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

[212] as the Ninth Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers. The remaining men of the Fourteenth, through heeding advice given them by disappointed aspirants for commissions, became dissatisfied, and left the island. As they had not signed the enlistment paper, and had not been mustered into the United-States service, they could not be held to service. Nothing was further from the desire of the Governor or the Adjutant-General than to break up or disband this nucleus of a regiment. But bad counsels prevailed, and unjust complaints were made, which demoralized the men, and rendered it necessary in the end to disband the organization. Many of the men went to New York, and joined regiments there. Some returned to their homes, and others entered regiments which were being organized in other parts of the State. The letter of Bishop Fitzpatrick, mentioned in the Governor's letter to the President, we have no doubt was an earnest request that the President would allow more regiments to be furnished by Massachusetts, and that the so-called Fourteenth Regiment should be one of them.

One of the most interesting and imposing ceremonies of the year was the flag-raising from the summit of Bunker-Hill Monument on the seventeenth day of June, the anniversary of the battle. The day was warm and pleasant, and a large concourse of people were assembled. At the base of the monument a stage was erected, on which were the officers of the Association, the school children, the city authorities of Charlestown, Governor Andrew and his staff, Colonel Fletcher Webster, of the Twelfth Regiment, and many other prominent citizens of the State. A fine band of music played national airs. The services were opened by prayer by the Rev. James B. Miles; and a short and eloquent address was made by Hon. G. Washington Warren, introducing Governor Andrew, who was received with hearty cheers by those present. The Governor's address was brief, fervent, eloquent, and patriotic. After referring to the men of the Revolution who had sacrificed their lives for independence, and made moist the soil of Bunker Hill with their blood, he said,—

It is one of the hallowed omens of the controversy of our time, that the men of Middlesex, the men of Charlestown, the men of Concord, of Lexington, of Acton, are all in the field in this contest.