systematizing　the　establishment　and　remedying　the　defects　complained
  of；　and　I　was　consequently　assigned　to　this　duty。　　Shortly　after　this
  assignment　I　had　the　satisfaction　of　knowing　that　General　Halleck　was
  delighted　with　the　improvements　made　at　headquarters；　both　in　camp
  outfit　and　transportation；　and　in　administration　generally。　　My
  popularity　grew　as　the　improvements　increased；　but　one　trifling
  incident　came　near　marring　it。　　There　was　some　hitch　about　getting
  fresh　beef　for　General　Halleck's　mess；　and　as　by　this　time　everybody
  had　come　to　look　to　me　for　anything　and　everything　in　the　way　of
  comfort；　Colonel　Joe　McKibben　brought　an　order　from　the　General　for
  me　to　get　fresh　beef　for　the　headquarters　mess。　　I　was　not　caterer
  for　this　mess；　nor　did　I　belong　to　it　even；　so　I　refused　point…blank。
  McKibben；　disliking　to　report　my　disobedience；　undertook　persuasion；
  and　brought　Colonel　Thom　to　see　me　to　aid　in　his　negotiations；　but　I
  would　not　give　in；　so　McKibben　in　the　kindness　of　his　heart　rode
  several　miles　in　order　to　procure　the　beef　himself；　and　thus　save　me
  from　the　dire　results　which　be　thought　would　follow　should　Halleck
  get　wind　of　such　downright　insubordination。　　The　next　day　I　was　made
  Commissary　of　Subsistence　for　the　headquarters　in　addition　to　my
  other　duties；　and　as　this　brought　me　into　the　line　of　fresh　beef；
  General　Halleck　had　no　cause　thereafter　to　complain　of　a　scarcity　of
  that　article　in　his　mess。
  My　stay　at　General　Halleck's　headquarters　was　exceedingly　agreeable；
  and　my　personal　intercourse　with　officers　on　duty　there　was　not　only
  pleasant　and　instructive；　but　offered　opportunities　for　improvement
  and　advancement　for　which　hardly　any　other　post　could　have　afforded
  like　chances。　　My　special　duties　did　not　occupy　all　my　time；　and
  whenever　possible　I　used　to　go　over　to　General　Sherman's　division；
  which　held　the　extreme　right　of　our　line　in　the　advance　on　Corinth；
  to　witness　the　little　engagements　occurring　there　continuously　during
  the　slow　progress　which　the　army　was　then　making；　the　enemy　being
  forced　back　but　a　short　distance　each　day。　　I　knew　General　Sherman
  very　well。　　We　came　from　near　the　same　section　of　country　in　Ohio；
  and　his　wife　and　her　family　had　known　me　from　childhood。　　I　was
  always　kindly　received　by　the　General；　and　one　day　he　asked　me　if　I
  would　be　willing　to　accept　the　colonelcy　of　a　certain　Ohio　regiment
  if　he　secured　the　appointment。　　I　gladly　told　him　yes；　if　General
  Halleck　would　let　me　go；　but　I　was　doomed　to　disappointment；　for　in
  about　a　week　or　so　afterward　General　Sherman　informed　me　that　the
  Governor　of　Ohio　would　not　consent；　having　already　decided　to　appoint
  some　one　else。
  A　little　later　Governor　Blair；　of　Michigan；　who　was　with　the　army
  temporarily　in　the　interest　of　the　troops　from　his　State；　and　who
  just　at　this　time　was　looking　around　for　a　colonel　for　the　Second
  Michigan　Cavalry；　and　very　anxious　to　get　a　regular　officer；　fixed
  upon　me　as　the　man。　　The　regiment　was　then　somewhat　run　down　by
  losses　from　sickness；　and　considerably　split　into　factions　growing
  out　of　jealousies　engendered　by　local　differences　previous　to
  organization；　and　the　Governor　desired　to　bridge　over　all　these
  troubles　by　giving　the　regiment　a　commander　who　knew　nothing　about
  them。　　I　presume　that　some　one　said　to　the　Governor　about　this　time；
  〃Why　don't　you　get　Sheridan？〃　　This；　however；　is　only　conjecture。　　I
  really　do　not　know　how　my　name　was　proposed　to　him；　but　I　have　often
  been　told　since　that　General　Gordon　Granger；　whom　I　knew　slightly
  then；　and　who　had　been　the　former　colonel　of　the　regiment；　first
  suggested　the　appointment。　　At　all　events；　on　the　morning　of　May　27；
  1862；　Captain　Russell　A。　Algerrecently　Governor　of　Michigan
  accompanied　by　the　quartermaster　of　the　regiment；　Lieutenant　Frank
  Walbridge；　arrived　at　General　Halleck's　headquarters　and　delivered　to
  me　this　telegram：
  （By　Telegraph。）
  〃MILITARY　DEPT　OF　MICHIGAN；
  〃ADJUTANT…GENERAL'S　OFFICE；
  〃DETROIT；　May　25；　1862。
  GENERAL　ORDERS　NO。　148。
  〃Captain　Philip　H。　Sheridan；　U。　S。　Army；　is　hereby　appointed
  Colonel　of　the　Second　Regiment　Michigan　Cavalry；　to　rank　from
  this　date。
  〃Captain　Sheridan　will　immediately　assume　command　of　the
  regiment。
  〃By　order　of　the　Commander…in…Chief；
  〃JNO。　ROBERTSON；
  〃Adjutant…General。〃
  I　took　the　order　to　General　Halleck；　and　said　that　I　would　like　to
  accept；　but　he　was　not　willing　I　should　do　so　until　the　consent　of
