From The Connecticut River Valley in Southern Vermont and New Hampshire: Historical Sketches by Lyman S. Hayes, Tuttle Co., Marble City Press, Rutland, VT., 1929, page 242:
INCIDENTS OF BELLOWS FALLS AND VICINITY DURING THE WAR OF THE REBELLION
During the days immediately preceding the Civil War, and while it was in progress, many most interesting incidents occurred in Bellows Falls and vicinity of which only a few of the older residents have recollection .
There had been for several years previous to the war an active and somewhat noted company of militia here, known as "The Green Mountain Guards" having the state designation of "Company E," 12th Vermont Regiiment, which happens to be the same letter by which the local company is designated today. The Green Mountain Guards went to the state muster on Langdon Meadow near Montpelier in the summer of 1860. It was a brigade muster and under command of General Alonzo Jackman, the well known head of Vermont University. The local armory of Company E was the second story of a large building near the head of the canal, the first story of which was then used for storage of wool. In 1861 nearly the entire company went to the war, a thrilling incident being the forming of the company in line and after an address by the captain the order was given that any who were not willing to enlist should "step two paces to the rear. " Only three or four of the entire company stepped back.
During the war 243 men were credited to this town, of whom 5 were killed in action, 7 died of wounds, 9 died of disease, and 3 died in Confederate prisons. Twenty-eight were wounded in battle, 12 taken prisoners, 3 men were drafted and 25 furnished substitutes.
[243]
A. N. Swain was editor or the Bellows Falls Times, a strong Union newspaper, and Hiram Atkins was editor of the Bellows Falls Argus, noted as a strong anti-war or "Copperhead" paper. The files of these two papers of those years show interesting incidents, and many strong expressions used on both sides. At one time the two men met in the post office and getting into a heated argument it resulted in blows and a lively scrimmage, long remembered by those present at the time.
During the Lincoln campaign for the presidency a party flag with his name on it was cut down one night from its pole on the lawn in front of the Baptist church. This caused intense excitement for weeks, a sizable reward being offered for the "miscreant." For years no knowledge was had as to the real facts. In 1906 a man named Lucius B. Wright, then of Everett, Mass., wrote of his participancy in the episode. He told of a party of young fellows, of good Union families, who had been over to Drewsville to a dance that night and returning, seeing the flag, one dared another to cut it down, which was done, and the boys, hearing "Otis Arms and Mr. Beard, the miller, coming," ran to the pine hill back of Immanuel Church and each climbed pine trees, from which they listened to the excitement of the crowd that had gathered. Getting to their respective homes, later, the village tailor, "Cal" Newcomb, had several hard jobs in cleaning the pitch off the trousers the next day. Each participant kept his own counsel, and this was the first expose made of the real facts.
The first troops passing through Bellows Falls for the seat of war were from Claremont, April 29, 1861, followed three days later by a company from Bradford, [244] Vt., of which Roswell Farnham, later the governor, was the captain.
Two residents who went into the army from here each lost a leg by the same cannon ball; one was the right leg and the other the left. Both returned here and lived many years, being well known citizens. They were Daniel Higgins, grandfather of Charles D. Higgins of the present paper In ill firm of Blake & Higgins, and Henry W. Corlew, for many years a harness maker at Saxtons River village.
For several years during the war, particularly folllowing the noted raid of Fenians on the city of St. Albans on October 19th, 1864, many fears were entertained in the Connecticut river valley of trouble from similar causes. While the fears were not so marked as in towns nearer the Canadian border apprehensions were felt in Bellows Falls and many false alarms occurred. For some time an organized body of local men, numberring seventy, guarded the streets here by night in squads of seven men each. They had a headquarters in the north store of what was at that time called Farr's block between Rockingham and Canal Streets, using it as an arsenal also, and for some months there were one thouusand Belgian muskets stored there. The day and night trains were all carefully watched, and they carried frequent detachments of soldiers from the south going to guard the frontier.
Several years ago one of the few survivors of that Bellows Falls guard told a number of amusing experiences of the time and among other incidents he told of the only arrest made by them. It was the arrest of a lunatic being carried on the night train to the [245] Brattleboro asylum. He ran from the train when it stopped here, jumped into the canal and disappeared. Some hours later he was discovered by the patrol clinging to some bushes under a stump that was in the canal about opposite what was then known as the old organ factory, which had for many years been operated by William Nutting, just above Bridge Street. Many laughable errors were told of apprehending belated business men of the village, and many frights were occasioned by rumors of the coming of the enemy.
For many years previous to the war the citizens of Bellows Falls had owned a cannon of some size which had done duty in Fourth of July celebrations, and in celebrating other important events. During the war it was often used to express the joy of the people over any important Union victory. It was last used in celebrating the Gettysburg victory, and the next day its whereabouts became a mystery. It was not found until August 28th, 1868, when workmen employed in dredgging the canal brought it to the surface from the bottom. It was always generally understood that some of the sympathizers with the Southern cause threw it into the canal during the night following the victory.
The town of Rockingham expended $81,480.72 in support of the war, all soldiers' families being well cared for. The town had 54 men whose income at that time was large enough so they had to pay a "Special Income Tax" levied by the government. The largest payer on the list was Wyman Flint, later many years a paper mill owner here. Henry S. Blake, later a well known locomotive engineer between here and Springfield, Mass., was the first man to enlist in town. "Jack", Russell was the first man from here to be killed in battle.