On the 3rd of May all troops of the Atlantic States had been placed under command of General Merritt, to be employed in coast-defence, and to him Colonel Pfaff reported his regiment. Soon after, Lieutenant Strother, (later major, U.S.V.), A.D.C. to General Merritt, was ordered to Boston for the purpose of inspecting the regiment, so far as concerned its equipment for service, and recommending stations for its assignment in the general scheme of defence. Having visited Fort Warren, where he made a careful inquiry into the condition of the command, Lieutenant Strother held a consultation with the State authorities, and returned to New York to report to his chief. On the 10th came telegraphic orders from Headquarters, Department of the East, detaching the Third Battalion ("E," "F," "I," and "M" Batteries, under Major Frye), to report to Colonel Woodruff for duty as part of the garrison at Fort Warren, and directing the remainder of the regiment to hold itself in readiness for assignment under orders later to be issued. Changes which ultimately concerned the First had meanwhile been in progress among the regular batteries stationed on the New England coast. "K" Battery (Curtis'), of the Second Artillery, had been ordered on April 28th from Fort Schuyler, N.Y., to the ungarrisoned defenses at Portsmouth, N.H. On May 6th Colonel Woodruff, in addition to his duties as commanding officer at Fort Warren, was assigned to the general command of the defenses of Boston Harbor; Major Charles Morris, Seventh Artillery, was placed in command of the Mortar Battery at Winthrop (up to this time in charge of Lieutenant Ketcham, Second Artillery, with a small detachment of about thirty men taken from the batteries at Warren) with a garrison made up of "M" Battery (Richmond's), Second Artillery, and "F" Battery (Anderson's), Seventh Artillery, from Schuyler; the gap left in the garrison at Warren by the withdrawal of Richmond was filled by the transfer of "G" Battery (Brown's), Seventh Artillery, from Schuyler; and finally, Lieutenant Lyon, with a detachment of thirty men from the batteries of the Second Artillery at Fort Adams, Newport, R.I., was ordered to the fort at Clark's Point, New Bedford, later to be named Fort Rodman. The shifting of regular batteries at Warren occurred on May 16th, and the officers of the First parted with regret from Captain Richmond, who had made many friends among them. Most unexpectedly, on May 18th, a message was received at the fort announcing the coming of Governor Wolcott, to present to the officers their volunteer commissions. On his arrival the regiment formed for review, and after the march-past stood closed in mass by battalions, with the officers grouped at the centre, while the Governor spoke a few words of farewell, saying, among other things: