USA > Massachusetts > History of Massachusetts in the Civil War > Part 31
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The allotment system was simply this : The sums allotted were deducted by the paymaster on each pay-day, and forwarded to the State Treasurer for distribution, or by separate checks to
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ALLOTMENT COMMISSIONERS.
the family, according to the system adopted by the State. Our Massachusetts system proved most satisfactory, as it avoided all risk of chance of omission by transmission of a check by mail, and secured payment directly to the family at home. The pay- ments to the soldiers, from the General Government, were to be made at or near the close of every two months, commencing with January. But, owing to sudden or hazardous movements and other causes, these payments were often delayed, and both the men and their families were much distressed. To remedy this evil, - in part, at least, - and secure, if possible, the retention of a large share of the soldiers' wages at home, the Massachusetts Legislature, in 1863, at the suggestion of Governor Andrew, passed an act, authorizing the State Treasurer to assume the pay- ment of all the Massachusetts volunteers, provided that Congress would permit this to be done. For some reason, permission was not given, much to the regret of the soldiers and the Massachu- setts authorities. The act passed by the Legislature of Mas- sachusetts, March 11, 1862, provided that the Treasurer of the Commonwealth should receive and distribute, without ex- pense to the soldiers or their families, all money which our volunteers might forward for this purpose; and that the distri- bution should be made to parties in the State by the Treasurer of the Commonwealth, through the town and city treasurers, who were to notify the persons 'to whom the money was as- signed, and, if they failed to call for it, return the money to the State Treasurer, who placed it on interest, until further order from the soldier. Persons living out of the State, to whom money was assigned, were to be notified ; and, upon the return of a proper order or draft, the amount was forwarded, by a check upon a bank in Boston or New York, as would best serve the interest of the claimant. In many cases, the money was directed by the soldier to be placed at once in the State Treasury, where it drew five per cent interest, thus virtually making the State Treasury a savings bank.
It appears, from the report of the State Treasurer for 1866, that the first allotments forwarded to him were in April, 1862; and that -
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THE REBELLION.
The whole amount, for that year, including about
$40,000, placed on interest, was . . $202,905.56
In 1863, including $90,000 on interest, was . 698,297.76
Also, allotments of State bounties . 190,012.50
In 1864 and 1865, including State bounties . 2,144,136.65
In 1866, for deposits by State paymaster .
2,294.65
Total .
$3,237,647.12
At the close of the year 1866, all this money, excepting $76,269.15, which remained on interest to the credit of eight hundred and seventy soldiers, had been distributed ; and the bal- ance awaited the appearance of the men, or their legal representa- tives, to whom it will be paid.
It is evident, from these figures, that the system of allotment, and the very able and satisfactory manner by the commissioners and the State Treasurer, was of very great utility. It secured to many men and to their families much money which would otherwise have been wasted ; and it induced and encouraged a habit of saving, the effect of which may have a material, bene- ficial influence upon those who practised it. It also lessened the taxes which would otherwise have been imposed upon the Commonwealth. To the members of Congress, who in- augurated this admirable system, and to Governor Andrew and the Legislature, who encouraged it, and especially to the com- missioners, who gratuitously, at great expense of time and money, performed this onerous service, the soldiers and the State owe a debt of gratitude.
The letters written by the Governor, during the year, relate chiefly to military matters, - many, in the early part of the year, to the appointment of regimental and company officers. Governor Andrew had established a rule for making appoint- ments, from which he seldom departed during the Rebellion. This rule was based upon the principle of selecting the best men he could find, without regard to personal or political affini- ties. Whenever he could obtain the services of an experienced and educated officer to command a Massachusetts regiment, he commissioned him. The selection of officers for commands he
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APPOINTMENTS BY THE GOVERNOR.
regarded as the most solemn duty which the war imposed on him. We have often heard him say, when asked to appoint persons whose claims upon his favor were based upon the fact that the candidate and his family exercised a local, political in- fluence, -
"Such considerations impress me with no force. The appoint- ment is in no manner a political one. The man I shall commission is he who can best command his men, care for their health, lead them bravest in battle, and, by his intelligence and capacity, save life and limb from needless sacrifice. This I owe alike to the men themselves, to their families they leave behind, and to common humanity."
