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

‘ [168] organized as prescribed in General Order No. 15 from the War Department.’ The plan for the organization of the regiments was substantially the same as in the regular army. Each regiment was to be composed of ten companies, each company to have a captain, two lieutenants, and ninety-eight enlisted men. The field and staff officers of a regiment were to consist of a colonel, lieutenant-colonel, major, adjutant, quartermaster, assistant-surgeon, sergeant-major, quartermaster-sergeant, commissary-sergeant, hospital-steward, two principal musicians, and a band of twenty-four musicians. This system of regimental organization was observed during the whole of the war, with the exception that an additional surgeon was allowed, and regimental bands were discontinued.

The six regiments selected to complete the requisition of the Secretary of War, were, the First, which was ordered to ‘Camp Cameron,’ in North Cambridge. The regiment left the State on the 15th of June, for Washington, and marched through Baltimore on the 17th, the anniversary of the battle of Bunker Hill. It was the first three years regiment that reached Washington in the war. The Second, which was recruited at ‘Camp Andrew,’ in West Roxbury, left the State on the 8th of July, for the front. The Seventh, which was recruited at ‘Camp Old Colony,’ in Taunton, left for Washington on the 11th of July. The Ninth, which was recruited and organized on Long Island, in Boston Harbor, left the State in the steamer Ben De Ford, on the 24th of June, for Washington. The Tenth, which was recruited in the western part of the State, remained in camp near Springfield, until completely organized. Before leaving the State, the regiment was ordered to Medford, and was there until the 25th of July, when it was sent forward to Washington. The Eleventh, which was quartered in Fort Warren, left for Washington on the 24th of June. These six regiments were organized, armed, equipped, clothed, and sent forward, within four weeks after orders were received that they would be accepted. Several others were in a state of formation, some of them in camp with full complement of men, and could have been sent to the front with little delay if the Secretary had given his consent. This could not be obtained. His letter