During the years of the American Civil War, the Town of South Reading furnished 505 men to the war effort. Of these, 49 would die from diseases contracted during their enlistment periods and eighteen were killed in battle. The men who served and fought, along with their families, would carry the memories of their service long after the war was over. The Wakefield chapters of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Sons and Daughters of Union Veterans were strong presences in Wakefield into the twentieth century.
In commemoration of 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, the Wakefield Historical Society will hold a special exhibit to honor the sacrifice of the men who served and fought. Featuring images of the soldiers themselves, banners, flags and printed material, along with nineteenth century images of battle scenes, the exhibit will also feature fascinating mementos brought back by soldiers, including buttons hand-wrought in Libby Prison, a bullet that hit one soldier and the pocket watch that saved his life by stopping it, and a funeral card from President Lincoln's funeral cortege, along with many other artifacts. Perhaps most compelling are the images of the young men who were killed in the War, interspersed with photographs of their colleagues who survived to become senior members of the Grand Army of the Republic.
The exhibit will debut on Sunday, June 5th, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Wakefield History Museum at the West Ward School. The public is cordially invited to attend this exhibit, which will be free of charge. For more information visit www.wakefieldhistory.org or call 781-246-3070.
