opportunity；　but　high　rank　was　so　distant　in　our　service　that　not　a
  dream　of　its　attainment　had　flitted　through　my　brain。
  During　the　period　running　from　January　to　September；　1861；　in
  consequence　of　resignations　and　the　addition　of　some　new　regiments　to
  the　regular　army；　I　had　passed　through　the　grade　of　first　lieutenant
  and　reached　that　of　captain　in　the　Thirteenth　United　States　Infantry；
  of　which　General　W。　T。　Sherman　had　recently　been　made　the　colonel。
  When　relieved　from　further　duty　at　Yamhill　by　Captain　Owen；　I　left
  for　the　Atlantic　coast　to　join　my　new　regiment。　　A　two　days'　ride
  brought　me　down　to　Portland；　whence　I　sailed　to　San　Franciso；　and　at
  that　city　took　passage　by　steamer　for　New　York　via　the　Isthmus　of
  Panama；　in　company　with　a　number　of　officers　who　were　coming　East
  under　circumstances　like　my　own。
  At　this　time　California　was　much　agitatedon　the　question　of
  secession；　and　the　secession　element　was　so　strong　that　considerable
  apprehension　was　felt　by　the　Union　people　lest　the　State　might　be
  carried　into　the　Confederacy。　　As　a　consequence　great　distrust
  existed　in　all　quarters；　and　the　loyal　passengers　on　the　steamer；　not
  knowing　what　might　occur　during　our　voyage；　prepared　to　meet
  emergencies　by　thoroughly　organizing　to　frustrate　any　attempt　that
  might　possibly　be　made　to　carry　us　into　some　Southern　port　after　we
  should　leave　Aspinwall。　　However；　our　fears　proved　groundless；　at　all
  events；　no　such　attempt　was　made；　and　we　reached　New　York　in　safety
  in　November；　1861。　　A　day　or　two　in　New　York　sufficed　to　replenish　a
  most　meagre　wardrobe；　and　I　then　started　West　to　join　my　new
  regiment；　stopping　a　day　and　a　night　at　the　home　of　my　parents　in
  Ohio；　where　I　had　not　been　since　I　journeyed　from　Texas　for　the
  Pacific　coast。　　The　headquarters　of　my　regiment　were　at　Jefferson
  Barracks；　Missouri；　to　which　point　I　proceeded　with　no　further　delay
  except　a　stay　in　the　city　of　St。　Louis　long　enough　to　pay　my　respects
  to　General　H。　W。　Halleck。
  CHAPTER　VIII。
  AUDITING　ACCOUNTSCHIEF　QUARTERMASTER　AND　COMMISSARY　OF　THE　ARMY　OF
  SOUTHWEST　MISSOURIPREPARING　FOR　THE　PEA　RIDGE　CAMPAIGNA
  DIFFERENCE　WITH　GENERAL　CURTISORDERED　TO　THE　FRONTAPPOINTED　A
  COLONEL。
  Some　days　after　I　had　reached　the　headquarters　of　my　regiment　near
  St。　Louis；　General　Halleck　sent　for　me；　and　when　I　reported　he
  informed　me　that　there　existed　a　great　deal　of　confusion　regarding
  the　accounts　of　some　of　the　disbursing　officers　in　his　department；
  whose　management　of　its　fiscal　affairs　under　his　predecessor；　General
  John　C。　Fremont；　had　been　very　loose；　and　as　the　chaotic　condition　of
  things　could　be　relieved　only　by　auditing　these　accounts；　he
  therefore　had　determined　to　create　a　board　of　officers　for　the
  purpose；　and　intended　to　make　me　president　of　it。　　The　various
  transactions　in　question　covered　a　wide　field；　for　the　department
  embraced　the　States　of　Missouri；　Iowa；　Minnesota；　Illinois；　Arkansas；
  and　all　of　Kentucky　west　of　the　Cumberland　River。
  The　duty　was　not　distasteful；　and　I　felt　that　I　was　qualified　to
  undertake　it；　for　the　accounts　to　be　audited　belonged　exclusively　to
  the　Quartermaster　and　Subsistence　departments；　and　by　recent
  experience　I　had　become　familiar　with　the　class　of　papers　that
  pertained　to　those　branches　of　the　army。　　Indeed；　it　was　my
  familiarity　with　such　transactions；　returns；　etc。；　that　probably
  caused　my　selection　as　president　of　the　board。
  I　entered　upon　the　work　forthwith；　and　continued　at　it　until　the　26th
  of　December；　1861。　　At　that　date　I　was　relieved　from　the　auditing
  board　and　assigned　to　duty　as　Chief　Commissary　of　the　Army　of
  Southwest　Missouri；　commanded　by　General　Samuel　R。　Curtis。　　This　army
  was　then　organizing　at　Rolla；　Missouri；　for　the　Pea　Ridge　campaign；
  its　strength　throughout　the　campaign　being　in　the　aggregate　about
  fifteen　thousand　men。
  As　soon　as　I　received　information　of　my　selection　for　this　position；
  I　went　to　General　Halleck　and　requested　him　to　assign　me　as　Chief
  Quartermaster　also。　　He　was　reluctant　to　do　so；　saying　that　I　could
  not　perform　both　duties；　but　I　soon　convinced　him　that　I　could　do
  both　better　than　the　one；　for　I　reminded　him　that　as　Chief
  Quartermaster　I　should　control　the　transportation；　and　thus　obviate
  all　possible　chances　of　discord　between　the　two　staff　departments；　a
  condition　which　I　deemed　essential　to　success；　especially　as　it　was
  intended　that　Curtis's　army　should　mainly　subsist　on　the　country。
