Salisbury honored its loyal sons who fought for the Union by erecting this memorial in 1891 and inscribing the names of local men who served in numerous units, chiefly Connecticut regiments including the 2nd Connecticut Volunteers, 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery, 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 22nd, 23rd, 28th, and 29th Connecticut Volunteers, as well as men who served in the 84th Illinois Infantry, 8th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, 38th New York Infantry, 20th New York Infantry, 11th Infantry U.S.A., 14th Infantry U.S.A., 47th New York Infantry, 41st Massachusetts Infantry, 31st Massachusetts Infantry, and 3rd New York Cavalry; the memorial also names battlefields associated with their service, including Cold Harbor, Olustee, Port Hudson, Winchester, Gettysburg, Drewry's Bluff, Antietam, and Petersburg.