|
The county of
Barnstable includes the whole of Cape Cod which,
extending east and north into the Atlantic
Ocean, was discovered by Gosnold in 1602. It is
bounded north-west by Plymouth County, and west
by Buzzard's Bay. Cape Cod lies in the form of
an arm, half open: the elbow is at Chatham,
twenty miles east of the town of Barnstable,
which is the county seat. The whole length of
the Cape is sixty five miles, and the average
breadth about five miles. Below the town of
Barnstable the soil is composed mostly of sand;
and the people in considerable degree depend
upon Boston, and other large places, for their
meats and breads tuffs. It possesses, however,
unrivaled privileges for the cod, mackerel, and
other fisheries. The county has comparatively
little wood, but has many valuable peat meadows,
in which, of late years, the cranberry has been
successfully cultivated. The county is supplied
with an abundance of pure soft water. Formerly
large quantities of salt were manufactured on
the Cape, which was used in the curing of fish.
Of late years this branch of industry has
diminished; so that in 1865 the value of salt
manufactured in the county was only $52,719.00,
while the aggregate value of other articles
produced during the same year was six million
ninety thousand and twenty two dollars
($6,090,022), of which nearly two millions and a
quarter were derived from the cod and mackerel
fisheries, — with which and the coasting trade
almost every family is more or less identified
and interested. Barnstable County is noted for
its good sailors and men of superior nautical
talents, while its women are equally celebrated
" for their fair complexions and good
housewifery."
Its people are the
most homogeneous in the State, never having
received a large infusion of new blood. It is
not a desirable place for foreign settlement.
The county, therefore, retains its old names,
and its people their good old ways; yet in no
portion of the State will one find a more
intelligent and well bred people, in no
community is there a more equal distribution of
wealth, or a more genuine feeling of generous
but unobtrusive hospitality.
There are but
thirteen towns in Barnstable County, one of the
largest and most important of which, at the
present time, is Provincetown, at the extreme
end of the Cape, whose capacious harbor is one
of the best on the Atlantic coast. In 1860 the
population of the county was 35,990, in 1865 it
was 34,489, being a decrease in five years of
1,501. The valuation of the county in 1860 was
$12,621,291.00, in 1865 it was $14,276,-198.00,
showing an increase in five years of
$1,654,907.00.
The number of men
which Barnstable County furnished for the war
was reported by the selectmen of the towns, in
1866, to have been 2,305. This return must have
been altogether incorrect : the number could not
have been less than thirty six or thirty seven
hundred, the percentage of men furnished
throughout the Commonwealth being about 9£ to
every 100 inhabitants ; and that Barnstable
County was not behind any other portion of the
State is conclusively shown by the fact, well
ascertained and indisputable, that each of its
towns filled its contingent of men upon every
call of the President, and at the end of the war
each was credited with having furnished a
surplus over and above every demand, which in
the aggregate amounted to three hundred and nine
men. The total expenses of the towns on account
of the war was $308,985.08. This is exclusive of
$90,934.84, which was raised and paid for State
aid to soldiers' families during the four years
of the war, and which was reimbursed by the
State. Total,
$399,919.92.
The following is the
record of each town in the county:
Barnstable
Incorporated
Sept. 3, 1639. Population in 1860, 5,129; in
1865, 4,913. Valuation in 1860, $2,041,534; in
1865, $2,265,407.
The selectmen in
1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, and 1865, were Charles
C. Bearse, Ebenezer Bacon, and Joseph R.
Hull.
The town clerk and
town treasurer during the same period was
Frederick G. Kelley.
1861.
The first legal town meeting, to act upon
matters relating to the war, was held on the 4th
of May, at which it was
Voted, To pay each
volunteer belonging to Barnstable, " who has
enlisted, or may enlist, in the service of the
United States, whether upon the land or upon the
sea," the sum of forty dollars to aid them "in
fitting for the service."
Voted, To support the
families of those who enlist and are citizens of
Barnstable "during the whole time the head of
the family is actually employed in the
service."
Voted, To appropriate
one thousand dollars, " to be placed at the
disposal of the Governor of the State for the
assistance of the troops of the State," and that
the selectmen notify the Governor " at once "
that the money is subject to his
order.
1862.
On the 21st of July, it was voted to pay a
bounty of one hundred dollars to each volunteer
who shall enlist in the military service for the
term of three years, when mustered in
and credited to the
quota of the town, and one hundred dollars when
he shall be honorably discharged, " or to his
lawful heirs," whether they belong "to the town
of Barnstable or
not."
It was also voted to pay ten dollars extra "to
each of the first twenty four persons who may
volunteer from Barnstable."
The selectmen were authorized to borrow
whatever
sums of money might
be necessary for the payment of these bounties;
also five thousand dollars for State aid to the
families of volunteers, as provided by act of
the Legislature, sec. 1,
chapter 66, of the
acts of 1862. August 16th, It
was voted "to pay each volunteer for three
years' military service one hundred dollars,
when mustered in and credited to the quota
of
Barnstable, and fifty
dollars to him, or his legal representatives, at
the expiration of the term for which he
enlisted."
The following
resolutions were read, and unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That the
citizens of Barnstable fully appreciate the
heroic patriotism and noble principle of those
of her sons who have enlisted to make up the
quota asked for by the President in his call for
three hundred thousand volunteers, to put down
the present wicked rebellion against the
Government and Constitution of our
country.
Resolved, That we
assure those who thus go forth in our behalf
that we shall watch with fidelity their every
footstep, as true soldiers in the campaign
before them; that we have the utmost confidence
that their valor will do honor to the town they
represent, and the memory of those patriot
fathers of '76, who went forth from the homes of
Barnstable to battle for the independence and
nationality of this glorious
government.
Resolved, That we
pledge our honor as men and citizens to take
honorable and tender care of the families of our
volunteers whilst they battle for our rights,
our liberties, our property, and our
honor.
Resolved, That the
citizens of this town pledge their ready and
most active and vigorous assistance, according
to the full measure of our ability, now and
hereafter, to the President and Government of
the United States, to put down and extinguish
for ever this treasonable and most atrocious
rebellion against the best government on the
face of the earth.
August 28th, The town
voted to pay the same bounty, and on the same
terms, to volunteers who would enlist for nine
months' service and be credited to the quota of
Barnstable, that was offered to volunteers for
three years' service by vote of the town passed
on the 16th. It also voted "that all taxes that
may be assessed upon the nine months volunteers
for the year 1863 be remitted to them, and that
their families be assisted by this town the same
as the families of the three years volunteers
are assisted." * September 6th, It was resolved,
" That we have the utmost confidence in the
President of the United States, and that we will
give him our cordial support in signing the
Emancipation and Confiscation Act at as early a
day as he may deem expedient."
1864.
June 30th, The town voted that all citizens
who had enlisted, or might afterwards enlist, "
who had received a bounty of one hundred and
fifty dollars, be paid that amount," and to the
heirs of those who have died in the
service. July 27th, Voted to
pay "each man in town who has, or who shall, put
in a substitute in anticipation of a draft, the
sum of one hundred and twenty five
dollars."
1865.
At the annual town meeting held March 6th,
it was voted to authorize the selectmen to pay
to each volunteer citizen who has no family or
dependent, and therefore not entitled to
State aid, the sum of
two dollars a week while in
the service.
1866.
March 5th, An appropriation of one thousand
dollars was made for the erection of a soldiers"
monument, to which was added $260.80, being the
balance of the soldiers' fund in the hands of
the selectmen. Walter Chipman,
Joseph R. Hall, F. G. Kelley, Henry Goodspeed,
Nathaniel Hinckley, Charles C. Bearse, and
Freeman H. Jenkins were appointed to
locate
the monument and
arrange for its erection. The
monument was erected in that part of Barnstable
called Centreville, and was appropriately
dedicated July 4, 1866.
