101st Field Artillery Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 101st Field Artillery ("Boston Light Artillery" ) regiment is the oldest field artillery regiment in the United States Army
with a lineage dating to December 13, 1636 when it was organized as the South Regiment. For the first 250 years of the unit's existence it served in infantry
formations.
. Its first commander was Colonel John Winthrop
. Since its creation, the regiment has served in six colonial wars and nine American wars totalling 47 campaigns through 2010.
In addition to its own lineage, the 101st Field Artillery Regiment holds the lineage of the 180th Field Artillery Regiment, the 211th Field Artillery Regiment, the 241st Field Artillery Regiment and the 272nd Field Artillery Battalion. Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion 101st Field Artillery holds the lineage of the 102nd Field Artillery
and the Second Corps of Cadets.
based in Brockton, Massachusetts
and Echo Battery 101st Field Artillery, Target Acquisition Battery (TAB) based in Rehoboth, Massachusetts
, both units are in the Massachusetts National Guard
.
Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion 101st Field Artillery
is based in Danvers, Massachusetts
with a detachment in Fall River, Massachusetts
. Bravo Battery is based in Waterbury, Vermont
and is part of the Vermont National Guard
.
In the past twenty years, the 1st Battalion 101st Field Artillery Battalion Field Artillery has fallen under the 26th Division Artillery, the 42nd Division Artillery, the 29th Division Artillery and the 26th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The battalion currently is the fires battalion for the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain)
, 42nd Infantry Division.
In the past twenty years, Echo Battery 101st FA (TAB) has fallen under the 26th Division Artillery and the 42d Division Artillery. The unit currently is the target acquisition battery for the 197th Field Artillery Brigade, New Hampshire National Guard
.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
with a lineage dating to December 13, 1636 when it was organized as the South Regiment. For the first 250 years of the unit's existence it served in infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
formations.
History
101st Field Artillery Regiment was first formed on December 13, 1636 as the South Regiment by the Massachusetts General CourtMassachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
. Its first commander was Colonel John Winthrop
John Winthrop
John Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
. Since its creation, the regiment has served in six colonial wars and nine American wars totalling 47 campaigns through 2010.
In addition to its own lineage, the 101st Field Artillery Regiment holds the lineage of the 180th Field Artillery Regiment, the 211th Field Artillery Regiment, the 241st Field Artillery Regiment and the 272nd Field Artillery Battalion. Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion 101st Field Artillery holds the lineage of the 102nd Field Artillery
1st Battalion, 102nd Field Artillery (United States)
The 102nd Field Artillery Regiment was organized in July 1786 in the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia at Salem, Massachusetts as the Cadet Company and re-designated as the Second Corps of Cadets. In 1972 they became the 102nd Field Artillery and in 1996 the 102nd was reorganized as a regiment to...
and the Second Corps of Cadets.
Recent and current organization
The regiment currently consists of the 1st Battalion 101st Field ArtilleryField artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
based in Brockton, Massachusetts
Brockton, Massachusetts
Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 93,810 in the 2010 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County...
and Echo Battery 101st Field Artillery, Target Acquisition Battery (TAB) based in Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Rehoboth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,172 at the 2000 census.-History:It was incorporated in 1643 making it one of the earliest Massachusetts towns to be incorporated. The Rehoboth Carpenter Family is among the founding families...
, both units are in the Massachusetts National Guard
Massachusetts National Guard
The Massachusetts National Guard was founded as the Massachusetts Bay Colonial Militia on December 13, 1636, and contains the oldest units in the United States Army. It is currently headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts and commanded by Major General Joseph C...
.
Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion 101st Field Artillery
Field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
is based in Danvers, Massachusetts
Danvers, Massachusetts
Danvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts, Danvers is most widely known for its association with the 1692 Salem witch trials, and for its famous asylum, the Danvers State Hospital.-17th century:The land...
with a detachment in Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
. Bravo Battery is based in Waterbury, Vermont
Waterbury, Vermont
Waterbury is a town in Washington County in central Vermont, in the United States. It is also the name of a village within that town. The population was 4,915 at the 2000 census.-Economy:-Industry:...
and is part of the Vermont National Guard
Vermont National Guard
The Vermont National Guard is composed of the Vermont Army National Guard and the Vermont Air National Guard. Green Mountain Boys, despite the inclusion of women in both branches since the mid-twentieth century. Flag of the Green Mountain Boys as their banner...
