I am perfectly confident, that, if I was authorized to place our heavy artillery companies, used for the harbor defence of Massachusetts, under a regimental organization, I could appoint a colonel whose activity, discretion, and capacity to command these forts, could be safely relied upon.
The permission asked for was never granted.
A telegraph wire was laid, connecting Fort Independence and Fort Warren, which was completed Oct. 6, on which day the first message was sent, as follows:—
Governor Andrew is happy to exchange congratulations with Colonel Jones at the intimate relations this day established with Fort Independence.
Colonel Jones, United-States Army, was at this time in command of Fort Independence.
On the same day, the Governor wrote to Senator Sumner,—
If you and Wilson will only re-enforce my efforts, perhaps I might be permitted to organize our light batteries into a regiment. Though other States have done so, as yet we have not been allowed to do it.
We have already stated that permission never was given by the War Department, and our batteries remained as company organizations until the end of the war.
On the 7th of October, the Governor requested the Adjutant-General—
To report to me to-morrow a precise statement of the ordnance now already mounted on each of the forts in Boston Harbor: exhibiting the number of guns, weight of metal, calibre, and description, of whose manufacture, and whether rifled or smooth-bore; what guns have been delivered, but not yet mounted; what addition to the armament of the forts Major Blunt expects will be accomplished this autumn. Please report to me also the precise condition of each of the heavy-artillery companies raised for coast defences, giving the name of each commanding officer, of each person recruiting for each company, and the number of men each company has mustered in.
On the next day, the Adjutant-General submitted the following report:—
