USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Ashburnham > History of Ashburnham, Massachusetts : from the grant of Dorchester Canada to the present time 1734-1886 with a genealogical register of Ashburnham families > Part 31
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In the war of 1812, the Ashburnham Light Infantry was held in a state of suspense through the summer of 1813 and a part of the following year. The indifference of Massa- chusetts to the prosecution of the war is a part of the general
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429
THE ASHBURNHAM LIGHT INFANTRY.
history of the times. So far as individual opinion was con- cerned the general sentiment of the town was in support of the position of Governor Strong. But the spirit of the soldier arose in triumph over the prevailing sentiment of the town. During the progress of the war, the company was frequently disciplined in the exercise of arms and expectantly awaited the summons to march.
During the summer of 1814 the presence of an unusual number of the armed vessels of the enemy caused frequent and grave alarm on the sea-coast. At this time several regiments of State militia were called out and were stationed in Boston and vicinity. The Ashburnham Light Infantry was ordered into the service early in the month of Septem- ber. There are several now living who remember the hurried preparation and departure from this town. It was on the Sabbath. The company assembled at the Jewett store and after brief words of counsel and fervent prayer for their safe return by Rev. Dr. Cushing, the arms, ammunition and equipage were on a long line of wagons hastily engaged for the occasion. The soldiers were in uniform but in the general features of the day there was only a faint suggestion of a military demonstration. The highway was filled with vehicles of all descriptions which were employed to transport the army on its way. The wagons were unloaded at Lan- caster. The men were ordered under arms and they pro- ceeded on their way in a more warlike demonstration. They arrived in due time at Boston and were mustered into the service September 9. The company was stationed at South Boston and Dorchester fifty-one days and was discharged October 30, 1814. Soon after their safe return to their homes, Rev. Dr. Cushing preached a sermon addressed particularly to the soldiers, congratulating them and the public on the prospect of peace. The sermon contains some
430
HISTORY OF ASHBURNHAM.
wholesome advice. "Let me caution you to take hecd that you rejoice without infringing upon the rules of temperance. The pleasure of this day is marred if anything takes place inconsistent with your characters as men and Christians."
The following is the roll of the company at this time. The three last names were enrolled a few days before the company was ordered into service. The remaining names are transcribed from the official roll at the annual inspection in May preceding. Four of the company -James Laws, Jr., Jonas Holden, Joseph Polley and Adam Butler - were residents of Westminster.
Ivers Jewett, Captain Timothy Crehore, Lieutenant Walter R. Adams, Ensign
Ebenezer Adams, Sergeant
Stephen Marble
John Gates, Jr., 66 Joseph Rice
Reuben Townsend, Jr., "
Joseph Townsend
Elijah Brooks, Ephraim Taylor
James Adams, Fifer
Jonas Holden
Benjamin Barrett,
Humphrey Harris
Oliver Barrett, Drummer
Henry Gipson
Amos Stone,
Joel Marble
Laban Cushing,
Jonathan Samson, Jr.
George Wilker, Jr. Adam Butler Thomas Howard
Josiah White
Reuben Rice, Jr.
Charles Stimson Asahel Corey
Luther Bigelow
Joseph F. Burgess
James Billings
Elisha Garfield Elias Blodgett Enoch Whitmore
Charles Munroe
Charles Barrett Asia Phillips
Dickerson Brooks
1
Ebenezer Flint
James Laws, Jr.
Ebenezer Munroe, Jr. Joseph Miller
· Caleb Willard -
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431
THE ASHBURNHAM LIGHT INFANTRY.
Edward Maynard Joseph Polley Jacob Ward Stephen Adams
John Hastings
Reuben Stimson
Heman Harris
Jabez Marble
For many years succeeding the war of 1812 the independ- ent company was maintained with full ranks. In proficiency of drill and standard of discipline it was among the first companies of the regiment. The officers were frequently promoted to command of the regiment and the citizens of the town evinced a reasonable pride in the organization. In the progress of years the military spirit was suffered to decline, the laws of the State were frequently amended and proffered a diminishing support and encouragement in the maintenance of a military organization. In an hour of despondency the company appealed to the town for assist- ance, but in this direction they were met with a cold refusal. In 1838 a proposition to make a small appropriation for the benefit of the company and another to loan them a small amount of money, were promptly denied. The sentiment of indifference which pervaded the community as a natural consequence was disseminated among the ranks of the com- pany. From about 1845, the record is gloomy and often . overcast with inactivity, but the company maintained a legal existence and occasionally manifested a spasmodic effort at resustication until December 1, 1851, when the remaining officers were officially discharged. From that date until 1855, the company remained beneath the surface. The last captain was Nathaniel F. Cutter who resigned November 14, 1846, and no successor was commissioned. Lieutenant Clarence M. Proctor remained lieutenant commanding until, as stated, December 1, 1851. In the mean time orders for the choice of officers were issued, and in 1847 Colonel
432
HISTORY OF ASHBURNHAM.
