To the Tigers, as to others of Boston’s best citizens, the call for
nine-months men came as a personal summons to service. Maj. Holbrook’s
2d Battalion at once began enlisting recruits, until it had expanded to
a complete ten-company regiment. Practically all the officers were
chosen from the Tiger battalion; and the new regiment, the 43d, was
known as the “Tiger Regiment.” The ancient title, “Boston Light
Infantry,” had remained 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, George B. Hanover (of Chelsea); I,
George O. Tyler (of Cambridge); K, J. Emery Round. Maj. Holbrook, as we
have already seen, became colonel. John C. Whiton, who later was
Colonel of the 58th Mass., was Lt. Col., and Everett Lane, Major. Co. D
was from Dedham, E from Orleans, G from Abington, H from Chelsea and I
from Cambridge. The other companies were recruited at large--that is,
from Boston. The regiment was mustered in Sept. 20, 1862.
Co. H of the 43d had an origin prophetic of the regimental consolidation
which was to give us the present Coast Artillery. Springing as it did
from the membership, and commanded as it was by the 1st Lieutenant of
the 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 war, veterans of all three companies joined forces,
transformed the Rifles into the “Chelsea Veterans,” and thus created our
present 5th Company, M. C. A. For three years it was actually made up
exclusively of veterans.
Tiger veterans and friends joined in giving the 43d a notable
“send-off.” Once more the motto was “Death or an honorable life.” The
historic banquet of Oct. 18, 1798, 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 never sheathe it
with disgrace.” Hon. R. C. Winthrop, standing on Boston Common,
presented the regiment a handsome stand of colors, a gift from the
Boston Light Infantry.
A few weeks later the 43d found themselves under Gen. John T. Foster in
North Carolina, far indeed from Boston and their friends, but side by
side with the 3d and 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 barrens, when they were face to face
with the enemy during eleven continuous days. They were able to claim as
their list of battles, Kinston, Whitehall and Goldsboro.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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