Immediately after the fall of Sumter, when the Capital seemed in imminent danger, I reported myself to his Excellency Governor Andrew, tendering him the services of myself and command, and expressing my willingness to go at the shortest possible notice. A number of other Colonels appeared for the same purpose, and after the matter had been thoroughly discussed, the Governor ordered Colonel Jones, of the Sixth Regiment, to report himself the next day, which he did with about four hundred men, some three hundred short of the requisite number for a full Regiment (as the regulations then provided). I then offered to the Governor one of my companies, under the command of Captain W. S. Sampson, which was accepted. This, with others that had previously been ordered, filled up the Regiment to its full quota, and it left for the seat of Government, April 17, 1861. I called at the State House daily, urging my claims, but his Excellency informed me that he must send out the Regiments first that could best be spared, and in a short time sent the following: Third, Colonel Wardrop; Fourth, Colonel Packard; Fifth, Colonel Lawrence, and the Eighth, Colonel Monroe. Finally, on the 27th of April, I received an order from Adjutant-General Schouler for my Regiment to be in readiness to march, and to report myself, in person, at the State House, and to select from the companies offered me those which I desired to fill up my Regiment to its full quota. I immediately left my business and devoted my whole time to preparing it for the service. The City of Boston, with the generosity which has always characterized her, appropriated $200,000 towards fitting out the Boston troops, and furnished seven of my companies with uniforms, the Roxbury and Chelsea companies being furnished by their respective cities. I then made applications at the State House for arms and equipments for my men, but was put off from day to day until about the 8th of May, when orders were received from the War Department calling for 75,000 troops who would volunteer for three years or the war. Immediately on the receipt of this order the ten companies under my command voted unanimously to offer themselves to the Government, and at eleven o’clock of the same day my officers did likewise, and requested me to report to the Governor and tender him the services of myself and command, to be offered to the United States. In accordance with the wish of my officers I went to the State House, but the Governor seemed to assume an air of indifference to my offer. I then requested permission to proceed to Washington and offer my services to the Government, to which he gave his consent, and directed Lieutenant-Colonel Sargent, one of his aids, to write me a leave of absence for five days. I left that afternoon for Washington, accompanied by my Major and Adjutant, and called upon General Scott, as General-in-Chief of the Army. He expressed a strong desire that my Regiment should be ordered, but referred me to the Hon. Mr. Cameron, Secretary of War. I waited upon him, and he informed me that the Government had ordered from each State a certain number of troops, but had left it with the different Governors which Regiments should be sent. I telegraphed to Governor Andrew the result of my interview with General Scott and Secretary Cameron, but received no reply. I then took the cars for home, and on my arrival called at his house, but on learning that he was at the Howard Athenæum I immediately went there, and at the close of the scene reported myself to him in person. I met with a cool reception from him, who, as I perceived by his countenance, did not like to be disturbed. I could have informed him that it was the duty of every officer to report himself to his superior immediately on his return to duty, but I judged from his treatment of me that he was entirely ignorant of that fact. I was kept in suspense until the 22d of May, when he appointed me Colonel of my own Regiment, and, as I have since learned, much against his will, and on the 25th of the same month we were mustered into the United States service. I then applied to the Adjutant-General and Quartermaster-General for arms and equipments for a full Regiment, as I was very desirous that Massachusetts should furnish the first three-years Regiment. On the 29th I was notified that the buildings at Fresh Pond, Cambridge, had been procured for me as barracks. On the first of June we marched out and took possession of our new quarters. My Regiment was temporarily furnished with old muskets of various patterns, which were hardly fit to drill with, some of them being very much out of repair. I soon found the location was an unhealthy one, and immediately applied for a change of quarters, which were provided me on the 13th of June, at North Cambridge.
On or about the 12th of June I received notice from Assistant Quartermaster-General Stone, to send my companies to the Arsenal, and he would furnish them with Springfield rifle muskets in the place of the ones they then had. I did so, and they were provided with second-hand Springfield muskets, and with cartridge-boxes, belts, and knapsacks, which were composed of the poorest material. The knapsacks were so poor that I ordered a board of survey, and they were unanimously condemned and considered unfit for the service, a report of which I sent to the Quartermaster-General, but no attention was paid to it. On the 14th of June I received orders from the War Department to be in readiness to march the next afternoon. I then called at the State House to procure a set of Colors, which had been promised me from time to time, and to which I was entitled, but was put off as before with the assurance that everything should be ready for me when I started, but they were never furnished me, and the Regiment left without them. On Saturday, the 15th, my wagons, horses, and camp equipage were transferred to the cars, and at half-past four o’clock we broke camp and started for Boston. Just before leaving, a letter, from one of his Excellency’s Council, was handed me, of which the following is a copy:—
Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
Executive Department, Council Chamber,
Boston, June 14, 1861.
Col. Robert Cowdin:—
Dear Sir: I hear very bad reports about your Regiment, and it gives me great trouble, as an old friend of yours. I understand that you are very much wanting in order, discipline, and dignity, and that the men and officers pay but little attention to rules and orders, and the Regiment is more like a mob than a camp, and unless you are more rigid and strict in enforcing military discipline and order, you will make a failure. I hope and trust that you will change your course, or you will, I fear, disgrace your name and State.
Yours truly,
Oakes Ames.
As I was blamed considerably at the time for giving my men so long a march, I will in justice to myself say, that I halted twice on the route from Cambridge to the Common, and had them wear their overcoats for the reasons that the knapsacks were so narrow and small that the coats could not be properly packed, and that some of the uniforms, though worn only about six weeks, were so ragged that they were not decent to march through the streets in. On my arrival at the depot, I was met by a joint Committee of the City Council, headed by his Honor Mayor Wightman, who presented me with a beautiful national color, which, together with the one used by the old First Regiment, was all that I had when I left the city. After taking leave of the many friends who had gathered at the depot to witness our departure, I stepped upon the platform, not without some emotion, and turned my back upon dear old Boston. As I entered the cars I found the Assistant Quartermaster-General of Massachusetts, who was exercising considerable authority, and on questioning him as to the cause of it, was told he had been sent there by Gov. Andrew to superintend the Regiment until it should be turned over to the proper authorities in Jersey City. I informed him that I was Colonel of that Regiment, and that Gov. Andrew had nothing to do with me or my command. On arriving at Jersey City, I was met by a large assemblage of citizens, many of them former residents of Massachusetts, headed by Mr. Warren, who gave us a hearty welcome as the first three years’ Regiment, and informed me that a collation had been prepared and was in waiting for us, which was readily and gratefully partaken of. I arrived in Baltimore on the afternoon of the 17th, and was received by a detachment of Nims’ Battery, who escorted us through the identical streets that the 6th Regiment marched through and were assaulted on the 19th of April previous. Before marching through the city, I distributed ten rounds of ball cartridges to my men, loaded and capped my pieces, and was prepared for any assault that might be made upon us, and took up the line of march through the city. The streets through which we passed were thronged with people, whose countenances indicated the hatred they felt towards Massachusetts soldiers; but no insults were offered, and we marched through the city unmolested. I arrived in Washington at 6 o’clock of the same afternoon, and reported myself to Gen. Mansfield, who had charge of the troops then arriving, and on the 19th was ordered to Georgetown, near Chain Bridge. Soon after arriving in camp, an order was issued by Gen. Mansfield, of which the following is a copy:—
CIRCULAR.
Headquarters, Department of Washington,
June 25, 1861.