d　having　repeatedly　notified　President　Grant　of　my　purpose；　I　wrote　the　Secretary　of　War　on　the　8th　day　of　May；　1874；　asking　the　authority　of　the　President　and　the　War　Department　to　remove　my　headquarters　to　St。　Louis。
  On　the　11th　day　of　May　General　Belknap　replied　that　I　had　the　assent　of　the　President　and　himself；　inclosing　the　rough　draft　of　an　order　to　accomplish　this　result；　which　I　answered　on　the　15th；　expressing　my　entire　satisfaction；　only　requesting　delay　in　the　publication　of　the　orders　till　August　or　September；　as　I　preferred　to　make　the　changes　in　the　month　of　October。
  On　the　3d　of　September　these　orders　were　made：
  WAR　DEPARTMENT；　ADJUTANT…GENERAL'S　OFFICE；　WASHINGTON；　September　8；　1874。
  General　Orders　No。　108。
  With　the　assent　of　the　President；　and　at　the　request　of　the　General；　the　headquarters　of　the　armies　of　the　United　States　will　be　established　at　St。　Louis；　Missouri；　in　the　month　of　October　next。
  The　regulations　and　orders　now　governing　the　functions　of　the　General　of　the　Army；　and　those　in　relation　to　transactions　of　business　with　the　War　Department　and　its　bureaus；　will　continue　in　force。
  By　order　of　the　Secretary　of　War：
  E。　　D。　　TOWNSEND；　Adjutant…General。
  Our　daughter　Minnie　was　married　October　1；　1874；　to　Thomas　W。　Fitch；　United　States　Navy；　and　we　all　forthwith　packed　up　and　regained　our　own　house　at　St。　Louis；　taking　an　office　on　the　corner　of　Tenth　and　Locust　Streets。　　The　only　staff　I　brought　with　me　were　the　aides　allowed　by　law；　and；　though　we　went　through　the　forms　of　〃command；〃　I　realized　that　it　was　a　farce；　and　it　did　not　need　a　prophet　to　foretell　it　would　end　in　a　tragedy。　　We　made　ourselves　very　comfortable；　made　many　pleasant　excursions　into　the　interior；　had　a　large　correspondence；　and　escaped　the　mortification　of　being　slighted　by　men　in　Washington　who　were　using　their　temporary　power　for　selfish　ends。
  Early　in　March；　1676；　appeared　in　all　the　newspapers　of　the　day　the　sensational　report　from　Washington　that　Secretary　of　War　Belknap　had　been　detected　in　selling　sutlerships　in　the　army；　that　he　had　confessed　it　to　Representative　Blackburn；　of　Kentucky；　that　he　had　tendered　his　resignation；　which　had　been　accepted　by　the　President；　and　that　he　was　still　subject　to　impeachment；would　be　impeached　and　tried　by　the　Senate。　　I　was　surprised　to　learn　that　General　Belknap　was　dishonest　in　money　matters；　for　I　believed　him　a　brave　soldier；　and　I　sorely　thought　him　honest；　but　the　truth　was　soon　revealed　from　Washington；　and　very　soon　after　I　received　from　Judge　Alphonso　Taft；　of　Cincinnati；　a　letter　informing　me　that　he　had　been　appointed　Secretary　of　War；　and　should　insist　on　my　immediate　return　to　Washington。　　I　answered　that　I　was　ready　to　go　to　Washington；　or　anywhere；　if　assured　of　decent　treatment。
  I　proceeded　to　Washington；　when；　on　the　6th　of　April；　were　published　these　orders：
  General　Orders　No。　28。
  The　following　orders　of　the　President　of　the　United　States　are　hereby　promulgated　for　the　information　and　guidance　of　all　concerned：
  The　headquarters　of　the　army　are　hereby　reestablished　at　Washington　City；　and　all　orders　and　instructions　relative　to　military　operations　or　affecting　the　military　control　and　discipline　of　the　army　issued　by　the　President　through　the　Secretary　of　War；　shall　be　promulgated　through　the　General　of　the　Army；　and　the　departments　of　the　Adjutant…General　and　the…InspectorGeneral　shall　report　to　him；　and　be　under　his　control　in　all　matters　relating　thereto。
  By　order　of　the　Secretary　of　War：
  E。　　D。　　TOWNSEND；　Adjutant…General。
  This　was　all　I　had　ever　asked；　accordingly　my　personal　staff　were　brought　back　to　Washington；　where　we　resumed　our　old　places；　only　I　did　not；　for　some　time；　bring　back　the　family；　and　then　only　to　a　rented　house　on　Fifteenth　Street；　which　we　occupied　till　we　left　Washington　for　good。　　During　the　period　from　1876　to　1884　we　had　as　Secretaries　of　War　in　succession；　the　Hors。　Alphonso　Taft；　J。　D。　Cameron；　George　W。　McCrary；　Alexander　Ramsey；　and　R。　T。　Lincoln；　with　each　and　all　of　whom　I　was　on　terms　of　the　moat　intimate　and　friendly　relations。
