“Headquarters, May 24, 1832.
“General Orders:
“The great disorder in the brigade occasioned by the men’s quitting their places in the line and scattering over the country, renders it absolutely necessary to inflict punishment on everyone who violates orders in that particular.
“Colonels of regiments and majors of separate battalions will require that every man shall keep his place in the ranks if the individual is able to march, and if not, he will obtain permission of his captain to march in the rear of the army.
“All footmen will march with Major Long’s battalion. Should any man attempt to pass out of the army on either flank, or should he be found out without permission, he will be taken in custody of the guard and, if he be an officer, will immediately be arrested. The officer of the day will be particularly charged with the execution of this order.
“By order of the Brig. Gen.
“N. Buckmaster, Brigade Major.”
There were so many jealousies and irritations, there was such lack of cohesion, and certainly lack of organization and discipline, that men naturally disposed to continue their service lost interest by the contagion of disaffection and wished themselves well rid of it. It may therefore be said that the dispersion of the army was the act of wisdom.
General Whiteside was an energetic and patriotic man, and so it should be said of Governor Reynolds. Both had been rangers in the war of 1812, suffering dangers and fatigues without number. Both had been in responsible military positions and acquitted themselves creditably, but the army was composed of such divergent, discordant, independent and headstrong characters that harmony was impossible.
Crops for the second year were being neglected; business interests left to be resumed at the end of thirty days[[140]]–as was supposed–were urging many to return. The prospect of a long campaign, complaints for burning the village of the Prophet and the forced march to Dixon’s thereafter–allowing the Stillman expedition, when probably the men favored it at the time–all conspired to raise a state of affairs so disagreeable all round that disintegration was inevitable and proper. Immediately the mustering out was finished, on May 27th, six companies, commanded by Captains Samuel Smith of Greene County, Benjamin James of Bond County, Elijah Iles–with whom Lincoln was a private–Alexander White and Alexander D. Cox of Sangamon, William C. Ralls of Schuyler and Adam W. Snyder of St. Clair, flew to the rescue of this regiment. Jacob Fry, on the 31st, was made colonel; James D. Henry, lieutenant-colonel; John Thomas, major; E.P. Oliphant, adjutant; John W. Scott, paymaster; William Kirkpatrick, quartermaster; H. Dulaney and John B. Rutledge, surgeons; Thomas R. Waldron, quartermaster’s sergeant; Jonathan Leighton, surgeon’s mate, and William McAdams, sergeant-major.