Edward A. Small to Richard Yates

                                                                                                      Galena 14th July 1864

Hon Richard Yates

             Springfield Ills.
                                       Dear Sir.  Your favour of the 9th is just rec'd - I did not show your letters to our good friend Tomlin for reasons which, I hope, will be satisfactory to you;- I feared that he would desire the position of State Agt and I Knew him to be unfit for it;-   Mr T. is a very good and honest man, as you probably Know, but he is troubled with a Kind of masterly inactivity -- what some uncharitable folk call laziness which destroys his usefulness to a very great extent:  I therefore took the liberty of acting on my own responsibility in suggesting Mr. Huntington, who in addition to his other good qualities is a warm friend of yours.-  Like myself he entertains the idea that your Message of Jan 5. 63 to the Assembly is one of the best documents of the kind ever gotten (illegible).

     its to the suggestion of yours that Washburn was another hack.  I suppose you have more accurate means of inform=ation than myself, but unless you have, it is a mistake:- for one to even entertain any such idea that I can learn:-  On the contrary - (illegible) (his fidus Achates) told me a month or so ago Hon W. wished to return as Representative of this District.  Very few persons entertain any feeling of personal friendship for Washburn- he has not the first element of character which awakens that sentiment so far as I know and I have as good opportunities of knowing as anyone 

and Il consider that a bar to his prospects for the Senatorship. His advocacy of Grants interests & his successful career as a Legislator of the Congress just past may have given him hopes in the direction of the Senatorship - but I think he will hardly be guilty of the same folly which destroyed Aldrich in Minnesota and Carl Washburn in Wisconsin- both declined renomination as Represen=tation with the expectation of getting the Senatorship- and instead - got - (illegible)- E.B. is shrewd enough to forfeit by an example so near home; The Chicago Tribune of the 13th saw that Hon EB Washburn was enthusiastically wel=come home on last Friday by his friends at Galena"- the facts being - that not a soul in town Knew of his return until he had been here the better part of a day - and then there was not the slightest demonstration;- I may say in this conv=sation that I am on friendly terms with Mr. W. & now asked or wanted a favour at his hands which he did not grant- I say that lest you may think me somewhat severe on him from anger at some slight- Not so: I and only a constitutionally opposed to all Kinds of humbug and he has always impressed me with the consideration that his external manifestations of regards weve the cloak of opinion from selfishness & working less;- Nevertheless I did my utmost to secure this County for him at his last election and there are some here who believe that I did it in As Pres of the County Council. U.L of A & (succesevily?) the Presidents of the Galena ULA untill I got that job, I was not there and am not now without some influence. Our U.L.A is a power here now numbering about 1700 numbers in the county. about 500 of which are in Galena

The Galena people will give you a rousing reception at any time that you will come. advise us when you will be here & we will give you a mass meeting - I give you below the names of several Gentlemen who will do what they can for you - Of one thing you may be assured, we shall require our Candidate - to declare himself for "Lincoln Oglesby & Yates and we shall send either Henry Green or John D Platt - the former of Elizabeth in the County - the latter of Warren -

I shall of course consider yr letters entirely confidential -

                                                                    Yours (truly?)  Edwd A. Small

I am greatly obliged for the photograph- The names mentioned above are as follows: (orgr?) J.D. Parks, Nora. J.R. Booth. Warren, ] Strongest Republican Town in our County Charles Cole. " J.D. Platt. " Dr. D.A. Sheffield, Apple River Station. Stephenson T Napper, Scales Mounds. William Passmore, Council Hile. John Crammer, Pleasant Valley P.O. James Fraser, Elizabeth. Milton Claypoole, Rush P.O. R. E. Odell, Dunleith John Lorrain, William Farrar, all. (illegible) and myself of Galena.

Small Edwd A. Galena July 14th 64

Did not show Your letter to friend Tomlin for the reason that I think he is a candidate for State Adgt & he don't think (?) fit for it on account of Laziness he dont think Washburn is on the track. At any rate he has few friends there. Gives list of good union men.

File - first sending speeches & journals of tomorrow's issue to each of the persons named in Small's letter & copy these names on to our book of names