Your letter requesting me to appoint Mr. Foley on my staff was only
received last Friday night, of course too late to give Mr. Foley the
appointment even if I could do so. I remember to have been introduced
to Mr. Foley Sr. several years ago, and if the son is anything like
the impression I then formed of the father, the appointment would be
one that I could well congratulate myself upon. I have filled all the
places on my staff and, I flatter myself, with deserving men: Mr. J.A.
Rawlins of Galena is to be my Adjutant General, Mr. Lagow of the
regiment I was formerly colonel of, and Mr. Hillyer of St. Louis,
aides. They are all able men, from five to ten years younger than
myself, without military experience but very capable of learning. I
only have one of them with me yet, and having nothing but raw troops,
and but little assistance, it keeps me busy from the time I get up in
the morning until from 12 to 2 o'clock at night, or morning.
I subscribed for the _Daily Democrat_, a staunch Union paper, for you
so that you might hear from me often.
There is a good deal of alarm felt by the citizens of an early attack
upon this place, and if anything of the kind should take place we are
ill prepared. All the troops are very raw, and about one half of them
Missouri Home Guards without discipline. No artillery and but little
cavalry here.
I do not anticipate an attack here myself, certainly not until we have
attacked the enemy first. A defeat might induce the rebels to follow
up their success to this point, but that we expect to prevent. My
means of information are certainly as good as those of any one else,
and I cannot learn that there is an organized body of men North of the
Osage River, or any such body moving. There are numerous encampments
throughout all the counties bordering on the Missouri River, but the
object seems to be to gather supplies, forces, transportation and so
forth, for a fall and winter campaign.
The country west of here will be left in a starving condition for next
winter. Families are being driven away in great numbers for their
Union sentiments, leaving behind farms, crops, stock and all. A sad
state of affairs must exist under the most favorable circumstances
that can take place. There will be no money in the country, and the
entire crop will be carried off together with all stock of any value.
I am interrupted so often while writing that my letters must
necessarily be very meagre and disconnected.
I hope you will let Mary go to Galena when Mother returns home. She
has never paid us a visit and I would like to have her make a long
one. I think it doubtful whether I will go home at all.