will come in this country when professional knowledge
will be appreciated, when men that can be trusted will be wanted,
and I will bide my time. I may miss the chance; if so, all right;
but I cannot and will not mix myself in this present call. . . .

"The first movements of the government will fail and the leaders
will be cast aside. A second or third set will rise, and among
them I may be, but at present I will not volunteer as a soldier or
anything else. If Congress meet, or if a national convention be
called, and the regular army be put on a footing with the wants of
the country, if I am offered a place that suits me, I may accept.
But in the present call I will not volunteer."

He criticised the call for 75,000 militia for three months, saying
that the best of men could only be made indifferent soldiers in
three months, and that the best of soldiers could accomplish nothing
in three months in such a country as ours. He therefore would not
volunteer for such a service, but his mind was occupied with military
plans. The correspondence between us shows that he had a better
conception of the magnitude and necessities of the war than civilians
like myself.

He wrote to Mr. Cameron, Secretary of War, from St. Louis, on May
8, 1861:

"I hold myself now, as always, prepared to serve my country in the
capacity for which I was trained. I did not and will not volunteer
for three months, because I cannot throw my family on the cold
support of charity, but for the three years' call made by the
President an officer could prepare his command and do good service.
I will not volunteer, because, rightfully or wrongfully, I feel
myself unwilling to take a mere private's place, and having for
many years lived in California and Louisiana, the men are not well
enough acquainted with me to elect me to my appropriate place.
Should my services be needed, the record or the war department will
enable you to designate the station in which I can render best
service."

When Mr. Lincoln was elected President, there was no general feeling
among the northern people that war would result from his election.
It was not believed, although it had been threatened, that the
southern states would take up arms to resist the accession of a
President not of their choice. The love of Union and the orderly
obedience to constituted authority had been so well established
among our people that, while politicians might threaten, but few
really belie