USA > Massachusetts > History of Massachusetts in the Civil War > Part 32
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"She is a native of New Orleans, and was married to Blich last spring. Her maiden name was Sarah A. Stickney. She has a brother in the South, named William Stickney, who is undoubtedly the writer of the letter in question. . Her husband, Blich, is a sea- faring man, and sailed recently on a voyage to Rio Janeiro ; he has a brother who keeps a jewelry shop at Holmes Hole, and is now there. Mrs. Blich is known to have used very violent language of a treasona- ble character during the progress of the rebellion, and is believed by my informants to be disposed to aid the rebels by information or other- wise. My informants think it more than probable that she has been a medium of communication with the rebels as intimated in her brother's letter. I have not been able to ascertain who is the per- son named ' Dora,' to whom the letter is addressed; but I expect within a few days to obtain information on that point also."
Nothing further in relation to this matter appears in the Gov- ernor's correspondence.
On the ninth day of April, the Governor writes to Colonel Frank E. Howe, New York, that Surgeon-General Dale had made arrangements by which to have an ambulance kept at the city stables, and that city horses would be furnished, without expense, to be used for our wounded soldiers, whenever required. An ambulance, therefore, was purchased ; and Colo- nel Howe was authorized to purchase one, to be used for our wounded in New York.
April 8. - The Governor writes to the President of the United States : -
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LETTER TO PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
"I have the honor, by the hand of Hon. Francis W. Bird, who is specially deputed therefor, to place in your hands an engrossed copy of the resolves of the General Court of Massachusetts, in approval of your recent message to the Congress of the United States, in favor of national co-operation with any State of this Union, in the abolishment of slavery. I deem it due to the solemnity, interest, and importance of the occasion, and to the earnest devotion of this ancient Common- wealth, alike to the Union, the fame, and the happiness of these States and people, as well as to her hereditary love of liberty, that this ex- pression of her hearty concurrence with your great act, should receive the most formal and cordial utterance. . . . I devoutly pray that the good providence of God will conduct your administration and this nation through all the perils they encounter, and establish our country on eternal foundations of impartial justice to all her people."
April 9. - The Governor telegraphs to the Secretary of War, -
" Accept my congratulations on victories at Corinth, and the Mis- sissippi. Do you desire extra surgeons from Massachusetts for the care of wounded, there or elsewhere? If so, there are several here, of professional eminence, who, under the direction of our State Sur- geon-General, are prepared to start immediately to any point of active operations, giving their professional services gratuitously, from motives of patriotism."
April 12. - The Governor writes to General Burnside, at North Carolina, congratulating him upon his well-deserved pro- motion, which has given " sincere as well as universal pleasure." He then refers to a letter which he had received from Brigadier- General Foster, that seven hundred and fifty recruits were needed to supply the losses in the four Massachusetts regiments in his brigade. But just at this time, an order had been issued from the War Department, discontinuing recruiting in every State, and requiring recruiting parties to close their offices, and join their regiments. The Governor telegraphed to Mr. Stanton for permission to recruit for the Massachusetts regiments under General Foster, and leave was granted. At this time, the gen- eral superintendence of recruiting, in the different States, had passed into the hands of the War Department ; and army offi- cers were detailed, in various States, as military commanders, who assumed control of all enlistments, mustering, subsistence,
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THE REBELLION.
and transportation of men. The military commander in Massa- chusetts, in April, 1862, was Colonel Hannibal Day, U.S.A.
This change in mode of recruiting was not satisfactory at first ; but, after it was in operation some time, certain modifi- cations were made by the War Department, and the State and United-States authorities worked in harmony together. The men asked for by General Foster were soon recruited, and forwarded to North Carolina.
April 19. - The Governor writes to Mr. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury, calling his attention to a communication of the Treasurer of Massachusetts, which he inclosed to him, and says, -
" The prominent fact to which I beg to allude with emphasis is, that, after the passage of the tax act, we very much more than paid our share of it by heavy expenditures, made at Mr. Cameron's request, and on which we are losing the interest. I ask, therefore, that at least as much as the amount of the tax assessed on Massachusetts should be paid to us before we pay this tax. This is safe for the United States, and only just to Massachusetts."
