Wakefield acted boldly and courageously in April of 1861. Rumors of war were not new to the town. When people attacked our sovereign nation by bombarding Fort Sumter, the townsfolk knew the war had begun. Militarily, Wakefield was prepared.
Wakefield grew out of the Town of Reading, incorporated in 1644. At that time, the Reading Infantry Company was created. That was the earliest militia organization in the Commonwealth. In 1812, South Reading became its own town. Through all of those years, the militia continued its operations from Wakefield. It was eventually named the Richard Light Guard.
At noon, on April 19, 1861, the Commonwealth called on Wakefield to supply soldiers. By two-thirty that same day, 85 men, equipped and trained, assembled at the armory and offered their service. They were assigned to the 5th Mass. Vol. Militia Co. “B”. That was only the beginning, they would be called three more times and would respond.
The town’s service would not be limited to the Richardson Light Guard. The Commonwealth organized one hundred and fourteen military organization during the war. Wakefield served in sixty-three of them. The small town with 1,575 males of all ages paid a heavy price. There were 18 killed in battle, 11 died of wounds, 43 died of disease, 80 were wounded, 28 were taken as prisoner of war and 99 became disabled and were given disability discharges.
Families fought together. Jotham and Rebekah Aborn sent two sons, Sylvester and Warren, off to war. They both died, one year to the day, one by disease and the other from a wound. John and Elizabeth McKay sent two sons, John and Thomas, both were shot to death. Rodney Edmands enlisted with his son Consider. Rodney was wounded at 2nd Bull Run and watched his son get killed in the same battle. One can only imagine the pain experienced by these families. The Draper family sent three sons to war and all three survived. The Eaton family sent four sons and they all survived. It is assured they were distressed by the war.
When news arrived about the first battle at Manassas Junction, the women of Wakefield began to pick lint and oilseeds from cotton to make bandages for the wounded. They united with the Boston Sanitary Commission and other organizations that greatly aided the soldiers.
Wakefield had three free Black residents in town when the war erupted, two males and one female. The town provided three officers and nine enlisted men to serve in military organizations made up of men of African descent. Wakefield agents were recruiting and paying bounties to blacks in Mississippi to serve in the Union Army.
Two men whose service was accredited to Wakefield are Medal of Honor recipients. Charles Bessy, from Reading, enlisted in the Richardson Light Guard in Wakefield. He remained in the service after the war and was recognized for bravery in Elkton, Wyoming. Bartlett Laffey, from Boston, accredited to Wakefield, enlisted in the US Navy and was recognized for his bravery at Yazoo City, Mississippi. Two Naval ships were named after him.
