The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts is the oldest chartered military organization in North America and the third oldest chartered military organization in the world. Its charter was granted in March 1638 by the Great and General Court of Massachusetts Bay and signed by Governor

John Winthrop John Winthrop (January 12, 1587/88 – March 26, 1649) was an English Puritan lawyer and one of the leading figures in founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the second major settlement in New England following Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led t ...

as a volunteer militia company to train officers enrolled in the local militia companies across

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

. With the professionalization of the US Military preceding

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

including the creation of the

National Guard of the United States The National Guard is a state-based military force that becomes part of the reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force when activated for federal missions.Honor Guard A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...

to the

Governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces. Massachuset ...

who is also its Commander in Chief. The headquarters is located on the 4th floor of

Faneuil Hall Faneuil Hall ( or ; previously ) is a marketplace and meeting hall located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts. Opened in 1742, it was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others ...

and consists of an armory, library, offices, quartermaster department, commissary, and military museum with free admission.

History

As the settlements which followed the landing at Plymouth increased and spread, there was no organized military force for protection — only local volunteer companies, which lacked the capacity for joint action or any centralized authority. The English Government had no standing army, with the only permanent force (other than Royal bodyguards) being the locally organised

Militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

, in which all able males between 16 and 60 were liable to serve as required for home defence. This part-time force was extended to the New World colonies following the settlement of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

in 1607 and its offshoot

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in 1609–1612, and to other colonies as they were established. Many of the settlers of Boston had been members in England of the

Honourable Artillery Company The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a reserve regiment in the British Army. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the w ...

(HAC) of London, and the military training they had received in that company led them to form a similar organization in the new country. In 1637 the company was formed as a citizen militia for instruction in military discipline and tactics. Robert Keayne and many of the original members of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company had been members of the original HAC of London. Governor Winthrop granted a charter on March 13, 1638, and on the first Monday in June following, an election of officers was held on

Boston Common The Boston Common (also known as the Common) is a public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest city park in the United States. Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street (139 Tremont St.), Park Street, Beac ...

. The original name of the company was "The Military Company of Massachusetts". It began to be referred to as "The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company" in the year 1737. Among the charter members was Nicholas Upsall, who later forsook his membership to join the

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

. Since that time, the company has continued to hold their annual elections on the Boston Common on the first Monday in June by casting their votes on a drum head. Company membership has long been considered a distinction among the New England gentry in a similar manner to which regimental membership conferred distinction on the sons of the English gentry. The Honourable Artillery Company of London and the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts acknowledge and celebrate their common historical roots. Since 1746, the headquarters of the company has been located in

. In this armory, the company maintains a military museum with free admission and library containing relics from every war the United States has fought since its settlement. The armory is open to the public daily. Prior to 1913, the Company served as the ''de facto'' officer school for the Massachusetts Militia. (Although not all officers in the Massachusetts Militia were selected from members of the company.) In 1913, the Massachusetts Militia established the Training School for officer training. This school was later renamed the Massachusetts Military Academy and is today designated the 101st Regiment — Regional Training Institute (RTI). The company reenacts the election of officers every 1st Monday in June (June Day Parade). A parade consisting of the AHAC, Massachusetts National Guard (MANG), members of the USS Constitution, Washington Light Infantry (South Carolina), and other historic military groups from across New England participate in the parade from Faneuil Hall to Boston Common. On occasion, members of the Honorable Artillery Company of London participate. A representative of the Swiss Guard may also be in attendance. Upon the arrival of the Governor of the State of Massachusetts, the MANG will fire a cannon volley. During the reenactment ceremony, the Governor will accept resignations of the Captain Commanding, and 1st and 2nd Lieutenants. New commissions will be issued by the Governor.