.
In the past twenty years, the 1st Battalion 101st Field Artillery Battalion Field Artillery has fallen under the 26th Division Artillery, the 42nd Division Artillery, the 29th Division Artillery and the 26th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The battalion currently is the fires battalion for the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain)
86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)
The 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is a Vermont National Guard light infantry brigade. It was reorganized from an armored brigade into a light infantry brigade as part of the United States Army's transformation for the 21st century...
, 42nd Infantry Division.
In the past twenty years, Echo Battery 101st FA (TAB) has fallen under the 26th Division Artillery and the 42d Division Artillery. The unit currently is the target acquisition battery for the 197th Field Artillery Brigade, New Hampshire National Guard
New Hampshire National Guard
The New Hampshire National Guard is a component of the New Hampshire Adjutant General's Department. It consists of the:*New Hampshire Army National Guard*New Hampshire Air National Guard*157th Air Refueling Wing-External links:**...
.
Notable non-combat actions
- In August 1765, the regiment was activated to patrol the streets of Boston to help quell riots that broke out in response to the Stamp ActStamp Act 1765The Stamp Act 1765 was a direct tax imposed by the British Parliament specifically on the colonies of British America. The act required that many printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamped paper produced in London, carrying an embossed revenue stamp...
.(241st FA Regiment Lineage) - In March 1770, elements of the regiment again patrolled the streets of Boston to enforce the law after the Boston MassacreBoston MassacreThe Boston Massacre, called the Boston Riot by the British, was an incident on March 5, 1770, in which British Army soldiers killed five civilian men. British troops had been stationed in Boston, capital of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, since 1768 in order to protect and support...
.(241st FA Regiment Lineage) - In 1786 during Shays' RebellionShays' RebellionShays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in central and western Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787. The rebellion is named after Daniel Shays, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War....
, members of the regiment protected judges and the TauntonTaunton, MassachusettsTaunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
courthouse after it was surrounded by insurgents. (211th FA Lineage) - Between July and October 1863, the regiment served in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to enforce draft laws after the New York Draft RiotsNew York Draft RiotsThe New York City draft riots were violent disturbances in New York City that were the culmination of discontent with new laws passed by Congress to draft men to fight in the ongoing American Civil War. The riots were the largest civil insurrection in American history apart from the Civil War itself...
(241st FA Regiment Lineage). - The regiment was called into state service on July 14, 1863 during the Boston Draft riots (101st FA Regiment lineage). While manning the Cooper Street Armory in Boston's North EndNorth End, Boston, MassachusettsThe North End is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It has the distinction of being the city's oldest residential community, where people have lived continuously since it was settled in the 1630s. Though small , the neighborhood has approximately 100 eating establishments, and a variety of...
, the armory was attacked by over 1,000 rioters intent upon seizing the weapons stored there. When the mob penetrated the armory's main gate, the soldiers opened fire killing and wounding dozens of rioters, effectively ending the attack. - The regiment was reviewed by President Andrew JohnsonAndrew JohnsonAndrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
in 1867, President Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
in 1869 and President Chester A. ArthurChester A. ArthurChester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing...
in 1882.(241st FA Regiment Lineage) - The regiment took part in the funeral of President Ulysses S. Grant in 1885.(241st FA Regiment Lineage)
- From June 16 to November 27, 1916, the regiment was federalized and served in TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
during the Mexican Border crises (101st FA Regiment lineage - also see Pancho Villa ExpeditionPancho Villa ExpeditionThe Pancho Villa Expedition—officially known in the United States as the Mexican Expedition and sometimes colloquially referred to as the Punitive Expedition—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican insurgent Francisco "Pancho" Villa...
). - In May 1996, Detachment 1, Headquarters Battery, 101st Field Artillery Battalion was ordered to active duty to serve with the Nordic-Polish Brigade in BosniaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
in support of Operation Joint Endeavor. - In May 1997, Echo Battery, 101st Field Artillery (TAB) was activated and served throughout Bosnia in support of Operation Joint GuardSFORThe Stabilisation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. It replaced the previous force IFOR...
