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This is a nano cache located by the memorial in Hackettstown for those who served during the Civil War. Bring your own pen.
The Story of Billy Yank
When President Lincoln made the call for Civil War volunteers, the men of Hackettstown and Warren County responded. Both Captain Holt's Company and Company B, 15th Regiment of the New Jersey Volunteers were manned with volunteers from Hackettstown and the surrounding areas. The men and boys returned to their homes after the war, but it was another thirty years before the town erected a monument to commemorate the local residents who fought, and those that died, while serving to preserve the Union during the Great Civil War of 1860-1865.
This 19-foot Monument, manufactured by J.W. Fiske Iron Works of New York City, consisted of a Civil War Soldier atop a pedestal, which had fountains for both horses and pedestrians. It was a splendid tribute by the Hackettstown Area to those who served during the Civil War. The $700.00 cost was provided from three sources; the Hackettstown Area School Children Monument Penny Collection ($300.00), the local businesses ($200.00) and the Hackettstown Town Council ($200.00). The Monument was placed centrally at the convergence of the "five corners" of Hackettstown; Mill Street, Willow Grove Street, Mountain Avenue, Warren Street, and Main Street/Route 46, in front of what is now "David's Country Inn".
On Decoration Day, May 30, 1896, the statue was unveiled and dedicated with elaborate celebrating. The pastor of the Presbyterian Church, Reverend J.C. Chapman delivered the dedicatory oration. There was a parade, firemen in uniform, war veterans and children carrying American flags. It was all quite impressive.
Thirty years later, this original tribute to the Civil War soldiers was lost. In 1922, the State Highway department first built a concrete highway through town and over the years, traffic steadily increased. Hackettstown was notified of the impending road construction and a requested was made of the town to relocate the Statue. Unfortunately, the Town Council was slow to respond and offers by local patriots to fund the expense of moving went unheard. On December 29, 1926, under a Court Order to widen State Highway Route 46, the monument affectionately known as "Billy Yank" was toppled and the metal sold for junk.
On January 14, 1927, the Gazette published a poem written by C.A.S. Gulick as a protest to the destruction of the Billy Yank monument, but it took seven decades until an action was initiated.
The New "Billy Yank"
In May 1998, the late Mr. Henry J. Monetti (local Realtor) with information from the late Mr. Howard Niper (local resident, photographer and historian) and Mr. Richard Harpster (local Journalist and Commentator) started a campaign to replace the destroyed Civil War Memorial Statue.
Under the "All Aboard for Hackettstown" Program, Mr. Monetti was designated the Chairperson for a subcommittee to replace the Civil War Statue. Mr. Monetti recruited Mr. Charles Prestopine, a retired High School History Teacher, as a Vice-Chairperson, who in turn canvassed for volunteers to fill the Committee. The Committee, under Mr. Prestopine, has continued to carry on the work once Mr. Monetti fell ill in 1999, and subsequently passed away September 30, 2000. Two members of the Committee, Mr. Kevin McCann composed and recorded a Monument song and Mr. Gerard Geiger wrote a poem to commemorate the new Statue. A donation of land approximately 90 feet from the original site was received from Valley National Bank and Warren County. The engineering site plans were developed and donated by Mr. Paul Sterbenz, Town Engineer for Hackettstown. They negotiated a contract for the Statue pedestal and park site plan which included personalized pavers for the walkways.
With the assistance and support of All Aboard for Hackettstown, the Hackettstown Civil War Memorial Monument Committee successfully spearheaded the effort to replace "Billy Yank" as the lasting tribute to our Civil War Soldiers. Assemblyman Leonard Lance with the support of Assemblywoman Connie Myers and State Senator William Schluter included in the Fiscal Year 2000/2001 budget the amount of $100,000.00 for the replacement of the Hackettstown Civil War Memorial Statue. The $100,000.00 was approved and signed by Governor Christine Whitman in July 2000 and the Monument Committee raised an additional $50,000.00 for the completion of the project.
The new "Billy Yank" was be five years old on May 30, 2006. Mr. Gerard Geiger, local resident, wrote a poem "Remember You Are Jerseymen" at the request of Mr. Charles S. Prestopine and Mr. Kevin McCann wrote a song "Monument" requested by Mr. Henry J. Monetti. You can read them on the pedestal of the Statue.
It may have taken many decades, but the patriotism of the Hackettstown's residents were finally unable to undo the dual wrongs of forgetting our Civil War Veterans and failing to protect the monument for which Hackettstown's school children collected 30,000 pennies in 1896
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