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:—

In a few days after receiving this order, I was informed that a colored man had come inside of my lines who did not belong to the camp, and in accordance with the above I ordered the officer of the day to send the man outside the lines, as I should have done to any white man, or any person there without permission. A correspondent of the Traveller, from the First Massachusetts Regiment, wrote a most pitiful and affecting story regarding it, but