East Hartford honors its Civil War veterans with an 1868 obelisk erected at the highest point of Center Cemetery.
A dedication on the base of the monument’s front (west) face reads, “The Union, it must and shall be preserved.” The west face also bears the U.S. and Connecticut shields, and a decorative element featuring a flag, crossed rifles, a sword and a haversack. The west face also lists Andersonville, the site of a Confederate prison camp in Georgia, and the battle of Cold Harbor (Va.).
Also on the west face, five residents killed during the war are listed by name, regimental affiliation, the location and date of death, and their age.
The south face lists six residents, Sharpsburg (Md., where the battle of Antietam took place), and Kingston (Ga.) The base bears the dedication, “All honor to the brave.”
The east face lists six residents, the battles of Petersburg and Drury’s Bluff (both in Virginia) and the dedication, “We mourn the patriot dead.”
The north face provides a tangible reminder of the Civil War’s devastating effect on many families and towns. Among the six names listed on the monument, three are from the Flint family: Alvin Flint, who died in 1863 at the age of 58, Alvin Flint, Jr., 17, who was killed in 1862 at Antietam, and George B. Flint, who died in 1864 in Falmouth, Va., at the age of 18.
The north face also lists Antietam and Port Hudson (La.), and a dedication reading, “Erected by voluntary subscription to the memory of the brave men who gave up their lives that the republic might live.”
A short cannon and a stack of cannonballs appear near the northwest corner of the monument. The cannon’s markings are covered by paint.
A deteriorating brownstone eagle was removed from the top of the obelisk in 1996, and replaced with a replica in 2010. (The images without the eagle were taken in 2009.)
East Hartford honors its World War I heroes with a 1929 statue at the corner of a green at the intersection of Central Avenue and Main Street. A dedication on the west face reads,” In honor of the men and women of East Hartford who answered their country’s call to service in the World War. To the dead a tribute, to the living a memory, to posterity a token of loyalty to the flag of their country.
A plaque on the monument’s east face lists 18 residents who gave their lives in the conflict.
Source: Connecticut Historical Society: Civil War Monuments of Connecticut
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