In its original composition, it was chiefly made up of the First Regiment M. V. M., of which Colonel Cowdin was the commander. Of the field officers in command, when it departed from the State, the Colonel (Cowdin) has been promoted to Brigadier-General. The Lieutenant-Colonel (Wells) is now Colonel of the Thirty-Fourth. The Major (Charles P. Chandler) was killed in one of the battles between the Chickahominy and James River. His body was never recovered.

For some time a doubt existed as to whether he was killed or taken prisoner; that doubt does not now exist. He was killed at Malvern Hill, Va.

The regiment left Camp "Cameron" for the seat of war on the 15th of June, 1861. It marched through Baltimore on the 17th of June, (the anniversary of the battle of Bunker Hill,) being the first regiment that had passed through that city since the attack made on the Sixth Regiment on the 19th of April previous. Before reaching Baltimore, ten rounds of ball cartridges were distributed to the men, as a rumor prevailed that they would be attacked in that city. The regiment reached Baltimore about 10 o'clock in the forenoon. Before leaving the cars, the muskets of the men were loaded and capped. They formed and took up their line of march for the Washington depot, up Baltimore Street. The streets on each side were crowded with people. The regiment. marched by flank; not a loud word was spoken, either by the crowd or the regiment, during this march. No attempt was made to assault the regiment, though "curses not loud, but deep," were uttered by the bystanders. There was no waving of handkerchiefs, although the windows of the houses were crowded with females. When it reached the place where the Sixth Regiment was attacked, they found a section of Cook's Battery, drawn up to protect them. The recognition was mutual,-Massachusetts men to protect Massachusetts men. The regiment reached the depot without assault. A cattle train of cars was in readiness to take them to Washington, into which they entered and moved on. At the Relay House, (ten miles from Baltimore,) the Sixth Regiment, (Colonel Jones,) and the remaining section of Cook's Battery, were drawn up in line and gave them a marching salute, with three cheers at the end of it. No other incident worthy of mentioning occurred until it reached Washington.

The regiment reached Washington that afternoon, formed in column by company, and marched up Pennsylvania Avenue to Seventh Street. No barracks or accommodation had been provided for them, but after some little delay, eight companies were placed in an unoccupied building in Seventh Street, near the Avenue, and two companies in an unfinished building, on Sixth Street. Upon arriving at Washington, it was found that no

rations were provided for the men. They had eaten nothing since their last meal furnished at Philadelphia. The officers had to supply the men with money to get the necessaries of life, and so things remained for twenty-four hours.

At twelve o'clock on the 21st of June the regiment formed in column and marched up the Avenue, was reviewed by the President at the White House, proceeded two miles beyond Georgetown College and encamped in a field, on the Potomac River, under tents, which camp was called Camp Banks, in honor of Ex-Governor Banks.

On the 8th of July orders were received for a detachment of the regiment to march to Great Falls, on the Potomac, eighteen miles distant from Washington. The march was made in eight hours. From that time till the 16th, daily skirmishing with the pickets of the enemy took place, but no men were lost.

On the 16th they were ordered again to Camp" Banks," near Georgetown, which they reached that evening.

On the morning of the 17th orders were received to break camp, and the regiment was placed in General Richardson's brigade, and crossed the Chain Bridge in Virginia, being the advance of the "Army of Virginia," to attack the enemy. The regiment reached Centreville that night and bivouacked. Early the next morning information was received that the enemy was in force four miles in front, and at one o'clock in the afternoon the regiment reached Bull Run, where the battle commenced. It is needless to recount the disasters of that day. The Massachusetts First, from the beginning to the end, bore itself gallantly, and if all had done as well, a different result would have happened. On the night of the 18th the regiment fell back to Centreville and remained there that night. On the 19th and 20th the regiment was engaged in skirmishing and advanced to the position it held on the eighteenth. On the morning of the 21st of July the engagement of the battle of Bull Run began between the two armies, at half-past seven o'clock, and continued throngh the day, when the Union army. retreated. The First Massachusetts encamped again at Centreville. On the 22d the army retreated to Washington, the Massachusetts First forming the rear guard. The regiment marched twenty-two miles through a severe rain storm without any rations for twenty-four hours. On reaching Chain Bridge,

the regiment was kept standing for four hours waiting permission to enter its camp, which was in sight on the opposite side of the river. On reaching the camp a good meal was prepared, and they rested for the day.

