o engage in hot haste, but took an active interest in
drilling them, and imparting all the instruction I could, and at the
request of the members of the company, and of Mr. Washburn, I came
here for the purpose of assisting for a short time in camp, and of
offering, if necessary, my services for the war. The next two days
after my arrival it was rainy and muddy so that the troops could not
drill and I concluded to go home. Governor Yates heard it and
requested me to remain. Since that I have been acting in that
capacity, and for the last few days have been in command of this camp.
The last of the six regiments called for from this State, will
probably leave by to-morrow, or the day following, and then I shall be
relieved from this command.

The Legislature of this State provided for the raising of eleven
additional regiments and a battalion of artillery; a portion of these
the Governor will appoint me to muster into the service of the State,
when I presume my services may end. I might have obtained the
colonelcy of a regiment possibly, but I was perfectly sickened at the
political wire-pulling for all these commissions, and would not engage
in it. I shall be in no ways backward in offering my services when and
where they are required, but I feel that I have done more now than I
could do serving as a captain under a green colonel, and if this thing
continues they will want more men at a later day.

There have been fully 30,000 more volunteers who have offered their
services, than can be accepted under the present call, without
including the call made by the State; but I can go back to Galena and
drill the three or four companies there, and render them efficient for
any future call. My own opinion is that this war will be but of short
duration. The Administration has acted most prudently and sagaciously
so far in not bringing on a conflict before it had its forces fully
marshalled. When they do strike, our thoroughly loyal states will be
fully protected, and a few decisive victories in some of the southern
ports will send the secession army howling, and the leaders in the
rebellion will flee the country. All the states will then be loyal for
a generation to come. Negroes will depreciate so rapidly in value that
nobody will want to own them, and their masters will be the loudest in
their declamation against the institution from a political and
economic point of view. The negro will never disturb this country
again. The w