Meway & Millis November 2017

Page 2 Medway & Millis Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com November 2017
Gravestones for These Medway
Veterans, after 150 Years
By J.D. O’Gara
On Veteran’s Day, just after
the Medway ceremony at Matondi
Square, some other veterans
will receive an honor for
which they’ve waited 150 years.
Thanks to Tom A. C. Ellis, Jr.,
Medway historian and author
of Medway & Millis Civil War Service:
A History and Roster, written
for Medway’s Tercentennial, six
soldiers buried in Oakland Cemetery
on Barber Street in Medway
will finally have headstones
dedicated in their memory.
“There were no recordings
of the Civil War veterans,” says
Ellis, who had combed local
cemeteries for information on
soldiers from the era. When he
found those born from 1810-
1840, he then checked their
names with the state adjutant’s
office for records.
“I was able to find veterans
people didn’t even know were
veterans,” says Ellis, whose work
on this project took him about
a year to accomplish. “I came
across a grave that had six soldiers
buried in it.” The area, in
Section A of the Oakland Cemetery,
was known as “Soldiers
Lot.”
Ellis says he was able to get
hold of a WPA (work program
administration) list of Civil War
veterans that helped him to identify
the six men buried there. The
Medway Historical Commission
contacted the Veterans Administration,
which provided the headstones.
The ceremony dedicating the
headstones will feature a 21-gun
salute by 13th Massachusetts
Regimental Volunteer Infantry
reenactors. “They’re coming
with muskets, in full uniform of
the Civil War,” says Ellis.
The six U.S. soldiers to be
honored, with descriptions garnered
from Ellis’ book, include:
Dain, Henry R. enlisted for
three years as a private at the age
of 33 into the 3rd Regt. Mass.
Vol. Cav. Co. “D” February 26,
1864, and received a $325.00
state bounty. His occupation was
that of a teamster. He resided in
Medway, but was born in Royalston,
Vermont on March 10,
1831, to Rice O. and Mary and
died on September 14, 1864 near
Winchester, Va.
Hixon, Egbert Oswell enlisted
at the age of 34 into the
8th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
Company “D” (known as
the “Lynn Light Infantry”) April
30, 1861, (3 months) and was
discharged from that unit August
1, 1861. He then re-enlisted
for three years as a private at
age 35 into the 1st Company of
Andrew Sharpshooters September
4, 1861, at Camp Saunders
in Lynnfield. He deserted from
the Sharpshooters September
4, 1862. He then enlisted in the
124th Ohio Infantry Company
“C” December 21, 1863, for
three years under the name of
“Hicks.” He died of malaria
November 22, 1864, in Nashville
Tennessee as a result of that
service. He resided in Medway,
where he worked as a bootmaker.
He was born on August 1, 1824,
Shown are the graves of six Civil War soldiers buried in Medway’s
Oakland Cemetery that had gone without identification or headstones
until local historian Tom Ellis was able to identify those buried. The
headstones will be dedicated in a ceremony on November 11th, with
a 21-gun salute by 13th Massachusetts Regimental Volunteer Infantry
reenactors.
in Medway to Isaac and Persis
(Adams), was married and had
four children,
Houghton, Albert C. enlisted
for three years as a private at the
age of 20 into the 2nd Mass. Vol.
Inf. Co. “E” May 25, 1861, at
Camp Andrew in West Roxbury.
He was promoted to corporal
April 1, 1863. He went through
all the action of the 2nd, up to
the Battle of Chancellorsville,
Va., where he was hit by artillery
in the leg, which nearly severed
it. He was killed in that action
May 3, 1863. He resided in Medway,
where he worked as a boot
stitcher. He was born around
1841, in Newton to Abel S. and
Hannah (Chamberlain).
Miller, Louis L. enlisted for
three years as a private at the age
of 20 into the 12th Mass. Vol.
Inf. Co. “E” in June of 1861, at
GRAVESTONES
continued on page 3
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