had a vote of thanks by name?” “No!” “Well, these are the only privileged members.”  I then told him he knew well enough who I was, and that if he chose he could take me in.  He then said, “Have you any impudence?” I told him, “A reasonable amount if occasion called for it.”  “Do you think you could become so interested in my conversation as not to notice the door-keeper?” (pointing to him).  I told him that there was not the least doubt of it, if he would tell me one of his funny stories.  He then took my arm, and led me a turn in the vestibule, talking about some indifferent matter, but all the time directing my looks to his left hand, toward which he was gesticulating with his right; and thus we approached the door-keeper, who began asking me, “Foreign ambassador?  Governor of a State?  Member of Congress?” etc.; but I caught Corwin’s eye, which said plainly, “Don’t mind him, pay attention to me,” and in this way we entered the Senate-chamber by a side-door.  Once in, Corwin said, “Now you can take care of yourself,” and I thanked him cordially.

I found a seat close behind Mr. Webster, and near General Scott, and heard the whole of the speech.  It was heavy in the extreme, and I confess that I was disappointed and tired long before it was finished.  No doubt the speech was full of fact and argument, but it had none of the fire of oratory, or intensity of feeling, that marked all of Mr. Clay’s efforts.

Toward the end of July, as before stated, all the family went home to Lancaster.  Congress was still in session, and the bill adding four captains to the Commissary Department had not passed, but was reasonably certain to, and I was equally sure of being one of them.  At that time my name was on the muster-roll of (Light) Company C, Third Artillery (Bragg’s), stationed at Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis.  But, as there was cholera at St. Louis, on application, I was permitted to delay joining my company until September.  Early in that month, I proceeded to Cincinnati, and thence by steamboat to St. Louis, and then to Jefferson Barracks, where I reported for duty to Captain and Brevet-Colonel Braxton Bragg, commanding (Light) Company C, Third Artillery.  The other officers of the company were First-Lieutenant James A. Hardie, and afterward Haekaliah Brown.  New horses had just been purchased for the battery, and we were preparing for work, when the mail brought the orders announcing the passage of the bill increasing the Commissary Department by four captains, to which were promoted Captains Shiras, Blair, Sherman, and Bowen.  I was ordered to take post at St. Louis, and to relieve Captain A. J. Smith, First Dragoons, who had been acting in that capacity for some months.  My commission bore date September 27,1850.  I proceeded forthwith to the city, relieved Captain Smith, and entered on the discharge of the duties of the office.

Colonel N. S. Clarke, Sixth Infantry, commanded the department; Major D. C. Buell was adjutant-general, and Captain W. S. Hancock was regimental quartermaster; Colonel Thomas Swords was the depot quartermaster, and we had our offices in the same building, on the corner of Washington Avenue and Second.  Subsequently Major S. Van Vliet relieved Colonel Swords.  I remained at the Planters’ House until my family arrived, when we occupied a house on Chouteau Avenue, near Twelfth.