Gen. Cowdin and the First Massachusetts Regiment of Volunteers

Robert Cowdin presents his grievances against Massachusetts officials in a personal statement published in Boston in 1864. Beginning with his offer of service after the fall of Sumter, he describes assembling and equipping the First Massachusetts Regiment. Delays, unsuitable supplies, camp conditions and the departure for Washington give his account a practical focus on the difficulties of preparing volunteers for military service.

Letters, recommendations and petitions support Cowdin's defence of his reputation and his claim to promotion. He includes General Joseph Hooker's written recommendation for his appointment as brigadier general, then recounts the delays that followed. The correspondence places military command beside state politics and local loyalties. For readers interested in Civil War regimental history, the appeal lies in these details of organisation and disputed authority. Cowdin openly asks the public to judge his treatment, so the account also shows how an officer uses documents and personal recollections to make his case.