New Ipswich in the Civil War
From the beginning of the war in 1861, New Ipswich citizens rallied behind their troops through what they called "The Home Regiment." Formally known as The Soldier's Aid Society, this organization worked to clothe, feed, and provide medical care for local soldiers serving in the war. On May 2, 1861, Clark Obear noted in his journal, "Town meeting in aftrernoon. Voted to raise $50 each to uniform a company; also to raise $2000, as it shall be needed, to provide for the families of those who shall enlist in the service of their country; also $100 to prosecute traitors."
By 1862, when the war had progressed to a full-scale bloodbath, the Soldier's Aid Society reported the following:
For more information, see Lydia A. Obear, New Ipswich in the War of the Rebellion: What its Men and Women Did (1898); available online at: