be made even a football of bad men, if I could in the mean time do good service in this terrible struggle, to my noble Government. But my usefulness and power to do good are limited every time such an assault is made upon me . I have been told by parties that Lane and others intend I shall be "military governor of the Indian nation, and be placed with power to do something," &c.; but I am soliciting no position, and unless it comes to me in such shape that I can take it untrammeled, and so that I could serve my Government faithfully, I would not take it.

In writing this private letter to you I desire frankly to know if the determination is to refuse me the means of bringing up this command; if my services have been so little esteemed or the command so little valued that its safe or mine was matter of indifference. If so, I have this favor to ask of you, that you secure the acceptance of my resignation from the President. There are too many superfluous officers now. I have made every property and ordnance return, and am square with the Government.

I ask this because my State is now convulsed. I have received letters from different quarters of it to come home and aid in the reorganization is much needed. If I am not to be permitted to be useful in the field I know I can do good service there, for the old party I helped to build is rent in twain and without a head. Under such circumstances I do not wish merely to send a formal resignation, which might have to pass through hands directly interested in keeping me in the army. Four years ago I carried my State for William H. Seward, and took him its vote to Chicago. Although Kansas member of the National Republican Committee I have never asked either Mr. Lincoln or Mr. Seward for a favor. I say this because I expect that if it requires some aid in Washington to get my resignation promptly that surely those gentlemen would aid me, if not in obtaining position in the Army, at least of leaving it honorably when it was determined that I could not serve it efficiently.

I at one time had thought of asking you to be ordered up on staff or post duty until this command, when it goes through its new experiment, might need me to go back and gather up its fragments again, but I will not. I would much rather resign than draw a salary I did not laboriously earn. Besides, every one of these changes weakens my power to do good here. I had cultivated the good will of the Cherokes and Creeks, hoping to be able, when the Choctaw Nation was opened, to make a party here who would vote to open their country, and thus secure a useful and inevitable result without breach of faith. I feel, however, that my most arduous labors cannot serve me.

I respectfully ask you to write to,

Yours, very truly,

WM. A. PHILLIPS.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NEW MEXICO,
Santa Fe, N. Mex., March 13, 1864 .

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.:

GENERAL: I herewith inclose a copy of a private letter just received from Lieutenant Colonel Nelson H. Davis, assistant inspector-general,