William Schouler, A history of Massachusetts in the Civil War: Volume 2

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[437] June 11th, A town-meeting was held. The selectmen reported they had expended twelve hundred dollars in aid of the company raised in Newton, but had failed to have it accepted, and that there was no prospect that it would be accepted ‘for a year to come.’ (At this time the Secretary of War, Mr. Cameron, thought he had troops enough.) The selectmen were authorized to pay from the treasury of the town all obligations entered into by the town with said company, up to that date. The thanks of the town were voted ‘to the patriotic young men who had so nobly come forward and offered their services;’ also to the selectmen for their wise and prudent management in the work of recruiting.

1862. In town-meeting, November 4th, Voted, to approve the action of the selectmen in obtaining volunteers to fill the quota of the town, to assume all liabilities contracted by them in holding meetings and paying bounties, and that the sum of forty thousand dollars be appropriated for that purpose. Two thousand dollars were also appropriated to pay the expenses of burial of all soldiers belonging to the town who die in the service, three hundred dollars to relieve ‘extraordinary necessities’ of Newton soldiers at the front, two thousand dollars ‘to relieve the necessities of discharged and returned soldiers,’ two thousand dollars for the recovery of the bodies and the burial of deceased soldiers, ‘including what had already been paid for such purpose,’ and one thousand dollars for the support of the families of inhabitants of Newton serving in the United-States navy.

1863. At a special town-meeting held August 7th, it was voted that the balance of money appropriated to families of volunteers at a former meeting ‘be now appropriated to families of drafted men;’ also that the selectmen be authorized to borrow five thousand dollars to aid the families of the soldiers; also to aid the families of deceased or disabled soldiers of Newton. After the business named in the warrant was completed, an informal meeting was held; a large committee was appointed to consider the expediency of erecting a monument in memory of the soldiers of Newton who had died, or who might thereafter die, in the service of their country.