Training Day on the Wilbraham Green

The Massachusetts Militia Law of 1840 marked a turning point in the Commonwealth’s military system, signaling the gradual decline of the old colonial-style militia. For towns like Wilbraham, where militia duty had long been a familiar civic obligation, the law reflected changing attitudes toward military readiness, discipline, and public responsibility.

1830s reenactment of the Massachusetts Militia. Old Sturbridge Village

For generations, nearly all able-bodied men were required to participate in the militia. Training days were mandatory, officers were chosen locally, and each town was expected to field its own company. By the late 1830s, however, this system was increasingly viewed as inefficient. Attendance was uneven, training was minimal, and the militia often functioned more as a social institution than a dependable military force. The 1840 law sought to correct these shortcomings by dividing the militia into two distinct classes.

The enrolled militia consisted of men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five who were listed for service but did not train regularly. They could be called upon only in time of war or serious emergency. In effect, the enrolled militia served as a reserve pool of manpower rather than a trained fighting force.

In contrast, the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia (MVM) was designed to be disciplined and ready for immediate service. Participation was voluntary, but members were required to attend regular drills, inspections, and musters. The MVM was organized along conventional military lines, with divisions, brigades, regiments, and companies. While companies were often drawn from individual towns or neighboring communities, they now fit into a standardized statewide structure that emphasized training and accountability.

Before these reforms took hold, training day in Wilbraham was a significant and well-remembered event. The town’s training field, commonly called the Town Green, occupied the triangular parcel of land formed by Upper Tinkham Road and Main Street. In about 1878, Schoolhouse No. 3 was constructed near the center of this triangle, and at some later date, the northernmost road defining the triangle was discontinued, altering the landscape but not its historical importance.

1870 town of Wilbraham map. The arrow points to the Town Green. Wilbraham Library

On appointed training days, all men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five gathered on this ground to organize into companies, elect their officers, and carry out the required drills. While these assemblies fulfilled a legal and civic obligation, they were also social occasions, drawing townspeople together and blending military formality with the familiar rhythms of community life.

Accounts from those who remembered these days suggest that the refreshment consumed was not drawn entirely from the nearby tavern well. New England rum, inexpensive at about sixty cents a gallon, was plentiful and freely shared. The cost was covered by assessments on the officers, with non-commissioned officers paying a modest sum and commissioned officers contributing more according to rank. The “grog” itself was free to the men, and contemporary recollections leave little doubt that some indulged more than was wise.

One of the last trainings of the Wilbraham company reportedly took place around 1838. On that occasion, the men marched to North Wilbraham and then along the graded roadbed of the Great Western Railroad, later the Boston and Albany, before ties and rails had been laid. This exercise marked the closing chapter of the town’s traditional militia activity.

Philip P. Potter served as the last captain of the Wilbraham company, while Colonel Benjamin Butler was the final colonel of the regiment, which included companies from several surrounding towns. Both men retained their titles for the rest of their lives and were commonly known as Captain Potter and Colonel Butler.

Town records show that the expenses associated with militia activity were not always settled promptly. A review of Wilbraham’s treasurer’s accounts indicates that some bills were carried over and paid in later years, a small but telling reminder of the informal nature of the old militia system.

The Militia Law of 1840 brought an end to this era. By shifting responsibility to a trained volunteer force and maintaining only a paper enrollment of the broader population, the Commonwealth laid the foundation for a more professional military organization, one that would eventually evolve into the Massachusetts National Guard. For Wilbraham, the law marked the transition from a colorful but imperfect tradition to a modern system shaped by discipline, structure, and readiness.