Membership

Membership in the company has traditionally been selected from the upper middle and upper classes of Boston society. In recent decades membership has been expanded to include those from outside of Massachusetts. It is common for senior officers in the Massachusetts National Guard to be members of the company. Although prior military service is not a requirement for membership, about one third of the current (2014) members of the Company have served in the Armed Forces of the United States, in most cases as commissioned officers. Prior to the late 20th Century, the membership of the company was almost exclusively Anglo-Americans. In recent decades, however, the company has recruited a more diverse membership. Most individuals who join the company are elected as Regular Members. After serving in the company for a prescribed period of time, Regular Members become Life Members. Individuals who are descendants of members of the Company who joined prior to 1738 may join as members by right of descent. Members by Right of Descent have discounted membership fees but may not vote or hold office in the company. Members by Right of Descent residing in New England are enrolled as full (regular) members and pay full dues. In rare cases, honorary membership is extended to highly distinguished individuals. Right of Descent membership qualifies the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company to be listed as a member organization of the

Hereditary Society Community of the United States of America The Hereditary Society Community of the United States of America ("HSC") is a non-profit organization, founded in 2002, which conveys the public interface for over 300 lineage societies. HSC's primary mission is to facilitate and increase the comm ...

, where it maintains its position as the oldest American lineage society in existence. Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company members have served in

King Philip's War King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1676 between indigenous inhabitants of New England and New England coloni ...

King William's War King William's War (also known as the Second Indian War, Father Baudoin's War, Castin's War, or the First Intercolonial War in French) was the North American theater of the Nine Years' War (1688–1697), also known as the War of the Grand All ...

Queen Anne's War Queen Anne's War (1702–1713) was the second in a series of French and Indian Wars fought in North America involving the colonial empires of Great Britain, France, and Spain; it took place during the reign of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. In E ...

, King George's War, the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

, the Revolutionary War, the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

, the Mexican War, the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

, the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

, the

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

, the

Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror , image ...

and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The company has had ten members who were awarded the Medal of Honor (three of whom are still living), and has also had four members who served as President of the United States: Presidents

James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...

Chester A. Arthur Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st president of the United States from 1881 to 1885. He previously served as the 20th vice president under President James ...

, Calvin Coolidge and

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

. Honorary membership was also extended to Prince Albert, King

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and ...

and King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

. A number of Governors of Massachusetts have also been members of the company. In 2012, the organization voted to induct its first woman members. Lieutenant Colonel Catherine M. Corkery and Colonel Christine Hoffmann, both officers in the Massachusetts National Guard, were inducted into the organization on September 17, 2012.

Motto

The company's official motto is "Facta Non Verba" – a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

phrase meaning "Deeds Not Words".

Noteworthy members

Presidents of the United States

* James Garfield * Calvin Coolidge *

Medal of Honor recipients

*Colonel

Harvey C. Barnum Harvey Curtiss Barnum Jr. (born July 21, 1940) is a former United States Marine Corps officer who received the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War. He was the fourth Marine to receive the medal for actions in Vietnam. He retired from the Marine ...

, USMC *Captain George L. Street III, USN *Captain Thomas Hudner, USN *Captain

Thomas G. Kelley Thomas Gunning Kelley (born May 13, 1939) is an American veteran and retired captain in the United States Navy who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War. From 2003 to 2011 he served as Secretary of the Massachusetts ...

, USN *Lieutenant Colonel Francis S. Hesseltine, USV *Brevet Major George H. Maynard, USV *Captain Jacklyn Harold Lucas, USAR *1st Lieutenant Gardner C. Hawkins, USA *Staff Sergeant

Ryan Pitts Ryan Pitts (born October 1, 1985) is a former United States Army soldier and the ninth living recipient of the Medal of Honor from the War in Afghanistan. Early life Pitts was born in Lowell, Massachusetts and grew up "all over New England", inc ...