Of course, he did not, at all times, make the best choice ; but he endeavored to, and thought he had succeeded. We remem- ber one rather remarkable case, where the Governor erred in making selection of a captain in the Twenty-second Regiment. The Governor believed the person whom he selected to be best fitted for the command. The Adjutant-General believed, and so reported, that the gentleman who was to be a lieutenant in the company should be made captain. The Governor, how- ever, did not change from his original purpose ; and the commis- sions were made out as originally determined upon. The person commissioned captain never attained higher rank : the one commissioned lieutenant rose to be a major-general of vol- unteers, and gained a reputation second to none, as an able and accomplished volunteer commander, in the Army of the Poto- mac, - we refer to Major-General Nelson A. Miles, now colo- nel of infantry in the United-States army, who began his military career as first lieutenant in the Massachusetts Twenty-second Regiment, and whose military record reflects great honor upon his native State.
Governor Andrew, however, seldom erred in his judgment of men ; and we have no question that the officers selected by him will bear a favorable comparison with those of any other State. When a vacancy occurred after the regiment left the State, his rule was to wait until a recommendation of a person to fill the vacancy was received from the officer in command of the regiment, which recommendation required the approval and
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THE REBELLION.
indorsement of the officer in command of the brigade. If the person recommended appeared, by the roster, to be junior to others of the same rank, the colonel was written to for his reasons for deviating from the military rule of seniority : if the reasons returned were satisfactory and properly indorsed, the promotion was made, and the commission issued; but, if the reasons given were not satisfactory, - if they disclosed favor- itism, family influence, or unjust prejudice, - the appointment was not made, but the officer properly in the line of promotion was commissioned. The Governor's mind was eminently just ; he despised trickery and treachery, and all the small devices to which mean natures resort to gain their ends.
On the 11th of January, the Governor writes to Montgomery Blair, Postmaster-General, calling his attention to a bill re- ported in the United - States Senate by Senator Wilson, "providing, among other things, that vacancies occurring in regiments of volunteers mustered into the United-States service shall be filled by presidential appointment," and gives strong reasons why it should not become a law. He concludes by say- ing,-
"It is simply impossible that the volunteer officers can be well se- lected at Washington. I make mistakes, make some exceptionable appointments, find it out, and try to avoid similar errors again ; and I know how difficult is the task. Knowing its difficulty, I write you this note, though the passage of the bill would relieve me personally from much irksome and anxious duty."
The bill here referred to never became a law ; and appointments continued to be made by the Governors of States, until the end of the war. On the same day, he writes a long and interesting letter to Major-General Mcclellan, thanking him for the "as- surance of your valuable aid in establishing our coast defences, furnishing instructors for our volunteer artillerists," and asking his influence to have a company accepted, " the rank and file of which will be mechanics, riggers, carpenters, smiths, &c., for the special duty of garrisoning Fort Independence, putting the fort in order, mounting and serving the guns." This com- pany was, long afterwards, raised and accepted, of which Ste-
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CORRESPONDENCE OF THE GOVERNOR.
phen Cabot was commissioned captain, and became the nucleus of the Fort Warren Battalion.
On the 13th of January, the Governor writes three letters, in regard to our coast defences, - one to the President, one to our Senators and Representatives in Congress, and one to Secre- tary Seward, -in which he argued the importance of the subject, and that the General Government authorize it to be done by the State, as "the State can do it with more expedition and economy than it can be done otherwise." These letters were taken to Washington by Colonel Charles Amory, master of ordnance of Massachusetts.
Jan. 18. - Colonel Browne, by direction of the Governor, writes to Henry N. Hooper, of Boston, respecting an exchange of prisoners : -
" Every thing that the Governor can do by prayers, entreaties, argu- ments, and remonstrances, to induce the Federal Government to do justice to our prisoners by institnting a proper system of regular ex- changes, has been done in vain. The Federal Administration have obstinately refused to institute such a system; and it is only by indi- vidual effort that our fellow-citizens can extricate their fathers, brothers, and sons from that Southern captivity."
