THE TOPSFIELD-BOXFORD COMPANY
MACHINE-GUN COMPANY, FIFTEENTH REGIMENT,
MASSACHUSETTS STATE GUARD

IN ACCORDANCE with the action of the Public Safety Committee in April, 1917, a Company of the Massachusetts State Guard was organized with headquarters in Topsfield when the town voted the use of the town Hall as an armory and drill hall. Sergeants Donaldson, Lane, and Hammond of the old 8th Regiment, M.V.M., volunteered their services to drill the recruits. Many men turned out to drill and a long list of names petitioned for the forming of the Company. Some seventy men signed the enlistment cards, were physically examined and sworn in in July as Company H of the 15th Regiment of the M.S.G. Major-General Butler Ames came down to inspect the Company and described the sort of service which might be required of the men. The following men were elected officers:

Edward J. Prest, Captain
James Duncan Phillips, First Lieutenant
Alfred K. Nason, Second Lieutenant
      From early in April drills were held every week and a school of non-commissioned officers required that all the officers should give up two evenings a week. This was cheerfully done and the men from Boxford showed the utmost energy in attending the drills, even coming from a long distance in bad weather.
      Two battalion parades were held in the autumn of 1917--one at Beverly and one at Salem--in which the Company played a creditable part. During the winter the Company narrowly missed being called out to guard the docks in Boston when the German activities in explosions were feared. A part of the 15th Regiment did have to do this work, but the United States Guards were detailed just before company H was reached.
      In the early spring of 1918 the Company was honored by being made the Machine-Gun company of the 15th Regiment. George L. Gerry was chosen a Second Lieutenant and additional Sergeants were appointed. Four machine guns were supplied by a friend of the town. The Company later paid for these in part by a series of most excellent entertainments prepared and given by the members. These included a very dramatic little play, "Pa's New Housekeeper," presented by Sergeants Elliot and Stanwood and Corporal Gilmore, with the able assistance of some young ladies, and a wonderful minstrel show including everbody who could sing, which filled the Town Hall to its utmost capacity. These shows were repeated in Boxford and proved of very considerable financial assistance.
      The Company took part in the great Liberty Loan parade in Boston, April 19, 1918, and was complimented on its excellent appearance. A few days later it also took part in the Liberty Loan parade in Salem. On May 30 it assisted in the Memorial Day Exercises, both in Topsfield and in West Boxford.
      On July 14 the entire Company left for Framingham by motor. After a lunch en route it arrived in camp about 2.30 and at once prepared to erect the tents. The work in camp was hard and the discipline severe, but all things considred the camp was a great success. Captain Prest was called away on business the second day of camp and the command devolved on Lieutenant Phillips, who continued the drill and brought the Company back to Topsfield. It was noted that on the day of departure the Company was the first to be inspected by the Colonel and was complimented on the condition of its quarters.
      During the autumn of 1918 Lieutenant Gerry and Sergant Stanwood did most useful service in assisting Captain Hathaway of the Ipswich Company at Camp Mason, during the influenza epidemic in Ipswich. In December Captain Prest, to the regret of all, felt obliged to resign.
      the following former members of the Company went into the active service of the United States:

Rufus S. Carter
Amos W. A. Fuller
Arthur H. Gilmore
Frank E. Harrington
George H. Nason

William A. Perkins
Leslie S. Ray
Russell C. Smith
Randolph H. Todd
Benjamin B. Towne
Sargent H. Wellman

THE TOPSFIELD-BOXFORD
MACHINE-GUN COMPANY OF THE FIFTEENTH REGIMENT
MASSACHUSETTS STATE GUARD

NAME	RANK
Edward J. Prest	Captain	Topsfield	resigned Dec. 1, 1918
James Duncan Phillips	Captain	Topsfield	1st Lieutenant, appointed Captain Dec. 19, 1981
Alfred K. Nason	1st. Lieut.	West Boxford	2d Lieutenant, appointed 1st lieut. Dec. 19, 1918
George A. Gerry	2d Lieut.	Topsfield	Appointed 2d Lieut. Feb. 1918. Died Feb. 24, 1919
Thomas E. Elliot	2d Lieut.	Topsfield	Appointed 2d Lieut. March, 1919
Walter L. Archer	Private	Boxford
Charles F. Austin	Mess Sergt.	West Boxford
Horton D. Bradstreet	Private	Topsfield
Clarence D. Brown	Private	boxford
Robert J. Brown	Private	Boxford	Discharged Oct. 31, 1917
Alexander B. Carter	Corporal	Topsfield
Rufus S. Carter	Private	Topsfield	Discharged Oct. 31, 1917, to join the National Army
Thomas E. Cass	Mechanic	Topsfield
Joseph Cassese	Private	Topsfield	Discharged March 18, 1918
Clarence J. Castle	Private	Topsfield
Manuel F. Castle	Corporal	Topsfield
John G. Chandler	Private	West Boxford
George E. Clarke	Private	Topsfield
Thomas H. Clay	Private	Topsfield	Discharged Oct. 31, 1917
Harry L. Cole	Sergeant	West Boxford
Patrick F. Collins	Private	Topsfield
John K. Curtis	Cook	Boxford
Antonio Deluco	Private	Topsfield	Discharged March 18, 1918
Edward D. Disbrown	Private	West Boxford
Charles S. Duckworth	Private	Topsfield	discharged April 12, 1918
Harold W. Foster	Private	West Boxford
Amos W.A. Fuller	Private	Topsfield	Discharged July April 12, 1918. Joined the National Army
Ralph H. Fuller	Private	Topsfield
T. Jesse Fuller	Private	Topsfield
Arthur H. Gilmore	Corporal	Topsfield	Discharged July 12, 1918, to join Y.M.C.A. in France.
William J. Goodwin	Act'g Corp.	Topsfield
Allen P. Gould	Sergeant	Topsfield
John R. Gould	Horse-shoer	Topsfield
Fred A. Greenwood	Supply Sergt.	Topsfield
S. Arthur Gurley	Supply Sergt.	Topsfield
Frank E. Harrington	Corporal	Topsfield	Discharged June 28, 1918, to join Naval Aviation Corps.
Edward J. Hopping	Private	West Boxford
Clinton J. Ingraham	Private	Topsfield
H. Gilbert Jordan	Private	Topsfield	Discharged June 13, 1918
William Keith	Private	Topsfield
Dana F. Killam	Bugler	Boxford
William LaBonté	Private	Topsfield
John K. Lewis	Private	Topsfield

