Civil War Memorial

The Civil War, remembered here as the War Between the States, was a family struggle that reunited the nation. From Chicopee, 931 men served, and 72 lost their lives while serving; their names are recorded on two tablets at the entrance of city hall. A tribute written by William Valentine in 1871 recalls the cry of sorrow that followed the guns at Fort Sumter, the nation’s awakening, the call to sons and fathers, and the response of cities and towns across the North. It honors Chicopee’s dead as men who were true to themselves and country, who fought bravely and died bravely, and declares that better than marble or stone, their laurels and sacrifice will be preserved in the hearts of the living.

Chicopee, Massachusetts · United States