“With the highest consideration,
“I remain, your obedient servant, “J. STEDMAN, Lieutenant-Colonel, “commanding 42d Mass. Vols.
“To Lieut.-Col. W. D. Smith, A. A. General, “Defences New Orleans.”
The transport-steamer F. A. Scott was partially promised by Provost-Marshal-General Bowen, but on July 11th he wrote Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman as follows: “General Emory, in view of the altered condition of affairs since the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, revokes the order for the transportation of the paroled soldiers of the Forty-Second Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers to New York.” This letter was the first intimation that an early return North could be expected of all nine months regiments whose time had expired. Until the two Confederate strongholds surrendered they would have been retained in the Department.
As a matter of form a letter was sent to the Department commander June 19th, stating the time of expiration of service, with a request for transportation to Massachusetts.
The two following letters explain themselves:
“Headquarters Forty-Second Regt., Mass. Vols.,
“Lafayette Square, New Orleans, June 21st, 1863.
“Sir,—I have the honor to report that your communication of the eighteenth instant, relative to the muster into service of this regiment, is received.
“I would respectfully state that no formal muster was ever made of this regiment, and the field and staff were mustered on the eleventh November, 1862. But the War Department have decided that in the case of the nine months’ troops their time was to expire nine months from the date of muster of the last company, which in this regiment was the fourteenth of October, making our time, as above, the fourteenth of July next.
“I received a short time since an official order from Governor Andrew, based on an order from Secretary Stanton, that the time would be reckoned as above stated.