Location: Brookfield Cemetery, 39 West Main Street, Brookfield
Coordinates: 42°13’02.5″N 72°06’44.0″W
Date dedicated: July 4, 1890
Architect/design: Monumental Bronze Company
The Monumental Bronze Company produced this monument cast in “white bronze” or zinc. The material, and the fact that they are hollow, made them an affordable option for smaller towns or out-of-the way cemetery monuments. The company produced many of this design (15 in Massachusetts) which they called, simply, “The Infantryman.” The owners of the company extolled the enduring nature of the medium which would last, they claimed in advertisements, long after granite monuments had crumbled away. Unfortunately, time has shown that white bronze monuments have a tendency to buckle and crack. Several in Massachusetts have undergone restoration (see Belchertown, for example).
The primary inscription on the Brookfield version reads, “Erected July 4, 1890 by the citizens of Brookfield to commemorate the deeds of their loyal sons in the war for the preservation of the Union, 1861 – 1865.” A secondary plaque reads, “Two hundred sixty-six volunteers went to the Civil War from Brookfield 1861-1865. Thirty-eight died in the service.” It was placed through the effort of the Dexter Post #38 of the Grand Army of the Republic. Their plans and a brief description of the monument were published in local papers in January 1890.
On the day of dedication, a parade including many veterans from Brookfield and neighboring GAR posts proceeded to the cemetery. After the presentation, the procession moved on to town hall where the oration of the day was given by Rev. Charles D. Goodell of Roxbury. A collation followed in Hibernian Hall.[1]
Goodell, pastor of the Winthrop Street Methodist Episcopal Church in Roxbury, was a popular speaker in Boston at the time. His favorite topics included art, music, and history and the need to instill an appreciation for these subjects in the younger generations. During his speech in Brookfield, he gave a brief summary of the Bay State’s key role in the early days of the war, the mustering of the first regiments, and the arrival of the 6th Massachusetts Militia in Washington. Speaking more specifically of Brookfield, he gave a sketch of the history of the 15th Massachusetts Infantry.
According to the Adjutant General’s records, at least 57 Brookfield men served in the 15th Massachusetts—making up the bulk of Company F of that regiment and representing the largest contingent of Brookfield men in any Massachusetts unit.[2] The 15th Massachusetts saw hard fighting in many battles but took particularly terrible casualties at the Battle of Antietam, Maryland. Of Brookfield’s 38 who died in the war, 6 were killed in action with the 15th Massachusetts at Antietam. The news must have shocked that small town.
[1] “The Brookfield Soldiers Monument,” Boston Evening Journal, July 5, 1890.
[2] Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in the Civil War, vol. 2, (Boston: Massachusetts Adjutant General’s Office, 1931).