Barnstable, according
to a return made in 1866 by the selectmen,
furnished two hundred and seventy two men for
the war, which is quite inaccurate; for the
number of those in the military and naval
service properly credited to the town must have
been nearly five hundred, as it furnished its
full quota upon every call of the President for
men, and had a surplus of thirty five over and
above all demands, at the end of the war. Three
were commissioned officers in the military
service. The whole amount of money appropriated
and expended by the town on account of the war,
exclusive of State aid, was thirty eight
thousand five hundred and seventy four dollars
and fifteen cents ($38,574.15).
The amount of money
raised by the town, and expended each year of
the war in the payment of State aid to the
families of volunteers, and which was afterwards
refunded by the Commonwealth, was as follows: In
1861, $93.60; in 1862,
$2,525.57; in 1863,
$6,182.23; in 1864, $6,851.53; in
1865, 4,100.00. Total in four years,
$19,652.93.
The good work
performed by the ladies of Barnstable was very
considerable. There are three villages in the
town, in each of which there were regular
organized societies. We have only brief mention
of what was done in two of them. In Barnstable
proper, the Ladies' Sanitary Association was
formed, immediately " after the publication of
the circular of the New England Women's
Auxiliary Association was received," and
continued until the close of the war. Mrs. S. B.
Phinny was president, and Miss E. A. Chamberlain
was secretary, most of the time. They made 3,153
articles, and $768 were raised in money.
Hundreds of yards of bandages were made, boxes
of lint, and a large quantity of preserves,
&c. The ladies were untiring in their zeal.
There was also " a Children's Aid
Society," a branch of the New England
Women's Auxiliary Association. It began in 1862,
and continued until the close of the war, of
which Miss Cordelia E. Fhinny was president.
1,276 articles were made, and $106 were raised
in money, by this society of little
people.
The Centreville
Ladies' Soldiers' Relief Society continued in
operation "one year ten months and eight days."
Their receipts were $409.74. They sent two boxes
of clothing to the " New England Women's
Auxiliary Association and one box to the
Christian Commission." Of this society Mrs.
Margaret Handy was president, and Miss Amanda
Crosby secretary. We make the following extract:
u When the time
arrived that oar services were no longer needed,
we had considerable money and clothing on hand,
which were disposed of in gifts to our returned
soldiers, and those who were suffering in
consequence of the war, and to associations in
aid of the war. From Jane 1, 1865, to Feb. 7,
1866, we distributed gifts in money to the
amount of $248.86."
Brewster
Incorporated Feb.
19, 1803. Population in 1860, 1,489 ; in 1865,
1,459. Valuation in 1860, $636,333 ; in 1865,
$801,452. The selectmen in 1861 were Tully
Crosby, Zoeth Snow, Jr., Randolphus
McLoud; in 1862, Jeremiah
Mayo, William
Winslow, C. S. Foster; in 1863, Jeremiah Mayo,
C. S. Foster, William Winslow; in 1864, Solomon
Freeman, Bailey Foster, Strabo Clark; in 1865,
Solomon Freeman, Jeremiah Mayo, C. S.
Foster.
The town clerk and
town treasurer during all of these years was
Charles S. Foster.
1861.
The first town meeting, to consider matters
in relation to the war, was held May 21st, at
which it was voted to appropriate five hundred
dollars to " the Massachusetts Soldiers"
Aid
Fund."
A committee of three was appointed " to see that
the families of all volunteers were comfortably
provided for;" and the treasurer was authorized
to borrow money when necessary for the above
purposes.
1862.
July 28th, A bounty of one hundred and fifty
dollars was voted " to each volunteer who shall
enlist for three years, and be credited to the
quota of the town, and fifty dollars additional
to those who shall enlist within forty eight
hours." A committee was
elected to help the selectmen in recruiting
volunteers. August 25th, Voted
to pay a bounty of one hundred
dollars to volunteers
enlisting to the credit of the town
in the nine months' service, and to pay eleven
dollars a month to each of their families while
in the service.
1863.
December 1st, The treasurer was authorized
to borrow eleven hundred dollars for recruiting
purposes, " if it shall be needed."
1864.
At the annual March meeting it was voted
that all the business of recruiting " be left
with the selectmen, and that they be authorized
to use any money they may find in the treasury
for that purpose." March 21st,
Voted to raise two thousand dollars
for recruiting purposes, "if
legal." June 15th, Voted, to
pay a bounty of one hundred and twenty five
dollars to each volunteer who shall enlist for
three years, and be credited to the quota of the
town; and the treasurer was authorized to borrow
the money " when needed."
1865.
At the annual March meeting, " Voted, to
raise three thousand dollars (if needed) for
recruiting purposes."
Brewster furnished
one hundred and forty one men for the war, which
was a surplus of seventeen over and above all
demands.
None of them were
commissioned officers in the military service.
There were probably some in the navy. The whole
amount of money appropriated and expended by the
town for war purposes, exclusive of State aid to
soldiers' families, was nineteen thousand four
hundred and fifty three dollars and seventy
three cents ($19,453.73). A considerable amount
was voluntarily contributed by private
citizens.
The amount raised and
expended by the town for aid to soldiers'
families, and afterwards reimbursed to it by the
State, was as follows: In 1861, 00; in 1862,
$291.96; in 1863, $1,024.00; in 1864, $1,819.20;
in 1865, $1,221.07. Total, $4,356.23.
The ladies of
Brewster in 1862 organized a Soldiers' Aid
Society, which continued in operation until the
close of the war, and did much good.
Chatham
Incorporated June
11, 1712. Population in 1860, 2,710; in 1865,
2,637. Valuation in 1860, $886,157; in 1865,
$1,000,543.
The selectmen in
1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, and 1865, were Josiah
Hardy, Benjamin F. Freeman, Levi Eldridge,
Jr.
The town clerk and
town treasurer during the same years was Josiah
Mayo.
1861.
Several citizens' meetings were held in
Chatham during this year, at which action both
by word and deed was taken to place the town in
its true position as regards the war; but no
formal town meeting was called, as none was
necessary.
1862.
On the 22d of July a legal town
meeting was held, at which it was voted to pay a
bounty of two hundred dollars to each volunteer
who would enlist for three years' military
service,
when mustered in and
credited to the quota of the town; also to pay,
to assist the family of each volunteer residing
in the town, an amount not to exceed
eighteen dollars a month.
August 25th, Another
meeting was held, at which it was voted to pay a
bounty of one hundred and fifty dollars to each
volunteer for nine months' service, when
credited to the quota of the town, and to pay
his family the same amount of assistance as paid
to the families of three years
volunteers.
1863.
On the 3d of February a town meeting was
held, to consider the action of the selectmen,
and the responsibilities they had incurred in
behalf of the town. Up to this
date they had borrowed eight thousand dollars on
their individual notes, which
they had expended in the payment of
bounties and other necessary
expenditures. The town voted
unanimously to
assume their entire
liability, by giving the notes of the town, to
run for five years. The same
meeting refused to pay a bounty to two men who
were residents of another town, all though they
had been credited to the military quota of
Chatham. On the 8th of December, Christopher
Taylor, 2nd, Edmund Flynn, and David H.
Crowell were chosen by ballot to aid
the selectmen in
recruiting volunteers to fill the quota of the
town; also voted, "that there
be a general meeting of the citizens of the town
held every Tuesday evening until the 5th of
January next, to commence on Tuesday evening
next at six o'clock," to encourage recruiting,
and to consider measures by which to fill the
quota of the town.
