[
541]
until he read
General Wool's letter, which the
Governor had sent him. He had never succeeded in getting any money to our prisoners in
Salisbury.
He had informed
Captain Studley that the men could have more money when they wanted it, and the captain had informed the men at
Salisbury.
General Devens concludes his letter as follows:—
This sum should therefore be sent to the commanding officer of the Fifteenth, for the benefit of the regiment; and I am sorry that they yet have men in that infernal prison-house of Richmond who can expend it there.
On the 4th of March, the
Governor wrote to
J. Z. Goodrich, Collector of the
Port of Boston,—
On the 12th of December last, I received from Mr. Caleb Howe, Jr., information that led to the arrest of officers and crew of the schooner “Alliance,” of Bear River, N. S., for aiding soldiers to desert from the camp on Long Island, some of whom were tried, and, through witnesses obtained by Mr. Howe's influence, were convicted of the offence.
I learn that Mr. Howe is an applicant for a place in the Custom House.
Please give him the benefit of any service this statement may do him with you.
On the 15th of March, the
Governor wrote to
Brigadier-General George H. Gordon, formerly colonel of the Second Massachusetts Regiment, who had forwarded to him a list of the casualties in the
battle of Olustee, Fla.
I regret, with you, that our forces should have met with so heavy a loss for such a barren result, and would express my warmest admiration at the brave conduct of our troops in that action: both white and black seem to have acquitted themselves nobly.
This letter reminds us of one of our colored soldiers who was severely wounded in the battle, and received an honorable discharge, and who returned to
Massachusetts.
He reported himself to the office of the
Adjutant-General, showed his discharge paper and descriptive list.
The poor fellow had been shot in the face by a musket-ball, which had passed through both of his cheeks, and had taken away a part of his tongue, so that he could with difficulty speak so as to be understood.
He told us that he was left on the field, and, when our troops retreated,
