J. E. Whitney to Jesse K. Dubois

Carmi Illinois

July 1st 1861

Hon Jesse K Dubois

Dear Sir Charles E McDowell a young man of about 23 years of age who has been reading my my office for about 18 months seems to have a very ardent desire to render the Government some service in this crisis in a military capacity and has therefore been very busily engaged for over two months in studying military tactics and so far as I am able to judge has made very considerable progress He is a son of a very special friend of yours (Judge McDowell) of Wabash County and is a young man of first rate moral character with no bad habits and is very well informed He is very desirous of obtaining a commission to Some military position

in some of the Cavalry companies of the state But rather than get no position he would take it in the Infantry It would be a matter of considerable gratification to see if he could get some position in the military depart-- and if you and Hatch can assist him in his undertaking I should esteem it as a favor to myself

Yours very Truly J E Whitney

C.E.McDowell asking appointment

answered