1864.
On the 3rd of February the town voted
to pay four dollars a month to each person
dependent on a volunteer for support, provided
the amount to any one family shall not exceed
eighteen dollars a month."
1865.
On the 1st of January a large meeting of
citizens was held, at which, after discussion,
it was voted to raise by voluntary subscription
a sufficient sum from which to pay to each
volunteer who will enlist in the service of the
United States, and be credited to the quota of
the town, a bounty of one hundred and twenty
five dollars; and a paper having been prepared,
thirty two hundred and five dollars were
subscribed by those present at the meeting,
which fully sufficed to fill the quota; and at a
legal town meeting, held on the 6th of April
succeeding, the persons advancing the money were
reimbursed by the town.
We may as well state
here as anywhere that the town in 1866, after
the war was over, voted to refund to every
citizen the money he had subscribed and paid to
furnish volunteers;
and also to pay to
persons who had furnished substitutes, who were
credited to the town, the money they had paid to
procure them.
Chatham furnished two
hundred and sixty four men for the war, which
was a surplus of thirty two over and above all
demands. Five were commissioned officers. The
whole amount of money appropriated and expended
by the town on account of the war, exclusive of
State aid, was twenty seven thousand six hundred
and eleven dollars and sixty nine cents
($27,611.69).
The amount raised and
expended by the town during the four years of
the war for aid to the families of volunteers,
and which was afterwards reimbursed by the
Commonwealth, was as follows: In 1861, 00; in
1862, $809.59; in 1863, $1,706.80; in 1864,
$2,535.00; in 1865, $1,436.03. Total amount,
$6,487.42.
Dennis
Incorporated June
19, 1793. Population in 1860,3,662; in 1865,
3,512. Valuation in 1860, $1,108,-054; in 1865,
$1,181,399.
The selectmen in
1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, and 1865, were Joshua C.
Howes, Alvan Small, Elijah Baxter.
The town clerk during
the same years was Isaiah Nickerson. The town
treasurer in 1861, 1862, 1863, and 1864 was
Isaiah Nickerson; in 1865, Jonathan
Bangs.
1861.
There does not appear to have been any action
taken
by the town in its
corporate capacity in relation to the
war
during this year,
although meetings of citizens were held,
and
every thing was done
which the occasion required.
Of these
citizens' meetings no
record appears to have been preserved,
or,
if there were,
we have failed to obtain a copy of it,
which
we much
regret.
1862.
A special town meeting was held July 26th,
to act upon war matters; at which a committee of
six gentlemen were appointed to act with the
selectmen in recruiting volunteers to
fill the quota
required of the town, under the call of the
President for three hundred thousand men for
three years' military service.
The town authorized them to pay a bounty to
each
recruit of two
hundred and fifty dollars, when mustered in and
properly credited to the quota of the town; or
they could be paid the bounty before being
mustered, upon " giving satisfactory security to
the selectmen that the money would be refunded
if the volunteer did not pass an examination and
was rejected." The treasurer was authorized to
borrow money sufficient to meet the expenditure.
On the 19th of August another formal meeting was
held; and the town voted to pay the same amount
of bounty to volunteers for nine months'
service, three quarters of the amount to be paid
to the recruit when accepted, mustered in, and
credited, and the remaining quarter when he was
honorably discharged from the service. The
treasurer was authorized to borrow five thousand
dollars to pay the same.
These appear to have
been the most important votes which were passed
in relation to the payment of bounties. Other
votes for the payment of State aid to the
families of the volunteers were passed each year
until the end of the war. Although the
information received from Dennis is not so full
and complete as we have received from many of
the other towns, yet the result shows that few
towns were more active in the good cause, or
came out of the war with a better
record.
Dennis reported in
1866 to have furnished two hundred and twenty
men for the war, which is considerably below the
actual number. Including the men in the navy,
Dennis must have furnished about three hundred
and seventy men, as at the end of the war the
town had filled its quota in every call of the
President, and had a surplus of forty three men
over and above all demands. None of the men in
the military service were commissioned officers.
The whole amount of money appropriated and
expended by the town on account of the war,
exclusive of State aid, was twenty two thousand
six hundred and fifty two dollars and sixty six
cents ($22,652.66).
The amount of money
raised and expended by the town during the four
years of the war for aid to the families of
volunteers, and which was afterwards refunded by
the Commonwealth, was as follows : In 1861,
$32.00; in 1862, $582.63 ; in 1863, $952.66; in
1864, $1,334.15; in 1865, $912.17. Total amount,
$3,813.61.
Eastham
Incorporated June
2,1646. Population in I860, 779; in 1865, 757.
Valuation in 1860, $226,795; in 1865,
$219,948.
The selectmen during
the years 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, and 1865, were
Zara Higgins, Prince S. Harding, Jonathan
Snow.
The town clerk during
all the years of the war was Herman Doane. The
town treasurer in 1861, 1862, 1863, and 1864,
was Herman Doane; in 1865, Josiah M.
Cole.
1861.
There does not
appear to have been any
action taken by the town, in its corporate
capacity, in relation to the war during this
year.
1862.
On the 28th of July a special town meeting
was held, to take measures to fill the quota of
the town under the recent call of the
President for three hundred thousand
three-
years men ; at which
it was voted to authorize the payment of a
bounty of two hundred and fifty dollars to each
volunteer who would enlist and be credited to
the town. The selectmen were
authorized to borrow one thousand dollars to pay
the same.
An enlistment paper
was opened at the meeting, and four young men of
Eastham immediately enrolled their names as
volunteers. These filled the quota of the
town. The names of the young
men were
Francis Penmore,
Henry
Morrison,
Peter Higgins,
Nathan A.
Gill.
The meeting then
passed the following resolutions :
Resolved, That we
cherish an unfaltering attachment to the Union
and the Constitution formed by our patriotic
fathers, and deeply deplore the cause which has
produced such an unhappy alienation between the
people of the North and South, which has ripened
into a gigantic rebellion and unprecedented
civil war.
Resolved, That we
highly approve the judicious and patriotic
course of the President of the United States in
this trying hour, amid the jargon of party
warfare that is carried on in the high places of
the nation against the wise provisions and
requirements of that time honored
Constitution ; and while he continues to stand
firmly on that rock of our country's salvation,
we will stand by and maintain him with all the
men in our power, in his efforts to restore our
divided and distracted country to its honor and
peace.
At a meeting held on
the 28th of August, the town voted to pay a
bounty of one hundred and sixty dollars to each
volunteer for nine months' service, when
mustered in and credited to the town. Nine young
men immediately enlisted and filled the quota of
the town. December 5th, Voted, to pay a bounty
of one hundred and eighty dollars to each of
seven men enlisted in Boston and credited to
Eastham.
1863.
A special town
meeting was held on
the 2nd of December, when it was voted "
that the selectmen use their best endeavors to
fill the quota of ten men for this town as soon
as
possible, within the
town or elsewhere. The treasurer
was authorized to borrow money to pay the
expenses.
1864.
May 3rd, The selectmen were directed
to "pay to volunteers under any future call a
bounty of one hundred and twenty five
dollars." This amount was
continued to be paid
until the end of the
war.
Eastham furnished
seventy seven men for the war, which was a
surplus of eleven over and above all demands.
None were commissioned officers. The total
amount of money appropriated and expended by the
town on account of the war, exclusive of State
aid, was three thousand four hundred and seventy
six dollars and fifty four cents
($3,476.54).
