Massachusetts. Adjutant General's Office

The post of Adjutant General was established by the Constitution of 1780, which authorized the governor to appoint such an official (Const Pt 2, C 2, S 1, Art 10)

While elaborated upon many times by legislation, the fundamental functions of this position have remained constant. In keeping with a governmental perspective in which the civil authority controls the military, the adjutant general serves as executive administrator of the Military Establishment on behalf of the governor in his capacity as commander-in-chief.

Major changes surrounding the office of Adjutant General have related to the evolution of the organization under his charge. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries overseeing the active and inactive militia was a relatively passive function except in periods of conflict or threatened conflict. During the 20th century, however, the adjutant general has become the chief executive officer of the Military Division, which includes the Army and Air National Guards. The duties of the post have correspondingly grown and stabilized.

The duties of the adjutant general were first specified by St 1780, c 21, which empowered the governor to appoint an adjutant general under authority derived from the Constitution. The act further specified that the adjutant general was responsible for making returns of the militia to the governor. With this, one of the most basic and enduring duties of the office was laid down.

In 1793 the General Court expanded these duties. St 1793, c 14 determined that there should be one adjutant general and one quartermaster general for the militia. Most of the responsibities subsequently associated with the position of adjutant general were here identified. They were to include enrollment of the militia with the attendent preparation of abstracts and general returns for the governor and the president of the United States, conducting the annual inspection of the militia, distribution of all orders from the governor acting as commander-in-chief, attendance at all public reviews of the militia, and provision of assistance to the governor in effecting improvements to the system of military discipline.

In 1840 a major reorganization of militia (St 1840, c 92) led to the formation of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia. To improve the quality of state military service, returns of militia enrollment were required to be made annually to the adjutant general in May/June. Such returns were to be based on lists of men liable for service drawn up by local assessors and forwarded to the adjutant general by city or town clerks.

In 1846 a more exacting system of enrolling the militia was defined (St 1846, c 218). The relationship between the adjutant general and municipal officers, on the one hand, and the adjutant general and the governor, on the other, was refined. The new system of reporting returns was designed to support calculations leading to determinations by the adjutant general of local entitlements to reimbursement by the state for the service of militia members.

While the Civil War increased and intensified the activities of the adjutant general, the official duties of the office remained relatively constant. St 1864, c 238; St 1866, c 219; and St 1874, c 320, s 50 substantially restated extant provisions of earlier legislation (St 1793, c 14; St 1846, c 218)

In the aftermath of the Civil War, a series of secondary tasks was appended to the Adjutant General's Office. It was made responsible for maintenance of war records (Resolves 1881, c 38; Resolves 1897, c 49 and c 75) and for payment of unsatisfied bounty claims to veterans of the Civil War (St 1897, c 179; St 1898, c 55; Resolves 1903, c 100). The former role ultimately led to designation of the adjutant general as Commissioner of War Records (St 1912, c 211). The adjutant general was also authorized to certify the keeping of armories and the reimbursement of local governments for this expense (St 1874, c 320), a responsibility which ultimately lead to his designation as chair of the Armory Commission (St 1937, c 300)

The most notable change in the 20th century has been the departmentalization of the Adjutant General's Office. A hint of this is revealed in St 1874, c 320, wherein the staff of the commander-in-chief was defined as consisting of the adjutant general, serving as chief-of-staff, and a quartermaster general, surgeon general, and judge advocate general.

By 1939 the transition was complete and the post of the adjutant general took on its modern cast (St 1939, c 425). With this enactment, the adjutant general had become the head of a department, as executive and administrative head of the Military Division, which, for purposes of financial administration, was constituted by the organized militia (ss 6(b), 16(b)). Other members of the military staff, including the state quartermaster, state surgeon, state ordnance officer, state inspector, and state judge advocate, became subordinate to the adjutant general. Core responsibilities continued to include reporting returns, maintaining rosters, conveying orders, certifying military expenses for assessment purposes, and assisting the governor in planning and development of the state's military program.

