The Old First Massachusetts Coast Artillery in War and Peace

1st Regiment in 1878. Let us first give attention to the companies which bore the title of 4th Battalion. We shall

on, Suffolk. One of these disappeared from the records the following year, and another in 1792. The lone sur

honorable history-by no means least of their attainments is the masterly skill with which they have maintained the custom of dining together. Their motto, Aut vincere aut mori, seemed high-sounding in the early years. "Conquer or die" presented harsh alternatives. But the time was to come seventy-five years later when the nation needed just such stern, self-sacrificing devotion; and then the Fusiliers indeed lived up to their motto. The Fusiliers wore red coats, in commemoration of certain gallant foemen with whom America had recently been engaged. As the Cadets were then clad in white and another company in blue, a

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antry was organized after four months of preliminary meetings-the body which today reports to the Adjutant as the 2d Company, M. C. A. Their motto, "Death or an honorable life," is a ringing echo of Charles C. Pinckney's immortal words, "Millions for defence; not one cent for tribute." At the first banquet of the company, Oct. 18, 1798, when the charter was received, the principal toast was-"The United States of America; as they have dr

ntry. At a dinner in 1815 one of them gave point to his s

re's nothing s

tillness, a

last of war bl

the action

pany orators kept repeating the expression. Ere long the Boston Light Infantry found itse

gion of light infantry-both being entirely independent. Indeed the sub-legion of light infantry had no field officer until Feb. 14, 1806, when Capt. Daniel Messinger of the

e Tigers with the 2d, and the Winslow Blues with the 3d. These infantry regiments, former "legionaries," were neither train-band militia nor independent uniformed volunteers. Their status was somewhere between the two; it was hoped that the light infantry companies might serve as leaven for the infantry, and

s manifested active interest in the training school, "Th

ir entire half century of existence, they made constant effort to maintain their personnel at the highest standard; and the effort was crowned with success. An extant lithograph, in the museum of the A. & H. Art. Co.

June 13, 1814, in order to prevent an expected raid by a hostile landing party. The entire membership of the Fusiliers was on duty from Sept. 12 until Oct. 10, under Capt. Gerry Fairbanks (a hatter in civil life); and detachments continued doing garrison duty severa

ner task of maintaining public order the New England Guards were on duty twice-July 7, 1824, and Feb. 11, 1825,-in connection with conflagrations. In both instances personal property had been

s in the 1st Regiment, the Tigers and the New England Guards in the 2d, and the Winslow Blues in the 3d. Lists of company commanders are recorded elsewhere. A new branch of the service came into existence, the "Rifles," and were accorded precedence over others-were given the right of the line in parades. In appearance they differed from other troops, as they wore jaunty green uniforms, and carried short flint-lock rifles without bayonets. These riflemen aimed to reproduce the famous corps under Daniel Morgan and others in the Revolutionary war, the frontiersmen and rangers cla

ether in the infantry regiments who felt dissatisfied with their regimental connection, and resented the waning interest which regimental neighbors displayed in things military. Their plan was to separate from the infantry, and revive the old battalion of light infantry, whose members should all be volunteers and uniformed, the battalion which had been broken up in 1810-in s

mmand. A succession of field officers, which had begun in 1806 with Major Messinger and had been interrupted from 1810 until 183

gardless of weather; gradually blue nether garments were added for use on stormy days. The two rifle companies wore green, the Rangers having frock coats and uhlan hats; while extant engravings of the City Guards in 1844, the year of their famous march to Baltimore, show them clad in gray suits of a pattern precise

nt Andrew Jackson, who was soon to give place to Martin Van Buren. The start was made after partaking of a collation at Gov. John Davis' house; progress was made by march, stage, steamboat and rail; they camped on Capito

oston, for the first time in sixty years, found a company of foreign soldiery in her midst. At least that was the view of the matter taken by old-timers. The race prejudice which later issued in the Know Nothing movement, at once flamed up. On the other hand, these guardsmen had all declared their intention of becoming American citizens, and were entitled to bear arms. The guards were attached to Col. Smith's regiment. On Sept. 12, 1837, the date of the fall field-day and the first assembly of the regiment since the o

