, La., Aug. 4, 1863. Oscar Delano in Indianapolis, Ind., Aug. 15, 1863.
Abel T. Lewis of Company E, 4th Regiment, died June 26, 1863. Total, II.
Names of those from Duxbury in 24th Regiment, unattached, one year's service at Marblehead, Mass .:
John W. Alden, Jos. P. Bosworth,
Howland S. Bonney, Ezra H. Ford,
Walter H. Freeman,
Robert S. Hunt,
Ed. M. Magoune,
Otis W. Lapham, Charles A. Peterson, George R. Ryder, Lemuel J. Reed, Isaac L. Sampson, William G. Winsor, Henry O. Winsor, Total, 21.
Gilbert M. Ryder, Chas. T. Rogers, Walter Southworth,
William H. Thomas,
James H. Winsor, Jabez P. Weston, Jairus Witherell.
I42
HISTORIC DUXBURY.
In other regiments:
Thomas Alden,
James Alden, Jr.,
Edgar H. Bailey,
Charles H. Buel,
John Blake,
James D. Boyle,
James Burns,
John Burk,
Henry Buckey,
Charles F. Barnard,
Thomas Buckey,
Hiram G. Cox,
Samuel A. Chandler,
Procter A. Damon,
John Colter,
Ilenry Dow,
Lewis P. Doland,
Edward M. Delano,
James Dillon,
John Flinn,
Edward R. Eaton,
Justin Frank,
Wm. Ficket,
Mellen Green,
Abram Glass,
Joseph M. Harris,
Robert S. Hunt,
Weston E. Hutchens,
James Hardy,
John Harvey,
Geo. L. Higgins,
Thos. R. Hutchins,
Alex. J. Holmes,
Chas. B. Kenney,
Richard Jones,
Joseph W. Kimball,
William J. Keep,
Otis W. Lapham,
Abel T. Lewis,
Wm. Lockhard,
Wm. Leonard,
Geo. Mars,
Wm. McHammond,
John McIntire,
Patrick McDonold,
Bryant C. Pratt,
Chas. Mckinley,
John J. Peterson,
Geo. C. Paulding,
Henry Ready,
Geo. Ricord,
Elisha Swift,
Geo. A. Stimpson,
Anthony Sprague,
Sam'1 J. Simmons,
W'm. Sulzar,
Aaron H. Snell,
Ilorace W. Thayer,
James Thomas,
Wm. Ulner,
Robert Tillman,
John Wilson,
Geo. Wilters,
John Watts,
Nathan S. Washburn,
Joshua T. Winsor,
Total, 67.
Gershom Winsor.
Deaths in these other regiments:
William J. Keep died at Annapolis, Md., Mar. 16, 1865; he had been a prisoner seven months and had just been released; he was a member of the 12th Regiment.
Elisha Swift of the 32d Regiment died.
Gershom Winsor of the 54th Regiment died in New York, Dec. 29, 1864. Total, 3.
DUXBURY IN THE WARS OF THE REPUBLIC.
143
In the navy from Duxbury :
Laurence Bradford,
George P. Cushman,
Herbert Carleton,
Sam'l Delano,
Lemuel Dodd,
Wm. F. Frazar,
Henry P. Fish,
Geo. A. Faunce,
Wm. F. Griffin,
Ed. G. Hunt,
Geo. G. Lewis,
Wisnal Lovejoy,
Alex. Lane,
Wm. Phillips,
Geo. Reveer,
Chas. A. Rogers,
Sydney Sampson,
Chas. M. Tisdale,
N. W. Thomas,
Alfred Weston,
Elias E. Weston,
Ed. R. Weston,
Wm. Wadsworth,
Nath'l B. Weston,
Total, 25.
James Wilson.
If the men served well in the war, the women certainly did equally as well. There was a charitable society, dating back to the early part of the century, called the Martha Washingtons, the members of which, with the ladies of the town, now turned their energies to working for the soldiers, which they continued untir- ingly until its close. They contributed money, clothing and other necessary articles through the various avenues that had been instituted for the purpose. They also subscribed for a recruit to be enrolled in their name. There are still preserved papers ad- dressed to Mrs. Gershom Weston, President, acknowledging their services, from the Governor and other state officials.
The ladies also, when the war was over, formed a monumental association to build the Soldiers' Monument, of which Mrs. Weston was chosen president. In this connection the services of her hus- band should be mentioned, the Hon. Gershom B. Weston, who did so much of this work, and labored to keep up and encourage ·the patriotic exertions, from the beginning to the end of the war, the writer remembering as a boy the enthusiastic war meetings, of
144
HISTORIC DUXBURY.
which Mr. Weston was the leading spirit. The monument was dedicated on Memorial Day, May 30, 1872, with proper cere- monies.
It stands at the southeastern corner of Evergreen Cemetery. The eastern face of the pedestal has this inscription :
MEMORIA IN ETERNA THE SOLDIERS AND SAILORS OF DUXBURY who gave their lives for their country in the war of 1861
These names are on the north and south faces:
Charles E. Alden,
Henry B. Paulding,
William Bailey,
Walter Peterson,
James A. Bowen,
Daniel Rix,
Edward Bishop,
Bradford Sampson,
James H. Bowen,
Eden Sampson, 2d,
Joshua T. Brewster,
George B. Sampson,
George Bryant,
Daniel J. Simmons,
Charles J. Chandler,
Joseph E. Simmons,
David F. Church,
Wilber F. Simmons,
Stephen Clark, Jr.,
Aaron H. Snell,
John H. Crocker,
Aurelius Soule,
Daniel W. Delano,
William Soule,
Oscar Delano,
John Southworth,
Francis B. Dorr,
Elisha Swift,
Harrison T. Glass,
William Wadsworth,
Seth Glass,
James H. Weston,
William J. Keep,
Walter Weston,
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