THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, May 22, 2020 Page 7 ment was mustered into federal service during the 1898 Spanish-American War, but did not go overseas. In November 1907 the 2nd Massachusetts, as part The 182nd Infantry from Massachusetts By Th e Old Sachem B ack in my high school days, while looking for something to do, I joined the 182nd Regimental Combat Team in Charlestown as a medic. My major duty was to vaccinate members of the 182nd companies within Eastern Massachusetts for their forays at summer camp in upstate New York. I knew the unit was the oldest in America, but I did not know much of its history until recently. The basis for militia traces back to the reign of Edward I of England, when the English Parliament enacted legislation decreeing that every freeman between the ages of 15 and 60 years be available for periodic military training to preserve peace in the country. By the 17th century, the militia had become the cornerstone of English and American society. The unit traces its origins to the North Regiment, which was organized on October 7, 1636, from existing training bands at Charlestown, New Town (later Cambridge), Watertown, Concord and Dedham. It started under the early fl ag of England to protect the colonists, from the period 1636 to 1707. It was redesignated on March 10, 1643, as the Regiment of Middlesex, a colonial regiment operating in the American wilderness, and quickly had to learn how to cope with the Native Americans. They were quick to incorporate changes in tactical doctrine based on conditions in King Philip’s War and many other early confl icts. Each militiaman was required to own a fl intlock musket prior to 1675. They divided the unit into two regiments on October 13, 1680; the Lower Regiment of Middlesex included the towns of Charlestown, Cambridge, Watertown, Woburn, Malden and Reading. It was later redesignated prior to 1733 as the 1st Regiment of Militia of Middlesex, and the 2nd was designated as the Middlesex Regiment, which later was designated as the 181st Infantry Regiment. The Massachusetts Provincial Congress ordered the activation of the 1st Middlesex County Regiment on April 19, 1775, as part of the American forces for the Revolutionary War. Four days later the unit was reorganized and entered into the Massachusetts Army as Gardner’s Regiment. Members unable to fi ght (elderly and young) were used a depot guards and as local defenses. After the death of Colonel Gardner, the unit was again changed, into the Bond’s Regiment on July 3, 1775. On January 1, 1776, it became the 25th Continental Regiment of the Continental Army, then one year later to the day, January 1, 1777, as the 7th Massachusetts Regiment, Continental Line. The Regiment was mustered out of Continental service on June 12, 1783. The 182nd only 19 Army National Guard Everett Aluminum 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 Owned & operated by the Conti family since 1958 • 57 Years! “Same name, phone number & address for family since 1958 • 62 over half a century. We must be doing something right!” •Vinyl Siding •Free Estimates •Carpentry Work •Fully Licensed •Decks •Roof • Fully Insured • Replacement Windows www.everettaluminum.com •Roo ng Now’s the time to schedule those home improvement projects you’ve been dreaming about all winter! of the land forces of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, went back as a regiment of the Massachusetts National Guard. The 2nd Massachusetts was Bill Stewart The Old Sachem units with campaign credits for the War of 1812. The 182nd was called back into national service on April 19, 1861, and charged with the defense of Washington, D.C. The 182nd the 1st and 7th fantry, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia and Major Cook’s Light Artillery. It was mustered into Federal Service on May 1, 1861, at Washington, D.C., for three months service, assigned to the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division Infantry was one of and took battle in the First Battle of Bull Run, before being mustered out in Boston on August 1, 1861. The next call was the mustering into federal service between September 16 and October 8, 1862, at Wenham for nine months service, and it served in the Department of North Carolina and with the XVIII Corps. It was mustered out on July 2, 1863, at Wenham. The next mustering was for federal service at Camp Meigs in Readville, Massachusetts, for 100 days service in July of 1864, and it served with the VIII Corps in the Middle Military Division of the Baltimore area. On mustering out on November 16, 1864, at Readville, the unit resumed its original status as the state militia and was redesignated as a regiment of the Massachusetts National Guard. During the Civil War, troops were inducted into federal service for stated periods and were able to leave at mustering out time. The 2nd Massachusetts Regiadded the companies of Regiments of Inreactivated into federal service on June 25, 1916, at Framingham for duty on the Mexican border, stationed in El Paso, Texas. The unit was again mustered out November 15, 1916. The next reactivation was on July 25, 1917, and it was drafted into federal service on August 5, 1917, for service in World War I. The 2nd Massachusetts was redesignated on February 11, 1918, as the 3rd Pioneer Infantry Regiment, and served as part of the U.S. First Army in France before being demobilized by July 31, 1919, at Camp Devens in Ayer and Shirley, Massachusetts. You might remember a prior column where I explained that the early breakout of Spanish fl u was in Fort Devens, as it was then named, and carried forward to New York as the troops were assigned for overseas duty. After the war the unit was once again reorganized as the 5th Infantry Regiment of the Massachusetts National Guard on July 12, 1920. On March 21, 1923, the unit was redesignated as the 182nd Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 51st Infantry Brigade along with the 101st Infantry Regiment. The Brigade was part of the 26th Infantry Division, then reorganized and federally recognized on April 11, 1923, with headquarters in Charlestown. The 182nd was inducted into federal service once again on January 16, 1941, at Charlestown for service in World War II. It was moved from the 26th Division at Camp Edwards on the Cape and assigned to Task Force 6814 on January 14, 1942, and sent to Melbourne, Australia. They had boarded troop ships in New York on January 18, 1942, and left New York on January 23, 1942, listed as a New England National Guard Company, and they arrived in Melbourne on February 26, 1942. They began jungle training under the direction of some AusOLD SACHEM| SEE PAGE 15 Law Offices of Terrence W. Kennedy 512 Broadway, Everett • Criminal Defense • Personal Injury • Medical Malpractice Tel: (617) 387-9809 Cell: (617) 308-8178 twkennedylaw@gmail.com Spring!
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