West Side of the Monument
Overview West Side South Side East Side North Side The Obelisk
The obelisk on the Western side bears the arms of Company B, the Massachusetts 5th regiment. Under the arms are the words: Their warfare is over / They sleep well
The men listed on this monument were all volunteers and served honorably, their consciences are clear and allow them to sleep in peace. This stands in contrast to the number of men who were deserting as the war went on.
The Somerville Light Infantry was incorporated in 1853, as strife with the South suggested eventual warfare. Local militias were descendants of the colonial militias of earlier times. George Brastow, later the first mayor of the City of Somerville, was the Captain of the SLI when Lincoln called for men. He volunteered and returned home at the end of his tour of duty.
The SLI were also known as the Somerville Light Artillery. When the local militias were combined into the state militia, the SLI were reformed as Company I of the Massachusetts 5th infantry. After three months, the men were mustered out of Company I and if they reenlisted, were placed as needed into other regiments. Many of the men became part of Company B in the Massachusetts 5th infantry.