[345] and promise to do. I beg of you, Mr. Mayor, to exert all your influence to have Lowell furnish its quota. The demand is urgent and imperative. The President and Cabinet are all anxious that Massachusetts should lead in this, the second campaign of the war, as she did in the first. Should Lowell furnish its quota, and other towns should fail, to Lowell will be the honor.To J. R. Comstock, Blackstone,—
Make such arrangements for getting your quota as may to you seem best. We want the men; and as soon as your forty-two are recruited, or any portion of them, notify me, or Colonel Lincoln, in command of “Camp Wool,” who will furnish transportation. Any person you will name to assist you recruit I will appoint, and give him papers. Do hurry on the men: we want them sadly.To N. S. Kimball, Haverhill,—
The towns that raise their quotas will be exempt from any draft, under the present requisition for fifteen thousand men. I hope you will do every thing in your power to hurry the men along: we are very much in need of them, and must have them.To John A. Goodwin, Lowell,—
Before a captain and second lieutenant can be commissioned and mustered in, the company must be full. The first lieutenant can be mustered when the company is half full. This will explain why Mr. Thompson is not commissioned. I do not say the rules of the service are wise; indeed, I think they are unwise. Let Lowell fill up the companies, and then the commissions will come.To James T. Sumner, Canton,—
You can enlist persons under twenty-one years, if their parents or guardians give their consent. As to enlisting under eighteen years of age, I doubt the expediency of it, unless they have an extraordinary physical development. You may enlist men over forty-five, if they are hale, vigorous, and free from physical defect. I beg of you to hurry on the work: you have little idea of the terrible pressure upon us for men from Washington.To Edwin F. Whitney, Holliston,—
The proportion for each town, under General Order No. 26, was based upon the returns received at this office from the several cities and towns of the Commonwealth. They were presumed to be correct.
