"Sir:

"Having served for fifteen years in the regular army, including four
years at West Point, and feeling it the duty of every one who has
been educated at the Government expense to offer their services for
the support of that Government, I have the honor, very respectfully,
to tender my services until the close of the war in such capacity
as may be offered. I would say in view of my present age and length
of service, I feel myself competent to command a regiment, if the
President, in his judgment, should see fit to entrust one to me.
Since the first call of the President I have been serving on the
staff of the Governor of this State, rendering such aid as I could
in the organization of our State militia, and am still engaged in
that capacity. A letter addressed to me at Springfield, Ill., will
reach me."


But the authorities at Washington took no notice whatsoever of
this modest letter, which was evidently tossed aside and completely
forgotten. Indeed, it was so completely buried in the files of
the War Department that it disappeared for years and, when it was
at last discovered, the war was a thing of the past.

This silent rebuff was enough to discourage any sensitive man and
Grant felt it keenly, but he did not entirely despair of accomplishing
his end. He tried to gain an interview with General Fremont who
was stationed in a neighboring state and, failing in this, sought
out McClellan, his comrade in the Mexican War, who had been made a