The amount of money
raised and expended by the town during the four
years of the war for aid to soldiers' families,
and afterwards repaid by the Commonwealth, was
as follows:
In 1861, 00;
in 1862,
$111.63;
in 1863, $223.20;
in 1864,
$198.40;
in 1865, $300.00.
Total amount, $833.23.
Falmouth
Incorporated June
4, 1686. Population in 1860, 2,456; in 1865,
2,294. Valuation in 1860, $1,323,-308; in 1865,
$1,375,661.
The selectmen in
1861,1862, and 1863, were Thomas Lewis, Jr.,
Prince G. Moore, Silas J. Eldred; in 1864 and
1865, Thomas Lewis, Jr., Prince G. Moore, Zenas
Hamblin.
The town clerk and
town treasurer during all the years of the war
was Thomas Lewis, Jr.
1861.
The
following extract from a letter which we
received in 1867 from Thomas Lewis, Jr.,
chairman of the selectmen, town clerk and town
treasurer all through the war, in regard to
Falmouth, will apply to almost every town in
Barn-stable County: —
" At the time of the
breaking out of the Rebellion, most of our young
men were pursuing their peculiar avocations upon
the seas, and most of them on long voyages;
nevertheless we were able to fulfill all the
requirements of the State and General
Governments in furnishing men for the war, and
when the struggle was over had the satisfaction
of knowing we had furnished a surplus of ten
men."
The first action
taken by the town, in its corporate character,
was at a special meeting held on the 2d of
December (" after one of our citizens had
enlisted in the Twenty fourth Massachusetts
Regiment"), at which it was voted to instruct
the selectmen to aid the families of those who
have, or may hereafter, enlist in the service of
the United States.
1862.
A special town
meeting was held
on the 2nd of
August, which voted to pay "each
volunteer citizen of the town, upon his
enlisting for three years, a bounty of one
hundred and twenty five dollars, and one hundred
dollars in addition when regularly discharged
from the service." In addition
to this bounty of the town, there was raised by
voluntary subscription ten dollars to each
volunteer, of whom there were twenty eight who
"enlisted on the spot." Of
these, twelve served until the end of the war;
"the others were killed, died
of disease, or were
discharged on account of
sickness." On the 11th of
September another special meeting was held, at
which the town voted " to pay any of its
citizens " a bounty of
one hundred dollars
upon enlistment for nine months' service, and a
further sum of one hundred dollars when
regularly discharged. " Six
immediately enlisted, each of whom served his
full time." October 13th, The
selectmen were authorized to enlist men in other
places, if a sufficient number could not be
obtained in Falmouth; " but in no case to pay
any higher bounty than that paid to our own
citizens." December 15th, The town
bounty to each volunteer was fixed at two
hundred dollars.
1863.
A special meeting was held on the 21st of
December, when the selectmen were authorized to
draw on the town treasurer for such
expenses as may be incurred in procuring the
town's quota of volunteers ; " and they were
instructed w to proceed forthwith to procure the
men required.
1864.
April , The
selectmen were directed n to procure the number
of men required, or which may be required, under
any order of the President previous to March 1,
1865." Under this vote the selectmen acted until
the end of the war.
Falmouth,
notwithstanding most of her able bodied young
men were at sea, furnished of her own citizens
one hundred and thirty eight men for the army,
and twenty for the navy, making one hundred and
fifty eight of her own people. Nearly one
hundred must have been obtained from other
places. At the end of the war, Falmouth had a
surplus of ten men over and above all demands
made upon it. Two were commissioned officers.
The whole amount of money appropriated and
expended by the town on account of the war,
exclusive of State aid, was twenty thousand one
hundred and fifty four dollars and thirty five
cents ($20,154.35). In addition to this amount,
eighteen hundred and fifty four dollars were
raised by private subscription to encourage
enlistment's, and six hundred and forty seven
dollars for the sick and wounded in
hospitals.
The amount of money
raised and expended by the town during the four
years of the war, for aid to the families of
volunteers, and which was afterwards refunded by
the Commonwealth, was as follows :
In
1861, $21.60 ;
in 1862, $751.50;
in
1863, $1,371.46;
in 1864, $1,450.00;
in
1865, $979.34.
Total amount,
$4,674.20.
The ladies of
Falmouth did their full proportion to assist the
soldiers in the field and in the hospital.
Taking " in the estimate of barrels and boxes
forwarded by them, in which were clothes and
sanitary stores, it is difficult to come to a
definite conclusion; but from all that I can
learn from those ladies who had the particular
charge of these matters, I think it may be
safely set down at twelve hundred dollars." Mr.
Lewis, to whom we are indebted for much of the
information in regard to Falmouth,
writes:
" Although we have no
set speeches to record, there was always
manifest at our meetings a determined will to do
all in our power to bring the Rebellion to an
end; and could you have been present at the
gatherings of the fair sex, as they so often met
to ply their fingers in preparing articles for
the comfort and relief of the sick and dying,
you would have beard such words of patriotism as
flow from no other hearts. There is one case of
sacrifice to which I cannot forbear to allude.
During the Rebellion, three sons of a very poor
citizen of our town enlisted. One was married,
and had a family of five little children. The
aged and poor parents were dependent upon the
other two for their support.
All three sons were killed in battle!
Harwich
Incorporated
Sept. 14, 1694. Population in 1860, 3,423; in
1865, 3,540. Valuation in 1860, $841,833 ; in
1865, $1,025,217.
The selectmen in 1861
were Cyrus Weeks, Thomas Kenrick, Isaiah C.
Kelly; in 1862, Benjamin W. Eldridge, Isaiah C.
Kelly, Sheldon Crowell; in 1863, Isaiah C.
Kelly, Thomas Kendrick, Sheldon Crowell; in
1864, Joseph C. Berry, Danforth S. Steele,
Shubeal B. Kelly; in 1865, Danforth S. Steele,
Joseph C. Berry, Shubeal B. Kelly.
The town clerk and
town treasurer during all of these years was
William H. Underwood.
1861.
The first legal town meeting, to act upon
matters relating to the war, was held on the
10th of May, at which it was voted to raise a
company of one hundred men for a Coast Guard;
and a committee of five was appointed to confer
with the authorities of other towns on the Cape
in regard to the same. June
3d, The selectmen were authorized to borrow one
thousand dollars for war
purposes."
1862.
April 19th, Voted, to pay a bounty of one
hundred dollars to each volunteer who enlists in
the military service for three years, and is
credited to the town. July 26th, The
bounty
was raised to two
hundred dollars, and the selectmen were directed
"to fill the quota of the town as soon as
possible." August 19th, Voted, to pay volunteers
for nine months' service
a bounty of one
hundred and fifty dollars, which, on September
11th, was increased fifty dollars; and
Valentine Doane, Jr., and Danforth S. Steele
were appointed recruiting
officers. The treasurer was
authorized to borrow money.
1863.
August 11th, Voted, to pay drafted men a
bounty of one hundred and fifty dollars. The
treasurer was authorized to borrow ten thousand
dollars to pay bounties and expenses of
recruiting. November 30th, Twenty five hundred
dollars were authorized to be borrowed " to pay
charges and assist in recruiting fifty
men."
1864.
March 16th, The selectmen were
directed to pay each volunteer belonging to that
town one hundred dollars, who has not already
received a bounty; also to borrow money to pay
State aid to the families of
soldiers. June 21st, Voted, that to
each drafted man who furnished a substitute
there be paid not exceeding three hundred
dollars, if he was credited to fill the quota of
the town. Several other
meetings were held during the year, at which
means were taken to recruit men and furnish
State aid for the families of
soldiers.
