Centreville, July 27, '63.
My experience is that, for cavalry, raw recruits sent
to a regiment in large numbers are worse than useless; they are of no account
themselves and they spoil the old men, — they should be drilled at least
four months before they join their regiment. Now has not Governor Andrew the
power — I mean can he not get it — to establish a camp of instruction and
Reserve Depot for his two cavalry regiments at Readville? There is a good
drill-ground there, good water and good stabling for 400 horses, all that are
ever likely to be there at one time. I should have the horses, arms, and
equipments a permanency, — with raw recruits, trained horses are of immense
importance — 150 trained horses are enough, however. If some such arrangement
could be made, Harry put in charge of both regiments and all new officers and
men sent there to learn their A B C's, I think the Massachusetts regiments
would be started on a footing that would keep them more effective than I see a
chance of any regiments being under the present system.
SOURCE: Edward Waldo Emerson, Life and Letters of
Charles Russell Lowell, p. 287-8
