[558] 1861. The first legal town-meeting to act upon matters relating to the war was held on the 1st of May, at which the town voted ‘to raise five thousand dollars to be regarded as a war fund for the defence of our rights;’ ‘to pay a gratuity of ten dollars to each inhabitant of Marshfield who has enlisted or may hereafter enlist;’ ‘to pay each volunteer sufficient, when added to what he receives from the Government, to make twenty-five dollars a month, and five dollars extra to those who have families;’ ‘to accept the patriotic services of the ladies, who have volunteered to make clothing for our soldiers.’ Another town-meeting was held on the 8th of June, at which the selectmen were instructed to furnish all necessary articles for the soldiers, and to fulfil all contracts entered into by the town ‘so far as the same can be done legally.’ At a meeting held on the 6th of July the town voted to pay State aid ‘to the families of soldiers in the service,’ as provided by the act of the Legislature, the same to be continued ‘as long as the soldier remains in the service.’ It was also voted that the selectmen distribute the clothing in their possession to the volunteers, ‘and if there should be a deficiency to procure more when called for.’ 1862. At the annual town-meeting held on the 3d of March, the selectmen were directed to pay the volunteers belonging to Marshfield whatever amount may be due them under the vote passed May 1, 1861. A special town-meeting was held on the 22d of July, at which Nathaniel H. Whiting, Esq., presented the following resolutions, which being read were unanimously adopted:—
Resolved, ‘That in the dark and troubled night which is upon us’ we cherish with a deeper love and more exalted patriotism the noble sentiment proclaimed by our great statesman on the floor of the American Senate, and who now sleeps by the sounding-sea he loved so well, ‘Liberty and Union, now and Forever, one and Inseparable.’ Resolved, That in defence of this Union we will stand by the Government to the extent of our last dollar and our last man, preferring to leave for those who shall come after us a wilderness like that our fathers found, when they sailed into yonder bay and landed on Plymouth Rock, rather than this monstrous rebellion shall prevail.After the adoption of the resolutions a committee of one from
