butIsawandfelt，andwasofcoursedeeplymovedtoobserve，themanifestbeliefthattherewasmoreorlessoftruthintherumorthatthecares，perplexities，andanxietyofthesituationhadunbalancedmyjudgmentandmind。Itwas，doubtless，anincidentcommontoal1civilwars，towhichIcouldonlysubmitwiththebestgracepossible，trustingtothefutureforanopportunitytoredeemmyfortuneandgoodname。OfcourseIcouldnotdenythefact，andhadtosubmittoallitspainfulconsequencesformonths;
and，moreover，Icouldnothidefrommyselfthatmanyoftheofficersandsoldierssubsequentlyplacedundermycommandlookedatmeaskanceandwithsuspicion。Indeed，itwasnotuntilthefollowingAprilthatthebattleofShilohgavemepersonallythechancetoredeemmygoodname。
OnreachingSt。LouisandreportingtoGeneralHalleck，Iwasreceivedkindly，andwasshortlyafterward（viz。，November23d）
sentuptoSedaliatoinspectthecampthere，andthetroopslocatedalongtheroadbacktoJeffersonCity，andIwasorderedtoassumecommandinacertaincontingency。IfoundGeneralSteelsatSedaliawithhisregimentsscatteredaboutloosely;andGeneralPopeatOtterville，twentymilesback，withnoconcertbetweenthem。Therebelgeneral，SterlingPrice，hadhisforcesdownaboutOsceolaandWarsaw。IadvisedGeneralHallecktocollectthewholeofhismenintoonecampontheLaMineRiver，nearGeorgetown，toputthemintobrigadesanddivisions，soastobereadytobehandled，andIgavesomepreliminaryorderslookingtothatend。
Butthenewspaperskeptharpingonmyinsanityandparalyzedmyefforts。Inspiteofmyself，theytorturedfrommesomewordsandactsofimprudence。GeneralHallecktelegraphedmeonNovember26th:\"Unlesstelegraph—linesareinterrupted，makenomovementoftroopswithoutorders;\"andonNovember29th:\"NoforwardmovementoftroopsonOsceolawillbemade;onlystrongreconnoitring—partieswillbesentoutinthesupposeddirectionoftheenemy;thebalkofthetroopsbeingheldinpositiontillmorereliableinformationisobtained。\"