  And　here　I　will　record　of　Washington　that　I　saw　it；　under　the　magic　hand　of　Alexander　R。　Shepherd；　grow　from　a　straggling；　ill…paved　city；　to　one　of　the　cleanest；　moat　beautiful；　and　attractive　cities　of　the　whole　world。　　Its　climate　is　salubrious；　with　as　much　sunshine　as　any　city　of　America。　　The　country　immediately　about　it　is　naturally　beautiful　and　romantic；　especially　up　the　Potomac；　in　the　region　of　the　Great　Falls；　and；　though　the　soil　be　poor　as　compared　with　that　of　my　present　home；　it　is　susceptible　of　easy　improvement　and　embellishment。　　The　social　advantages　cannot　be　surpassed　even　in　London；　Paris；　or　Vienna；　and　among　the　resident　population；　the　members　of　the　Supreme　Court；　Senate；　House　of　Representatives；　army；　navy；　and　the　several　executive　departments；　may　be　found　an　intellectual　class　one　cannot　encounter　in　our　commercial　and　manufacturing　cities。　　The　student　may；　without　tax　and　without　price；　have　access；　in　the　libraries　of　Congress　and　of　the　several　departments；　to　books　of　every　nature　and　kind；　and　the　museums　of　natural　history　are　rapidly　approaching　a　standard　of　comparison　with　the　best　of　the　world。　　Yet　it　is　the　usual　and　proper　center　of　political　intrigue；　from　which　the　army　especially　should　keep　aloof；　because　the　army　must　be　true　and　faithful　to　the　powers　that　be；　and　not　be　subjected　to　a　temptation　to　favor　one　or　other　of　the　great　parties　into　which　our　people　have　divided；　and　will　continue　to　divide；　it　may　be；　with　advantage　to　the　whole。
  It　would　be　a　labor　of　love　for　me；　in　this　connection；　to　pay　a　tribute　of　respect；　by　name；　to　the　many　able　and　most　patriotic　officers　with　whom　I　was　so　long　associated　as　the　commanding　generals　of　military　divisions　and　departments；　as　well　as　staff…officers；　but　I　must　forego　the　temptation；　because　of　the　magnitude　of　the　subject；　certain　that　each　and　all　of　them　will　find　biographers　better　posted　and　more　capable　than　myself；　and　I　would　also　like　to　make　recognition　of　the　hundreds　of　acts　of　most　graceful　hospitality　on　the　part　of　the　officers　and　families　at　our　remote　military　posts　in　the　days；　of　the　〃adobe；〃　the　〃jacal；〃　and　〃dug…out；〃　when　a　board　floor　and　a　shingle　roof　were　luxuries　expected　by　none　except　the　commanding　officer。　　I　can　see；　in　memory；　a　beautiful　young　city…bred　lady；　who　had　married　a　poor　second…lieutenant；　and　followed　him　to　his　post　on　the　plains；　whose　quarters　were　in　a　〃dug…out〃　ten　feet　by　about　fifteen；　seven　feet　high；　with　a　dirt　roof；　four　feet　of　the　walls　were　the　natural　earth；　the　other　three　of　sod；　with　holes　for　windows　and　corn…sacks　for　curtains。　　This　little　lady　had　her　Saratoga　trunk；　which　was　the　chief　article　of　furniture；　yet；　by　means　of　a　rug　on　the　ground…floor；　a　few　candle…boxes　covered　with　red　cotton　calico　for　seats；　a　table　improvised　out　of　a　barrel…head；　and　a　fireplace　and　chimney　excavated　in　the　back　wall　or　bank；　she　had　transformed　her　〃hole　in　the　ground〃　into　a　most　attractive　home　for　her　young　warrior　husband；　and　she　entertained　me　with　a　supper　consisting　of　the　best　of　coffee；　fried　ham；　cakes；　and　jellies　from　the　commissary；　which　made　on　my　mind　an　impression　more　lasting　than　have　any　one　of　the　hundreds　of　magnificent　banquets　I　have　since　attended　in　the　palaces　and　mansions　of　our　own　and　foreign　lands。
  Still　more　would　I　like　to　go　over　again　the　many　magnificent　trips　made　across　the　interior　plains；　mountains；　and　deserts　before　the　days　of　the　completed　Pacific　Railroad；　with　regular　〃Doughertys〃　drawn　by　four　smart　mules；　one　soldier　with　carbine　or　loaded　musket　in　hand　seated　alongside　the　driver；　two　in　the　back　seat　with　loaded　rifles　swung　in　the　loops　made　for　them；　the　lightest　kind　of　baggage；　and　generally　a　bag　of　oats　to　supplement　the　grass；　and　to　attach　the　mules　to　their　camp。　　With　an　outfit　of　two；　three；　or　four　of　such；　I　have　made　journeys　of　as　much　as　eighteen　hundred　miles　in　a　single　season；　usually　from　post　to　post；　averaging　in　distance　about　two　hundred　miles　a　week；　with　as　much　regularity　as　is　done　today　by　the　steam…car　its　five　hundred　miles　a　day；　but　those　days　are　gone；　and；　though　I　recognize　the　great　national　advantages　of　the　more　rapid　locomotion；　I　cannot　help　occasionally　regretting　the　change。　　One　instance　in　1866　rises　in　my　memory；　which　I　must　record：　Returning　eastward　from　Fort　Garland；　we　ascended　the　Rocky　Mountains　to　the　Sangre…de…　Cristo　Pass。　　The　road　descending　the　mountain　was　very　rough　and　sidling。　　I　got　out　with　my　rifle；　and　walked　ahead　about　four　miles；　where　I　awaited　my　〃Dougherty。〃　　After　an　hour　or　so　I　saw；　coming　down　the　road；　a　wagon；　and　did　not　recognize　it　as　my　own　till　quite　near。　　It　had　been　upset；　the　top　all　mashed　in；　and　no　means　at　hand　for　repairs。　　I　consequently　turned　aside　from　the　main　road　to　a　camp　of　cavalry　near　the　Spanish　Peaks；　where　we　were　most　hospitably　received　by　Major　A　and　his　accomplished　wife。　　They　occupied　a　large　hospital…tent；　which　about　a　dozen　beautiful　greyhounds　were　free　to　enter　at　will。　　The　ambulance　was　repaired；　and　the　next　morning　we　rene