operations and movements of General Price and the army, if, needed, he does not absolutely check or counteract them. You are fully aware how much damage opposition and hostility, or even a want of harmony, on the part of even Governor Reynolds would produce. You also know what are his notions about his duty and mission to protect the people there, &c., and also of his won immense powers to effect that thing, and the vigor and extremity with which he has announced it to be his purpose to do so. You have been with the army from the beginning. You are familiar with its temper and feelings. You are, moreover, known to and influential with almost every soldier in it. You can go up there and yet be in Richmond by the time Congress will meet, and even if your should be a little late I really believe that in such case you would be serving your country better and more efficiency than if you were not to come, and this I know, after all, is the great end and aim of all your labors and ambition. The only question is, will you submit to the travel, fatigue, and perils which you must undertake? Will you allow me to say I think you ought. I have good reason to be able to appreciate and dread the crossing the Mississippi, but I think I would not hesitate to do it. I shall be one of those who go Deo volente, but I do not know many of your special friends who accompany the expedition. As it is a secret I make no inquiries. I have made it known to my colleague, Judge Watkins, and consulted him on the subject. He concurs with me that you ought to come over and go up. Not having official and active duty to perform, you would be the better able to see and hear and observe and deliberate, and in consequence to advise and suggest.

Your suggestions, advice, and efforts would on the one hand tend strongly to countervail and prevent the evils above foreshadowed, while on the other they would throw a flood of light on the difficult path which the old hero will have to project and pursue. Besides you would be of incalculable advantage in recruiting and organizing new troops, especially infantry. What will be most imperiously demanded by the exigencies of the situation will be infantry. This will have to be originated ab initio. We will take none with us, not even a nucleus, around which our recruits can be gathered. Moreover, the numerous banding guerrillas and bushwhackers, as the Yankee press calls them, I fear will be loth to give up their independent and freebooting organizations and enlist in the regular C. S. Army, and yet if we accomplish anything good and permanently remain in Missouri, or any part of it, that must be done. And I verily believe you could effect much toward the consummation of this indispensable end. You have both skill and experience in such matters. Recollect your achievements in bringing the old State Guard into the Confederate Provisional Army, C. S. It will be an almost impossible achievement, still I do most earnestly hope we will be able to effect a permanent lodgment and foothold in Missouri. If we could only take the infantry with us, as well as the cavalry, I believe it could be accomplished, and I think we can do it anyhow, unless the enemy shall bring in against us a large army of their veteran troops from abroad. But can they do this while Virginia and Georgia made such exorbitant and inexorable demands upon them? Can they do more than confront us with the Missouri militia and the few foreign troops they now have in the State and the 100-days' men, with whom they may re-enforce these, and can all these drive us out? If we shall be successful in making armies of recruits there, as we hope and think we can, they certainly cannot. Judging from the newspaper accounts and all the other intelligence we