, USA *Sergeant Charles A. MacGillivary, USA *Corporal Lowell M. Maxham, USV

Governors of Massachusetts

*Captain Samuel Turell Armstrong – Lieutenant Governor and Mayor of Boston *Major General

Nathaniel Banks Nathaniel Prentice (or Prentiss) Banks (January 30, 1816 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician from Massachusetts and a Union Army, Union general during the American Civil War, Civil War. A millworker by background, Banks was promine ...

– U.S. Representative * George S. Boutwell * Robert Bradford *Major General John Brooks – Revolutionary War veteran, general in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

and Massachusetts Militia *Major General

Benjamin Butler Benjamin Franklin Butler (November 5, 1818 – January 11, 1893) was an American major general of the Union Army, politician, lawyer, and businessman from Massachusetts. Born in New Hampshire and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts, Butler is ...

– U.S. Representative * Calvin Coolidge - President of the United States * James Michael Curley – Legendary Mayor of Boston and U.S. Representative *

Joseph Dudley Joseph Dudley (September 23, 1647 – April 2, 1720) was a colonial administrator, a native of Roxbury in Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the son of one of its founders. He had a leading role in the administration of the Dominion of New England ...

William Dummer William Dummer (bapt. September 29, 1677 (O.S.) October 10, 1677 (N.S.)/small> – October 10, 1761) was a politician in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. He served as its lieutenant governor for fourteen years (1716–1730), including an e ...

– Philanthropist and founder of Dummer Academy *

Edward Everett Edward Everett (April 11, 1794 – January 15, 1865) was an American politician, Unitarian pastor, educator, diplomat, and orator from Massachusetts. Everett, as a Whig, served as U.S. representative, U.S. senator, the 15th governor of Mass ...

– U.S. Secretary of State and U.S. Senator *

Christian Herter Christian Archibald Herter (March 28, 1895December 30, 1966) was an American diplomat and Republican politician who was the 59th Governor of Massachusetts from 1953 to 1957 and United States Secretary of State from 1959 to 1961. His moderate ...

– U.S. Secretary of State * John Leverett – Major General in command of the Massachusetts Militia and captain of the company. *Major Levi Lincoln – U.S. Representative * John D. Long (honorary member) – Secretary of the Navy * Leverett Saltonstall – U.S. Senator *

Caleb Strong Caleb Strong (January 9, 1745 – November 7, 1819) was an American lawyer, politician, and Founding Father who served as the sixth and tenth governor of Massachusetts between 1800 and 1807, and again from 1812 until 1816. He assisted in draf ...

* Maurice J. Tobin – Mayor of Boston and U.S. Secretary of Labor * John A. Volpe – U.S. Secretary of Transportation

Public officials

*Captain Edward Johnson - Founding member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, "Father of

Woburn, Massachusetts Woburn ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,876 at the 2020 census. Woburn is located north of Boston. Woburn uses Massachusetts' mayor-council form of government, in which an elected mayor is ...

" *Captain John Hull -

Treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury ...

and mintmaster of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. *Major General

Benjamin Lincoln Benjamin Lincoln (January 24, 1733 ( O.S. January 13, 1733) – May 9, 1810) was an American army officer. He served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Lincoln was involved in three major surrenders ...

– 1st Continental States Secretary of War; Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts *Captain Josiah Quincy, Jr. – Mayor of Boston *Major General Henry A. S. Dearborn – U.S. Representative *Captain John Gerrish − Merchant and Ship-Owner and Assistant Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Superior Court *Colonel Samuel C. Lawrence – Mayor of Medford, Massachusetts and

Masonic Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

Grand Master of Massachusetts *Brigadier General

Augustus Pearl Martin Augustus Pearl Martin (November 23, 1835 – March 13, 1902) was an American politician and soldier from Massachusetts who served as the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, in 1884. He also was a leading artillery officer in the Union Army during t ...

– Civil War colonel and Mayor of Boston *Major General Ebenezer Mattoon – U.S. Representative and officer in the American Revolution *Major General

George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...