  This　argument　impressed　Halleck；　and　becoming　convinced；　he　promptly
  issued　the　order　making　me　Chief　Quartermaster　and　Chief　Commissary
  of　Subsistence　of　the　Army　of　Southwest　Missouri；　and　I　started　for
  Rolla　to　enter　upon　the　work　assigned　me。
  Having　reported　to　General　Curtis；　I　quickly　learned　that　his　system
  of　supply　was　very　defective；　and　the　transportation　without　proper
  organization；　some　of　the　regiments　having　forty　to　fifty　wagon　each；
  and　others　only　three　or　four。　　I　labored　day　and　night　to　remedy
  these　and　other　defects；　and　with　the　help　of　Captain　Michael　P。
  Small；　of　the　Subsistence　Department；　who　was　an　invaluable
  assistant；　soon　brought　things　into　shape；　putting　the　transportation
  in　good　working　order；　giving　each　regiment　its　proper　quota　of
  wagons；　and　turning　the　surplus　into　the　general　supply　trains　of　the
  army。　　In　accomplishing　this　I　was　several　times　on　the　verge　of
  personal　conflict　with　irate　regimental　commanders；　but　Colonel　G。　M。
  Dodge　so　greatly　sustained　me　with　General　Curtis　by　strong　moral
  support；　and　by　such　efficient　details　from　his　regimentthe　Fourth
  Iowa　Volunteer　Infantrythat　I　still　bear　him　and　it　great　affection
  and　lasting　gratitude。
  On　January　26；　1862；　General　Curtis's　army　began　its　march　from　Rolla
  to　Springfield；　Missouri；　by　way　of　Lebanon。　　The　roads　were　deep
  with　mud；　and　so　badly　cut　up　that　the　supply　trains　in　moving
  labored　under　the　most　serious　difficulties；　and　were　greatly
  embarrassed　by　swollen　streams。　　Under　these　circumstances　many
  delays　occurred；　and　when　we　arrived　at　Lebanon　nearly　all　the
  supplies　with　which　we　had　started　had　been　consumed；　and　the　work　of
  feeding　the　troops　off　the　country　had　to　begin　at　that　point。　　To
  get　flour；　wheat　had　to　be　taken　from　the　stacks；　threshed；　and　sent
  to　the　mills　to　be　ground。　　Wheat　being　scarce　in　this　region；　corn
  as　a　substitute　had　to　be　converted　into　meal　by　the　same　laborious
  process。　　In　addition；　beef　cattle　had　to　be　secured　for　the　meat
  ration。
  By　hard　work　we　soon　accumulated　a　sufficient　quantity　of　flour　and
  corn　meal　to　justify　the　resumption　of　our　march　on　Springfield；　at
  or　near　which　point　the　enemy　was　believed　to　be　awaiting　us；　and　the
  order　was　given　to　move　forward；　the　commanding　general　cautioning
  me；　in　the　event　of　disaster；　to　let　no　salt　fall　into　General
  Price's　hands。　　General　Curtis　made　a　hobby　of　this　matter　of　salt；
  believing　the　enemy　was　sadly　in　need　of　that　article；　and　he
  impressed　me　deeply　with　his　conviction　that　our　cause　would　be
  seriously　injured　by　a　loss　which　would　inure　so　greatly　and
  peculiarly　to　the　enemy's　benefit；　but　we　afterward　discovered；　when
  Price　abandoned　his　position；　that　about　all　he　left　behind　was　salt。
  When　we　were　within　about　eight　miles　of　Springfield；　General　Curtis
  decided　to　put　his　troops　in　line　of　battle　for　the　advance　on　the
  town；　and　directed　me　to　stretch　out　my　supply　trains　in　a　long　line
  of　battle；　so　that　in　falling　back；　in　case　the　troops　were　repulsed；
  he　could　rally　the　men　on　the　wagons。　　I　did　not　like　the　tactics；
  but　of　course　obeyed　the　order。　　The　line　moved　on　Springfield；　and
  took　the　town　without　resistance；　the　enemy　having　fled　southward；　in
  the　direction　of　Pea　Ridge；　the　preceding　day。　　Of　course　our　success
  relieved　my　anxiety　about　the　wagons；　but　fancy　has　often　pictured
  since；　the　stampede　of　six　mule　teams　that；　had　we　met　with　any
  reverse；　would　have　taken　place　over　the　prairies　of　southwest
  Missouri。
  The　army　set　out　in　pursuit　of　Price；　but　I　was　left　at　Springfield
  to　gather　supplies　from　the　surrounding　country；　by　the　same　means
  that　had　been　used　at　Lebanon；　and　send　them　forward。　　To　succeed　in
  this　useful　and　necessary　duty　required　much　hard　work。　　To　procure
  the　grain　and　to　run　the　mills　in　the　country；　replacing　the
  machinery　where　parts　had　been　carried　away；　or　changing　the
  principle　and　running　the　mills　on　some　different　plan　when
  necessary；　and　finally　forward　the　product　to　the　army；　made　a　task
  that　taxed　the　energy　of　all　engaged　in　it。　　Yet；　having　at　command　a
  very　skillful　corps　of　millwrights；　machinists；　and　millers；　detailed
  principally　from　the　Fourth　Iowa　and　Thirty…sixth　Illinois　volunteer
  regiments；　we　soon　got　matters　in　shape；　and　were　able　to　send　such
  large　quantities　of　flour　and　meal　to　the　front；　that　only　the　bacon
  and　small　parts　of　the　ration　had　to　be　brought　for