Francis J. Barrett was chosen captain, but he declined to qualify and assume command of the company.
From 1791 to 1851 the following officers of the Ashburn- ham Light Infantry have been commissioned. The absence of a date in connection with a very few of the names indi- cates that no official record of the commission has been found, yet no name has been admitted without ample proof of service in the capacity indicated.
CAPTAINS.
LIEUTENANTS.
ENSIGNS.
Joseph Jewett,
1791
Caleb Kendall, 1791
Charles Hastings.
1791
Charles Hastings,
1792 Willard Lane,
1792 John Scollay,
1792
Willard Lane,
1795 John Scollay,
1795 Phinehas Randall,
1795
John Scollay,
1797 Phinehas Randall,
1797| Silas Willard,
Phinelias Randall,
Silas Willard,
1798: Grovener Scollay,
1802
Silas Willard,
1799 Grovener Scollay,
1805 Henry Willard,
1805
Caleb Wikier,
1805. Henry Willard,
1807 | Moses Lawrence,
1807
Grovener Scollay,
Ivers Jewett. 1811
Samuel Gates,
1810
Henry Willard,
Timothy Crehore, Jr. 1813
Walter R. Adams,
1813
Moses Lawrence,
1810 Ebenezer Adams,
1815 John Gates, Jr ..
1815
Ivers Jewett,
1813 Charles Barrett,
1817 John Willard, Jr.,
1817
Timothy Crehore, Jr. 1815 John Willard, Jr.,
1820 Joseph Rice,
1820
Ebenezer Adams,
1817 Joseph Rice,
1822 Reuben Rice,
1$22
Hosea Stone,
1818 Enoch Whitmore,
1824 | Samuel Foster,
1820
Charles Barrett,
1820 Reuben Rice,
1826
Gilman Jones,
1827
John Willard, Jr.,
1823 Sammuel Foster.
1827 Emery Rice,
1828
Joseph Rice,
1824 Gilman Jones,
1828
Asa Merriam,
1830
Reuben Rice,
1827 Emery Rice,
1830
Lewis G. Houghton, 1831
1832
Emery Rice.
1831 Lewis G. Houghton, 1832
Alvin Kendall,
1834
Asa Merriam,
1832
Asahel Corey,
1833 Henry Kibling, Jr.,
1837
Kilburn Harwood,
1833 John W. Mossman, Asahel Wheeler, 1841
1838
Asahel Wheeler,
1838
Alvin Kendall,
Francis J. Barrett,
1841
Henry Kibling, Jr., 1838 Jonas Corey,
1844
Jonas Corey,
1841
John W. Mossman. 1841 Nathaniel F. Cutter, 1845 | Nathaniel F. Cutter, 1844
Asahel Wheeler.
Jonas Corey.
1844 Clarence M. Proctor, 1840 Clarence M. Proctor, 1815 1845
Alonzo P. Davis, 1846
Nathaniel F. Cutter, 1846
During the last five years of this period there were more than two lieutenants. After 1841 there was a third lieu- tenant and the officers who held this commission were Nathaniel F. Cutter. 1841-44; Clarence M. Proctor. 1844-45; Alonzo P. Davis, 1845-46; Joseph P. Rice, 1846-51. The only fourth lieutenant was Samuel V. Whit-
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Samuel Foster,
1828 |Asa Merrianı,
1831
George Woods,
433
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THE ASHBURNHAM LIGHT INFANTRY.
