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

[565] love, and give them an honorable part in the great struggle in which the nation was involved; in a word, that it would strengthen the loyal States, and weaken the disloyal.

On the 14th of July, Governor Andrew caused to be issued General Order No. 27, which appointed Major Joseph M. Day, of Barnstable, Provost-Marshal of the Commonwealth, with the rank of colonel, to whose supervision was committed the recruitment of men in the disloyal States. It also provided that there should be a recruiting agent for Massachusetts in the Department of North-eastern Virginia, whose headquarters should be at Washington; one for South-eastern Virginia, with headquarters at or near Fortress Monroe; one for North Carolina, headquarters at Newbern; one for South Carolina and Florida, headquarters at Hilton Head; one for Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama, headquarters at Nashville, Tenn. These agents were to be styled assistant provost-marshals of Massachusetts; they were to have the sole charge of recruiting men in their several departments, and were to report the names of the recruits to Colonel Day. The same order designated Colonel Charles R. Codman of Boston, Colonel D. Waldo Lincoln of Worcester, Colonel Charles H. Dalton of Boston, Major George L. Stearns of Medford, and David H. Mason, Esq., of Newton, as commissioners of recruitment, charged with the duty of promoting and securing the interests and rights of the cities, wards, and towns, in obtaining, apportioning, and crediting the men thus recruited. Joseph Ricketson, Esq., of New Bedford, was appointed secretary of this board. The order also provided, that any gentleman in the Commonwealth, who deposited $125 in the State treasury, could have a recruit placed to his credit, who should be called his representative recruit. It also provided that the cities and towns should receive credit for a recruit for every $125 deposited by them in the treasury of the Commonwealth.

Under this arrangement, a large number of gentlemen, who were exempt by law from military service on account of age, and also a number of patriotic ladies, placed in the State treasury the sum required, and had representative recruits furnished. The payment of the money was a mere voluntary act on their