On the same day, the Governor wrote to the Secretary of the Navy, introducing Hon. Joel Hayden, of the Executive Coun- eil, and Edward S. Tobey, President of the Boston Board of Trade, who were deputed to confer with him in relation to iron-clad ships. These gentlemen had a plan for iron-plating four steamers, belonging to the Government, at Charlestown and the Kittery Navy Yards, which, the Governor said, " would render them invulnerable, and present them ready for action and in sea-going trim in fifty days. If those vessels be- longed to us," he continues, "we would undertake to prepare some of them for service in this way ; but they belong to the United States. If you will turn over to us one or two of them, we will be glad to take them, and have the work done; and we desire that the four should be thus treated." The proposi- tion here made was not complied with.
As one of the many evidences of the firmness of purpose and justness of decision of Governor Andrew, we give an extract from a letter, dated April 29, to Brigadier-General Doubleday, then on duty at Washington. A lieutenant-colonel of one of
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CASE OF COLONEL OLIVER.
our regiments had been accused, by the colonel, of certain de- linquencies ; and charges were preferred to bring the case before a court-martial. In a hasty and inconsiderate moment, the lieutenant-colonel resigned, rather than stand trial. After the resignation was accepted, the officer repented of his hasty act, and sought to be restored by the Governor. Before acting upon this request, he wrote to General Doubleday, to make inquiry into the charges, and inform him what he thought of them. From this letter we quote : -
" While I feel kindly towards Lieutenant-Colonel Oliver, I wish only for exact justice, and would not restore him to the regiment, unless he was unjustly accused. I am jealous of the honor of the Massachusetts corps, sensitive to every thing which affects them, desirous of doing exactly right, hit where it will. The matter lies in a narrow compass ; and I wish to reach a speedy conclusion, founded upon a basis of es- tablished proofs, which shall satisfy the demands of justice, truth, and honor."
Lieutenant-Colonel Oliver was not restored to the regiment from which he resigned, but was afterwards commissioned ma- jor in the Second Regiment Heavy Artillery, which shows that the Governor had been satisfied that the charges against him did not affect his standing as an officer and gentleman.
April 30. ~ The Governor received the following despatch from Major-General Wool, dateď -
" HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA, FORTRESS MONROE, April 29.
" I have just received your communication of the 26th inst. The Government have made arrangements to send the sick and wounded of the Army of the Potomac to Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. Agents have been detailed to superintend for- warding them."
This is the first despatch received at the State House in rela- tion to the sick and wounded of General Mcclellan's army, from which, for months following, the brave and ghastly suffer- ers of that memorable campaign returned, to fill the homes of their friends, and the hospitals of the Government. In con- nection with these wounded and suffering men, we find a letter written by the Governor, May 1, addressed to all officers of
.
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THE REBELLION.
Massachusetts corps volunteer officers in the field, commending to their courtesy and co-operation Dr. Alfred Hitchcock and his assistant, Mr. J. W. Wellman, who were detailed to visit the Massachusetts troops at Yorktown, Newbern, or elsewhere, and to render such aid as might be practicable to the sick and wounded in the field or hospitals, and transporting them to their homes. Of Dr. Hitchcock's services, while thus detailed, we have already spoken, but shall have reason to speak of them again, when he visited, by direction of the Governor, the san- guinary but victorious field of Antietam.
The first mention we find, in the Governor's letters, of raising colored troops, is in a letter addressed by him to Mr. Francis H. Fletcher, Pratt Street, Salem, in which he says, -
" No official information has been received at this department from the United-States Government, concerning the plan, which is now men- tioned with favor, of raising colored regiments for garrison duty in the Gulf and cotton States ; nor is any thing known at this department of the intentions of the United-States Government in that regard, beyond what is published in the public prints. General Saxton, who is men- tioned in the newspapers as being detailed to organize such a force, is a native of Massachusetts, and a most worthy and humane gentleman, as well as a skilful officer; and, if the report is correct, it is a very judicious selection for such a duty and command."
