large　quantities　of　flour　and　meal　to　the　front；　that　only　the　bacon
  and　small　parts　of　the　ration　had　to　be　brought　forward　from　our
  depot　at　Rolla。　　When　things　were　well　systematized；　I　went　forward
  myself　to　expedite　the　delivery　of　supplies；　and　joined　the　army　at
  Cross　Hollows；　just　south　of　Pea　Ridge。
  Finding　everything　working　well　at　Cross　Hollows；　I　returned　to
  Springfield　in　a　few　days　to　continue　the　labor　of　collecting
  supplies。　　On　my　way　back　I　put　the　mills　at　Cassville　in　good　order
  to　grind　the　grain　in　that　vicinity；　and　perfected　there　a　plan　for
  the　general　supply　from　the　neighboring　district　of　both　the　men　and
  animals　of　the　army；　so　that　there　should；　be　no　chance　of　a　failure
  of　the　campaign　from　bad　roads　or　disaster　to　my　trains。　　Springfield
  thus　became　the　centre　of　the　entire　supply　section。
  Just　after　my　return　to　Springfield　the　battle　of　Pea　Ridge　was
  fought。　　The　success　of　the　Union　troops　in　this　battle　was
  considerable；　and　while　not　of　sufficient　magnitude　to　affect　the
  general　cause　materially；　it　was　decisive　as　to　that　particular
  campaign；　and　resulted　in　driving　all　organized　Confederate　forces
  out　of　the　State　of　Missouri。　　After　Pea　Ridge　was　won；　certain
  efforts　were　made　to　deprive　Curtis　of　the　credit　due　him　for　the
  victory；　but；　no　matter　what　merit　belonged　to　individual　commanders；
  I　was　always　convinced　that　Curtis　was　deserving　of　the　highest
  commendation；　not　only　for　the　skill　displayed　on　the　field；　but　for
  a　zeal　and　daring　in　campaign　which　was　not　often　exhibited　at　that
  early　period　of　the　war。　　Especially　should　this　credit　be　awarded
  him；　when　we　consider　the　difficulties　under　which　he　labored；　how　he
  was　hampered　in　having　to　depend　on　a　sparsely　settled　country　for
  the　subsistence　of　his　troops。　　In　the　reports　of　the　battle　that
  came　to　Springfield；　much　glory　was　claimed　for　some　other　general
  officers；　but　as　I　had　control　of　the　telegraph　line　from　Springfield
  east；　I　detained　all　despatches　until　General　Curtis　had　sent　in　his
  official　report。　　He　thus　had　the　opportunity　of　communicating　with
  his　superior　in　advance　of　some　of　his　vain　subordinates；　who　would
  have　laid　claim　to　the　credit　of　the　battle　had　I　not　thwarted　them
  by　this　summary　means。
  Not　long　afterward　came　the　culmination　of　a　little　difference　that
  had　arisen　between　General　Curtis　and　me；　brought　about；　I　have　since
  sometimes　thought；　by　an　assistant　quartermaster　from　Iowa；　whom　I
  had　on　duty　with　me　at　Springfield。　　He　coveted　my　place；　and　finally
  succeeded　in　getting　it。　　He　had　been　an　unsuccessful　banker　in　Iowa；
  and　early　in　the　war　obtained　an　appointment　as　assistant
  quartermaster　of　volunteers　with　the　rank　of　captain。　　As　chief
  quartermaster　of　the　army　in　Missouri；　there　would　be　opportunities
  for　the　recuperation　of　his　fortunes　which　would　not　offer　to　one　in
  a　subordinate　place；　so　to　gain　this　position　he　doubtless　intrigued
  for　it　while　under　my　eye；　and　Curtis　was　induced　to　give　it　to　him
  as　soon　as　I　was　relieved。　　His　career　as　my　successor；　as　well　as　in
  other　capacities　in　which　he　was　permitted　to　act　during　the　war；　was
  to　say　the　least　not　savory。　　The　war　over　he　turned　up　in　Chicago　as
  president　of　a　bank；　which　he　wrecked；　and　he　finally　landed　in　the
  penitentiary　for　stealing　a　large　sum　of　money　from　the　United　States
  Treasury　at　Washington　while　employed　there　as　a　clerk。　　The　chances
  that　this　man's　rascality　would　be　discovered　were　much　less　when
  chief　of　the　departments　of　transportation　and　supply　of　an　army　than
  they　afterward　proved　to　be　in　the　Treasury。　　I　had　in　my　possession
  at　all　times　large　sums　of　money　for　the　needs　of　the　army；　and　among
  other　purposes　for　which　these　funds　were　to　be　disbursed　was　the
  purchase　of　horses　and　mules。　　Certain　officers　and　men　more　devoted
  to　gain　than　to　the　performance　of　duty　（a　few　such　are　always　to　be
  found　in　armies）　quickly　learned　this；　and　determined　to　profit　by
  it。　　Consequently　they　began　a　regular　system　of　stealing　horses　from
  the　people　of　the　country　and　proffering　them　to　me　for　purchase。　　It
  took　but　a　little　time　to　discover　this　roguery；　and　when　I　became
  satisfied　of　their　knavery　I　brought　it　to　a　sudden　close　by　seizing
  the　horses　as　captured　property；　branding　them　U。　S。；　and　refusing　to
  pay　for　them。　　General　Curtis；　misled　by　the　misrepresentations　that
  had　been　made；　and　without　fully　knowing　the　circumstances；　or
