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A Place in Naugatuck History: The Day the Soldiers Monument Was Unveiled

It was 1885, 20 years after the Civil War had ended, when this monument was revealed.

Two hundred and thirty-six Naugatuck men served in the American Civil War and 29 died in service.

After the war, Isbell Post, Grand Army of the Republic, initiated a plan to erect a monument to honor our brave boys.

After six years of planning, $3,700 was raised, of which $1,700 was by private contributions. The balance was by town funds and a special tax that was collected.

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It was May 30, 1885, and it was the 17th annual observance of Decoration Day. On this day, Naugatuck residents gathered for the dedication of the Solders Monument — the towering structure in the heart of Naugatuck’s green.

At sunrise, a national salute was fired under the command of Captain H.D. Patterson. The hazy skies began to clear by 10 a.m., as loved ones decorate the soldier’s graves in the borough with flowers. 

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Excursion trains from the north and south arrived at the train station bringing visitors and large companies of soldiers. The crowds made their way to the Green where the Soldiers Monument stood veiled, awaiting its dedication.

The ladies were dressed in their finest garb, complete with bustle, fringe and lace. The men wore waistcoats and top hats.

At 3 p.m. the procession of solders and dignitaries started, marching down designated streets of town and then converged on the Green, joining thousands of people that gathered.

B.B. Tuttle, chairman of the monument committee presented the Soldiers Monument for dedication. The Reverend W.F. Blackman, pastor of the Congregational Church, placed the monument into the keeping of the town and the Rev. James Fagan, pastor of St. Francis Church, accepted it on behalf of the town. As the veil fell away, the church bells rang out is great celebration as gunfire on the hill sounded across the valley.

The grand statue was crafted of the best quality New England granite, standing 31 feet 8 inches in height. Above the solid base, the large die has on its four sides the following inscriptions:

  • East Side - Erected by the citizens of Naugatuck AD 1885 in memory of her sons who fought to maintain the Union 1861 -1865.
  • West Side - The citizen soldier, fearless in war, industrious in peace.
  • North side - May the God of the nations preserve our country in the blessed bonds of peace now established.
  • South side - The deeds of those who died in defense of the government of the people are immortal.

The Main shaft is left in rough finish broken by the names of the twelve great battles of the war. The shaft is surmounted by the figure of a soldier, standing at ease.

After the dedication, the town’s people entertained the visitors. There was a large tent set up beside the school on the green where nearly 2,000 people were served food and refreshments.

Hundreds others were entertained in halls and private homes as the town broke out in great celebration.

When the guest departed and the last train of the evening pulled away, the Soldiers Monument stood proud as the night sky fell. The soldier, resting on his gun and facing the eastern sky, stood ready to greet each new sunrise with hope and determination as solid as the granite from which he was crafted.

President Lincoln so eloquently expressed in his Gettysburg Address in 1863 what many fallen brothers, fathers and sons might wish to tell from the grave, 

 “….It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. “

Join me next week, when we find another place in Naugatuck history.

Credits: Archives The Naugatuck Daily News, History of Naugatuck by C. Green, LaraCorsets.com.

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