ney who was in commission from 1846 to 1851. From the officers of the Ashburnham Light Infantry, there were many promotions in the service. 1
Colonel Joseph Jewett was commissioned major, June 28, 1792, and lieutenant-colonel, April 13, 1795. General Ivers Jewett, major, April 24, 1815 ; lieutenant-colonel, June 20, 1816 ; colonel, Angust 12, 1817 : brigadier-general, May 11, 1819 ; major-general, June 10, 1822; resigned, May 30, 1826. Colonel Timothy Crehore, Jr., major, August 12, 1817 ; lieutenant-colonel, May 7, 1818; colonel, June 28, 1819. Colonel Hosea Stone, major, March 23, 1820; lieu- tenant-colonel, March 19, 1822. Colonel Charles Barrett, major, March 19, 1822 ; lieutenant-colonel, April 15, 1822 ; colonel, March 2, 1824. Colonel Enoch Whitmore promoted from lieutenant to major, July 1, 1826 ; lieutenant-colonel, July 23, 1827 ; colonel, August 31, 1829. Colonel Kilburn Harwood, major, May 13, 1837, and colonel, July 24, 1841. Colonel Francis J. Barrett promoted from ensign and adjutant to major, August 20, 1842; lieutenant-colonel. September 2, 1843; colonel, August 6, 1844; resigned, February 26, 1846.
It will be remembered that in the resolve of the General Court creating the Ashburnham Light Infantry, there was a provision that from the men in this town liable to perform military duty, sixty or more should be reserved for a militia company under the general laws of the State. This service, upon those not legally exempt, was compulsory, yet for many years it was rendered with apparent alacrity. The company of militia was continued and it maintained a visible organiza- tion until the annual trainings and musters were abolished. The officers of the militia company from 1792 to 1834 were as follows :
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434
HISTORY OF ASHBURNHAM.
CAPTAINS.
LIEUTENANTS.
ENSIGNS.
Jonathan Merriam, 1792
Isaac Whitmore. 1792
Henry Whiteman, 1792
Silas Whitney,
1795|
Ebenezer T. Adams, 1795
John Adams, Jr.,
1705
Ebenezer T. Adams, 1799
Henry Kiblinger,
1797 John Willard, Jr.,
1797
Henry Kiblinger,
1801
Nathaniel Foster, 1799
Nathaniel Foster, 1708
John Willard,
1802
Caleb Wilder, 1802
Samuel Cotting,
1790
Samuel Cotting,
1803
Silas Whitney, 1803
Ithamer Fairbanks, 1803 Lemuel Whitney,
180S
Philander J. Willard, 1811
Philander J. Willard, 1809
Elias Lane,
1813
Lemuel Whitney,
1813
Lemuel Whitney,
1811
Timothy Stearns,
1814
Jacob Fairbanks,
1814
Elias Lane,
1814
Francis Lane, Jr.,
1816.
Elias Lane, 1816
Timothy Stearns,
1816
Charles Stearns, 1818
Timothy Stearns,
1818
Francis Lane, Jr.,
1818
Jonas Munroe,
1821
Francis Lane, Jr.,
1821
Benjamin Gibbs,
1821
John C. Davis,
1822
Benjamin Gibbs,
1822
Jonas Munroe,
1822
Jehiel Watkins,
1824
Jonas Munroe,
1824
John C. Davis,
1824
Henry Kibling, Jr.,
1826
John C. Davis, 1826
Jehiel Watkins,
1826
John Leathers,
1827
Jehiel Watkins, 1827
Henry Kibling, Jr., 1827
Charles Davis,
1828
Henry Kibling, Jr., 1828
Jonas Nutting, Jr., 1828 |Josiah L. Wetherbee, 1830
Jonas Nutting, Jr., 1830
Charles Davis,
1830
Asa Merriam,
1832 Josiah L. Wetherbee, 1833
Josiah L. Wetherbee, 1834
George R. Cushing. 1807
Ithamer Fairbanks, 1805
In 1814 this company, then under the command of Cap- tain Jacob Fairbanks, contained seventy men, including officers. In the summer of this year a draft of two men was made. Tradition asserts that the lot fell on Deacon William J. Lawrence and Thomas Hobart. Both of these men were Federalists and opposed to the prosecution of the war and the administration party greatly rejoiced over the result. In regard to Deacon Lawrence the tradition is correct. He was drafted at this time and furnished a substitute, but the name of Thomas Hobart does not appear on the roll of the company. Jesse Ellis was the other man drafted and Henry Whiteman was his substitute. From this company Colonel Benjamin Gibbs was promoted to major, March 2, 1824, and to lieutenant-colonel, March 2, 1825. Colonel Jchiel Watkins was promoted to major, August 7, 1841; to lieu- tenant-colonel, September 6, 1841, and to colonel, Septem- ber 2, 1843. Among the regimental officers several were adjutants. Dr. Abraham Lowe was appointed regimental
435
THE ASHBURNHAM LIGHT INFANTRY.
