e occasion demands
brevity. Of his career since the close of the war, in civil life
here in Kansas, there are others better qualified to speak than I
am. I will only say that my personal relations with him since he
came to this State, dating away back in the early seventies, have
continued to be, during all these years, what they were in the
trying and perilous days of the war--of the most friendly and
fraternal character. To me, at least, he was always Col. Dan Grass,
my regimental commander; while he, as I am happy to believe, always
looked upon and remembered me simply as 'Lee Stillwell, the little
sergeant of Company D.'

"I remain very sincerely your friend,

"L. STILLWELL."

[Illustration: Daniel Grass
(Late Lieut. Colonel, 61st Illinois Infantry.)]

CHAPTER XV.

LITTLE ROCK. EXPEDITIONS TO AUGUSTA AND SPRINGFIELD. MARCH, APRIL AND
MAY, 1864.

In the spring of 1864 it was determined by the military authorities to
undertake some offensive operations in what was styled the "Red River
country," the objective point being Shreveport, Louisiana. Gen. N. P.
Banks was to move with an army from New Orleans, and Gen. Steele, in
command of the Department of Arkansas, was to co-operate with a force
from Little Rock. And here my regiment sustained what I regarded, and
still regard, as a piece of bad luck. It was not included in this
moving column, but was assigned to the duty of serving as provost guard
of the city of Little Rock during the absence of the main army. To be
left there in that capacity, while the bulk of the troops in that
department would be marching and fighting was, from my standpoint, a
most mortifying circumstance. But the duty that devolved on us had to
be done by somebody, and soldiers can only obey orders. Our officers
said at the time that only efficient and well-disciplined troops were
entrusted with the position of provost-guards of a city the size of
Little Rock, and hence that our being so designated was a compliment to
the regiment. That sounded plausible, and it may have been true,
probably was, but I didn't like the job a bit. It may, however, have
all been for the best, as this Red River expedition, especially the
part undertaken by Gen. Banks, was a disastrous failure. Gen. Steele
left Little Rock about March 23rd, with a force, of all arms, of about
12,000 men, but got no further than Camden, Arkansas. Gen. Banks was