The City Guards a

eb. 23, 1838, the offending companies were punished by disbandment. Col. Smith went out of office at this time. The Montgomery Guards were themselves disbanded April 6, 1838. As a conseque

olumbian Greys were merely the old City Guards under a new name; in 1844 they appeared on the records as the City Greys, and by 1851 were known once more as City Guards. Similarly the Hancock Light Infantry continued the Fusiliers, the ancient corps being saved by the loyalty of two former captains. Noah Lincoln, Jr., a prominent Boston shipwright, was in command of the company when disbanded in 1838. On a May date in 1839 the Hancock Light Infantry elected the same Capt. Lincoln to be their commander; but he did not deem it best to accept. On May 17, 1839, the company proceeded to elect Louis Dennis, a former Captain of Fusiliers who had risen to field rank

0-May 18, 1841; Charles A. Macomber (formerly captain of the disbanded City Guards), June 15, 1841-Aug. 24, 1841; George T. Bigelow, formerly captain of the New England Guards, Sept. 11, 1841-Jan. 23, 1844; William H. Spooner, April 15, 1844-Jan. 19, 1847, the same Col. Spooner who had commanded th

ht Infantry). After church services on Sunday, June 18, the visitors were shown around to the chief points of

on of infantry; and altho absent from his Boston comrades, continued to retain a warm place in their hearts. In Nov., 1856, he had made an election bet with Col. J. J. Burbank, proprietor of the Tremont House, Boston, to the effect that Millard Fillmore would get the Massachusetts electoral vote for President; and lost. So on Saturday, Nov. 8, he paid the forfeit-by wheeling a barrel of apples, on a wheelbarrow, all the way, thirty-six miles, from Newburyport to Boston. Maj. Poore's popularity caused a wide-spread interest to develop in this feat; especially in Boston were the streets throng

New England Guards B, the Pulaski Guards C, the Highland Guards D, the City Guards E, the Fusiliers

halling his regiment against the mob on June 2, 1854, at the time of the Burns riot. In that year the organization consisted of eight companies. To him also fell the more congenial privilege, in Oct., 1862, of leading his command, the same regiment but then

, to which the number 3d was given. This included Capt. Poore's National Guards as Co. A, the Union Guards of East

the department of the Gulf, transferring to Gen. P. H. Sheridan in Virginia during 1864. In 1855 the 3d Battalion of Infantry disbanded, the National and Union Guards going into the 2d Regiment as 9th and 6th Cos. respectively, while the Sarsfield Guards passed out of existence. The transfer of two

d Regiment under Cols. Bullock and Cowdin presented a striking contrast to the 1st in these particulars. The military authorities, since they recognized the inevitable tendency of the times, disbanded the 1st Regiment, and transferred four of the seven companies to the 2d, on March 1, 1859. The companies to enter the 2d Regiment were: C, the Pulaski Guards; D, the Washington Light Guard; F, the Fusiliers; and H, the Mechanic Rifles; these became the 4th, 2d, 3d, and 5th Companies in Col. Cowdin's regiment. The three c

by the Adjutant General-for the formation of a "crack" regiment in Boston. At the same time, the designation, "4th Battalion," came to be coveted and sought after. The reason for the latter sentiment is obscure; there never had been a 4th Battalion in Boston, never any of prominence in Massachusett

ave been the nucleus of the desired "crack" organization; however the units did not cohere, and the battal

and most of the members went into the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company; now former members of the City Guards were reenlisted and consolidated with the Boston Artillery. Indeed these City Guardsmen were the instigators of the movement. Capt. Augustine Harlow (a printer in civil life), formerly in command of the National Guards, the 9th Company of the 2d Reg., joined in the movement and organized a new company. On Dec. 15, 1860, Capt. Leonard's as Co. A, Capt. Harlow's as Co. D, and two new companies designa

ders became Major, and was in fact the leader of the movement. The ensuing month brought war and put an end to the militia dreams. On April 25 Maj. Stevenson's battalion entered upon a one-month tour of volunteer garrison duty at Ft. Independence, the men serving without pay. It wa