surgeon, October 3, 1805 ; Dr. Abraham T. Lowe, surgeon's mate, March 24, 1821, and Melzer Hudson was appointed quartermaster, July 5, 1797.
The Ashburnham Light Infantry did not long remain beneath the surface. The second epoch of its history extends from 1855 to 1862. If it faded from existence through the tardy processes of disintegration it sprang into life with spontaneous and vigorous animation. The slum- bering military spirit was swiftly kindled into flame. The occasion was found in a Fourth of July celebration at Fitch- burg in 1855. The reviving sentiment of the town invited Captain Henry Kibling to call together the remaining mem- bers of the company and to fill the ranks with new recruits. The men were drilled and participated in the celebration with credit to themselves and to the town. The spirit of former years was fully aroused. The company was reorganized and continued in a flourishing condition until the war of the Rebellion. A conspicuous record of service in the field is continued in another chapter. Under authority of the following general order the old company was revived :
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
HEAD QUARTERS, BOSTON, July 13, 1855.
Special Order No. 30.
WHEREAS, Alonzo P. Davis and fifty-eight others of Ashburnham have petitioned His Excellency the Governor and Commander-in- Chief for liberty to organize a company of Infantry in the town of Ashburnham and vicinity,
The Commander-in-Chief grants the prayer thereof and directs that orders be issued for the choice of officers immediately ; the notification thereof be addressed to Alonzo P. Davis of Ashburn- ham.
The Commander-in-Chief further orders that when said Com- pany is organized it be known as Company G, Ninth Regiment of
436
HISTORY OF ASHBURNHAM.
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Infantry. Upon the application of the Captain when duly quali- fied, and a certificate from the Selectmen of Ashburnham that they have provided a suitable armory, the arms and equipments will be furnished by the Adjutant-General.
By command of His Excellency, HIENRY J. GARDNER, Governor and Commander-in-Chief.
EBENEZER W. STONE,
Adjutant-General.
The company promptly organized with Joseph P. Rice, captain, and four lieutenants. This number of officers was continued until 1861. The number of men on the company roll at the close of the year was sixty-five, nearly all of whom enlisted immediately after the order and before the choice of officers. .
The petitioners met in the Town Hall July 26, 1855, and completed an organization. At this time the regulations prescribed four lieutenants for the company. The officers chosen at this time were commissioned under same date as follows :
Captain, Joseph P. Rice; First Lieutenant, Addi- son A. Walker; Second Lieutenant, Jonas Morse ; Third Lieutenant, Alonzo P. Davis; Fourth Lieutenant, George H. Barrett. Fifty-five men were included in the original enlistment and eleven were added immediately after the organization. With full ranks and ably commanded, the company attended the division muster at West Brookfield in September. At this date Colonel Edwin Upton of Fitch- burg was in command of the regiment. From 1855 to 1861, it was known as Company G of the Tenth Regiment, and until all companies of militia were depleted by individual enlistments in the service, the Ashburnham Light Infantry was in a prosperous condition and was maintained with full
437
THE ASHBURNHAM LIGHT INFANTRY.
ranks. The whole number of enlistments from the date of reorganization to April, 1861, was one hundred and forty- three. After this date many members of the company entered the service and a large number joined the company, but they were enlisted for service in the army, rather than as members of a local company of militia. During this period there were few changes in the officers. Late in December of the same year Jonas Morse resigned. Lieutenants Davis 'and Barrett were promoted and Silas Nims was commissioned fourth lieutenant, February 28, 1857. At the promotion of Captain Rice Lieutenant Walker was commissioned captain, Angust 11, 1860. Lieutenants Davis and Barrett were promoted May 7, 1860. Lieutenant Nims resigned and Samuel A. Taylor was commissioned third lieutenant, and James W. Gardner, fourth lieutenant, June 15, 1860. On the occasion of the resignation of First Lieutenant Walker in March, the company was under command of Lieutenant Davis from June to August, 1860. Colonel Joseph P. Rice was promoted to colonel, June 19, 1860. On his staff Dr. Alfred Miller was surgeon and Marshall Wetherbee was quartermaster.
