bjective.

"Gov. Morton was sent for and had an interview with the Secretary of
War. What arrangement or understanding was had between them I did not
know, nor did I ever learn. The only thing he ever said to any of us was
to Gen. Anderson, that there were plenty of arms, etc., in Indianapolis,
and if he should ever have to start for the Black Hills to let him know
at once. I suspected that he was fully posted.

"I returned in about two weeks to Washington. In the meantime the
President had attempted to send the General of the Army out of the
country into Mexico, on some civil mission. The General had positively
refused to go. By this time there was quite a bitter feeling. The
President expressed himself freely. The General was silent.

"The Secretary of War had been requested to resign, which he had refused
to do, and the excitement was warming up considerably. Many telegrams
were coming to the General of the Army from his old soldiers, saying
they were ready to come to Washington in case of trouble with the
President on the question of the enforcement of his views against the
action of Congress. The General would destroy these telegrams as fast
as they came. I told the Secretary of the progress of Gen. Anderson and
Henry in reference to the Black Hills. He was very much gratified at the
result.

"I was invited to come to the War Office at about 8:30 o'clock that
evening. On arriving I was admitted by the Secretary himself. Inside the
door I found a sentinel with musket in hand, regularly on duty. I said
to the Secretary, 'How is this?' His only reply was: 'It looks warlike,
does it not?'

"On entering his private room I found the Chief of Staff to the General
of the Army and two other gentlemen. One was a man whom I knew well, the
same mentioned by the parties as being the one to take care of
Washington city. The other gentleman I had never seen. He was a resident
of Washington city, had been a Colonel in the Union army, and was now
acting as Adjutant-General and organizer under the former. These men
remained during every night in the War Department with the Secretary of
War, having spies out in Baltimore and Richmond, as well as in
Washington, and knew of every movement that was going on. They also knew
of every meeting of leading rebels with the President. I learned that
their organization, secretly armed and equipped in Washington, amounted
to over 2,000 men, the object of which was not disclosed to the men mo