Jan. 22. - Governor writes to Hon. Roscoe Conkling, United-States House of Representatives, and now United- States Senator : -
" I have received, and perused with lively gratification, your speech, delivered on the 6th inst. For its lofty eloquence, and its tribute to the valor and devotedness of our soldiers, - particularly of the men of the Fifteenth and Twentieth Regiments, - I beg to tender you the homage of respectful and hearty gratitude."
Jan. 27. - Governor writes to Edwin M. Stanton, who was recently appointed Secretary of War, in place of Mr. Cam- eron, -
" I have the honor to introduce John M. Forbes, Esq., of Boston, one of the most eminent citizens and business men of Massachusetts. He takes great interest in the subject of coast defences, of which Mr. Seward wrote me, last October, but which, I believe, is now in the care of your department. It is very desirable that Massachusetts should act
21
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THE REBELLION.
promptly in every way in which her action is needful ; and I desire not to be remiss in any duty, but rather to anticipate than delay. Any views imparted to Mr. Forbes would be received for the common good." .
Same day, to Hon. Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treas- ury : -
"I have the honor to give notice, that Massachusetts assumes, and will pay, her quota of the direct national tax ; and I inclose you a copy of the resolve of the General Court, giving me authority to that end."
Reference having been made, in the newspapers, to the letter written by General Butler, reflecting upon the personal charac- ter of Colonel Powell T. Wyman, of the Sixteenth Regiment, and the answer which the Governor made to it, it would ap- pear that Colonel Wyman, on the 24th of January, wrote to the Governor, as we find a letter written by the Governor, Jan. 27, to Colonel Wyman, from which we extract the essen- tial part : -
" Nothing contained in General Butler's letter lessens my estima- tion of your qualities as a soldier and a gentleman ; nor, to my knowl- edge, is there any officer connected with my staff who entertains any other feeling towards you than such as was manifested continually dur- ing your intercourse with us, while organizing your regiment. I have heard but one expression of sentiment with regard to the affair; and that has been of very cordial sympathy with you, under the infliction of so wanton, unprovoked, and unmerited an attack."
On the 30th of January, the Governor was suddenly called to Washington, and was absent about ten days. It was while in Washington at this time that the troops raised by General Butler in Massachusetts were placed in the charge of the Gov- ernor, and the irregular and illegal manner of raising regiments ended ; and the "Department of New England " was discon- tinued.
In January and February, persons representing themselves recruiting officers for a Maryland regiment came to Boston, and, by their misrepresentations of large pay and little service, in- duced some thirty or forty men to enlist, and go with them to
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LETTER OF COLONEL DUDLEY.
Baltimore. Upon arriving there, they found how miserably they had been imposed upon. The promises held out were de- lusive, and the men whom they had trusted were cheats. They were left without money to support themselves ; and many letters were received by the Governor and the Adjutant-General, asking that transportation be furnished to return to Massachusetts. Strenuous efforts were made by the Governor to have the men released from the trap in which they had been caught. We find among his letters, at this time, many relating to this unfor- tunate occurrence. He wrote to General Dix, then command- ing at Baltimore ; to the Secretary of War ; to our members of Congress ; to the Governor of Maryland ; and to the men them- selves. In a letter to one of our members of Congress, he thus describes the transaction : -
" It has been done by the most dishonorable and outrageous fraud ; and my efforts have been baffled, and these men and others have been entrapped into organizations in which they find only discomfort and misery ; and I think that their condition appeals strongly to the sym- pathy, as well as to the sense of justice, of the War Department."
He had the satisfaction in a few weeks to know that his efforts had been successful. The men were released, and after- wards enlisted in Massachusetts regiments.
Feb. 18. - The Governor writes to the Secretary of War, -
"I am informed by Colonel Dudley, that, from conversations he has had with Major-General Butler, he is satisfied, and feels it his duty to report to me, that, if I commission any other person than Mr. Jonas H. French as lieutenant-colonel, he will compel him (Colonel Dud- ley) to recognize Mr. French as such, and to repudiate the gentleman I appoint, notwithstanding the commission. Colonel Dudley states, that, as a pretence for this action, General Butler states to him that he proposes to rely on Special Order No. 11, of the current series of your department, which is of course inoperative, so far as it under- takes to designate officers over a body of men which it rests with me alone to organize by the appointment of commissioned officers, but which, nevertheless, Major-General Butler cites, in opposition to the law. I respectfully suggest to you, that that order should be annulled, and that General Butler should receive, from his commander-in-chief, directions suitable to the occasion, and to the demeanor thus assumed by him."