War Department, accordingly, the 24th Mass. Reg. came into existence, having Thomas G. Stevenson as Colonel and Gilmore as band-leader. No prophet then foresaw the future; but a bronze bas-relief in the State House (erected in 1905) today reminds us of the record of heroic service in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida; the t

s men. Part of the 4th Battalion had organized and officered the 24th Regiment (there was already a 4th Reg.)-clinging to the coveted numeral others now raised the 44th Reg. and

862. Nothing remained of the old 1st Reg., or of the 2d Bat., except the Tiger company. In order to retain the battalion organization, the Tigers sub-divided into

nfluence. For while at Warren, it fell to the lot of their glee-club to originate one of America's greatest war-songs, one which until "Marching thru Georgia" was composed, stood supreme, the song, "John Brown's Body." Both words and tune trace back to the 2d Company. The tune is an adaptation of a southern revival hymn familiar before the war; but is so complete a revision as to be practically an original composition. The words were written as a joke on Private John Brown of the Tigers, who always seeme

epting the lower office of Major on June 23, 1862. This responsibility h

attached to Co. A of the 2d Battalion;-now the "Lt. Inf." Co. transferred itself bodily to the new regiment, and became Co. A of the 43d. Company commanders were: A, Henry J. Hallgreen; B, Edward G. Quincy; C, William B. Fowle, Jr.; D, Thomas G. Whytal (Capt. Whytal later became a Lt. Col. of U. S. Vols.); E, Henry Doane (of Orleans); F, Charles W. Soule; G, Everett Lane (of Abington, who was elected Major Oct. 20, 1862); H, Georg

Chelsea Rifles, and they in turn being the "depot" or reserve company of the Chelsea Volunteers (the 5th Co. in the three-year 1st Regiment), Co. H was in direct relationship with both of these commands. After the w

was repeated on Nov. 5, 1862, and the famous toast was again drunk, "The United States of America; as they have drawn the sword of justice with reason, may they neve

nd 44th Regs., which also enter into our history. The old Tiger spirit had accompanied them. In Dec, 1862, came their great march thru the swamps and sand barre

acy, opening as it did the way for Sherman's march northward. Foster'

nroe, thence by train to New York, and having a square meal en route at Philadelphia, by boat to New Haven and train to Boston, they were given a h

Boston. Veteran and exempt members of the Tigers had formed the "Boston Lt. Inf. Assn.," Nov. 1, 1862, during the absence of the active company. On this August date in 1864 the Light Infantry reorganized themselves as the "7th Infantry." Maj. Charles O. Rogers, first commander of the 2d Battalion, was offered the colonelcy but

ork 7th. Gilmore became band-leader, and it was hoped that his famous musicians would lend brilliancy to the new regiment. It was in his capacity as leader of the 7th Regiment band that Gilmore arranged and conducted his first "Peace Jubilee Festival" in 1869, with ten thousand singers and eight hundred instrumentalists in a "coliseum" seating fifty thousand

company in the 22d Mass. He was, in civil life, a successful Boston builder. E was commanded by no less a personage than Henry J. Hallgreen, war Captain of A or the Tiger Company in the 43d. A had for its Captain, David W. Wardrop, war Colonel of the 3d Reg. The entire regiment was quartered in a single armory, at Pine and Washington Sts. Co. B had developed by fission from Co. A in 1864 and was first called the Handy Guard or 32d Unattached Co. In 1869 so many veterans of the old Washington Light Guard joined Co. B that the Handy Guard became known as the Washington Light Guard.

ollowing the war. By 1870 the 7th had only four live companies remaining; on July 20 of that year the regiment was reduced to a battalion. The Tigers now recovered their old regimental number-they became the

became Major of the battalion, and on March 25, 1874, came a change in designation, bringing, after failure to get back their war number, 2d, the long-coveted numeral, "4th." As an indication of how this ambition had persisted from

ton, South Carolina, the latter being the first southern military body to visit the north after the war. The following year the Tigers and Old

ame a standard for other infantry bodies, while its striking quasi-Zouave uniform made such an impression upon the authorities that the costume was, in