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

[253] the Governor, ‘will put three regiments, as soon as they can be prepared for service, under the orders of General Sherman, who will indicate the place of rendezvous.’ The place of rendezvous was somewhere in Long Island, N. Y. On the next day after this letter was written,—namely, on the 28th of August,—‘Colonel’ David K. Wardwell, who had commanded a company in the Fifth Regiment, three months militia, received authority from Secretary Cameron to raise a regiment of volunteers in this State. He was instructed ‘to report to His Excellency the Governor of Massachusetts, from whom you will receive instructions and orders in reference to the regiment which this department has authorized you to raise.’ Governor Andrew was very justly opposed to having these special permissions given to favored parties to recruit regiments in this Commonwealth, without his knowledge or consent. It interfered with previous arrangements, delayed the completion of regiments already partly recruited, detracted from the authority of the Governor, and violated the act of Congress under which volunteer regiments were authorized to be raised, which provided, section fourth, ‘That the Governors of the States, furnishing volunteers under this act, shall commission the field, staff, and company officers, requisite for said volunteers; and in cases where the State authorities refuse or omit to furnish volunteers at the call, or on the proclamation, of the President, and volunteers from such States offer their services under such call or proclamation, the President shall have power to accept such services, and to commission the proper field, staff, and company officers.’ It is clear from this, that the recruiting of regiments, and the commissioning of officers, in the loyal States, was intended to be under the exclusive control of the Governors of those States. Neither the President, nor the Secretary of War, nor any State or Federal officer, civil or military, had any right either to authorize persons to recruit or to commission officers of volunteers, in States which had loyal Governors, who were ready and anxious to do whatever was demanded of them by the President and the laws of Congress. It was only in States having disloyal Governors, who would refuse to organize regiments and commission officers for the