Barracks had been provided for two or more regiments, wells sunk, and every arrangement made for the comfort of the men, several partially formed companies of which came into camp during the month and were mustered into the U. S. service as soon as they were recruited to a minimum number.
Not much of special importance occurred to disturb the regular routine of camp life while here, the days being spent in actively drilling and becoming acquainted with the duties of a soldier; but occasionally some little break would be made in the monotony of camp life; it seems that there had grown up a feeling of jealousy among some of the officers of another regiment in the camp, because Mr. Stone had been appointed Commandant of Camp from civil life, and without previous military training, when there were other officers in camp who had had such training in the Volunteer Militia, and on October 24 the dissatisfaction culminated in an assault upon Capt. Stone's headquarters with bricks and other missiles, and for a time matters assumed rather a warlike aspect, but finally settled down with but very little bloodshed.
The quota of Massachusetts under this call was 19,090 men. The great numbers already in the field and the fact that the last previous call of July 2, for 300,000 men for three years' service had not been entirely filled, made it more difficult to secure these additional men but the officers worked with a will, and soon no doubt was felt that the object would be attained, and the call promptly answered. The first company to secure the requisite number of recruits was the company from Newburyport under command of Capt. Stone, which was mustered September 16, and from that time