  the　War　Department　could　be　obtained。　　I　returned　to　my　tent　much
  disappointed；　for　in　those　days；　for　some　unaccountable　reason；　the
  War　Department　did　not　favor　the　appointment　of　regular　officers　to
  volunteer　regiments；　and　I　feared　a　disapproval　at　Washington。　　After
  a　further　consultation　with　Captain　Alger　and　Lieutenant　Walbridge；　I
  determined　to　go　to　the　General　again　and　further　present　the　case。
  Enlarging　on　my　desire　for　active　service　with　troops；　and　urging　the
  utter　lack　of　such　opportunity　where　I　was；　I　pleaded　my　cause　until
  General　Halleck　finally　resolved　to　take　the　responsibility　of
  letting　me　go　without　consulting　the　War　Department。　　When　I　had
  thanked　him　for　the　kindness；　he　said　that　inasmuch　as　I　was　to　leave
  him；　he　would　inform　me　that　the　regiment　to　which　I　had　just　been
  appointed　was　ordered　out　as　part　of　a　column　directed　to　make　a　raid
  to　the　south　of　the　enemy；　then　occupying　Corinth；　and　that　if　I
  could　turn　over　my　property；　it　would　probably　be　well　for　me　to　join
  my　command　immediately；　so　that　I　could　go　with　the　expedition。　　I
  returned　to　my　tent；　where　Alger　and　Walbridge　were　still　waiting；
  and　told　them　of　the　success　of　my　interview；　at　the　same　time
  notifying　them　that　I　would　join　the　regiment　in　season　to　accompany
  the　expedition　of　which　Halleck　had　spoken。
  In　the　course　of　the　afternoon　I　turned　over　all　my　property　to　my
  successor；　and　about　8　o'clock　that　evening　made　my　appearance　at　the
  camp　of　the　Second　Michigan　Cavalry；　near　Farmington；　Mississippi。
  The　regiment　was　in　a　hubbub　of　excitement　making　preparations　for
  the　raid；　and　I　had　barely　time　to　meet　the　officers　of　my　command；
  and　no　opportunity　at　all　to　see　the　men；　when　the　trumpet　sounded　to
  horse。　　Dressed　in　a　coat　and　trousers　of　a　captain　of　infantry；　but
  recast　as　a　colonel　of　cavalry　by　a　pair　of　well…worn　eagles　that
  General　Granger　had　kindly　given　me；　I　hurriedly　placed　on　my　saddle
  a　haversack；　containing　some　coffee；　sugar；　bacon；　and　hard　bread；
  which　had　been　prepared；　and　mounting　my　horse；　I　reported　my
  regiment　to　the　brigade　commander　as　ready　for　duty。
  CHAPTER　IX。
  EXPEDITION　TO　BOONEVILLEDESTROYING　SUPPLIESCONFEDERATE
  STRAGGLERSSUCCESS　OF　THE　EXPEDITIONA　RECONNOISSANCETHE
  IMPORTANCE　OF　BODILY　SUSTENANCETHE　BATTLE　OF　BOONEVILLE
  RECOMMENDED　FOR　APPOINTMENT　AS　A　BRIGADIER…GENERAL。
  The　expedition　referred　to　by　General　Halleck　in　his　parting
  conversation　was　composed　of　the　Second　Michigan　and　Second　Iowa
  regiments　of　cavalry；　formed　into　a　brigade　under　command　of　Colonel
  Washington　L。　Elliott；　of　the　Second　Iowa。　　It　was　to　start　on　the
  night　of　the　27th　of　May　at　12　o'clock；　and　proceed　by　a　circuitous
  route　through　Iuka；　Miss。；　to　Booneville；　a　station　on　the　Mobile　and
  Ohio　Railroad；　about　twenty…two　miles　below　Corinth；　and　accomplish
  all　it　could　in　the　way　of　destroying　the　enemy's　supplies　and
  cutting　his　railroad　communications。
  The　weather　in　that　climate　was　already　warm；　guides　unobtainable；
  and　both　men　and　horses　suffered　much　discomfort　from　the　heat；　and
  fatigue　from　the　many　delays　growing　out　of　the　fact　that　we　were　in
  almost　total　ignorance　of　the　roads　leading　to　the　point　that　we
  desired　to　reach。　　In　order　that　we　might　go　light　we　carried　only
  sugar；　coffee；　and　salt；　depending　on　the　country　for　meat　and　bread。
  Both　these　articles　were　scarce；　but　I　think　we　got　all　there　was；
  for　our　advent　was　so　unexpected　by　the　people　of　the　region　through
  which　we　passed　that；　supposing　us　to　be　Confederate　cavalry；　they
  often　gave　us　all　they　had；　the　women　and　servants　contributing　most
  freely　from　their；　reserve　stores。
  Before　reaching　Booneville　I　had　the　advance；　but　just　as　we　arrived
  on　the　outskirts　of　the　town　the　brigade　was　formed　with　the　Second
  Iowa　on　my　right；　and　the　whole　force　moved　forward；　right　in　front；
  preceded　by　skirmishers。　　Here　we　encountered　the　enemy；　but　forced
  him　back　with　little　resistance。　　When　we　had　gained　possession　of
  the　station；　Colonel　Elliott　directed　me　to　take　the　left　wing　of　my
  regiment；　pass　to　the　south；　and　destroy　a　bridge　or　culvert　supposed
  to　be　at　a　little　distance　below　the　town　on　the　Mobile　and　Ohio
  Railroad。　　The　right　wing；　or　other　half　of　the　regiment；　was　to　be
  held　in　reserve　for　my　support　if　necessary。　　I　moved　rapidly　in　the
  designated　direction　till　I　reached　the　railroad；　and　then　rode　down
  it　for　a　mile