Meeting between the Board of Managers and Henshaw in Westborough

Please join us at a special state-wide meeting of the Col. William Henshaw Chapter with our Board of Managers on Saturday, May 19th, at the 1790 Restaurant in Westborough. This local gathering is an opportunity for you to better know the society and our work. It is also a way for us to share information, make decisions, coordinate and plan our activities together.

At 9:30am, we begin with a session of the Board at the Restaurant on 208 Turnpike Road (Route 9 East) just a few miles west of Route 495. The 1790 House appears on the National Register of Historic Places of the United States. Each of its unique fireplaces surrounds were crafted differently by the carpenters who built the house. Each is documented in architectural detail in the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Free parking is available behind the restaurant.

Following the meeting at 11:30am, join the reception and brunch for members and guests with the wonderful food and superb service of the restaurant. After painstakingly restoring the building and grounds in 1974, the owners of the restaurant searched for recipes that would bring out the natural freshness and flavor of their food. They wanted the 1790 to be a haven for people looking for high quality food and drink at a reasonable price. A full listing of all options available may be found on their website.

Our speaker for the event is Nathan Allen, an independent historian who did his undergraduate work at Dartmouth and graduate work at Harvard University. As a historian, Nathan focuses on the colonial history in Massachusetts Bay, and his next book, completed in February 2012, is entitled The Colonial Handbook for Overthrowing the Government. Nathan will speak on work he began to study over a decade ago, work that resulted in Arsonist - the first complete biography of Otis ever published. Arsonist was named as one of Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2011. For more information about the author and his books, visit his webswite.

The reviewer Robert Steele commented that "Mr. Allen's work adds deep perspective to the underlying intellectual and moral foundations of the American Revolution, and in particular helps present the difference between the traditional view ('taxation without representation') with a much more nuanced and philosophically founded view ('objection to the entire feudal hierarchy that placed power in the hands of a very small elite'). This this is a very important contribution to scholarship, to humanity, and to we the people."

If you will be joining us at the banquet after the meeting with the Board of Managers, please confirm a reservation by sending a $29.50 check, payable to the Col. William Henshaw Chapter, at the address below by May 7th, or by ordering tickets on line.

We very much look forward to seeing you on May 19th!

Best Regards,

Verne Thayer President, Col. William Henshaw Chapter Contact Us

Michael E. Fishbein President, The Massachusetts Society

For reservations by mail, please send your reservation to:

Mr. Steven G. Perkins
Treasurer, Col. William Henshaw Chapter
15 Myra Road
Framingham, MA 02116

The annual Memorial Day parade will take place on Monday, May 28th, 2012 stepping off from the Town Hall at 10:00 A.M. The flags on the graves of veterans will be refreshed on Friday May 27th at 9:30 A.M. Geraniums will be planted on the veterans' graves on Saturday May 26th at 9:30 A.M. Anyone who would like to volunteer to help with this either or both of these projects can come to the New Westwood Cemetery at 9:30 A.M.

The plans for the annual Memorial Day Parade are underway and it looks to be bigger than ever. The parade will begin at Westwood Town Hall and travel to Westwood Cemetery, where residents and members of the parade came together to watch performances, listen to speeches, and most importantly, honor those who served in the U.S. military. The parade will travel back to the town hall as the ceremony in the cemetery concluded. All are welcome!

Contact: Commander Steve Perkins at the Color Guard.

Special guest Keith Vezeau, archivist of the Massachusetts National Guard Museum and Archives and board member of the Govenor's Humanity Council

Please join us at a special state-wide meeting of the Old Essex Chapter with our Board of Managers on Saturday, June 16th, at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem. This local gathering is an opportunity for you to better know the society and our work. It is also a way for us to share information, make decisions, coordinate and plan our activities together.

At 10:00am, we begin with a session of the Board at the Hotel at 18 Washington Square West in the center of Salem, sixteen miles above Boston. Over the years, the Hawthorne Hotel has hosted many well-known personalities, including newsman Walter Cronkite, actress Bette Davis, General Colin Powell, and on separate occasions, President George Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush. Free parking is available behind the restaurant.

Following the meeting at noon, join the reception and brunch for members and guests with the wonderful food and superb service of the restaurant. As one guest remarked, "From the time we entered the charming lobby, greeted by the most exquisite arrangement of fresh flowers, until check-out two days later, the historic charm was mirrored by old fashioned quality service. What was remarkable was the thoughtfulness of the staff." A full listing of all options is available on their website.

Our speaker for the event is Keith Vezeau, archivist of the Massachusetts National Guard Museum and Archives in Worcester, who will introduce you to records available to researchers interested in exploring the military history of their family members. Mr. Vezeau is a Certified Archivist with the Academy of Certified Archivists and a member of the Society of American Archivists. He also provides reference services for the archives of the Massachusetts Militia, National Guard, and State Guard. Vezeau is an honors graduate of Worcester State College, holds an Masters of Fine Arts in poetry from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and a Masters in Library and Information Science from Simmons College. He was appointed to the Board of the Massachusetts Humanities Council by Governor Duval Patrick in 2009.

If you will be joining us at the luncheon after the meeting with the Board of Managers, please confirm a reservation by sending a $25.00 check, payable to the Old Essex Chapter, at the address below by June 7th, or by ordering tickets on line.