It appears that Mr. Fletcher was a candidate for a commis- sion in such regiments ; and the Governor offered him a letter to General Saxton, and such other assistance as was in his power, to obtain what he desired.
Dr. Le Baron Russell, of Boston, at the request of a com- mittee of teachers and other friends of education in Massachu- setts, visited Washington, for the purpose of arranging some plan, under the sanction of the Federal authority, to enable Massachusetts teachers and agents to participate in the humane and benevolent work of improving the intellectual and moral condition of the emancipated slaves within certain of our mili- tary posts. He carried letters from the Governor to the Secre- tary of War and other official persons, highly approving the purpose of his mission. This appears to have been the com-
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LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT.
mencement of the educational labors among the liberated slaves, which has been attended with so much good.
On the 19th of May, the Secretary of War telegraphed to the Governor to know if he could raise four more new regiments at short notice, to which he replied affirmatively ; but, in the letter expressing his readiness to comply with the Secretary's demand, he says, -
" If our people feel that they are going into the South to help fight rebels, who will kill and destroy them by all the means known to sav- ages, as well as civilized man, - will deceive them by fraudulent flags of truce and lying pretences, will use their negro slaves against them both as laborers and as fighting men, while they themselves must never fire at the enemy's magazine, - I think that they will feel that the draft is heavy on their patriotism. But, if the President will sustain General Hunter, - recognize all men, even black men, as legally capa- ble of that loyalty the blaeks are waiting to manifest, and let them fight with God and human nature on their side, - the roads will swarm, if need be, with multitudes whom New England would pour out to obey your call."
A copy of this letter was sent to the Governors of the New- England States, in the thought that mutual conference might be useful, and tend to unite and concentrate opinion in New England upon the subject to which it relates.
On the 25th of May, received from Mr. Stanton the follow- ing telegrams : -
" Send all the troops forward that you can, immediately. Banks is completely routed. The enemy are, in large force, advancing on Har- per's Ferry."
" Intelligence from various quarters leaves no doubt that the enemy, in great force, are advancing on Washington. You will please organ- ize and forward immediately all the volunteer and militia force in your State."
Upon the receipt of these telegrams, orders were immediately issued by the Adjutant-General for the militia of the Common- wealth to report at once for duty on Boston Common, to pro- ceed to Washington ; and four thousand men were in Boston, and ready to start, on the 27th. But, on the morning of the
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THE REBELLION.
27th, the Governor received the following, dated midnight, May 26, from the Secretary of War : -
"Two despatches have been received from General Banks, one dated at Martinsburg, the other between Martinsburg and Williamsport, which state that he has saved his trains, and the chief part of his command, and expected to cross the Potomae at Williamsburg in safety. We hope he may accomplish his purpose."
In consequence of the favorable change of affairs in General Banks's command, the order to send forward the militia was countermanded, and the men returned to their homes, most of them disappointed that they were not to go forward.
The battalion raised for garrison duty at Fort Warren, com- posed of six companies of three years' men, left, on the 27th, for the front, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Francis J. Parker ; and orders were received to recruit four new companies, and make it a regiment, which was speedily done.
This was what was called afterwards "the great scare," and many people blamed Mr. Stanton for the semi-sensational char- acter of his telegraph messages. They certainly created the wildest excitement throughout the Commonwealth ; and Boston, in a degree, resembled Edinburgh on receipt of the fatal news of Flodden Field.
June 2. - Governor telegraphs General Banks, Williams- port, Md. : -
"Telegram received yesterday. Surgeon-General Dale has arranged to supply your requisition immediately. I greet you cordially. All honor to our brave Massachusetts men !"
This was a request to send forward additional surgeons to take care of the wounded in General Banks's command.
On the 4th of June, the Governor wrote Colonel George H. Gordon, Second Massachusetts Volunteers, who had command of a brigade under General Banks, -
" Permit me, in closing, to congratulate you upon your nomination to the rank of brigadier-general, and also upon the brilliant success achieved by the withdrawal of our forces, with so little loss, from the heart of the enemy's country, and against a force so completely over- whelming."
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