[
485]
‘What you want,’ he said, ‘is the men; and if the payment of this State bounty will increase their willingness for service, as undoubtedly it will, it makes no difference to you, whether they call themselves volunteers after being drafted, and it does make some to them.’
Not receiving any immediate reply to this, the
Governor telegraphed again to
Mr. Stanton, on the 21st, calling his attention to his previous telegram, and restating and reen-forcing his former telegram.
‘I think,’ he said, ‘such request reasonable and just, and respectfully ask the favor of a reply.’
We do not know whether an answer was received or not. But, if it was, it was unfavorable, as the drafted men who went from
Massachusetts never received the
State bounty.
John M. Forbes returned from
England in the early part of July, where he had made contracts for cannon for the coast defences of the
State.
He landed at New York, and, before coming to
Boston, went to
Washington.
On the 20th of July, he wrote to the
Governor, from
Washington, that he had been informed by
Captain Wise, of the Ordnance Bureau, Navy Department, that he had some captured guns, which he would sell the
State at very low prices.
Mr. Forbes recommended their purchase.
Mr. Forbes then speaks of
Colonel Lowell, of our Second Cavalry, who had gone off ‘on a rather dangerous scout on the skirts of
Lee's retreating army.’
He also says,—
He had quite a little brush at Ashbury, charged a gap where the rebels held a stone wall; two men were killed alongside the Colonel.
Finding them too strongly posted to continue the direct attack, lie flanked them, and pushed them far into the valley, taking twelve or fourteen prisoners, including two staff officers.
He reconnoitred other gaps, and returned by Leesburgh, after a very hard tramp.
After two days rest, he set off towards Manassas.
I got the account from Major Thompson.
If they carried a newspaper reporter along, he would make quite a raid of their Ashbury Gap skirmish.
I saw three of their wounded yesterday, one with an ounce-ball apparently in the centre of his brain.
On the 21st of July,
Mr. Forbes again writes to the
Governor in regard to the purchase of the guns referred to in his preceding letter.
He says,—
