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of the
Governor, wrote to
Mr. Gooch, member of Congress, calling his attention to the case of
David E. Goodfellow, an enlisted man in the Twenty-first Regiment, who had served under
General Burnside in the capture of
Roanoke Island,
Beaufort, and
Newbern, N. C. In January, 1862, he had been detailed by
General Burnside to help lay a railroad-track at
Annapolis, Md., a business which he was acquainted with.
He remained faithful to his duty until he was prostrated with a fever, and received a furlough to come home from
Mr. Goddard, who had charge of the
Government work.
On his recovery, he at once reported at the
State House, and asked for transportation back to his post.
The
Adjutant-General sent him to
Colonel Day, U. S. A., who had authority to furnish transportation.
Colonel Day refused it, on the ground that
Mr. Goddard's furlough ‘was no sufficient authority for the man's absence.’
Captain McKim, the
United-States Quartermaster in
Boston, also declined to furnish transportation.
The State had neither authority nor funds.
The
Adjutant-General said,—
We have no means of sending him on unless we take the money out of our own pockets; “a thing we have become so used to, that it is difficult now to repeat.”
The man is well-behaved, intelligent, and smart, a citizen of Fitchburg, and is anxious to get back to his duty.
This is only one of many cases which occur almost daily: shall it continue for ever?
The man cannot get back without transportation, is willing to have it deducted from his pay, and, although he has not been paid for ten months, utters no complaint.
The
Adjutant-General disclaimed any wish to say a word disparagingly of
Colonel Day.
He is an old officer of the army; but he does not understand our people, and is too aged to learn.
He will do nothing that is not in the “regulations.”
Cannot some discretionary power be given, or are we to “die daily,” like St. Paul, by this adherence to the old rules, made when the army of the United States did not number as many men as the county of Middlesex has sent to this war. Goodfellow is now at the Hancock House at the expense of the Commonwealth.
He had either to go there or sleep all night in the Tombs or police station.
It is this utter disregard of the rights and amenities of brave and patriotic men that is sapping to its roots the tree of patriotism,
