Having but little to do after the muster of the last of the regiments authorized by the State legislature, I asked and obtained of the governor leave of absence for a week to visit my parents in Covington, Kentucky, immediately opposite Cincinnati.  General McClellan had been made a major-general and had his headquarters at Cincinnati.  In reality I wanted to see him.  I had known him slightly at West Point, where we served one year together, and in the Mexican war.  I was in hopes that when he saw me he would offer me a position on his staff.  I called on two successive days at his office but failed to see him on either occasion, and returned to Springfield.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Appointed colonel of the 21st Illinois—­personnel of the regiment —­general Logan—­march to Missouri—­movement against Harris at Florida, Mo.—­General Pope in command—­stationed at Mexico, Mo.

While I was absent from the State capital on this occasion the President’s second call for troops was issued.  This time it was for 300,000 men, for three years or the war.  This brought into the United States service all the regiments then in the State service.  These had elected their officers from highest to lowest and were accepted with their organizations as they were, except in two instances.  A Chicago regiment, the 19th infantry, had elected a very young man to the colonelcy.  When it came to taking the field the regiment asked to have another appointed colonel and the one they had previously chosen made lieutenant-colonel.  The 21st regiment of infantry, mustered in by me at Mattoon, refused to go into the service with the colonel of their selection in any position.  While I was still absent Governor Yates appointed me colonel of this latter regiment.  A few days after I was in charge of it and in camp on the fair grounds near Springfield.

My regiment was composed in large part of young men of as good social position as any in their section of the State.  It embraced the sons of farmers, lawyers, physicians, politicians, merchants, bankers and ministers, and some men of maturer years who had filled such positions themselves.  There were also men in it who could be led astray; and the colonel, elected by the votes of the regiment, had proved to be fully capable of developing all there was in his men of recklessness.  It was said that he even went so far at times as to take the guard from their posts and go with them to the village near by and make a night of it.  When there came a prospect of battle the regiment wanted to have some one else to lead them.  I found it very hard work for a few days to bring all the men into anything like subordination; but the great majority favored discipline, and by the application of a little regular army punishment all were reduced to as good discipline as one could ask.