William Schouler, A history of Massachusetts in the Civil War: Volume 1

The letter was received by the Adjutant-General on the day on which it was written: and he returned his answer on the same day, as follows:—

Yours of date is received, in relation to the Twenty-eighth Regiment. The fact which I wish to ascertain is this: Will General Butler accept of the Twenty-eighth Regiment? In your letter, he accepts it, with the following stipulation: “On the express understanding, that the Twenty-eighth Regiment is to be a part of the expeditionary corps soon to sail, and not a portion of the troops to be raised by General Butler, under order of Sept. 10, 1861.” This acceptance is not satisfactory. If General Butler accepts the Twenty-eighth Regiment for his division, it must be as one of the two regiments raised by Massachusetts as her quota of the six which were to be raised for his division in New England; and I wish to be informed, as soon as possible, whether General Butler will accept of the Twenty-eighth, with this understanding. The other propositions in your letter are satisfactory.

To this, Joseph M. Bell, Esq., acting aide-de-camp to General Butler, made immediate answer Nov. 11,—

If the Governor will authorize two regiments—the Twenty-eighth and Twenty-ninth—to be organized by General Butler, with a veto power upon General Butler's selection of improper persons as officers, General Butler will accept the Twenty-eighth as one of them. This in answer to a communication of to-day to the Assistant Adjutant-General, who is absent.

The following note closed the correspondence:—

The Twenty-eighth Regiment consequently never became a part of Major-General Butler's command. When organized, it was sent to South Carolina, and was subsequently transferred to the Army of the Potomac.