1865.
November 7th, Voted, "that the selectmen be
authorized to treat all widows in town,
whose husbands have fallen in the war,
with due and especial benevolence; and those who
have no house, to see that they have a home
outside of the almshouse."
Harwich furnished
three hundred and forty one men for the war,
which was a surplus of twenty nine over and
above all demands. Four were commissioned
officers. The whole amount of money appropriated
and expended by the town on account of the war,
exclusive of State aid to soldiers' families,
was forty two thousand five hundred and sixty
dollars and two cents ($42,560.02).
The amount raised and
expended by the town for aid to the families of
soldiers, and afterwards repaid by the State,
was as follows :
In 1861, 00;
in 1862,
$736.38 ;
in 1863, $1,276.69 ;
in 1864,
$5,159.92 ;
in 1865, $4,374.00.
Total in
four years, $11,462.99.
The ladies of Harwich
" did a great deal for the soldiers all through
the war," and especially those attached to the
several religious societies, the ministers
acting as shipping agents. Many meetings were
held, at which under-clothing, lint, bandages,
and other necessary articles, were made, which
were sent to the army hospitals.
Orleans
Incorporated
March 3, 1797. Population in 1860, 1,678; in
1865, 1,586. Valuation in 1860, $487,914; in
1865, $558,858.
The selectmen in 1861
were Joseph Cummings, Calvin Snow, George W.
Cummings; in 1862 and 1863, Jesse C. Snow, John
Kenrick, Edmund Crosby; in 1864 and 1865, John
Kenrick, Truman Doane, Ira Mayo.
The town clerk and
town treasurer in 1861, 1862, and 1863, was
Thomas Higgins; in 1864 and 1865, Freeman
Mayo.
1861.
The first
legal town meeting, to consider matters relating
to the war, was held on the 27th of May, at
which the following resolutions were read, and
unanimously adopted:
Resolved: That,
as true and loyal citizens of the United States,
we will cherish inviolate the Union and the
Constitution and the enforcement of the laws,
believing them to be the only safe palladium of
our liberties, under which as a nation we have
been favored with unexampled
prosperity.
Resolved, That the
active measures now being made by the National
Administration, in all departments, for the
successful crushing out of the unnatural
rebellion on the part of the so called Southern
Confederacy, meets with our warmest approbation,
and should have the aid and encouragement of
every true lover of his country, without regard
to party proclivities.
Resolved, That as, in
the language of Jefferson," the price of Liberty
is eternal vigilance," it becomes the sacred
duty of every loyal citizen, in this hour of his
country's peril, to frown down with abhorrence
any attempt to aid and abet treason, whether at
home or abroad, expressed or implied; and that
we will use our best endeavors to give traitors
that punishment which they so justly
deserve.
Resolved, That the
patriotic stand taken by Massachusetts in
responding with alacrity to the requirements of
the President for troops to defend the national
capital is worthy of all praise, and is an
earnest of that spirit which has ever
characterized the citizens of the Old Bat
State, in times of danger and alarm to
manfully uphold and defend the glorious stripes
and stars even unto death.
The resolutions
having been adopted, the town authorized the
selectmen to borrow one thousand dollars for the
payment of State aid to the families of
volunteers, as provided by the act recently
passed by the Legislature in extra
session.
1862.
A special town meeting, to act upon matters
relating to the war, was held on the 19th of
July. At this meeting " a
secesh flag," taken" at the capture of New
Orleans, was presented to the town by Captain
Josiah Snow, formerly a citizen of
Orleans. The town then voted
to pay each of its citizens who would enlist in
the military service of the United States, and
be credited to the quota of the town, a bounty
of one hundred and fifty dollars; " and to
pay town aid of one dollar a week to each
parent, wife, or child of every volunteer so
enlisting."
1863.
No formal town meeting to act upon matters
connected with the Rebellion appears to have
been held during this year, although the
greatest activity prevailed among the citizens
in recruiting volunteers, and giving proper
assistance to the soldiers' families.
1864.
At a meeting held on the 25th of April, the
town voted " to raise the sum of one hundred and
twenty five dollars for each and every one of
its quota called for by the President,
Oct. 17, 1863,
and Feb. 1, 1864; and that the sum be expended
in refunding money paid by
individual subscription, in procuring this
town's proportion of troops called for at
the
aforesaid
dates." Two other meetings
were held during this year, but no change was
made in the manner of recruiting men or in the
payment of bounties.
1865.
At the meeting held on the 6th of March, the
following vote was passed:
Voted, " To pay one
hundred and twenty five dollars each for
fourteen men recruited as part of the quota of
Orleans, under the call for troops, Dec. 17,
1864, and to deposit one thousand dollars with
the State treasurer to secure a portion of the
men recruited from the rebel States."
The amount of money
raised by private subscription, during the four
years of the war, amounted in the aggregate to
eighteen thousand three hundred and eleven
dollars and twenty two cents for the enlistment
of seventy six men, which was subsequently
refunded by vote of the town, at the rate of one
hundred and twenty five dollars for each of the
men recruited.
Orleans furnished one
hundred and seventy seven men for the war, which
was a surplus of twenty nine over and above all
demands. Three were commissioned officers. The
amount of money appropriated and expended by the
town on account of the war, exclusive of State
aid, was eighteen thousand four hundred and
ninety seven dollars and twenty cents
($18,497.20).
The amount raised and
expended by the town for State aid to soldiers'
families during the four years of the war, but
which was afterwards refunded by the
Commonwealth, was as follows :
In 1861,
$12.00;
in 1862, $336.96;
in 1863,
$1,109.77;
in 1864, $1,778.35;
in 1865,
$1,093.20.
Total amount,
$4,365.28.
The ladies of Orleans
formed "a Soldiers' Aid Society in September,
1862, which continued in active operation until
April, 1865. They held about seventy meetings,
to prepare articles for the soldiers. They
raised, in money, $621.08," which was increased
fourfold by being judiciously expended for
material, that was made into articles of
clothing. Many boxes and barrels were filled
with their contributions, " some of which were
sent to the soldiers in camp, some to the sick
and wounded in hospitals, and some to the
prisoners in Libby Prison. As a sample of each,
we give the contents of one, sent Oct. 14, 1862,
to the Sanitary Commission : 2 pillows, 1
under-shirt, 21 towels, 4 handkerchiefs, 21
shirts, 18 do., 53 pillow-cases, 3 boxes of
lint, 1 bundle of pieces, 7 prs. slippers, 3
prs. drawers, 3 prs. socks, 368 yards bandages,
9 dozen stump bandages, 3 dozen hand do., 13
dozen comforters, "a few pamphlets,'' 10 sheets,
24 pillow-cases, 53 towels, 23 cotton shirts, 75
pillows, 5 vests, 3 frock coats, 11 flannel
under-shirts, 6 packages (individuals), 1 bed
quilt, 3 prs. drawers, 3 prs. slippers, 2 prs.
pants, 7 prs. mittens, 29 prs. socks, 28 prs.
flannel drawers, 1 pr. boots, 38 handkerchiefs,
51 white do., 25 colored do.
The society numbered
one hundred and fifty one members. The journal
of their proceedings closes with the following
words:
Provincetown
Incorporated June
14,1727. Population in 1860, 3,206; in 1865,
3,475. Valuation in 1860, $1,263,-695 ; in 1865,
$1,576,145.
The selectmen in
1861, 1862, and 1863, were Robert Soper, Abraham
Chapman, Simeon S. Gifford; in 1864, Simeon S.
Gifford, Silas S. Young, Lysander S. Paine; in
1865, Silas S. Young, Simeon S. Gifford,
Alexander Manuel.