– Civil War general and governor of New Jersey * Henry F. Naphen – U.S. Representative * Samuel L. Powers – U.S. Representative *Colonel Richard Saltonstall – Superior Court Judge *Major

Samuel Sewall Samuel Sewall (; March 28, 1652 – January 1, 1730) was a judge, businessman, and printer in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, best known for his involvement in the Salem witch trials, for which he later apologized, and his essay ''The Selling ...

, 2nd – Chief Justice of the

Massachusetts Superior Court of Judicature The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Although the claim is disputed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the SJC claims the distinction of being the oldest continuously functi ...

*Captain

William Tailer William Tailer (February 25, 1675/6 – March 1, 1731/2) was a military officer and politician in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Born into the wealthy and influential Stoughton family, he twice married into other politically powerful familie ...

– Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts * George Washington Warren – Mayor of Charlestown, Massachusetts * Thomas L. Winthrop – Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts *Major General

Wait Winthrop Waitstill Winthrop (27 February 1642 – 7 November 1717) was a colonial magistrate, military officer, and politician of New England. Early life Winthrop was born on 27 February 1642 in Boston, the capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He wa ...

– Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court

Others

* William Aspinwall – Colonist *Major General

Humphrey Atherton Major-General Humphrey Atherton, (c. 1607 – September 16, 1661), an early settler of Dorchester, Massachusetts, held the highest military rank in colonial New England.Adams, William Frederick, William Richard Cutter. ''Genealogical and pers ...

*Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Dawes *Major General Daniel Denison *Major General

William Heath William Heath (March 2, 1737 – January 24, 1814) was an American farmer, soldier, and political leader from Massachusetts who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Life and career Heath m ...

– Continental Army general during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

*Major General John Hull *Brigadier General

William Hull William Hull (June 24, 1753 – November 29, 1825) was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the American Revolutionary War and was appointed as Governor of Michigan Territory (1805–13), gaining large land cessions from several Am ...

– General in the

*Captain Edward Hutchinson – officer in

*Captain Isaac Johnson – Killed at the

Great Swamp Fight The Great Swamp Fight or the Great Swamp Massacre was a crucial battle fought during King Philip's War between the colonial militia of New England and the Narragansett people in December 1675. It was fought near the villages of Kingston and W ...

*Captain Robert Keayne – First commander of the Company *Major General John Leverett *Lieutenant

John Leverett the Younger John Leverett (August 25, 1662 – May 3, 1724) was an early Anglo-American lawyer, politician, educator, and President of Harvard College. Early life John Leverett was the son of Hudson Leverett, an attorney, and Sarah (Payton) Leverett, (a ...

– President of

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

*Captain John Nelson *Major Thomas Savage – 5 time commander of the Company *General Gordon Sullivan - Chief of Staff of the United States Army *Colonel Samuel Thaxter – An early commander of Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company and grandfather of Major General

*Brevet Brigadier General William S. Tilton *Brevet Brigadier General Stephen Minot Weld, Jr. *Captain Thomas Weld *Captain Edward Winslow *Colonel

Edward Winslow Edward Winslow (18 October 15958 May 1655) was a Separatist and New England political leader who traveled on the ''Mayflower'' in 1620. He was one of several senior leaders on the ship and also later at Plymouth Colony. Both Edward Winslow and ...

- Early American silversmith *Brigadier General John Winslow – Officer in the Continental Army and the Massachusetts Militia

References

{{reflist

External links

Official siteThe National Society of Women Descendants of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery CompanyThe Hereditary Society Community of the United States of America
Military in Massachusetts 1638 establishments in Massachusetts Patriotic societies Financial District, Boston Military units and formations established in 1638 State based fraternal and lineage societies Massachusetts Z Museums in Boston Military and war museums in Massachusetts Historical reenactment groups

History

Membership

Motto

Noteworthy members

Presidents of the United States

Medal of Honor recipients

Governors of Massachusetts

Public officials

Others

See also

References

External links