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MASSACHUSETTS IN TIIE REBELLION.
Colonel Dudley, who is here mentioned, was a captain in the United-States army, - a Massachusetts man, - and had been commissioned by the Governor colonel of the Thirtieth Regi- ment.
At this time, the Governor had offered the lieutenant-col- oneley of the regiment to William S. Lincoln, of Worcester ; but, from some cause, a change was made, and William W. Bullock, of Boston, received the appointment, and served with the regiment until ill health compelled him to resign, Nov. 25, 1863.
The following is the answer of the Secretary of War to the letter above quoted : --
" This Department recognizes the right of a Governor to commis- sion volunteer officers. If General Butler assumes to control your appointment, or interfere with it, he will transcend his authority, and be dealt with accordingly. The Adjutant-General will transmit to General Butler an order that will prevent his improper interference with your legitimate authority."
Feb. 19. - The Governor telegraphed Hon. John B. Al- ley, member of Congress, -
. " The gentlemen said to have been designated by the President, as allotment-commissioners for Massachusetts troops, have received no notice of their appointment. Will you ascertain why, and see that notice is immediately forwarded ? Telegraph, if you succeed."
Feb. 20. - The Governor's private secretary, Colonel Browne, writes to Colonel Dudley, -
" Governor Andrew directs me to inclose to you the within photo- graphic likeness of the young gentleman, Mr. Joseph W. Morton, of Quincy, of whom he spoke to you, and who is acting as a non-com- missioned officer in the Thirtieth Regiment. He hopes you may find him qualified to be recommended for appointment to a first or second lieutenancy. He is represented to be a person of careful education, extensive travel, and general capacity."
It is proper to state here, that the Thirtieth and Thirty-first Regiments of Infantry, recruited by General Butler in this
325
FORT WARREN BATTALION.
Commonwealth, and originally designated by him as the East- ern and Western Bay-State Regiments, were sent from the State to Louisiana without a single commissioned officer. Per- sons selected by General Butler had been designated by him to act as officers. As many of these persons acted in good faith, and were believed to be competent to command men, Colonel Dudley, of the Thirtieth, and Colonel Gooding, also an army officer, who was commissioned colonel of the Thirty-first, were directed by the Governor, upon joining their regiments in Louisiana, to make a careful examination of the qualifications of the gentlemen acting as officers, and to report to him the names of those who were qualified, that they might receive their commissions. This duty was performed, and, in due time, the officers were properly commissioned. The young gentleman, Mr. Morton, referred to in the above letter, was afterwards commissioned by the Governor in one of the cavalry companies raised by General Butler, and serving in the Department of the Gulf. He was a good officer, and died at his home in Quiney, before the end of the war, from disease contracted in the service.
Feb. 20. - The Governor writes to Mr. Stanton, -
" I earnestly desire authority to change the battalion at Fort War- ren to a regiment. It consists of six companies, and needs the staff officers pertaining to a regiment. Major Parker has repeatedly urged this, and is by my side while now writing."
The battalion here spoken of was raised by Francis J. Parker, of Boston, for garrison duty at Fort Warren, and remained there until the retreat of General Mcclellan, in the summer of 1862, from before Richmond, when it was sent forward to the front, at a day's notice, to meet the pressing exi- gency, which then existed, for additional forces. Previous to this time, Mr. Stanton persistently refused to allow the bat- talion to be recruited to a regiment. After it had left the State for the seat of war, permission was given, and four new com- panies were added to it, and it was designated and known, to the end of the war, as the Thirty-second Regiment, Massachu- setts Volunteers.
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THE REBELLION.
