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

[439] the order should be rescinded, and that our officers should no longer be subject to its requirements.

The Governor directed the Adjutant-General to write to the Adjutant-General of the army, and represent the case to him; which he did on the same day. Referring to the letter of the 14th of May, from which we have quoted, he was directed by the Governor to put this direct question:—

Whether, when a battery is full and under orders to march, the additional lieutenants may not be commissioned; or whether it is meant they cannot be commissioned until after the company has reached some other place, and, if so, what place?

In concluding his letter, the Adjutant-General said,—

Allow me to thank you for your many kindnesses in transacting business in your office, and to more strongly urge that you will have orders given to have the full number of officers to our batteries in the Department of the Gulf mustered in, as they are in the Army of the Potomac, and in other departments.

The result of the correspondence was, that orders were issued to retain the officers; and they served, many of them, with distinction through the war. Before passing from this subject, we would add, that no arm of the Massachusetts volunteers did greater service to the nation, or reflected greater honor upon Massachusetts, than the sixteen light batteries which went from this Commonwealth to the war. Many of the officers held high commands; some of them of the artillery of a corps; and yet none of them could ever reach a higher rank than captain, and for the reason that the Secretary of War would not consent to have our batteries given either a battalion or a regimental organization. States, which did not send half as many batteries into the service, had these privileges allowed them; and, in consequence, they had their majors, lieutenant-colonels, and colonels of artillery, while Massachusetts had no officers of higher rank in this arm of the service than a captain. The Governor exerted his utmost power to have this wrong righted, but in vain. The only answer which Secretary Stanton gave was, that ‘mistakes had been made in the beginning of the war, which he did not wish to keep up.’ We will not say that the Secretary