The town clerk and
town treasurer during all the years of the war
was Elisha Dyer.
1861.
The first
legal town meeting, to act upon matters relating
to the war, was held on the 2d of May, at which
it was voted to pay a sum of twenty dollars to
every able bodied man who should volunteer from
Provincetown in either the army or navy, to be
paid on his departure from the town to join for
service; also " the sum of ten dollars a month
for single men, and men having wives only, and
fifteen dollars a month to men having families,
while in the service, which pay shall begin at
the time his government pay begins." At the same
meeting the following preamble and resolutions
were read and adopted:
Whereas it has
pleased God to give us the grandest country on
the globe, with the best government, as
established by our fathers, ever inhabited by
mortals; and as it is satisfactorily ascertained
that a long cherished scheme has been
entertained, by miserable miscreants, to subvert
this government to the most dastardly purposes
of iniquity, destroying the Union and the
Constitution ; and as we regard this as an
unprovoked, barbarous, and sacrilegious attack
upon the dearest rights and interests of the
American people, we denounce it as a villainous
attempt to subvert laws and to destroy a
Constitution which we reverence, and which they
have sworn to support: we therefore
Resolve, That the
loss of our liberty and national honor would be
a greater calamity than war, the loss of
property, or of life itself.
Resolved, That it is
the duty of the Executive to bring the whole
power of the Government to crush out secession
and rebellion, and to put to an efficient end
their disturbances; and that no favor or
compromise should be suffered, but upon the
basis of unqualified submission of those in
rebellion.
Resolved, That we
pledge to the National and State Governments a
hearty support of men and means, by which these
ends may be accomplished.
Resolved, That, if
the wanton cruelties of privateering are let
loose upon our seamen, it will become our duty
vigorously to defend our rights and fearlessly
to assail our foe, until, under our flag of the
stars and stripes, our vessels are allowed,
unmolested, to float in every sea.
Other votes were
passed having for their object home defence,
which the exposed position of the town appeared
to render desirable. A committee of six were
also appointed to assist in
recruiting.
1862.
At a meeting held on the 22nd of July, it
was voted to raise sixteen hundred dollars, by
taxation, " to pay bounties to persons who have
become volunteer soldiers of the United States;"
also to raise and pay to volunteers having
families in Provincetown "a sum of money, in
addition to that the town may be reimbursed from
the treasury of the Commonwealth for aid to
families, equal in amount to that which is
reimbursed; and to volunteers who have not
families or persons dependent
on them the sum of
fifty dollars a year during their term of
service." August 27th, The town
voted " to assume the liability of those
individuals who have subscribed money for the
payment of bounties to volunteers for nine
months' military service;" also voted to pay
each volunteer for nine months' service, when
mustered in and credited to the quota of the
town, a bounty of two hundred dollars; also, to
pay their families, and to those who have none,
fifty dollars additional in
money. The treasurer was
authorized to borrow six thousand dollars for
these purposes.
1863.
At a legal town meeting held on the 20th of
July, the selectmen and John Nickerson were
appointed to procure arms from the State or the
National Government, and to do all such acts as
may be necessary for the defence and protection
of the town against the attacks of the
enemy. Two thousand dollars
were placed at the disposal of the
committee. September 3d,
The town appropriated
$5,469.82 for payment of
soldiers' bounties, in compliance with the 9th
section of an act approved April 29, 1863; also
voted, that the same provision be made in aid of
the families of men who may be drafted as is now
paid to the families of volunteers.
1864.
February
8th, The town voted to assume the payment of
money contributed by individuals to fill the
quota of the town, under the last call of the
President, " provided any act of the Legislature
legalizes the same/' April 12th, An act having
been passed, the town voted to reimburse to
individuals the money they had advanced,
provided that the amount should not exceed one
hundred and twenty five dollars for each
volunteer enlisted.
Provincetown must
have furnished for the army and navy about three
hundred and fifty men, although the selectmen
returned, in 1866, only two hundred and forty
seven; as at the end of the war the town had
filled its quota on every call of the President,
and had a surplus of fifty seven men over and
above all demands. Three were commissioned
officers in the military service. The whole
amount of money appropriated and expended by the
town on account of the war, exclusive of State
aid reimbursed by the Commonwealth, was thirty
seven thousand four hundred and fifty two
dollars ($37,452.00).
The amount of money
raised and expended for State aid during the
four years of the war, and which was afterwards
reimbursed by the Commonwealth, was as follows
In 1861, $57.54;
in 1862, $327.98;
in 1863, $775.21;
in 1864, $3,070.59;
in 1865, $3,136.92.
Total amount
reimbursed, $7,368.24.
It will be
observed, however, that Provincetown paid to the
families of volunteers double the amount
reimbursed by the State.
The ladies of
Provincetown organized a w Soldiers' Aid
Society" and a "Soldiers' Relief Society" in
1862. During the war, the first named furnished
clothing and other articles for the soldiers to
the value of $1,226.75, and the last named
contributed to the value of $1,064.90. Most of
the articles were sent to the Sanitary and
Christian Commissions, though a part was sent
direct to Lieutenant Colonel Ryder, a citizen of
Provincetown, of the Thirty third Regiment
Massachusetts Volunteers.
Provincetown, which
is situated on the extreme end of Cape Cod, was
one of the most exposed places on the coast.
During the war, earth-works were erected by the
Government, which were garrisoned by a company
of volunteers.
Sandwich
Incorporated
Sept. 3, 1639. Population in 1860, 4,479; in
1865, 4,105. Valuation in 1860, $1,644,-433; in
1865,11,699,105.
The selectmen in
1861,1862, and 1863, were Mason White, Seth B.
Wing, Isaiah Fish; in 1864, H. G. O. Ellis, Seth
B. Wing, Isaiah Fish; in 1865, H. G. O. Ellis,
Paul Wing, Isaiah Fish.
The town clerk and
town treasurer in 1861, 1862, and 1863, was
David C. Freeman; from June, 1863, and during
1864 and 1865, David C. Percival.
The first legal town
meeting, to act upon matters relating to the
war, was held on the 11th of May; at which
Messrs. Theodore Kern, Jonathan Leonard, Charles
Southack, Benjamin F. Brown, and Charles
Dillingham were chosen a committee, " to see
what action the town should take in regard to
war matters:.
The committee reported as
follows :
First, That the
treasurer of the town be authorized, with the
assent and at the discretion of the selectmen,
to borrow a sum not exceeding four thousand
dollars, " in sums as shall be needed " for the
benefit of the families of those in this town
who may enlist "in the service of the
Government, in defence of our constitutional
liberties."
Second, That the money so
borrowed shall be disbursed by the selectmen "
in the following manner:" w A man that leaves a
wife shall receive two dollars a week ;. a wife
and child, three dollars a week; and fifty cents
a week for each additional child under fourteen
years of age."
Third, That the
selectmen be authorized and instructed to assist
such families as are dependent upon any
volunteer for their support, to whom in their
judgment the above rule does not apply. Fourth,
That the town furnish the military company of
Sandwich, "when called for and officially
accepted, a suitable uniform."
The report was
accepted. It was then voted that all citizens of
Sandwich " volunteering in companies in other
towns, having families, and also all persons
from other towns volunteering in the Sandwich
company, having families, be included in the
above appropriation; provided, there shall not
be an appropriation for them by the towns from
which they came, or in which our citizens have
volunteered." Voted, that the families of
volunteers " receive their money once in two
weeks;" also voted, " to raise five hundred
dollars to defray the expense of purchasing
uniforms for the Sandwich company." At a special
meeting held on the 6th of July, it was voted
"to ratify and continue the above action of the
town as allowed by act of May 23d,
1861."