On the 24th July the regiment was ordered to take possession of Fort Albany, on Arlington Heights, Virginia, where it remained until the 7th of August, when the regiment was attached to General Hooker's brigade, and marched to Bladensburg, Maryland, where it remained until the 10th of September. It was then ordered to the lower part of Maryland to search for arms and military stores of the rebels and cut off their communication with Virginia. They were absent one month, in which time they marched 272 miles, and did good service. During that time the men were without tents and slept on the ground. On the 13th of October the regiment marched fifty miles below on the Potomac River to Budd's Ferry, and where it went into winter quarters. The march was made in four days. At this place the men were constantly annoyed by shells from the rebel batteries on the opposite side of the river. The regiment remained there until the 10th of April, 1862. While in camp at Budd's Ferry portions of the regiment were engaged in a skirmish on the opposite side of the river, at " Shipping Point," and took possession of a lot of arms and military stores.

Since the foregoing was put in type, a historical account of the First Regiment has been received from the Colonel, and I am glad to avail myself of the opportunity to insert it, substantially, as it was written.

The several companies composing the First Regiment were mustered into the United States service as follows: for term of three years, Companies A, B, G, and H, May 23, 1861; Companies D, F, K, and I, May 24, 1861; Company E, May 25; and Company C, May 27, 1861. The Field and Staff, May 25, 1861.

On the first day of June, 1861, the regiment went into camp at Fresh Pond, Cambridge, Mass., the station taking its name from the lamented Ellsworth, the remembrance of whose tragic death was then fresh in the hearts of the people. The duty here was incessant, and Colonel Cowdin was evidently using

his utmost endeavors to make his regiment a credit to the State. On the 13th the regiment was transferred to Camp Cameron, at North Cambridge, and on the afternoon of the 15th took up its march for Boston. After the presentation by the City of Boston of a beautiful flag, and the receiving of adieus of relatives and friends of its members, the regiment embarked, took the cars of the Boston and Providence Railroad and arrived at Washington June 17; nothing of note having occurred during the journey, if we except the fact that this was the first regiment to pass through the city of Baltimore after the attack on the Sixth Massachusetts Militia.

On the afternoon of the 19th they proceeded to Georgetown, D. C., where they encamped; the march though short being a fatiguing one, on account of the extreme heat, and the incumbrance of overcoats and knapsacks. The encampment was called "Camp Banks." The 4th of July was suitably celebrated, and a fine American color was presented to the regiment, on behalf of Boston citizens resident in California, by Senator McDougal.

About the 7th of July a detachment of the regiment, consisting of Companies I and K, under command of Major Chandler, were sent to the Great Falls of the Potomac, eighteen miles above Georgetown, to guard the works of the Washington Aqueduct at that point, there having been, a few days before, a skirmish between the enemy and our cavalry pickets. Our detachment was joined, a few days later, by two companies of a Michigan regiment. They remained here until late in the afternoon of July 14, when the entire party were ordered back, and marched all night, reaching Camp Banks about four, A. M., the next morning.

On the 16th, about three, P. M., this regiment, with the rest of the brigade, consisting of the Second and Third Michigan and Twelfth New York, under command of Colonel I. B. Richardson, of the Second Michigan, crossed into Virginia over the Chain Bridge, encamping at Lewinsville that night, and at Vienna the succeeding night. On the 18th they engaged the enemy on the banks of Bull Run, at Blackburn's Ford. The heaviest of the fighting was done by the "First," and consisted entirely of skirmishing, Companies G, H and F suffering the most severely.