Ever heard of the term “copperheads” used to describe people?

According to Wikipedia, the Copperheads were a vocal faction of Democrats located in the Northern United States of the Union who opposed the American Civil War, wanting an immediate peace settlement with the Confederates. The Republicans believed Northern Democrats’ goal of restoring the Union with slavery was naive and impractical, for the Confederates refused to consider giving up their independence. Republicans started calling antiwar Democrats “Copperheads,” likening them to the venomous snake.

It was the spring of 1863. The crowd of men gathered first at Alley Hawkes’ store in Windham Center, and then walked up the dirt road a few yards to the brick town hall. They were there in response to a special town meeting announced to reconsider a recent vote they made at the last town meeting. Voters had authorized payment of $300 to the government for each man in the quota the government set of men to send to fight in the Rebellion (or Civil War).

In this way, the men would not have to leave their farms and families, and the government would get soldiers from some other town – this payment would be used to pay them.

Nathan Goold, who lived near the corner of Nash Road in Windham Center, remembered the special town meeting in an article he wrote for the Portland papers in the late 1800s. As he recalled, the townspeople were divided (much like today) into pro-war and anti-war and the anti-war folks who had voted to pay the government, were called copperheads.

Nathan was 17 on the town meeting day in 1863. He couldn’t vote but was old enough to be interested in what was going on. He walked to the village center and in front of the brick town house (today’s historical society and museum) stood Jerry Stewart, drummer, and William Harmon, the fifer. They played “Yankee Doodle” as the townsmen gathered. A neighbor’s barn held a barrel of hard cider, which was used to brace up anyone with failing courage for the task at hand.

It wasn’t long before those in and outside town hall started using “unpatriotic threats” – too much for some of the young “zealots.” Goold remembers eight or 10 men fighting, throwing punches and yelling, and “soon it was bloody noses, torn and dirt clothing and all rolling down the hill.”

Apparently, cooler-headed men took over and quieted the fighters and bloody or not, they went into the building for the meeting.

In the town hall, Dr. Charles Parsons from up on Windham Hill presided over the special meeting. He gave a “ringing Union speech” and mentioned he had been offered a job as an Army surgeon.

Someone in the audience yelled to the doctor that if he wanted to go to war, he should go! Heated arguments began again, but they eventually settled down to the business at hand.

Finally, the prior vote was reconsidered – and changed only slightly. The citizens reconsidered their vote and again, provided to pay, not the government, but every acceptable drafted man of the town $300 – but he was to go to war himself or find a substitute.

Windham sent 302 men to fight in the Civil War, 44 of whom died in military service.