1862.
At the annual town meeting held March 3d, a
sufficient sum of money was appropriated to
continue the pay of State aid to the families of
volunteers during the year. A
special town meeting was held on the 2d of
August, at which it was voted to pay a bounty of
one hundred dollars to each volunteer who
enlists for three years' military service and is
mustered in and credited to the quota of the
town, and fifty dollars additional to each man
who shall enlist and be credited within seven
days. Another meeting was held
on the 23d of December, at which the selectmen
were authorized to appoint persons to assist
them in recruiting volunteers, and extending the
amount of bounty to each volunteer to one
hundred and fifty dollars. December 9th, The
town voted to enlist volunteers for three years'
service and not for nine months, and to pay to
each volunteer for that term a bounty of two
hundred dollars.
1863.
Several " war meetings " were held during
this year: recruiting, the payment of bounties
to volunteers, and aid to their families were
continued; but no special action was taken by
the town, in its corporate capacity, in relation
to the war.
1864.
A legal
town meeting was held on the 9th of April, at
which seventy eight hundred dollars were
appropriated w to fill the quotas of the town "
under the calls of the President for men, Oct.
17, 1863, and Feb. 1, 1864.
Mr. Colly, the town
clerk, writes:
" I have sent you all
the votes of importance relating to the war.
Many other votes were passed, and much
excitement existed during these years of trial;
but they were so similar to the within, that to
repeat them would be useless."
Sandwich must have
furnished for the army and navy about four
hundred men, although the return made by the
selectmen in 1866 gives the number of two
hundred and ninety two. At the end of the war,
after having filled its quota upon every call of
the President for volunteers, Sandwich had a
surplus of two, over and above all demands.
Twelve were commissioned officers in the
military service, the most distinguished of whom
was Charles Chip man, Major of the Twenty ninth
Massachusetts regiment, who was mortally wounded
Aug. 7, 1864, and died the next day. The whole
amount of money appropriated and expended by the
town on account of the war, exclusive of State
aid, was thirty three thousand and eighty one
dollars and ninety nine cents
($33,081.99).
The amount raised and
expended by the town during the four years of
the war, for aid to the families of volunteers,
and afterwards repaid by the Commonwealth, was
as follows:
In 1861, $1,852.71;
in 1862,
$5,018.31;
in 1863, $5,742.63;
in 1864,
$4,874.91;
in 1865, $2,450.00.
Total
amount in four years, $19,938.56.
The ladies of
Sandwich " were actively engaged in their part
of the work, but am unable to give you details
of the matter."
Truro
Incorporated July
16, 1709. Population in 1860, 1,583; in 1865,
1,448. Valuation in 1860, $381,429; in 1865,
$361,717.
The selectmen in 1861
and 1862 were Solomon Davis, William T. Newcomb,
Asa Sellew; in 1863, Abraham C. Small, Solomon
Davis, Amasa Paine; in 1864, John Kenny,
James
Collins, Nathan K.
Whorf; in 1865, John Kenny, James Collins,
Sears Rich.
The town clerk and
town treasurer during all of these years was
Samuel C. Paine.
1861.
No action appears to have been taken by the
town, in its corporate character, during this
year in regard to matters relating to the
war.
1862.
At a legal town meeting held on the 25th of
July, the following resolution was adopted by a
unanimous vote :
Resolved, That there
be allowed and paid by the town to each of the
dependents of the four volunteers who have
enlisted to make up the quota of Truro, the sum
of one dollar a week, in addition to the sum
allowed by the State, so long as the men are in
the service of the United States; provided it
shall not exceed the sum of twelve dollars a
month for the dependents of any one
volunteer.
The selectmen were
authorized to draw " orders on the town treasury
for the sum of one hundred dollars, to be paid
to each and any to the number of four of the
inhabitants of Truro, who, as the quota of said
town, may volunteer and be duly mustered into
the volunteer service of the United States."
August 30th, Voted, that there be paid " to each
single man " the sum of two hundred dollars, who
shall volunteer to make up the quota of nine
months men; " and to each married man who shall
thus volunteer the sum of one hundred dollars;
and to the dependents of said married man an
additional sum equal to that granted by the
State." December 2d, Voted, "that the town of
Truro make all the effort that is in its power
to raise volunteers to fill its quota of nine
months men for the military service of the
United States," and that Frederick A. Gross,
Amasa Paine, and A. H. Newton "be a committee to
draft some plan for raising the aforesaid
volunteers." This committee reported that the
selectmen be authorized to offer a bounty of two
hundred dollars to any of the citizens of the
town who would volunteer to make up said quota,
and in case they fail to procure the required
number within a reasonable time, then they may
use their own discretion in obtaining them
elsewhere. The report was accepted. "Voted, that
we, as a town, disapprove of a draft."
1863.
February 4th,
The following
resolutions were adopted:
Resolved, At this
town meeting, that we do take means and measures
to bring home the remains of Edward Winslow, one
of our soldiers who went forth in the defence of
his country and to maintain one of the best
governments on earth.
Resolved, That the
selectmen be instructed to cause the remains of
Edward Winslow to be removed to this town at the
town's expense.
It was also voted to
pay the widow and orphan children of Edward
Winslow a gratuity of one hundred dollars. April
6th, "Voted, that the town assume the
responsibility that those persons took upon
themselves, of paying a bounty to Samuel Knowles
and Hezekiah P. Hughes, in July last, as
volunteers." August 7th, Voted, to pay the same
State aid to the families of men who may be
drafted " and actually enter the service of the
United States as has been furnished to the
families of volunteers." December 11th, A
committee of twenty five was chosen to assist
the selectmen in recruiting volunteers to fill
the quota of the town; also voted, " to sanction
the doings of the selectmen in using all
discretionary means in their power for raising
volunteers, and that the town be responsible for
their compensation."
1864.
February 4th, Voted, "to allow town aid to
the dependents of volunteers who have enlisted
in our town under the call of the President,
Oct. 17, 1863, in amount to what is received by
them for State aid ; also to the widows, like
town aid." April 25th,
The selectmen were authorized to pay a bounty of
one hundred and twenty five dollars to each
volunteer who shall enlist prior to March 1,
1865, for three years, and be credited to the
town.
Truro furnished one
hundred and forty four men for the war, which
was a surplus of fourteen over and above all
demands. One was a commissioned officer. The
whole amount of money appropriated and expended
by the town on account of the war, exclusive of
State aid to soldiers' families, was four
thousand seven hundred and eighty six dollars
and ten cents ($4,786.10). In addition to this
sum, four thousand dollars were contributed by
private citizens of their own means to pay
bounties and encourage recruiting.
The amount of money
raised for the payment of aid to soldiers'
families, and afterwards refunded by the State,
was as follows : In 1861, $6.00; in 1862,
$383.46; in 1863, $877.96; in 1864, $802.80; in
1865, $258.58. Total amount in four years,
$2,328.81.
Wellfleet.
Incorporated June
16, 1763. Population in 1860, 2,322 ; in 1865,
2,298. Valuation in 1860, $617,596 ; in 1865,
$700,165.
The selectmen from
February, 1861, to February, 1864, were Edward
Hopkins, Robert G. Paine, Jeremiah Hawes. In
1864, Mr. Hawes retired from office; and
Jonathan Chipman was elected in his place, who
with the others remained in office until
February, 1865.
The town clerk and
town treasurer during all the years of the war
was Noah Swett.
1861.
