The 182nd Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army, forming part of the Massachusetts National Guard. It is among the oldest regiments in the U.S. Army, tracing its organizational roots back to 1636, and is one of several National Guard units with colonial roots and a campaign credit for the War of 1812.
The regiment traces its history back more than 230 years, when it was part of the colonial militia in Massachusetts. It later served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, with Union forces in the American Civil War, and as a federalized Massachusetts National Guard regiment with the U.S. Army during World War I and World War II.
For many years, the regiment was a mechanized unit, and in 2006 the regiment was converted into the 182nd Cavalry Regiment, headquartered at Melrose Armory in Melrose, Massachusetts. Converted back into an infantry regiment in 2010, the only active element of the regiment is its 1st Battalion.
History
Formation and colonial operations
The 182nd Infantry Regiment traces its origins to the North Regiment which was constituted and organized on 7 October 1636 from existing training bands at Charlestown, New Town, Watertown, Concord, and Dedham. The regiment was redesignated on 10 March 1643 as the Regiment of Middlesex. As a colonial regiment operating in the American wilderness, the regiment was quick to incorporate changes in tactical doctrine based on conditions encountered in fighting Native Americans in King Philip's War and other conflicts, requiring each militiaman to own a modern flintlock musket prior to 1675. The unit was divided into two regiments on 13 October 1680, one designated as the Lower Regiment of Middlesex, to include the town of Charlestown, Cambridge, Watertown, Woburn, Malden and Reading. It was redesignated prior to 1733 as the 1st Regiment of Militia of Middlesex. (The 2nd Middlesex Regiment, born of this division, has also survived as the 181st Infantry Regiment).
Massachusetts Army and the American Revolution
At the onset of the American Revolutionary War, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, meeting as a shadow government, ordered the activation of the 1st Middlesex County Regiment on 19 April 1775. It was reorganized and entered the Massachusetts Army as Gardner's Regiment on 23 April 1775 (elements of the regiment remained with the 1st Middlesex County Regiment for depot guards and for local defense). It was redesignated as Bond's Regiment upon the death of Colonel Gardner, on 3 July 1775. The unit was again redesignated on 1 January 1776 as the 25th Continental Regiment of the Continental Army, and on 1 January 1777 as the 7th Massachusetts Regiment, Continental Line. The regiment was mustered out of Continental service on 12 June 1783.
War of 1812
The 182nd Infantry is one of only nineteen Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812.
Civil War
The unit was ordered into active service for the defense of Washington on 19 April 1861 with attached companies from the 1st and 7th Regiments of Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, and Major Cook's Light Artillery Company. It was mustered into federal service on 1 May 1861 at Washington, D.C., for three months service, and assigned to the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division. It participated in the First Battle of Bull Run before being mustered out on 1 August 1861 at Boston. The unit was again mustered into federal service between 16 September – 8 October 1862 at Wenham for nine months service; during which time it served in the Department of North Carolina and with the XVIII Corps. It was mustered out on 2 July 1863 at Wenham. It was mustered into federal service at Camp Meigs, Readville, Massachusetts, in July 1864 for 100 days service and served with the VIII Corps in the Middle Military Division (Baltimore and vicinity) before being mustered out on 16 November 1864 at Readville and resumed state militia status as the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia.
National Guard and overseas service
During the 1898 Spanish–American War the 5th Massachusetts was mustered into federal service but did not go overseas. On 15 November 1907, the 5th Massachusetts, as part of the land forces of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, was redesignated as a regiment of the Massachusetts National Guard.