. - After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001September 11, 2001 attacksThe September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, members of the 1st Battalion 101st Field Artillery served on state orders protecting the Pilgrim Nuclear Power PlantPilgrim Nuclear Generating StationPilgrim Nuclear Generating Station is currently the only nuclear power plant operating in the United States Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is located in the Manomet section of Plymouth on Cape Cod Bay, south of the tip of Rocky Point and north of Priscilla Beach...
and the Massachusetts Military ReservationMassachusetts Military ReservationThe Massachusetts Military Reservation, is a military reservation created by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States War Department in 1935. Governor James Curley signed the state bill to allocate and purchase land for a military facility, and establishing a formal commission to...
at Camp EdwardsCamp EdwardsCamp Edwards is a United States military training installation which is located in western Barnstable County, Massachusetts. It forms the largest part of the Massachusetts Military Reservation, which also includes Otis Air National Guard Base and Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod. It was named after...
. - Select soldiers served as part of a joint operations task force providing security for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
- The regiments howitzers fire blank rounds each Fourth of JulyIndependence Day (United States)Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
during the Boston Pops OrchestraBoston Pops OrchestraThe Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....
's playing of the 1812 Overture1812 OvertureThe Year 1812, Festival Overture in E flat major, Op. 49, popularly known as the 1812 Overture or the Overture of 1812 is an overture written by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1880 to commemorate Russia's defense of Moscow against Napoleon's advancing Grande Armée at the Battle of...
. It also provides howitzers to fire during a Fourth of July concert in Plymouth, Massachusetts. - On the first Monday in June, the regiment provides a howitzer salute as part of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of MassachusettsAncient and Honorable Artillery Company of MassachusettsThe 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...
' June day drumhead election reenactment ceremony which is held on Boston Common close to the Massachusetts State HouseMassachusetts State HouseThe Massachusetts State House, also known as the Massachusetts Statehouse or the "New" State House, is the state capitol and house of government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is located in Boston in the neighborhood Beacon Hill...
.
Notable members of the regiment
- Colonel John WinthropJohn WinthropJohn Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
- First commander, South Regiment - Captain John UnderhillCaptain John UnderhillJohn Underhill was an early English settler and soldier in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Province of New Hampshire, the New Haven Colony, New Netherland, and later the Province of New York...
- First full-time training officer, Commander Boston Company - Captain Myles StandishMyles StandishMyles Standish was an English military officer hired by the Pilgrims as military advisor for Plymouth Colony. One of the Mayflower passengers, Standish played a leading role in the administration and defense of Plymouth Colony from its inception...
- First commander Plymouth Company (211th FA Lineage) - Colonel Robert Cowden - Regimental commander who organized the unit as a three year volunteer regiment for the Civil War.
- Corporal Nathanial M. Allen - Was awarded the Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for saving the regimental colors from capture during the Battle of GettysburgBattle of GettysburgThe Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
. - Maj Asa M. Cook - first commander Light Artillery Company, 1st Brigade. Served in American Civil War.
- Sergeant Michael J. Kelley - While serving with Echo Battery, 101st Field Artillery (TAB) at Camp SalernoFOB SalernoFOB Salerno is a forward operating base of the U.S. military in south eastern province of Khowst, near the city of Khost in Afghanistan. It has been nicknamed "Rocket City" due to the large amounts of incoming rocket and mortar fire in previous years...
, AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
was killed in action on June 8, 2005 after the helicopter landing zone he was working at was hit by rocket fire. He was the first Massachusetts National Guardsman killed in action after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. - Private Walter BrennanWalter BrennanWalter Brennan was an American actor. Brennan won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on three separate occasions, which is currently the record for most wins.-Early life:...
, three-time Academy Award–winning actor, served with the 101st in France in World War I.
See also
- Yankee Division
- Rainbow Division
- 29th Infantry Division
External links
- Massachusetts National Guard Home Page
- 101ST FIELD ARTILLERY, U.S. Army Institute Of Heraldry
- 1st Battalion - 101st Field Artillery Regiment , Global Security.org