34 MASSACHUSETTS IIOKTICI'LTURAL SOCIETY. 



blood and courageous daring of the old Puritan warriors, exliil)ited 

 in man}' sanguinary encounters with dusky and lighter colored 

 foes of the forest and sea-coast, had been transmitted to him. 

 Opportunities for the display of hereditary qualities in actual war- 

 fare were wanting, but the pomp of preparation supplied the lack. 

 At an early age he took a keen interest in military aflairs, at six- 

 teen was enrolled in the militia of New Hampshire, and at 

 twenty-one was commissioned as Adjutant. He organized and 

 equipped the Rindge Light Infantry, and was chosen its Captain. 

 At twent3--five he was elected Lieutenant Colonel and at twenty- 

 six was commissioned as Colonel of the Twelfth regiment. Soon 

 after his removal to Boston he joined the Ancient and Honorable 

 Artillery Company ; and, after having been nominated four times 

 and as frequentl}' declining the honor, in 18o7 he accepted the 

 command. 



This artillery corps is the only offspring of the Royal Artillery 

 Company of London, founded in 1537 and commanded by the va- 

 rious sovereigns of England. Colonel Wilder entered into an 

 interesting correspondence with Prince Albert, then in command, 

 sending to him a copy of the history of the Boston Company, and 

 receiving in return an elegant cop\' of Highmore's History of the 

 Royal Artillery Company.- At the two hundred and nineteenth 

 anniversary, in 1857, Prince Albert was, on motion of Colonel 

 Wilder, elected a special honorary member, and at the anniversary 

 in 1878 the present Commander of the corps, the Prince of Wales, 

 was, at the instance of Colouel Wilder, made a special honorary 

 member as his father had been, twenty-one years before. 



On the 7th of November, 1849, a festival of the Sons of New 

 Hampshire was celebrated at Boston. The Hon. Daniel Webster 

 presided and Mr. Wilder was Vice-President. The association 

 again met on the 29th of October, 1852, to attend the funeral 

 of Mr. Webster. On this occasion the Legislature and other cit- 

 izens of New Hampshire were received at the Lowell depot and ad" 

 dressed by Mr. Wilder in behalf of the sons of that State resident 

 in Boston. The " Sons " celebrated their second festival Novem- 

 ber 2, 1853. Mr. Wilder occupied the chair as President and de- 

 livered one of his most able and eloquent addresses. They 

 assembled again June 20, 1861, to receive and welcome the New 

 Hampshire regiment of volunteers ; and escorted them to Music 

 Hall, where Mr. Wilder addressed them in a [)atriotic speech ap- 

 propriate to their departure for the field of battle. 



