nable me to serve my country in its present hour of peril.
To my communication to this effect I have received no reply.

I have the honour now to tender to you my services on your
staff in some position wherein they may prove most
available.

The record of my former services in Mexico is on the files
of the War Department, and I am without vanity led to
believe that the historical associations which place my name
in connection with that of James Monroe may give a prestige
in our cause not wholly valueless. In conclusion I beg to
add that the subject of compensation with me would be a
matter of indifference.

General Halleck replied as follows:--

Washington, July 30, 1863.

Samuel L. Gouverneur Jr.
New York.

Sir,

The law authorizing the appointment of additional aides has
been repealed. Moreover, I have long since refused to
nominate except for distinguished or meritorious military
services. It is true that some have been put upon my staff
without having rendered any service at all, but they were
not nominated by me, and I do not recognize their
appointment as legal.

Yours &c.,

H. W. HALLECK,
Major General Commanding.

General Halleck seemed to be ignorant of the fact that the chief
requisite for serving upon his staff was not wanting in the case of my
husband, who, as before stated, was brevetted for gallantry and
meritorious conduct at the battles of Contreras and Churubusco in the
Mexican War.

Halleck's reply was a bitter disappointment to Mr. Gouverneur but a
tremendous relief to me, as I knew he was not in the condition of health
to serve even as a staff-officer. When he originally broached the
subject to me I did not try to dissuade him, as I felt that I had no
moral right to interfere with his ideas of duty to his country. The
Halleck letter, therefore, brought about a state of affairs in our
household much more satisfactory than my most sanguine anticipations.
Mr. Gouverneur, having done his full duty, gave up his idea of
re-entering the Army and, in a spirit of contentment, began to take up
life in our new home.

During the month of August, 1863, we had just gotten fairly settled
when the Confederate guerrilla chieftain, John S. Mosby, appeared at our
door with his band of marauders. Their visit was brief and we were
spared the usual depre