We look forward to seeing you on June 16th!

Best Regards,

L. David Day President, Old Essex Chapter Contact Us

Michael E. Fishbein President, The Massachusetts Society

For reservations by mail, please send your reservation to:

Mr. Richard K. Thorndike, III
Treasurer, Old Essex Chapter
Post Office Box 189
Prides Crossing MA 01965

Each year on the Sunday closest to June 17, Charlestown closes its borders and celebrates Bunker Hill Day, commemorating the Revolutionary War battle that colonists lost, but fought so valiantly that they emboldened other colonies and gave the British pause. It was a pivotal point in the American Revolution, and world history.

Residents fly their Bunker Hill flags, their Gadsden (Don’t Tread On Me) flags, or different regimental flags. People line the streets and throw parties on the parade route, but it’s all over in a day.

The famous order "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" was popularized in stories about the battle of Bunker Hill. However, it is uncertain as to who said it, since various histories attribute it to Putnam, Stark, Prescott or Gridley. It was also not an original statement. The earliest similar quote came from the Battle of Dettingen on 27 June 1743, where Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Andrew Agnew of Lochnaw warned his Regiment, the Royal Scots Fusiliers, not to fire until they could "see the white's of their e'en."

Bunker Hill Day, observed every June 17, is a legal holiday in Suffolk County, Massachusetts (which includes the city of Boston), as well as Somerville in Middlesex County (where Prospect Hill, site of colonial fortifications overlooking the Charlestown neck, is now located). State institutions in Massachusetts (such as public institutions of higher education) located in Boston also celebrate the holiday.

Contact: Commander Steve Perkins at the Color Guard.

The Polish Heritage Committee (PHC) of Northampton cordially invites you to its 26th Annual Pulaski Day Parade to be held on Monday, October 8, 2012. The day will begin with a mass at 10 AM at the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church (formerly Sacred Heart Church) located at 99 King St., Northampton, MA, followed by the parade at approximately 11 AM. The parade route will begin from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church proceeding left down King Street to the center of town, turning right onto Main Street to Pulaski Park (next to the Academy of Music) for formal ceremonies. This year the Polish Heritage Committee is celebrating its 25th anniversary; a special program is being planned at the Park with speakers, placing of a floral wreath at the General Pulaski monument, salute, and musical selections. We would appreciate it very much if you would be kind enough to notify your friends and associates of this beautiful annual occasion to participate in our parade. If you know of anyone who has a Poilsh costume, please extend an invitation to them as well.

Casimir Pulaski, or Kazimierz Pulaski in Polish was a Polish soldier, nobleman, and politician who has been called "the father of American cavalry". A member of the Polish landed nobility, Pulaski was a military commander for the Bar Confederation and fought against Russian domination of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. When this uprising failed, he emigrated to North America as a soldier of fortune. During the American Revolutionary War, he saved the life of George Washington and became a general in the Continental Army. He died of wounds suffered in the Battle of Savannah. Pulaski is one of only seven people to be awarded honorary United States citizenship.

Contact: Commander Steve Perkins at the Color Guard.

The Philadelphia Independence Day Parade offers a one-of-a-kind experience which is especially meaningful on July 4th. The location alone is significant, as the parade passes directly in front of Independence Hall where the U.S. Constitution was signed and our freedom was born. Yet the historic significance goes beyond the location and is also reflected in the parade elements.

The parade is designed to be a chronological procession of history, illustrating the impact the Constitution had — and still has — on our lives. The parade begins with Native Americans followed by historical entities from the 1700s and the Civil War period. A salute to the military paves the way for a celebration of the future of our nation: the youth. The parade ends with a celebration of cultural and social diversity featuring dance groups from many countries and much more. Modern-day marching bands, drum corps and drill teams are an important part of the lineup that also incorporates historic and military music groups.

The 1.2-mile rectangular route travels through the historic district of Philadelphia, retracing the steps of our founding fathers from more than two centuries ago. The parade begins at the intersection of 5th and Chestnut Streets and travels west to 9th Street. The parade travels north one block, turns right onto Market Street for eight blocks, then makes a final right turn onto Front Street and ends at Chestnut Street. The entire parade route is free and open to the general public.

Contact: Commander Steve Perkins at the Color Guard.

The Battle of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by General Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by General Lord Cornwallis. It proved to be the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War, as the surrender of Cornwallis’s army (the second major surrender of the war, the other being Burgoyne's surrender at the Battle of Saratoga) prompted the British government to eventually negotiate an end to the conflict.

The fighting at Yorktown cost the allies 72 killed and 180 wounded. British losses were higher and included 156 killed, 326 wounded. In addition, Cornwallis' remaining 7,018 men were taken prisoner. Meeting at the nearby Moore House, Cornwallis attempted to obtain the same favorable terms of surrender that Major General John Burgoyne had received at Saratoga. This was refused by Washington who imposed the same harsh conditions that the British had demanded of Major General Benjamin Lincoln the year before at Charleston.

With the surrender complete, Cornwallis' army was taken into custody rather than paroled. Shortly thereafter, Cornwallis was exchanged for Henry Laurens, the former President of the Continental Congress. The victory at Yorktown was the last major engagement of the American Revolution and effectively ended the conflict in the American's favor.

Contact: Commander Steve Perkins at the Color Guard.