Lewis R. Little	Private	Topsfield
Norman E. Little	Bugler	Topsfield
Aubrey Lyon	Private	West Boxfield
Avard P. Lyon	Private	West Boxfield
Harry F. Moore	Private	Boxford
C. Wallace Morissey	Bugler	Topsfield
J. Fred Morrisey	Corporal	Topsfield
Ernest W. Mortimer	Private	Boxford	Discharged Oct. 31, 1917
George H. Nason	Private	West Boxford	Discharged Oct. 31, 1917, to join the National Army.
Fred Paglia	Private	Topsfield	Discharged March 18, 1918
George B. Parhurst	Corporal	Boxford
Horace F. Patton	Private	Topsfield	Discharged April 30, 1918
Simeon S. Pearl	Corporal	West Boxford
Thomas W. Peirce	1st Sergt.	Topsfield
Henry C. Perkins	Private	Topsfield	Transferred May 21, 1918, to Co. B, 15th Regt.
William A. Perkins	Private	Topsfield	Discharged Oct. 31, 1917, to join the Natinal Army
Frederick E. Pingree	Private	Topsfield	Discharged March 18, 1918
Benjamin P. Poor	Private	Boxford
Leslie S. Ray	Corporal	Topsfield	Discharged Oct. 31, 1917, to the Aviation School
Charles H. Reid	Private	Topsfield	Discharged July 20, 1918
Roland M. Roberts	Private	Topsfield
Eugene F. Russell	Private	Boxford
Harold H. Russel	Private	Boxford	Discharged March 18, 1918
Karl G. Smerage	Private	Topsfield
Russell C. Smith	Sergeant	Topsfield	Discharged Oct. 31, 1917, to join the Merchant Marine.
George A. Stanwood	Sergeant	Topsfield
George R. Sweeney, Jr.	Private	Topsfield
Charles W. Taintor	Stable Sergeant	Topsfield
Thomas H. Tansey	Private	Boxford	Discharged Oct. 31, 1917
Frank Titus, Jr.	Cook	Boxford	Discharged Oct. 31, 1917
Henry N. Titus	Private	Topsfield
Randolph H. Todd	Private	Topsfield	Discharged Nov. 15, 1918, to join the Naval Reserve
Benjamin B. Towne	Supply Sergt.	Topsfield	Discharged Nov. 15, 1918, to join the Natinal Army
Herbert A. Towne	Private	Topsfield
Charles D. Tutty	Sergeant	Boxford	Transferred March 25, 1918, to Co. E, 15th Regt. M.S.G.
George E. Watson	Private	Boxford
Charles A. Welch	Private	Topsfield
Sargent H. Wellman	Private	Topsfield	Discharged Dec. 15, 1917, to go to Plattsburg Training Camp. Commissined 1st. Lieut.
John G. Whittier	Private	Boxford
J. William Wildes	Private	Topsfield
Harry J. Wilson	Private	Topsfield
Five (5) officers commissioned.
Eighty (80) men enlisted since organization.
Eleven (11) men discharged to join the National Service.
Two (2) men transferred to other State Guard Regiments.
Fourteen (14) men honorably discharged

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Since organization the company has raised a very considerable amount of money:

COMPANY FUND

Raised in 1917	$124.15
Raised in 1918	346.19
Spent for Company purposes		$470.34
On hand Jan. 1, 1918		$198.83

MACHINE-GUN FUND

Original guaranty, less returns	$1800
Subscriptions for guns	540
Proceeds of entertainments	437.71
Subscriptions for carts and express	310.00
		$3087.71

Guns	$2600
Carts, etc.	360
Expressage, etc.	23.93
Balance on hand		2983.93
		$103.78

THE TOPSFIELD-BOXFORD COMPANY MACHINE-GUN COMPANY, FIFTEENTH REGIMENT, MASSACHUSETTS STATE GUARD

THE TOPSFIELD-BOXFORD COMPANY
MACHINE-GUN COMPANY, FIFTEENTH REGIMENT,
MASSACHUSETTS STATE GUARD