At the close of the war the independent organization in this town was revived. Many of those who were members before the war desired the establishment of the old company and a greater number who had served in the war eagerly seized a favorable opportunity to continue in this manner the companionship and association of arms. Early in the year 1866, the contemplated movement was earnestly forwarded and in response to a petition numerously signed the decisive order was issued August 11, 1866.
Special Order, No. 9.
Asahel Wheeler and fifty-nine others of Ashburnham, having forwarded to the Adjutant-General a roll of enlistment for the
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438
HISTORY OF ASHBURNHAM.
Volunteer Militia of the Commonwealth, agreeably to the laws of this Commonwealth governing and regulating the militia,
It is ordered that a company be organized of the men thus en- listed and that a captain and one first lieutenant and one second lieutenant be immediately chosen. The order to assemble the men for the election will be directed to Asahel Wheeler of Ash- burnham who will furnish the presiding officer with an attested copy of the enlistment roll previous to the meeting.
The chairman of the board of Selectmen of Ashburnham will preside at the election. The company when organized will be designated and known as Company E, First Battalion Infantry, M. V. M.
By order of the Commander-in-Chief.
WILLIAM SCHOULER, Adjutant-General.
The company was promptly organized and the commis- sions of the first officers bear date of September 3, 1866. The past twenty years have been an era of prosperity. The organization owns the armory which was purchased 1883, and have camp property valued at about three hundred dollars. The present number of men, including officers, is fifty-eight, and sustained by public sentiment the future of the company is secure. .
Soon after the reorganization of the company in 1866, with unqualified unanimity of sentiment and in memory of the gallant Colonel Joseph P. Rice, the organization assumed the name of THE RICE GUARDS. The official designation is Company E. From 1866 to 1869, the company composed a part of the first battalion, first brigade, and first division ; from 1869 to 1878, the company was in the Tenth Regiment, third brigade ; and since the reorganization of the militia, December 3, 1878, the company has formed a part of the Sixth Regiment of infantry in the first brigade. The officers
THE ASHBURNHAM LIGHT INFANTRY.
439
of Company E, and the date of commission, from 1866 to the present time, are given as follows :
CAPTAINS.
FIRST LIEUTENANTS.
SECOND LIEUTENANTS.
Asahel Wheeler, 1866
George E. Davis. 1866
IIarrison C. Cheney, 1866
George E. Davis.
1868
Samuel C. Lesure,
1867
Samuel C. Lesure, 1867
William II. Lindley, 1871
George E. Davis,
1868
James M. Garnet, 1867
Walter O. Parker,
1872
William H. Lindley, 18$8
George E. Davis, 1868
Josiah W. Bride,
1879
Walter O. Parker,
1872
Harrison C. Cheney, 1869
Charles H. Pratt,
1885
C. Edgar Willard,
1874
Michael FitzGibbon, 1870
Josiah W. Bride, 1875
John H. Stoddard, 1872
Walter II. Laws,
ISSO
C. Edgar Willard,
1874
Charles H. Pratt,
1882
Daniel F. Ryan, 1874
Alvah S. Fullford, 1885
Lucius R. Hodgman, 1876
Charles H. Pratt,
1880
Alvah S. Fullford, 1882
Charles H. White,
1885
Major Josiah W. Bride was commissioned major, Feb- ruary 7, 1882 ; resigned March 25, 1884.
1
Leander W. Libby, 1868
Walter H. Laws,
1882 Eugene A. Puffer,
CHAPTER XIX.
WAR OF THE REBELLION.