In addition to supplying and equipping the organized militia, the adjutant general, with the assistance of the state staff, was made responsible for recruiting, organizing, and mobilizing the state's forces. Certain administrative duties, such as executing contracts and approving divisional expenditures, also came to be invested in his office. By mid-century the adjutant general had acquired standing equivalent to the secretaries in charge of executive offices (St 1969, c 704, s 39)

NAME AUTHORITY NOTE. Series relating to the agency described above can be found by searching the following access point for the time period stated: 1780-present--Massachusetts. Adjutant General's Office.

From the description of Agency history record. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 145429345

During the Civil War President Lincoln issued a call on July 2, 1862 for 300,000 men to serve for 3 years. The Federal Militia Act of July 17, 1862 authorized the president to call up state militias into national service for 9 months and "to make all necessary rules and regulations." The President's General Order 94 of Aug. 4, 1862 called for 300,000 militia to serve for 9 months. States not meeting their quota by Sept. 3 (or Aug. 15 for the July 2 call) would be subject to a draft, the first instance of the federal government assuming the authority to draft in the United States.

The Secretary of War issued General Order 99 (Aug. 9), specifying that governor of each state was to enroll all able-bodied men 18 to 45. In Massachusetts, the state Adjutant General issued General Order 38 (Aug. 21), directing selectmen or other officials of each municipality to assemble an enrollment list of all eligible men. The order also provided for a drafting commissioner for each county and surgeons, to be appointed by the governor. They were to establish exemptions, such as for those already in the military, working on railroads, or with issues of age or poor health.

On Aug. 23, 1862, William Rogers was commissioned Second Assistant Adjutant General to administer the draft in Massachusetts. Rogers established each municipality's quota based on the total number of able-bodied men before the war had started in 1861, as well as giving credit for the number of men it had already sent to the war effort.

Massachusetts General Order 51 (Sept. 30, 1862) gave Oct. 15 as the final deadline before the draft was to proceed. The bounty was then increased to $200 and the draft delayed until Dec. 8. The draft of 1862 was not activated in Massachusetts, as the threat of a one eventually provided the necessary volunteers to fill the July 2 and Aug. 4 calls for troops. (Massachusetts. Adjutant General's Office. Annual report, 1862, p. 37-50; W. Schouler. History of Massachusetts in the Civil War, p. 354-355.)

From the description of Draft enrollment lists, 1862. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 212783439

During the Civil War President Lincoln issued a call on July 2, 1862 for 300,000 men to serve for 3 years. The Federal Militia Act of July 17, 1862 authorized the president to call up state militias into national service for 9 months and "to make all necessary rules and regulations." The President's General Order 94 of Aug. 4, 1862 called for 300,000 militia to serve for 9 months. States not meeting their quota by Sept. 3 (or Aug. 15 for the July 2 call) would be subject to a draft, the first instance of the federal government assuming the authority to draft in the United States.

The Secretary of War issued General Order 99 (Aug. 9), specifying that governor of each state was to enroll all able-bodied men 18 to 45. In Massachusetts, the state Adjutant General issued General Order 38 (Aug. 21), directing selectmen or other officials of each municipality to assemble an enrollment list of all eligible men. The order also provided for a drafting commissioner for each county and surgeons, to be appointed by the governor. They were to establish exemptions, such as for those already in the military, working on railroads, or with issues of age or poor health.

On Aug. 23, 1862, William Rogers was commissioned Second Assistant Adjutant General to administer the draft in Massachusetts. Rogers established each municipality's quota based on the total number of able-bodied men before the war had started in 1861, as well as giving credit for the number of men it had already sent to the war effort.

Massachusetts General Order 51 (Sept. 30, 1862) gave Oct. 15 as the final deadline before the draft was to proceed. The bounty was then increased to $200 and the draft delayed until Dec. 8. The draft of 1862 was not activated in Massachusetts, as the threat of a one eventually provided the necessary volunteers to fill the July 2 and Aug. 4 calls for troops. (Massachusetts. Adjutant General's Office. Annual report, 1862, p. 37-50; W. Schouler. History of Massachusetts in the Civil War, p. 354-355.)

From the description of Middlesex County draft exemption book, 1862. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 79458490