Feb. 27. - The Governor writes to Colonel Tompkins, United- States Quartermaster at New York, -
"The Rev. A. L. Stone, pastor of the Park-street Church in this city, desires to visit Port Royal for the purpose of gathering informa- tion concerning the moral and spiritual condition of the 'contrabands ' in that quarter. He is a suitable person to accomplish such a mis- sion. May I hope that you will do what you can to facilitate Mr. Stone's transit to and from Port Royal ?"
Feb. 28. - The Governor writes to the Adjutant-General of Massachusetts, -
" I have just, this afternoon, had time to read your interesting report, and I beg you would do what it reminds me of; namely, send to Captain Davis, at Fortress Monroe, and learn what is the present state of his company. General McClellan agreed to change it to artillery ; but as yet I have received no orders about it."
This letter refers to the report made by the Adjutant-General of his visit to the front, of which an abstract is given in pre- ceding pages in this chapter.
March 3. - The Governor addressed a letter to Hon. A. H. Bullock, Speaker of the House of Representatives, calling his attention to a general order issued that day by the Adjutant General of the State, concerning three rebel flags taken at the battle of Roanoke Island by, the Massachusetts regiments, and says, -
" Such trophies are always prized by the soldier. They are earnest proofs of his efforts and achievements in the performance of his peril- ous duties. I confess that I received these with the utmost sympathy ; and I can but pay to the men who won that day my humble but hearty and admiring gratitude."
The Governor then states that the House of Representatives would probably like to pay to our soldiers the honor of having the flags displayed for a time in their hall, and that any direc- tion as would enable this to be done he would gladly concur in. The flags were subsequently presented to the House, and were displayed there until the end of the session.
March 3. - The Governor writes to Right Rev. Bishop Fitz- patrick that he had no power "to order private McDonald's
327
. FUNERAL OF GENERAL LANDER.
discharge : that rests alone with the Federal authorities. I will, however, be happy to unite with you in presenting to the Secretary of War, or the General-in-chief of the army, any statement of reasons for requesting the discharge which is desired."
March 4. - The Governor writes to Colonel Kurtz, Twenty- third Regiment, at Newbern, N.C., -
"I wish to learn the place of burial of James H. Boutell, late private in Co. K, Twenty-third Regiment. He died in the service, and is supposed to have been buried at Ilatteras ; also, the best means for his friends to get his remains to Massachusetts. His wife, Mrs. Abbie P. Boutell, resides in Wrentham."
March 9. - The Governor writes to Mr. Stanton, Secretary of War, -
"I beg leave to report to you, that the honor you paid to the memory of General Lander, by causing his remains to be returned, under a suitable escort, to his native State, was rendered complete by the faithful and decorous manner in which the sad duty was fulfilled by Captain Barstow, and the officers and soldiers accompanying him. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the city of Salem, the place of General Lander's nativity, have received with much sensi- bility the manifestation of grateful respect, on the part of the War Department, toward a soldier and gentleman whose fame, now a part of his country's history, is one of the precious possessions of those from whom he went forth to her service and defence. His body now rests in silence beneath the soil on which his youth was spent, and to which it was committed with every demonstration of regard on the part of the executive and legislative branches of the government of the Commonwealth, and on the part of the municipality of Salem, in the presence of many thousands of his fellow-citizens, and with appropriate military honors. With the fervent hope that we who survive him, and are charged with leadership in our patriotic army, will vindicate on the field an equal title with his to gratitude and admiration, and with sentiments of the utmost regard, I am, sir, ever
"Your obedient and humble servant,
" JOHN A. ANDREW, Governor of Massachusetts."
No words of ours can add to the respect and esteem with which General Lander was held by the people of this Common-
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THE REBELLION.
wealth ; and no words of eulogy can be added which would give significance and strength to the letter we have just quoted.
March 28. - The Governor wrote to Mr. Fox, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, by which it appears that Mr. Fox had sent to the Governor a copy of a letter "taken out of a pocket of a secesh pea-jacket" by Commodore D. D. Porter, commanding the fleet at the mouth of the Mississippi River, and which related to a Mrs. Sarah A. Blich, of Holmes Hole, who, it appeared, had been giving information to the rebels at New Orleans. Inquiry was made by the Governor, and it was ascertained that a person of that name resided there. He writes, -
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