y slavery." Lincoln understood that the task accepted by
him as President as the leader in the contest for national
existence made the maintenance of the Union his chief, if not for
the time being his only responsibility. He had, however, placed
himself on record in many utterances to the effect that if the
republic were to be preserved, slavery must be, in the first
place, restricted, and finally destroyed. It is probable that in
this matter Grant did not go so far as Lincoln. In any case, in
common with the President, he devoted himself simply to the duty
immediately before him.]

[The battlefield referred to is Belmont. According to the _Memoirs_,
the loss of national troops, killed, wounded, and missing, was 485;
that of the Confederates, 642. Number of Union troops engaged was 2500
men; that of Confederates, 7000.]

Cairo, Illinois,
November 28th, 1861.

DEAR FATHER:

Your letter asking if Mr. Leathers can be passed South, and also
enclosing two extracts from papers is received.

It is entirely out of the question to pass persons South. We have many
Union Men sacrificing their lives now from exposure as well as battle,
in a cause brought about by secession, and it is necessary for the
security of the thousands still exposed that all communication should
be cut off between the two sections.

As to that article in the _Hawk Eye_ it gives me no uneasiness
whatever. The Iowa regiment did its duty fully, and my report gives it
full credit. All who were on the battlefield know where General
McClernand and myself were, and there is no need of resort to the
public press for our vindication. The other extract gives our loss in
killed and wounded almost exactly correct. Our missing however is only
three or four over one hundred. Recent information received through
deserters shows that the rebel loss from killed, wounded, and missing
reaches about 2500. One thing is certain,--after the battle about one
third of Columbus was used for hospitals and many were removed to
houses in the country. There were also two steamboat loads sent to
Memphis and the largest hotel in the city taken as a hospital. The
city was put in mourning and all business suspended for a day: and the
citizens thrown into the greatest consternation lest they would be
attacked.

I wrote to you two days ago, therefore it is not necessary to write a
long letter.

I believe I told you that Julia had gone to St