PREPARED FOR WAR. - MISSION OF THE ASHBURNHAM LIGHT INFANTRY. - EARLY ENLISTMENTS. - SECOND REGIMENT. - THE HOME COMPANY. - THIE UNIFORM. - LIBERALITY OF GEORGE C. WINCHESTER. - STATE AID. - TWENTY-FIRST REGIMENT. - ITS RECORD. - NAMES OF MEN IN THIS SERVICE. - COLONEL JOSEPHI P. RICE. -- CAPTAIN WALKER AND THE SLAVERY PROBLEM. - OTIIER ENLISTMENTS IN 1861. - RECORD OF 1862. - FIFTY-THIRD REGIMENT. - RESOLUTIONS. - RECORD OF 1863. - THE DRAFT. - ENLISTMENTS. - THE SECOND DRAFT. - CONCLUSION.
MASSACHUSETTS, for many years preceding the War of the Rebellion, had occupied an advanced position among the Northern States in the maintenance of an organized and dis- ciplined militia. At the first call for men to suppress the Rebellion, no State responded with less delay. The regi- ments from this State were not only early in the field, but they entered the service in a better state of discipline than was a majority of the army hastily gathered at Washington. In these measures of military preparation the town of Ash- burnham maintained a foremost rank, and during the early progress of the war the influence and the mission of the Ashburnham Light Infantry was clearly revealed. The military spirit fostered by the organization, joined by a stronger force in the patriotie impulse of the people, was represented by over eighty men from this town in the army during the first eight months of the war. To present the names of the volunteers from this town, with the date of
440
441
WAR OF THE REBELLION.
enlistment, the regiment and duration of service and a record of casualties and disability, will be the province of this chap- ter. A faithful account of the service of each soldier would fill a volume.
In the spring of 1861, the Ashburnham Light Infantry, under the command of Captain Addison A. Walker, was in a good state of discipline and promptly tendercd service to the governor as an organization. The disciplined companies were held in reserve by the State authorities to be dis- tributed among the regiments that were soon to be recruited. For this reason the company from this town was not called into the service until the Twenty-first Regiment was organized. This delay, complimentary in itself to the company, was the prolific source of embarrassment, and several men impatient of delay enlisted in other organizations.
Joseph H. Whitney, George P. Nutting and Martin V. B. Grimes enlisted May 22, 1861, in Company A, Fourth Regiment, and were discharged at expiration of term of service in July of the same year.
The Second Regiment was mustered, for three years, May 25, 1861, and by reenlistment was continued in the service until July 14, 1865. In this regiment, which rendered gallant service in Virginia, participating in the historie battles of that State, and later formed a part of General Sherman's army in the grand march to the sea, Ashburnham was represented by six men : Charles H. Heald was promoted to second lieutenant, July 3, 1865 ; Sergeant Allen A. Nutting was killed June 9, 1863, at Beverly Ford, Virginia ; Harvey A. Cheney was discharged September 13, 1861; Benjamin F. Fay was killed at Cedar Mountain, Virginia, August 9, 1862 ; Charles W. Kendall was trans- ferred August 6, 1863, to the Veteran Reserve Corps, and Augustus McIntosh was discharged with the regiment after four years of service in July, 1865.
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442
HISTORY OF ASHBURNHAM.
In the Fifteenth Regiment there were two original enlist- ments from this town. They were mustered July 12, 1861. Their record is as follows : John K. Walker was killed at Ball's Bluff, Virginia, October 21, 1861, and Robert J. Elliot was transferred to the regular army, September 24, 6 1862.
In the Sixteenth Regiment was Patrick McCoolif who enlisted July 2, 1861, and completed three years of service.
In the Twentieth Regiment was Francis Sacket who was discharged on account of disability, a month after his enlist- ment.
John Finan enlisted in First Regiment of Cavalry in September, and was discharged on account of wounds in February, 1863.
During the early months of the war, and while the soldiers already named were enlisting into the service, the thought of the people and the action of the town related more par- ticularly to the home company which was momentarily expecting a summons to march. In a town meeting held at this time it was voted to raise the sum of eight hundred dollars to procure a uniform for the company, and a short time after an additional sum of six hundred dollars was appropriated for this purpose. The material was purchased, a tailor was employed and a hundred women of Ashburnham promptly volunteered to assist in making the military suits. This action of the town, prompted by a generous impulse, was of little benefit to the company. When the men were called into service they were required to uniform in accord- anee with the regulations of the army.
The generosity of the town was unappeased with this act for the comfort and appearance of the soldier. The enthu- siastie liberality of George C. Winchester furnished each member of the company with a knife of offensive and
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