  realizing　to　what　a　base　and　demoralizing　state　of　things　this　course
  was　inevitably　tending；　practically　ordered　me　to　make　the　Payments；
  and　I　refused。　　The　immediate　result　of　this　disobedience　was　a
  court…martial　to　try　me；　and　knowing　that　my　usefulness　in　that　army
  was　gone；　no　matter　what　the　outcome　of　the　trial　might　be；　I　asked
  General　Halleck　to　relieve　me　from　duty　with　General　Curtis　and　order
  me　to　St。　Louis。　　This　was　promptly　done；　and　as　my　connection　with
  the　Army　of　Southwest　Missouri　was　thus　severed　before　the　court
  could　be　convened；　my　case　never　came　to　trial。　　The　man　referred　to
  as　being　the　cause　of　this　condition　of　affairs　was　appointed　by
  General　Curtis　to　succeed　me。　　I　turned　over　to　the　former　all　the
  funds　and　property　for　which　I　was　responsible；　also　the　branded
  horses　and　mules　stolen　from　the　people　of　the　country；　requiring
  receipts　for　everything。　　I　heard　afterward　that　some　of　the　blooded
  stock　of　southwest　Missouri　made　its　way　to　Iowa　in　an　unaccountable
  manner；　but　whether　the　administration　of　my　successor　was
  responsible　for　it　or　not　I　am　unable　to　say。
  On　my　arrival　at　St。　Louis　I　felt　somewhat　forlorn　and　disheartened
  at　the　turn　affairs　had　taken。　　I　did　not　know　where　I　should　be
  assigned；　nor　what　I　should　be　required　to　do；　but　these
  uncertainties　were　dispelled　in　a　few　days　by　General　Halleck；　who；
  being　much　pressed　by　the　Governors　of　some　of　the　Western　States　to
  disburse　money　in　their　sections；　sent　me　out　into　the　Northwest　with
  a　sort　of　roving　commission　to　purchase　horses　for　the　use　of　the
  army。　　I　went　to　Madison　and　Racine；　Wis。；　at　which　places　I　bought
  two　hundred　horses；　which　were　shipped　to　St。　Louis。　　At　Chicago　I
  bought　two　hundred　more；　and　as　the　prices　paid　at　the　latter　point
  showed　that　Illinois　was　the　cheapest　marketit　at　that　time
  producing　a　surplus　over　home　demandsI　determined　to　make　Chicago
  the　centre　of　my　operations。
  While　occupied　in　this　way　at　Chicago　the　battle　of　Shiloh　took
  place；　and　the　desire　for　active　service　with　troops　became　uppermost
  in　my　thoughts；　so　I　returned　to　St。　Louis　to　see　if　I　could　not　get
  into　the　field。　　General　Halleck　having　gone　down　to　the　Shiloh
  battle…field；　I　reported　to　his　Assistant　Adjutant…General；　Colonel
  John　C。　Kelton；　and　told　him　of　my　anxiety　to　take　a　hand　in　active
  field…service；　adding　that　I　did　not　wish　to　join　my　regiment；　which
  was　still　organizing　and　recruiting　at　Jefferson　Barracks；　for　I　felt
  confident　I　could　be　more　useful　elsewhere。　　Kelton　knew　that　the
  purchasing　duty　was　but　temporary；　and　that　on　its　completion；
  probably　at　no　distant　date；　I　should　have　to　join　my　company　at　the
  barracks；　so；　realizing　the　inactivity　to　which　that　situation　of
  affairs　would　subject　me；　he　decided　to　assume　the　responsibility　of
  sending　me　to　report　to　General　Halleck　at　Shiloh；　and　gave　me　an
  order　to　that　effect。
  This　I　consider　the　turning…point　in　my　military　career；　and　shall
  always　feel　grateful　to　Colonel　Kelton　for　his　kindly　act　which　so
  greatly　influenced　my　future。　　My　desire　to　join　the　army　at　Shiloh
  had　now　taken　possession　of　me；　and　I　was　bent　on　getting　there　by
  the　first　means　available。　　Learning　that　a　hospital…boat　under
  charge　of　Dr。　Hough　was　preparing　to　start　for　Pittsburg　Landing；　I
  obtained　the　Doctor's　consent　to　take　passage　on　it；　and　on　the
  evening　of　April　15；　I　left　St。　Louis　for　the　scene　of　military
  operations　in　northeastern　Mississippi。
  At　Pittsburg　Landing　I　reported　to　General　Halleck；　who；　after　some
  slight　delay；　assigned　me　to　duty　as　an　assistant　to　Colonel　George
  Thom；　of　the　topographical　engineers。　　Colonel　Thom　put　me　at　the
  work　of　getting　the　trains　up　from　the　landing；　which　involved　the
  repair　of　roads　for　that　purpose　by　corduroying　the　marshy　places。
  This　was　rough；　hard　work；　without　much　chance　of　reward；　but　it；　was
  near　the　field　of　active　operations；　and　I　determined　to　do　the　best
  I　could　at　it　till　opportunity　for　something　better　might　arise。
  General　Halleck　did　not　know　much　about　taking　care　of　himself　in　the
  field。　　His　camp　arrangements　were　wholly　inadequate；　and　in
  consequence　he　and　all　the　officers　about　him　were　subjected　to　much
  unnecessary　discomfort　and　annoyance。　　Someone　suggested　to　him　to
  appoint　me　quartermaster　for　his　headquarters；　with　a　view　to
  systematizing　the　establishment　and　remedying　the　defects　complained
  of；　and　I　was　consequently