South Acton.—The last surviving member of the historic Sixth Mass. Regiment, which was mobbed by Confederate sympathizers in Baltimore on April 19, 1861 has gone to his heavenly reward.
Aaron Jones Fletcher, (Janey) to his old comrades and the older residents of his native town, passed away on Thursday morning, September 15 in his 98th year at the family home on Martin street. He was one of nine children of the late Aaron and Lydia (Jones) Fletcher, and was born in the Fletcher's Corner section of the town (named for his family) who for several generations had made their home there. His last surviving brother, Jonathan Fletcher passed away a few days ago in his 90th year.
Before his 20th birthday as a member of the Davis Guards of Acton, (Co. E of the 6th Mass. Volunteer Militia) he started with his company under the leadership of Capt. Daniel Tuttle on the 16th of April in 1861 to join the other companies of the regiment, at Lowell, and the rest is written in every school history. With his regiment, the first to respond to President Lincoln's call for volunteers to guard the Capitol, he was mobbed in Baltimore on the 19th of April on their march to Washington. After the period for which the company volunteered he returned to Acton and immediately renlisted in the 26th regiment and saw service with Gen. Benjamin Butler at New Orleans and later with Gen. Sheridan at Winchester, Virginia and again at Cedar Creek.
He served throughout the war and at the close was assigned to guard duty at Savanah, Georgia.
He married Mary E. Purner at Ford [sic] Deposit,
Maryland¹ on November 18, 1866 and returned to Acton, later joining his brother, Lt. A. Swift Fletcher in the engineering department for bridges with the old Philadelphia and Baltimore rail road. He returned again to his native town and entered the employ of the Boston and Maine rail road as a bridge inspector and served continuously until his retirement at the age of 80 years.
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Until a few years ago he was a familiar character about town visiting with the old timers of the village to talk over the events of the day and to meet and talk to the children of the village for whom he always had candy or gum to distribute.
His kindly character and interest in his home and family was very noticeable in his neighborhood and he kept busy in his
woodshed²
or among his flock of hens. This continued until a few years ago when advancing age forced him to simply minor duties which he had kept up until a few days before his death though he had been constantly under the care of nurses and Dr. Orma L. Clark.
The kindly ministrations of his son in law William A. Charles and grandson, Robert F. Charles since the passing of Mrs. Charles a few years ago, with the assistance of the nurses and Dr. Clark will be long remembered by those who have been in a position to note the loving care and devotion to this old veteran, that his declining years would be ones of comfort and ease.
Funeral services were held from the family home on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Rev. Andrew J. Torsleff, pastor of the Medford Hillside Universalist church and formerly of South Acton Universalist church officiated at the simple service at which relatives, friends and neighbors with delegations from Charles A. Welch Lodge of Masons of Maynard of which Mr. Fletcher was the oldest member, Commander Lambert Sullivan and comrades of the Edwards Quimby Post, A. L. and a delegation from the former Co. E, Sixth M. N. G. now the 182nd Infantry of Framingham attended.
Burial was in the family lot in Mount Hope cemetery, West Acton. The bearers were grandsons of the genial old veteran, Fletcher and Leonard Adams of West Concord, Roger Towne of South Acton and Harold Fletcher of Belmont. |
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