cian for the marine hospital, for he is also an avowed infidel. Permit me,in conclusion, to earnestly recommend a good man, and one who has been most actively devoted to your party, for appointment to some good office, such as paymaster in the Army. He has lost his situation as secretary of the school board purely on account of his Republican partyism. Personally nine-tenths of the members of the board would have voted for his re-election were he not objectionable as a member and leader of the "Wide Awakes." He is, I think, a most trustworthy man, faithful to all his engagements. I have hastily written the foregoing amidst the pressure of several cases.

Most respectfully and truly, your obedient servant,

W. W. GREENE.

SAINT LOUIS, April 22, 1861.

Honorable EDWARD BATES:

MY DEAR OLD FRIENDS: I have this moment returned from a visits to Captain Lyon a the arsenal. I find matters there in confusion as to the command, and that the force is inadequate to the defense of the place. It seems Captain Lyon is in command of the troops, and Major Hagner of the ordnance; that General Harney has to be in many matters consulted. I think this should be remedied at once, by placing somebody in the supreme command in all respects.

Captain Lyon has only about three hundred and sixty men in all, and of these about thirty are sick and thirty others are prisoners. The walls are long, and cannot be lined with so few men. Captain Lyon has received no authority to accept and arm volunteers. There are plenty of good men in the city, ready and anxious to volunteer at once. This should be attended to immediately.

The secessionists here have changed their tactics completely. Such is the excitement created here by the calling out of the militia, that they are confident the people of this State will vote her out of the Union, and they have good grounds to think so. They are, therefore, for leaving everything to the people, and committing no violence. They have substituted the false charge that Mr. Lincoln intends to subjugate the South in lieu of their own lawless acts,and have suddenly become the most lawabiding citizens. If the State goes out, they expect the public property belonging to the United States to pass ipso facto to them. This is my own inference as to their plans, but I think it is correct.

Captain Lyon agrees with me that both the arsenal and barracks are untenable as military positions. It therefore requires a large force to maintain the rights of the Government. To send the militia from any non-slaveholding State would be in my opinion most injudicious. It would inflame the popular mind to a very dangerous degree. What I propose and earnestly recommend is to enroll volunteers of this State, purging them all with an oath, to the number of three, four, or five thousand men. This number can be easily obtained if it be understood they are not to leave the State. It would place Saint Lous in the hands of the Union men, and thus give them courage, which they now lack, and it could excite but little jealousy. It would also show that there were Union men in Missouri, which is important at this time. The Government would lose nothing in permitting them to remain here, for I think they should be kept here at all events. They would not lose their citizenship by being enrolled. There is much talk in certain quarters of "superseding" the convention, and we may need all our citizens here.

Permit me also to suggest that it would be well to quietly remove a