Several members of the Third Regiment
Massachusetts Militia, which left the State
April 17th and arrived at Fortress Monroe, Va.,
on the 20th, belonged to Wellfleet.
On
the ?? of May, a
meeting was held, at which a vigilance committee
was appointed; and a vote was passed to request
the Governor to furnish arms for a military
company then being
organized in
the town. June 3d, The
town appropriated seven hundred dollars,
subject to the order of the Governor, " to
sustain the credit of the State," and three
hundred dollars
" for the benefit of
Wellfleet soldiers then at the front."
1862.
July, Voted, to pay a bounty of one hundred
dollars to each volunteer for three years'
service, when mustered in and credited to the
quota of the town, and aid not to exceed twelve
dollars a month to each of their
families. August 14th, Voted,
to pay a bounty of two hundred dollars to each
of seven
At this time a large
proportion of the young men belonging to
Wellfleet were engaged in sea servicemen who
will enlist for three years to complete the
quota of the town.
1863.
November 24th, A committee to recruit
volunteers to fill the quota of the town under
the pending call of the President was elected,
and twenty five hundred dollars were
appropriated to pay
the expenses.
1864.
April 16th, The bounty to volunteers for
three years' service was fixed at one hundred
and twenty five dollars, and the treasurer was
authorized to borrow money to pay the same.
Several other meetings were held, at which money
was raised for war purposes, and measures
adopted to fill the contingent of the
town.
Wellfleet furnished
two hundred and twenty one men for the war,
which was a surplus of twenty five over and
above all demands. None were commissioned
officers in the military service. The whole
amount of money appropriated and expended by the
town on account of the war, exclusive of State
aid to soldiers' families, was eighteen thousand
three hundred and twenty four dollars and sixty
seven cents ($18,324.67). Mr. Swett, the town
clerk, wrote to us, " that there was contributed
from public and private sources about twenty
thousand dollars for the prosecution of the war.
Many of the older citizens procured substitutes
to represent them in the field."
The amount of money
raised and expended by the town for State aid to
the families of soldiers, and reimbursed by the
Commonwealth, was as follows:
In 1861,
$27.28;
in 1862, $271.25;
in 1863,
$161.00;
in 1864, $297.20;
in 1865,
$382.00.
Total in four
years, $1,138.73.
The ladies of
Wellfleet established a Soldiers' Aid Society
early in the war, to work for the sick and
wounded in hospitals. At the end of the war they
had an unexpended balance in their treasury,
which was given in aid of erecting "a beautiful
marble monument to the men of Wellfleet who had
died in defence of their country in the military
and naval service."
Yarmouth
Incorporated
Sept. 3, 1639. Population in 1860, 2,752; in
1865, 2,465. Valuation in 1860, $1,162,-120; in
1865, $1,440,641.
The selectmen in 1861
were Elisha Taylor, Thatcher Taylor, Zadock
Crowell; in 1862 and 1863, the same; in 1864,
Zadock dwell, Elisha Taylor, Samuel Matthews;
1865, Samuel Matthews, Braddock Matthews,
Zadock Crowell.
The town clerk and
town treasurer from 1844, and all through the
Rebellion to the present time, was William P.
Davis.
1861. The first legal
town meeting, to consider matters relating to
the Rebellion, was held on the 2d of May; at
which the following resolutions were presented
by Charles F. Swift, and unanimously adopted:
Resolved,
1st, That we feel duly mindful of the
sacrifices that were made by our fathers to
establish the Constitution, and perpetuate the
Union of the States, and that we remember with
especial pride and pleasure the patriotic and
efficient part taken by this ancient town in the
great struggle which resulted in the formation
of our existing institutions of
government.
2d, That, as citizens
of Yarmouth, in common with patriotic men
everywhere in the country, we feel a profound
interest in the struggle now convulsing the
land; that our earnest sympathies are entirely
with the administration in its efforts to
sustain the Government, and defend the flag of
the nation; and that, as in days of yore, we are
ready to contribute our personal efforts and
material aid to uphold and maintain the national
honor untarnished by sea and land.
3d, That, inasmuch as
the head of the rebel organization of the South
has indicated his design to send out upon the
ocean piratical crafts for the purposes of
spoliation and plunder upon the commerce of the
country, thus periling the lives and property of
those who follow the seas for a livelihood, it
is especially incumbent upon the citizens of
this community, who have so much at stake, to
lend efficient and cheerful aid in bringing
these pests of the ocean to condign punishment ;
and we hereby recommend that the best energies
of our people be especially directed to
strengthening the maritime arm of our national
service, to which their pursuits and training so
peculiarly fit them to lend efficiency and
strength.
The town voted to
give each citizen who should enlist, either in
the army or navy, twenty five dollars a month
while in service ; and five dollars additional
to his wife, if he has one, and three dollars
additional to each child under fifteen years of
age.
Three thousand
dollars was voted to equip each volunteer who
should enlist in the military service.
1862.
July 3rd, Frederick Dunbar, Matthew C.
Hallet, N. C. Fowler, E. B. Pemler, Isaiah
Sherman, and Theodore Drew, were appointed to
procure enlistment's, and to pay each volunteer
for three years' service a bounty of one hundred
dollars "when mustered in, and one hundred
dollars when honorably discharged, and a further
sum of fifteen dollars upon his enlisting. The
treasurer was authorized to borrow not exceeding
thirty five hundred dollars "for the foregoing
purposes." Seven persons
immediately enlisted. August
14th, Voted, to pay a bounty of one hundred and
twenty five dollars to each volunteer enlisting
to the credit of the town for nine months'
service. The treasurer was
authorized to borrow money.
December 4th, The select men were authorized to
pay a bounty of one hundred and twenty
five dollars to each volunteer enlisting to the
credit of the town, and more if
necessary." The treasurer was
authorized to borrow money to pay
bounties.
1863.
December 1st, The town chose Nathaniel C.
Fowler, Oliver Gorham, and David Matthews to
co-operate with the selectmen in raising the
town's quota of volunteers under the late call
of the President for more men. The
selectmen were authorized to draw upon the town
treasurer " for such reasonable sums as they
shall deem necessary for recruiting
purposes." December 10th,
Freeman Howes was added to the above
committee.
1864.
April 22nd, Voted, to raise six thousand
dollars, " to pay each recruit who enlisted to
fill the quota of the town under the last two
calls of the President one hundred and twenty
five dollars each." One
thousand dollars was also voted to pay bounties
to men who had enlisted to the credit of the
town and had received no
bounty. The treasurer was
authorized to borrow money to procure volunteers
" under any call which the President might
issue." August 6th, The selectmen
were authorized to deposit fifteen hundred
dollars with the State treasurer " to procure
recruits." December 19th,
Voted, that the selectmen be authorized to
procure recruits " in anticipation of a call for
five hundred thousand men."
Yarmouth must have
furnished about two hundred and fifty men for
the war, which was a surplus of five over and
above all demands, none of whom were
commissioned officers in the military service.
There were fifteen who were volunteer officers
in the navy, and three of the principal pilots
on the South Carolina coast were citizens of
Yarmouth. The whole amount of money appropriated
and expended by the town for war purposes,
exclusive of State aid to soldiers' families,
was seventeen thousand and seventeen dollars
($17,017). This does not include $3,592.10,
voluntarily contributed by private citizens to
pay bounties.
The amount of money
raised and expended by the town for aid to
soldiers' families, and afterwards reimbursed by
the Commonwealth, was as
follows:
In 1861, 00;
in 1862,
$506.43;
in 1863, $1,475.04;
in 1864,
$1,309.93 ;
in 1865, $1,223.31.
Total in
four years,
$4,514.71. |
