Ramstead to Wilson

HEAD QUARTERS,

YATES PHALANX INDEPENDENT REGIMENT,

Austin Light, Colonel.

Thos. O. Osborn, Lieut. Col. Frank. H. Marshall, Adjutant. Wm. H .Ranstead, Major. D. W. Tillinghast, Quarter Master.

Chicago, Augst 11th 1861.

Friend Wilson

Dr Sir

When I was in Springfield last week to procure transportation papers for companies attached to the Yates Phalanx Regiment I was confident of moving 4 or 5 full companies for Camp Butler this week I immediately started for the country where several of our companies was organized supposing of course that they were about ready to move But to my surprise I was informed that the Douglass Brigade had been to visit three of our companies informing them that the Yates Phalanx had disbanded & gone up also stating that it was impossible for a Regiment to be recruited under the name of Yates or anything that the Governor had anything to do with in the Northern part of Illinois Now if we are to suffer from false representations made by such scoundrels as Dave Stewart

or the men interested in the Brigade I am very sorry. These men are the ones that have circulated the Report that the Governor was drunk and unable to attend [illegible] of the State of Illinois they have been very busy in sending around these reports These men have taken 230 men from the Phalanx We now have about three Hundred men and should have had for the State of any Regiment now organizing in Chicago If the Governor will stand by us We shall do everything in our power to sustain him We have had the strongest Kind of opposition from the start I have just returned from Iowa and have made arrangements for two full companies Now Mr Wilson if you can place me in correspondences with three full companies We will start then for Camp Butler immediately & we can there get out of the hands of these men We can start about three hundred men from Chicago & If you think it advisable we will take immediate action til we hear from you by return mail with instructions.

Yours very respectfully

Major Ranstead